College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
College-Level Examination Program Credit Policies
March 2022 to February 2023
The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a credit-by-examination program that offers the opportunity to earn college credit by taking examinations. CLEP exams cover material taught in courses that most students take as requirements in the first two years of college. We recommend that you consult with admissions staff before registering for an exam. The university’s code number for score reporting is 6681. For more information about CLEP, including testing centers, go to http://clep.collegeboard.org.
Some policies regarding credit for specific CLEP exams are the same for the Tippie College of Business and the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Education, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, and University College; see the first chart below. Policies that differ by college (including the College of Engineering) are shown in the additional charts.
UI CLEP Credit Policies
- CLEP credit becomes part of your permanent record at the end of your first session of enrollment.
- If you want to earn CLEP credit and are currently enrolled in a course in that area, the exam must be taken on or before the last day to register or add courses.
- Credit for CLEP tests cannot be earned if you have already received credit for an equivalent course or if you have been enrolled for more than three weeks in an equivalent college-level course, except for the CLEP Subject Test: Social Sciences & History. Students in a social sciences course may earn credit for the “History” portion of the exam and vice versa.
- CLEP credit will count toward hours earned for graduation, but letter grades are not assigned and the credit is not included when your grade-point average is computed.
- CLEP credit brought to the University of Iowa on transcripts from other institutions is evaluated by the Office of Admissions under the same rules used for other transfer credits. Once 12 (or more) semester hours of graded classroom credit are accepted by transfer, any accompanying CLEP credit is accepted without reevaluation by the university.
- CLEP tests may be taken only once.
Colleges of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Business, Education, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, and University College
CLEP Exam Title
Score
Credit Awarded
Other Information
American Government
65 or above
3 s.h.
Duplicates POLI:1100 Introduction to American Politics. Duplicates AP Test: Government & Politics (US). May be applied to General Education Program: Social Sciences hours; or used to satisfy one (1) high school course deficiency in social studies; or applied to requirements for the Political Science major or minor; or used as elective hours.
Analyzing & Interpreting Literature
57 or above
N/A
No credit awarded.
Biology
EXCEPT PHARMACY—SEE BELOW
51 or above
3 s.h.
Duplicates BIOL:1140 Human Biology. Nonmajors. Duplicates AP Test: Biology. May be applied to General Education Program: Natural Sciences (nonlab) hours; or used to satisfy one (1) high school course deficiency in science (biology); or used as elective hours.
Calculus
EXCEPT BUSINESS & PHARMACY—SEE BELOW
61-69
4 s.h.
Duplicates MATH:1020 Elementary Functions. May be applied to General Education Program: Quantitative or Formal Reasoning hours; or used as elective hours.
Calculus
EXCEPT BUSINESS & PHARMACY—SEE BELOW
70 or above
4 s.h.
Duplicates MATH:1550 Engineering Mathematics I and MATH:1850 Calculus I. Duplicates AP Test: Calculus AB; and 4 s.h. of AP Test: Calculus BC. May be applied to General Education Program: Quantitative or Formal Reasoning hours; or used to satisfy calculus competency for many majors; or used as elective hours.
Chemistry
EXCEPT NURSING & PHARMACY—SEE BELOW
63 or above
3 s.h.
May be applied to General Education Program: Natural Sciences (nonlab) hours; or used to satisfy 1 high school course deficiency in science (chemistry); or used as elective hours.
College Algebra
50 or above
N/A
No credit awarded, but may be used to satisfy one (1) high school course deficiency in algebra.
Educational Psychology (Intro to)
55 or above
3 s.h.
May be used as elective hours.
Macroeconomics (Principles of)
EXCEPT BUSINESS —SEE BELOW
63 or above
3 s.h.
Duplicates ECON:1200 Principles of Macroeconomics. Duplicates AP Test: Macroeconomics. May be applied to General Education Program: Social Sciences hours; or used to satisfy one (1) high school course deficiency in social studies; or used as elective hours.
Microeconomics (Principles of);
EXCEPT BUSINESS & PHARMACY—SEE BELOW
62 or above
3 s.h.
Duplicates ECON:1100 Principles of Microeconomics. Duplicates AP Test: Microeconomics. May be applied to General Education Program: Social Sciences hours; or used to satisfy one (1) high school course deficiency in social studies; or used as elective hours.
Natural Sciences
EXCEPT PHARMACY—SEE BELOW
51-57
3 s.h.
May be applied to General Education Program: Natural Sciences (nonlab) hours; or used to satisfy one (1) high school course deficiency in science (natural science); or used as elective hours.
Natural Sciences
EXCEPT PHARMACY—SEE BELOW
58-70
6 s.h.
3 s.h. may be applied to General Education Program: Natural Sciences (nonlab) hours; or used to satisfy one (1) high school course deficiency in science (natural science); the remaining credit may be used as elective hours.
Precalculus
50 or above
N/A
No credit awarded, but is equivalent to MATH:1010 Trigonometry and may be used to satisfy a prerequisite for other courses; or to satisfy a trigonometry competency requirement for some majors.
Psychology (Introductory)
59 or above
3 s.h.
Duplicates PSY:1001 Elementary Psychology. Duplicates the AP Test: Psychology. May be applied to General Education Program: Social Sciences hours; or used to satisfy one (1) high school course deficiency in social studies; or applied to requirements for the Psychology major or minor; or used as elective hours.
Sociology (Introductory)
59 or above
3 s.h.
Duplicates SOC:1010 Introduction to Sociology. May be applied to General Education Program: Social Sciences hours; or used to satisfy one (1) high school course deficiency in social studies; or used as elective hours.
College of Business
CLEP Exam Title
Score
Credit Awarded
Other Information
Calculus
61-69
4 s.h.
Duplicates MATH:1020 Elementary Functions and MATH:1340 Mathematics for Business. May be applied to General Education Program: Quantitative or Formal Reasoning hours; or used as elective hours.
Calculus
70 or above
4 s.h.
Duplicates MATH:1380 Calculus & Matrix Algebra; and MATH:1550 Engineering Mathematics I. Duplicates AP Test: Calculus AB; and 4 s.h. of AP Test: Calculus BC. May be used to satisfy calculus competency for business; or used as elective hours.
Macroeconomics (Principles of)
63 or above
3 s.h.
Duplicates ECON:1200 Principles of Macroeconomics. Duplicates AP Test: Macroeconomics.
Microeconomics (Principles of)
62 or above
3 s.h.
Duplicates ECON:1100 Principles of Microeconomics. Duplicates AP Test: Microeconomics.
College of Engineering
CLEP Exam Title
Score
Credit Awarded
Other Information
American Government
65 or above
3 s.h.
Duplicates POLI:1100 Introduction to American Politics. Duplicates AP Test: Government & Politics (US). May be applied to General Education Program: social science hours; or used to satisfy one (1) high school course deficiency in social studies; or used as elective hours.
Analyzing & Interpreting Literature
57 or above
N/A
No credit awarded.
Calculus
70 or above
4 s.h.
Duplicates MATH:1550 Engineering Mathematics I. Duplicates AP Test: Calculus AB and AP Test: Calculus BC.
Macroeconomics (Principles of)
63 or above
3 s.h.
Duplicates ECON:1200 Principles of Macroeconomics. Duplicates AP Test: Macroeconomics. May be applied to General Education Program: social science hours; or used to satisfy one (1) high school course deficiency in social studies; or used as elective hours.
Microeconomics (Principles of)
62 or above
3 s.h.
Duplicates ECON:1100 Principles of Microeconomics. Duplicates AP Test: Microeconomics. May be applied to General Education Program: social science hours; or used to satisfy one (1) high school course deficiency in social studies; or used as elective hours.
Psychology (Introductory)
59 or above
3 s.h.
Duplicates PSY:1001 Elementary Psychology. Duplicates the AP Test: Psychology. May be applied to General Education Program: social science hours; or used to satisfy one (1) high school course deficiency in social studies; or used as elective hours.
Social Sciences & History
50-54
3 s.h
May be used to complete the General Education Program: lower-level social science component.
Social Sciences & History
55-80
3 – 6 s.h.
May be used to complete the General Education Program: lower-level social science component; and 3 s.h. may be used to complete the General Education Program: lower-level humanities component.
Sociology (Introductory)
59 or above
3 s.h.
Duplicates SOC:1010 Introduction to Sociology. May be applied to General Education Program: social science hours; or used to satisfy one (1) high school course deficiency in social studies; or used as elective hours.
College of Nursing
CLEP Exam Title
Score
Credit Awarded
Other Information
Chemistry
63 or
above
N/A
No credit awarded.
College of Pharmacy
CLEP Exam Title
Score
Credit Awarded
Other Information
Biology
51 or above
N/A
No credit awarded.
Calculus
61-69
N/A
No credit awarded.
Calculus
70 or above
4 s.h.
Duplicates MATH:1550 Engineering Mathematics I; and MATH:1850 Calculus I. Duplicates AP Test: Calculus AB; and 4 s.h. of AP Test: Calculus BC. Satisfies the pharmacy calculus requirement.
Chemistry
63 or above
N/A
No credit awarded.
Micro-economics
62 or above
N/A
No credit awarded.
Natural Sciences
51-57
N/A
No credit awarded.
Natural Sciences
58-70
N/A
No credit awarded.
Social Sciences & History
50-54
3 s.h.
May be used to complete Pharmacy General Education Program elective hours.
Social Sciences & History
55-80
6 s.h.
May be used to complete Pharmacy General Education Program elective hours.