CLEP Information
Ashford University® CLEP Policy
The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) gives students the opportunity to receive college credit for what they already know by earning qualifying scores on CLEP examinations. Each institution sets its own CLEP policy regarding how much credit it will grant and for which exams.
Ashford University is a participating university in the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). CLEP provides students of any age the opportunity to demonstrate college-level achievement through a program of examinations in undergraduate college courses. The University follows the policies for CLEP testing established by the Educational Testing Service. CLEP examinations are administered per individual request throughout the year.
CLEP exams are administered on the Ashford University campus via computer. Exams are 90 minutes long and, except for the English Composition with Essay, are primarily comprised of multiple-choice questions. Some exams have fill-in-the-blank questions.
Students may not repeat an examination within 180 days (6 months) of the testing date.
Fees: $80 total per exam
The total cost is $80 per examination. Test fees must be paid by credit card (preferred method of payment) or check/money order made payable to Ashford University CLEP.
Payment must be made prior to students taking the exam.
Note: Ashford University is a military-friendly testing site and will accept DANTES-funded candidates. DANTES participants will be charged $15 and must present a photo I.D and a current common access card.
Registration Procedures
CLEP examinations are administered per individual request throughout the year.
Contact Sue Sissel in Rm. A-259, Ashford University, 400 N. Bluff Boulevard, Clinton, IA; 563-242-4257, ext. 1298 or 1-800-242-4153, ext 1298.
Special Accommodations
Students who will need special accommodations must contact Sue Sissel in Academic Affairs at least two weeks prior to taking the test. Only students with documented hearing, learning, physical, or visual disabilities are eligible to receive testing accommodations.
CLEP Credit
Each institution sets its own policy in determining which CLEP exams will be accepted for credit and how many credits will be awarded.
For students planning to attend Ashford University
At the time of the exam, students should designate Ashford University as a score recipient. The college code number is #6418. Ashford University will accept all CLEP exams with a minimum score of 50 except for Level II Foreign Language. Those required scores are French–62, German–63, and Spanish–66.
Students with previous CLEP results should request an official transcript be sent to the Registrar's Office at Ashford University.
For students planning to attend college elsewhere
Check directly with the college or university you plan to attend to find out which exams are accepted, what scores are required, and how much credit will be granted.
Score Reports
If students want their scores sent to a college, employer, or certifying agency, this option must be selected through the exam software on the day of the exam. This service is free of charge only if the score recipient is selected at the time of the test. One institution may be designated for free at the time of the exam. A $20 fee will be charged for each additional institution or for a transcript ordered at a later date. Scores will be kept on file by CLEP for twenty (20) years.
Students will be able to obtain unofficial test results at the time of testing. An exception is the English Composition with Essay exam. Students will receive those results in the mail within two to three weeks after the test date.
Duplication
It is the student's responsibility to make sure that CLEP tests do not duplicate previous credit earned. A student may not earn credit by examination in an area in which he or she previously has completed an equivalent course, a course of similar level, or one that is more advanced in content level. Some CLEP tests may be duplications of other national testing programs, such as AP (Advanced Placement) tests.
If you are an Ashford University currently enrolled student, check with your advisor to determine if specific CLEP tests will fit into your academic plan and will not duplicate previous credit awarded.
CLEP Exams
- Algebra, College
- American Government
- American Literature*
- Analyzing and Interpreting Literature*
- Biology
- Business Law, Introductory
- Calculus
- Chemistry
- Educational Psychology, Introduction to
- English Composition
- English Composition with Essay
- English Literature*
- Financial Accounting
- French Language
- Freshman College Composition*
- German Language
- History of the United States I: Early Colonization to 1877
- History of the U.S. II: 1865 to the present
- Human Growth and Development
- Humanities
- Information Systems and Computer Applications
- Macroeconomics, Principles of
- Management, Principles of
- Marketing, Principles of
- Mathematics, College
- Microeconomics, Principles of
- Natural Sciences
- Precalculus
- Psychology, Introductory
- Social Sciences and History
- Sociology, Introductory
- Spanish Language
- Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648
- Western Civilization II: 1648 to the Present
*Optional essays are available for these examinations. Please check with your college or university to see if the optional essay is required.
Exam Day Instructions
- Arrive on time.
- Bring two forms of identification (one of which must be a photo ID).
- Bring a non-mechanical pencil for note-taking purposes. No pens or mechanical pencils will be allowed.
- There are no exam breaks; you may not leave the testing station and return later.
Test Invalidation
As an official CLEP Testing Center, Ashford University reserves the right to invalidate a test session if a student uses a prohibited item during the test administration or engages in misconduct.
Prohibited Items–As per CLEP policy, use of the following items in the testing room is strictly prohibited unless an approved exception has been specified by CLEP.
- Food, beverages, or tobacco products
- Hats (unless worn as a religious requirement)
- Hand-held calculators (a calculator function is built into the software for those tests that require calculator use)
- Calculator watches, digital watches (wrist or pocket), alarm wristwatches
- Wristwatch cameras, digital cameras
- Dictionaries, books, pamphlets, reference materials
- Papers of any kind (except for authorized scratch paper provided at the center)
- Slide rules, protractors, compasses, rulers
- Highlighter pens and/or colored pens and pencils
- Cellular phones/pagers, beepers, walkie talkies, PDAs
- Wireless communication devices of any kind (e.g. BlackBerry)
- Listening devices, radios with headphones, recorders
- Copying or photographic devices
- Transmission or receiving devices
- Mechanical pencils or any type of pen
- Non-medical electronic devices (laptop computers, digital assistants)
- Candidate-provided keyboards
- Any other unauthorized testing aids
Misconduct–Students involved in any misconduct will be asked to terminate their exam and leave the testing room. Exam scores will be cancelled. Examples of misconduct are as follows:
- Giving or receiving assistance of any kind
- Using any of the prohibited aids listed
- Taking or attempting to take an exam for someone else
- Failing to follow test regulations or the test administrator's instructions
- Removing or attempting to remove test questions and/or responses (in any format) from the testing room
- Tampering with the operation of the computer or attempting to use it for any function other than taking the exam
- Leaving the testing room without permission
- Causing a disturbance of any kind
Tutorial
To help students navigate their way through the computerized test, a free downloadable tutorial is available on the CLEP website at www.collegeboard.com/clep. The free CLEP Sampler contains the same tutorials as the actual exams. The CLEP Official Study Guide for all tests (not free) and Individual Subject Guides (not free) are also available for download from the website and feature test-taking tips and procedures.