Wed, May 17, 2023 11:30 AM

One of the hardest parts about taking Advanced Placement (AP) exams – is the delay in getting the results. Although the tests are taken in May, the test results don’t come out until July. It may be difficult to sit around and wait to see if your student qualified for college credits with their exam results.

These tests determine a student’s knowledge of the Advanced Placement course material they studied through the year on a scale of 1-5. Students who score a 3, 4, or 5 often get some college credit at their future college; however, at the most selective colleges, no credit is given at all. AP classes are part of the requirements to have a chance to get admitted, along with everything else colleges of this level expect to see from a prospective applicant.

So what happens if your student doesn’t get the score they wanted? A solid backup plan would be to have them take a CLEP exam. CLEP stands for College Level Examination Program and is administered by the College Board, who happens to be the same people who handle the AP Exams. You will discover that there are a number of similar course topic exams your student can take. Students can even take a CLEP Exam on a topic they have excelled at in school with or without having taken an Advanced Placement class.

The other advantage a CLEP exam has is that unlike the AP exams which are only offered 1 time per year, students can take the same CLEP exam multiple times until they get the score they need for college credit, but retakes must be taken 3 months apart. Check with your student’s future college to be sure what score they need on an AP Test to get college credit and definitely check to see if they will accept a CLEP Exam as an alternative. Be sure to do your research before they take either of these exams so that your daughter or son can plan accordingly.

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