CLEP Exams
CLEP stands for College Level Examination Program. CLEP Exams are offered by the College Board to give students an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge in academic subjects through a national, standardized exam.
Credit through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
Please note the following opportunities and restrictions for credit through CLEP Exams:
- A scaled score of 50 or higher on a CLEP examination will earn credit for most exams. See chart below for exceptions. (For the older General Exams, a score of 500 or better will earn credit).
- Units awarded for satisfactory completion of CLEP examinations will post as electives, except as noted by departmental policy referenced below.
- Grades and grade points will not be assigned to CLEP units.
- Units awarded through CLEP will not apply toward the 12-unit residence requirement for Shasta College associate degrees.
- The University of California (UC) does not accept credit earned through CLEP exams.
- All California State University campuses will accept the exams shown below in the matrix towards units for admissions. CLEP exam scores will NOT count toward fulfilling CalGETC (the CSU/UC general education transfer pattern new for Fall 2025).
- If you still have catalog rights prior to Fall 2025 that allow you to complete the former CSU GE pattern, talk to your Counselor about how CLEP can help you complete your CSU ADT and/or CSU GE. Individual CSU campuses determine the total number of CLEP units and the applicability of the exam(s) to other graduation requirements.
- For CSU campuses: CLEP Language other than English exams: If a student passes more than one CLEP test in the same language other than English (e.g., two exams in French), then only one examination may be applied to the baccalaureate. For each test in a language other than English, a passing score of 50 is considered “Level I” and earns six units of baccalaureate credit; the higher score listed for each test is considered “Level II” and earns additional units of credit and placement in Area C2 of GE Breadth.
- Please note that other transfer institutions may not allow and/or may limit CLEP credit. Contact your Counselor for more information if you are planning to transfer to a university to discuss transferability of CLEP exam credit.
- See Board Policy/Administrative Procedure 4235 for more information.
How to earn credit through CLEP:
- Review the CLEP Credit Matrix below to see what credit you could earn at Shasta College for equivalent courses and/or general education.
- Review exams and register for a CLEP exam through College Board.
- Request your official CLEP scores to be sent from “My CLEP Student Portal” on the College Board website to the Shasta College Admissions and Record Office, P.O. Box 496006, Redding, CA 96049-6006.
- Upon receipt of your official CLEP scores, the Admissions and Records Office will determine equivalent course or general education area and unit equivalencies according to the Shasta College CLEP Credit Matrix (see below), and post coursework and units to your Shasta College transcripts.
Is there a cost for the CLEP exams?
The cost of a CLEP exam is $95. This is already less than paying for a 3-unit college class, but you could take a CLEP exam for FREE:
- There are military benefits that can cover the exam fee.
- For any student (including military) Modern States offers FREE, self-paced online courses help you prepare for specific CLEP exams. If you complete the course, you can request a CLEP voucher from the Modern States website to waiver the $95 CLEP Exam fee.
CLEP Credit Matrix
| CLEP Exam | Passing Score | Equivalent Shasta College Course | Min. Sem. Credits Earned Toward CSU Admission* | shasta college ge area | Removal Date for GE Breadth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Government | 50 | POLS C1000 | 3 | Social/Behavioral Science | |
| American Literature | 50 | ENGL 11A or ENGL 11B | 3 | Arts & Humanities | |
| Analyzing and Interpreting Literature | 50 | N/A | 3 | Arts & Humanities | |
| Biology | 50 | BIOL 10 | 3 | Natural Sciences | |
| Calculus | 50 | MATH 3A | 3 | Mathematical Concepts & Quantitative Reasoning |
|
| Chemistry | 50 | N/A | 3 | Natural Sciences | |
| College Algebra | 50 | N/A | 3 | Mathematical Concepts & Quantitative Reasoning |
|
| College Algebra – Trigonometry | 50 | N/A | 3 | Mathematical Concepts & Quantitative Reasoning |
|
| College Composition | 50 | ENGL C1000 | 0 | English Composition |
|
| College Composition – Modular | 50 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
| College Mathematics | 50 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
| English Composition (no essay) | 50 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
| English Composition with essay | 50 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
| English Literature | 50 | ENGL 13A or ENGL 13B | 3 | Arts & Humanties | F11** |
| Financial Accounting | 50 | ACCT 2 | 3 | N/A | |
| French Level I | 50 | N/A | 6 | N/A | |
| French Level II | 59 | N/A | 9 | Arts & Humanities | |
| Freshman College Composition | 50 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
| German Level I | 50 | N/A | 6 | N/A | |
| German Level II | 60 | N/A | 9 | Arts & Humanities | |
| History, United States I | 50 | HIST 17A | 3 | Social/Behavioral Science | |
| History, United States II | 50 | HIST 17B | 3 | Social/Behavioral Science | |
| Human Growth and Development | 50 | ECE 1 | 3 | Social/Behavioral Science | |
| Humanities | 50 | N/A | 3 | Arts & Humanities | |
| Information Systems, Computer Applications | 50 | N/A | 3 | N/A | |
| Introduction to Educational Psychology | 50 | N/A | 3 | N/A | |
| Introductory Business Law | 50 | BUAD 6 | 3 | N/A | |
| Introductory Psychology | 50 | PSYC C1000 | 3 | Social/Behavioral Science | |
| Introductory Sociology | 50 | SOC 1 | 3 | Social/Behavioral Science | |
| Natural Sciences | 50 | N/A | 3 | Natural Sciences | |
| Pre-Calculus | 50 | MATH 2 | 3 | Mathematical Concepts & Quantitative Reasoning |
|
| Principles of Accounting | 50 | N/A | 3 | N/A | |
| Principles of Macroeconomics | 50 | ECON 1B | 3 | Social/Behavioral Science | |
| Principles of Management | 50 | BUAD 91 | 3 | N/A | |
| Principles of Marketing | 50 | BUAD 77 | 3 | N/A | |
| Principles of Microeconomics | 50 | ECON 1A | 3 | Social/Behavioral Science | |
| Social Sciences and History | 50 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
| Spanish Level I | 50 | N/A | 6 | N/A | |
| Spanish Level II | 63 | N/A | 9 | Arts & Humanities | |
| Trigonometry | 50 | N/A | 3 | 3 | F06** |
| Western Civilization I | 50 | HIST 2 | 3 | Arts & Humanities or Social/Behavioral Sciences | |
| Western Civilization II | 50 | HIST 3 | 3 | Social/Behavioral Sciences |
* These units count toward eligibility for admission to CSU. The units may not apply towards Associate Degrees for Transfer (AD-T) or the baccalaureate degree. The units may not all apply toward certification of the corresponding GE Breadth area. See Executive Orders 1036 and 1100 Revised for details.
** Students seeking certification in GE Breadth prior to transfer must have passed the test before this date.
♦♦ The CLEP-equivalent course at Shasta College course differs from what a CSU system school would award for CSU GE area credit. Check with a counselor for restrictions.
Please Note: If Shasta College awards Credit for Prior Learning coursework and units, they will be used to fulfill your Shasta College graduation requirements. This coursework and associated units will be added to your Shasta College transcript. Financial Aid cannot be used to pay for units earned through CPL.
If you plan to transfer to another institution, please be aware that every college/university has their own policies about Credit for Prior Learning. What was accepted at Shasta College may not be accepted at another institution.
Contact Us
Speak to a counselor for all Credit for Prior Learning options and how they can best meet your academic goals.