College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Outline

If you have taken or plan to take a College Level Examination Program through the College Board, you may receive college credit from Maricopa Community Colleges. Scores must be received directly from the College Board before credit is awarded. The amount of credit awarded, acceptable scores, and equivalent courses are determined by the respective Maricopa Instructional Councils or statewide Articulation Task Forces (ATFs).

See the CLEP Outline here

The College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP®) offers students of all backgrounds the opportunity to receive college credit for what you already know by earning qualifying scores on any of the 34 CLEP examinations. CLEP exams allow people who have acquired comprehensive subject knowledge through independent or prior study, on-the-job training, or cultural pursuits to show that they have acquired college-level material and translate that into college credit.

  1. Register to test with CLEP (select your exam)
  2. Pay your CLEP exam fees: $95
  3. Select the test site (SMCC) and get a registration ticket
  4. Schedule a testing appointment with the SMCC Testing Center by signing into ConExEd (https://maricopa.craniumcafe.com/group/testing-services/scheduler) using your Maricopa Enterprise ID (MEID) and password OR create a guest account
  5. On the day of your exam, report to the Testing Center, 2nd floor (TC-243) with the Registration ticket, a valid form of ID and the $25 administrative exam proctoring fee we charge to test. This can be paid by cash the day of or with a card (online)

Hours and Locations

Spring/Fall Hours: Mon-Thu: 8am - 6pm, Fri: 10am - 5pm
Summer Hours: Mon-Thu: 8am - 6pm, Fri - Closed

Currently, CLEP testing is available in-person at the South Mountain Community College campus.  Please visit our Cranium Cafe portal to schedule an appointment for testing at our test site.

Schedule an appointment

Please arrive for your appointment promptly with a valid form of ID, your registration ticket and your form of payment for the $25 Administrative fee. 

  • Adults returning to school
  • Military service members
  • Traditional-age college students
  • Home-schooled students
  • Speakers of world languages looking to fulfill their language requirements
  • International students who want to translate their overseas courses into credit at U.S. colleges
  • Applicants for master’s degree programs looking to fulfill undergraduate prerequisites
  • Professionals wanting to advance in their careers

  • CLEP fees will be collected as part of your online registration for your CLEP Exam. Please visit the College Board website to Register.
  • $93 CLEP test fee.
  • $25 South Mountain CC administration fee that is paid on the day of the test. The fee can be paid online or in-person.
  • $10 fee for each optional essay. If your institution does require the optional essay, it must be ordered and paid for in advance and may take up to 2-3 weeks from when they are ordered. To order an optional essay, please call 602-243-8188. MCCCD accepts College Composition (ENG101) which has an essay component and does not require ordering it in advance, or an extra fee.
  • The $25 CLEP proctoring fee may be paid online through our E-Store or cash on campus or by phone. The SMCC Cashier (located in the SES building) is open during:
    Spring/Fall Hours: Mon-Thu: 8am - 6pm, Fri: 10am - 5pm
    Summer Hours: Mon-Thu: 8am - 6pm, Fri - Closed

CLEP offers 34 exams in five subject areas, covering material taught in courses that you may generally take in your first two years of college. Most CLEP exams are designed to correspond to one-semester courses, although some correspond to full-year or two-year courses.

Exams are approximately 90 minutes long, with the exception of College Composition, which is 120 minutes. Exams contain mainly multiple-choice questions. College Composition and a few other exams contain other types of questions and essays.

CLEP Exam titles and descriptions

All examinations are scored on a scale of 20-80. You will receive a copy of your exam score immediately upon completion of the exam unless you have taken College Composition. For this exam you will receive a combined score after the essay has been scored, about three to four weeks after your test date.

For more information, you can visit the CLEP Collegeboard page on scores.

To receive credit, score reports must be received by the credit granting institution directly from the College Examination Board. Additional CLEP transcripts may be ordered directly from CLEP online or at 800-257-9558.

Credit received through CLEP is transferable within the Maricopa Community Colleges, but may not necessarily transfer to other colleges and universities. Read the MCCCD policy on credit by examination. It is the applicant's responsibility to consult with the institution that will be receiving the test scores to ensure that the proper tests are taken and to verify the schools' acceptance of the examination.

Credit awarded for CLEP displays on the college transcript in the section "Credit Awarded by Advanced Standing" and will have a "CL" in the note column. To view this credit, please login to your Student Center at my.maricopa.edu.

You may not repeat an examination of the same title within three months of the initial testing date.
If you retake the examination within the three-month period, your administration will be considered invalid, your score will be canceled and any test fees will be forfeited.

If you have a learning or physical disability that would prevent you from taking a CLEP exam under standard conditions, you may request accommodations at your preferred test center. Contact your preferred test center well in advance of the test date to make the necessary arrangements and to find out its deadline for submission of documentation for approval of accommodations. Accommodations that can be arranged directly with test centers include:

  • ZoomText (screen magnification)
  • Modifiable screen colors
  • Use of a reader, an amanuensis, or a sign language interpreter
  • Extended time
  • Untimed rest breaks

If the above accommodations do not meet your needs, contact CLEP Services (or at 800-257-9558) for information about other nonstandard options before you register through My Account.