FAQ

What is Credit by Exam?

Credit by Exam is a way for you to earn real college credits, and potentially save thousands of tuition dollars, by passing tests offered by The College Board, which administers Advanced Placement (AP) and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams in math, history, science and many other subjects.

How does it work?

Modern States offers free, high-quality online courses taught by college professors that prepare you for virtually all of the CLEP exams, which are well-established and widely-accepted. Solid performance on the exams (each participating college decides what scores you need for credit) can earn you college credits and enable you to save tuition dollars. You can take one course or many; if you do well on eight exams, you can potentially earn Freshman Year for Free™.

How do I participate in the Modern States CLEP Voucher Program?

Follow these steps to complete the program:

Sign up
Enroll in one or many courses
Complete all of the coursework
Request a CLEP voucher from within the Modern States course.
Schedule an exam at a CLEP Test Center and use your voucher code as payment.
Request a Test Center Reimbursement once you have taken the exam.

To be eligible for a Modern States CLEP voucher you must complete at least 75% of the coursework. This includes watching all the videos in each section, correctly answering all the Check for Understanding homework questions, and completing the sample CLEP exam.

If you didn’t achieve the 75% threshold, you could try again with the questions you answered incorrectly.

Please be patient when waiting for a response to your requests. It may take up to 10 business days to receive a reply, excluding weekends and holidays. Keep in mind that voucher requests cannot be expedited and are answered in the order in which they are received.

If you want to be reimbursed for the CLEP test center fee after taking the CLEP exam, you must provide a copy of your receipt, score report, and the CLEP voucher used.

Can I earn college credit if I take a course but not the related exam?

No.

Is there a test fee for CLEP exams?

Yes. The College Board charges to take each of the CLEP exams. Military personnel do not have to pay for the test thanks to funding through the Defense Department’s DANTES Program.

For more information about Military Benefits, click here.

I am a high school student/graduate. Where do I start?

All of our courses are introductory, self-paced, and available to anyone. If you’re looking to receive college credit, the first place to start is to check with your college to ensure they accept award credit for the CLEP exam in the subjects you plan to take. Otherwise, you should enroll in what interests you.

I am a high school graduate who knows where I plan to attend college. Which test is right for me?

Once you know where you plan to attend college, CLEP courses and tests can be the way to go, provided the college you’re attending recognizes CLEP for credit. You can take online courses from Modern States to prepare you for CLEPs and then register to take the exams at testing centers located on college campuses, military bases and elsewhere.

For general information about CLEP courses and tests, visit the College Board site.

I am in the military. Do CLEP exams make sense for me?

The CLEP exams are ideal for military personnel to earn college credit while serving. Modern States online courses give you flexibility if you are reassigned to a different location. In addition, members of the military and their spouses receive federal funding or funding by Modern States that covers the CLEP exam fee. The CLEP exams can be taken on many military bases around the world and at CLEP testing centers.

For more information about federal funding that pays the test fee for military personnel, click here.

I am a college student and need a few credits to get my degree. Can I earn those credits with CLEP exams?

College students can earn credits needed to graduate by taking CLEP courses from Modern States and then taking CLEP exams. The key is to be sure that your college or university accepts the specific CLEP exam(s) you want to take and that it fulfills whatever requirements you have remaining. For example, some schools don’t allow you to use CLEP courses to earn credits in your major.

Click here for general information about CLEP courses and tests.

I am a working adult who started but didn’t finish college or who went straight to work after high school. Can Modern States courses and CLEP exams help me?

Yes. Modern States courses and the CLEP exams provide a terrific road back for students who have not been able to meet the traditional path of the US college system. This is a great way for busy working adults to take courses for free online and begin to earn college credits by exam. This offers you the freedom and flexibility you need to learn the material, and take CLEP exams, on a schedule that works for you.

What impacts the scoring of a Modern States course?

The percentage of questions a learner has answered correctly out of the total questions they have answered.

The percentage of questions answered correctly out of the total course questions must be 75% to receive a CLEP voucher.

The percentage of questions attempted (either correct or incorrectly) out of total course questions must be 100% to receive a CLEP voucher.

The number of videos a learner has watched out of the total number of videos in the course.
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Do all colleges offer credit for successful performance on CLEP exams?

Thousands of colleges offer credit, but not all do. Every college sets its own scoring and credit standards with regard to granting college credit based on CLEP exam results. Some colleges, for example, only allow students to opt out of introductory level courses based on successful test results.

How can I find out whether colleges I am considering attending recognize CLEPs for credit?

Click here to explore our CLEP Acceptance Tool to learn more about which individual colleges and universities accept CLEP for credit.

To ensure accuracy, also visit the websites of the college(s) you are considering attending.

Who can I contact for further information or to ask questions about the CLEP exams?

For CLEP, call The College Board at 1-800-257-9558 or email [email protected] (please include your name, address and telephone number).

Which colleges grant credit for most of the CLEP exams?