CLEP Exams

Regular placement testing at Miami cannot grant college credits to students. They only determine the course that is the “starting point” for a student in their foundational subject areas (math, reading, and writing). To earn college credits that count towards their degree, students may take a College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exam. Students who take and pass these exams, depending on what score they receive, could earn one or multiple college courses worth of credits from just one exam. 

CLEP testing is open to students from any other college or organization. Our testing center only provides in-person CLEP test proctoring. We are located in Hamilton, Ohio, on the Miami University Hamilton campus. For remote proctoring options, please visit College Board’s website. Other in-person testing centers can be found on their website as well.

CLEP credits are not accepted at all institutions. Students are responsible for finding out whether their organization accepts CLEP credits before signing up for an exam. Miami’s CLEP bulletin offers a comprehensive list of the credits students can earn at Miami. 

Exams are facilitated by the Regional Tutoring and Learning Center. Please contact us at 513-785-3139 or regtlc@MiamiOH.edu for more information.

The benefits of CLEP credit vary depending on the examinee’s specific role and situation. For the average college student, CLEP credits have numerous potential applications:

• They can save students money and time. CLEP exams cost $95 per test currently, which is much cheaper compared to the cost of taking a college course. CLEP exams also normally only last around 90 minutes. Compare that to the multi-month investment required to complete a college course.
• They can enable students to graduate on time. Our most frequent customers are students who are about to graduate, but need a specific course or some general credits to complete their degree. Other students also take CLEP exams far in advance of graduation to whittle down their degree requirements.
• They can satisfy job or internship requirements. Occasionally, professionals are asked to take CLEP exams to prove their knowledge. We see this most commonly in the business/economics sector.
• They can place students into language courses while still conferring credits. Miami’s in-house placement tests for various languages do not grant credits, so students often take CLEP exams to get ahead on the foreign language requirements for their degree.
• They can place students into courses beyond that of Miami’s in-house placement tests. For example, the highest level of math that Miami's placement tests can accommodate is a starting point of Calculus I. Rarely, students will come into the university already having Calculus I knowledge. With a high enough score on a CLEP test, students can earn credit for Calculus I and thus start their next semester with Calculus II.

There are three general types of credits that examinees can earn from a CLEP test:

• Credit for specific courses
• General credits for a specific branch of a college's liberal arts plan
• General elective credits

To receive these credits, students must earn a certain score or higher on their CLEP exam. The score required varies based on the exam and the specific course/credits that the examinee is trying to earn. To view some examples, take time to glance through Miami's CLEP credit offerings.

General credits do not appear as a specific course on a student’s degree audit. At Miami, they are usually marked with the abbreviation “OT36” and relate to different branches of the Miami Plan. For instance, the Introduction to Educational Psychology exam confers credit for "OT36 Social Sciences (3),” or, in other words, 3 general credits toward Social Sciences. Similarly, part of the Miami plan is a requirement that each student must take a cumulative total of a certain number of hours across all their years at the university. Earning general elective credits can be a convenient way for a student to settle up their last few hours so they can graduate early. Miami students will need to look at their DARs and talk to their academic advisor in order to determine whether general credits from a CLEP exam might benefit them.

Every college has different requirements for their respective majors and 4-year plans, as well as requirements for total amounts of credits taken/earned. Examinees who come through our center must assume responsibility for finding out the requirements for their own colleges and organizations.

CLEP exams are not a cheat code to gaining college credit. Do not register for one unless you are confident you know the material. Study guides that preview the material are available in each respective exam listing. Practice materials are also provided. Some are free, and others cost additional fees. Use those study resources to determine whether you’re ready for that exam.

Study in advance as much as possible. If you neglect to meet the score threshold required to earn credit, you will not be allowed to retake that CLEP exam for three months. You will also need to purchase the ticket again, as well as pay Miami’s proctoring fee, if you want to test in person. 

CLEP vouchers can waive the exam fee. Before registering, search on your institution’s website and on the CLEP website to see if you qualify for any publicly-available vouchers. (Please note that vouchers will not waive Miami’s proctoring fee.)

• DANTES/military members receive special discounts on CLEP exams. If you intend to take advantage of these discounts, please make sure that the ID you bring to the testing session is your military ID.

Exam scheduling is first-come, first-serve. Normally, CLEP testing can be scheduled within the next 7-10 business days following the student’s initial request. The TLC also facilitates placement testing for first-year Regional students, which means that from May-August and November-January, availability becomes increasingly limited. Examinees should give ample notice and try to schedule in advance.

In order to take a CLEP exam, you must first purchase a CLEP ticket. This ticket includes the exam name, the institution that scores should be sent to, and the student’s full name, birthdate, and address. Please save this ticket and the purchasing confirmation. The center you choose to test at will request a copy.

You can purchase your CLEP ticket by visiting the exam registration page on College Board’s site. Please pay attention to the price listed on this page, as exam prices may fluctuate. Before purchasing, decide whether you want to test in-person at a testing center or online through remote proctoring. You cannot easily change your choice later.

The Tutoring and Learning Center provides in-person proctoring on Miami’s Hamilton campus. Middletown and Oxford testing are not available. We are located in Rentschler Hall, Room 102. To schedule with us, please do the following:

• Pay the Miami test proctor fee. The fee is $22, and if you intend to register for multiple exams at once, you will need to pay the proctor fee for each exam. Attach your CLEP ticket to the order form.
• After submitting the order form, we will reach out to negotiate the testing date and time with you based on your availability. If you do not receive a response within 1-2 business days, please contact us at regtlc@MiamiOH.edu.
• Once your session is scheduled, be prepared to bring a valid government-issued ID. For a full list of acceptable identifications, visit the relevant resource page on CLEP’s website.

We only allow 1 test to be taken during your scheduled testing session. Further tests will require additional scheduling.

To take an exam remotely, go to the College Board website and follow the instructions. If you choose remote proctoring, you will not need to pay the Miami fee or come in-person to the testing center. Before selecting this option, however, make sure that your operating system and your testing area fit the requirements. Once you register for remote proctoring, changing to an in-person testing option will require you to purchase a new CLEP ticket. You will then need to request a refund for the original ticket.

If you take your exam in person, we will usually provide a copy of your score report. This report verifies the date that you finished the exam and your exact score. Transmitting CLEP results to your institution takes approximately 7-10 business days. If your credits take longer than that to appear on your degree audit, or you need proof of credit within less than 7-10 business days, please do the following:

• Contact CLEP support to ask for assistance.
• Make an extra copy of your score report. You can give this to an advisor or to whichever office you must show proof of qualifying for that credit.

Exams containing essay or written components must be hand-graded by CLEP staff. For those exams, we cannot provide an immediate copy of your score report. You should receive one later on in your College Board account profile.