2023-2024 Undergraduate Bulletin > Policies and General Information > Academic Policies and Information > Options for Earning Credit > Advanced Standing > College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) sponsored by the College Board affords students and prospective students the opportunity to demonstrate their academic proficiency at the freshman-sophomore college level in various general areas and in specific subjects.

Policies concerning the use of CLEP General Examinations at Central Michigan University are developed and controlled by the Academic Senate. The minimum scores for CLEP Subject Examinations are determined by the department authorizing credit for the subject.

Options for testing can be obtained from the Certified Testing Center at 989-774-1092 or https://www.cmich.edu/academics/certified-testing-center.

When a student submits evidence of achievement by CLEP, this evidence will be evaluated by the Registrar’s Office with credit being granted in appropriate areas.

1. To be eligible for credit for CLEP scores, a student must have been granted regular undergraduate admission at CMU and an official score report must be on file.
2. The student may not at any time have been enrolled in the course for which credit is being sought nor in a higher-level course in the same subject. A student is not considered to have been enrolled in a course if they have dropped the course during the regular drop/add period at the beginning of the semester.
3. *Credit for the CLEP General Examinations in Humanities and/or Social Science and History will not be granted after university study has begun. In addition, credit earned through CLEP General examinations may not be applied to any University program group requirements. Exceptions: Students with concurrent high school and CMU enrollments or students who have participated in certain special vocationally oriented programs may be eligible to take these examinations. Eligibility in individual cases will be determined by the Registrar’s Office.
4. Students may receive three (3) credit hours in ENG 101 for the CLEP College Composition Examination only if that examination is taken before the end of their first college semester. Transfer students may take this examination during their first semester at CMU to meet the Basic Freshman Composition requirement, but no credit will be awarded. Students who have completed or are enrolled in English literature courses are still eligible to earn CLEP credit for ENG 101 since literature and composition courses are different areas of study.
5. CLEP examination credit may not be used to repeat any course(s) previously taken.
6. Grades for the CLEP examinations, where credit is granted, will be recorded as Credit (CR) without points.

In the following list, each approved CLEP subject examination is paired with the CMU course in which credit is granted for a score at the 50th percentile or higher.