College Level Examination Program
The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a set of standardized tests administered by the College Board to assess college-level knowledge in specific subject areas. Bucknell will apply course credit for students who earn certain minimum grades on some, but not all, CLEP exams, subject to department approval. Only the exams listed below can earn credit.
CLEP Exams Minimum Credit Granting Score
| Exam | Minimum Grade for Credit | Bucknell Credit Awarded* | No Credit if Credit Already Received for: |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Governance | 58 | POLS 1TR | POLS 1AP POLS 140 |
| American Literature | 58 | ENGL 1TR | ENGL 1AP (Lit) |
| Biology | 59 | BIOL 1TR (no lab) | BIOL 1AP |
| Calculus | 64 | MATH 201 | MATH 201 |
| Chemistry | 59 | CHEM 1TR (no lab) | CHEM 1AP |
| College Composition | 59 | ENGL 1TR | ENGL 1AP (Comp) |
| College French, Level 1 | 50 | FREN 1TR* (See Note 1) | FREN 1AP FREN 101 |
| College French, Level 2 | 58 | FREN 1TR* (See Note 1) | Above FREN 101 |
| College German, Level 1 | 50 | GRMN 1TR* (See Note 1) | GRMN 1AP GRMN 101 |
| College German, Level 2 | 63 | GRMN 1TR* (See Note 1) | Above GRMN 101 |
| College Spanish, Level 1 | 54 | SPAN 1TR* (See Note 1) | SPAN 1AP SPAN 101 |
| College Spanish, Level 2 | 63 | SPAN 1TR* (See Note 1) | Above SPAN 101 |
| English Literature | 59 | ENGL 1TR | |
| Financial Accounting | 59 | MGMT 2TR | |
| History of the United States I | 58 | HIST 1TR | HIST 1AP (American) |
| History of the United States II | 58 | HIST 1TR | HIST 1AP (American) |
| Human Growth and Development | 59 | PSYC 207 | PSYC 207 |
| Information Systems and Computer Applications | 59 | MGMT 1TR | |
| Introductory Business Law | 61 | ACFM 201 | ACFM 201 |
| Introductory Education Psychology | 59 | EDUC 102 | EDUC 102 |
| Introductory Psychology | 59 | PSYC 100 | PSYC 100 |
| Principles of Macroeconomics | 54 | ECON 1TR (See Note 3) | ECON 1AP (Macro) ECON 101 or ECON 103 |
| Principles of Management | 59 | MGMT 1TR | |
| Principles of Marketing | 59 | MGMT 2TR | |
| Principles of Microeconomics | 54 | ECON 1TR (See Note 3) | ECON 1AP (Micro) ECON 101 or ECON 103 |
| Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648 | 59 | HIST 1TR | |
| Western Civilization II: 1648 to Present | 58 | HIST 1TR |
Restrictions
- Students will not be granted CLEP credit for a foreign language exam if the exam concerns' the student's native language.
- Credit will not be given for languages which the student already has experience with beyond the 101 level. Students who have experience at the 101 level must receive a score qualifying for level 2 and will only receive one credit. Only students without any experience in the language may receive credit for a level 1 score.
- Only one economics credit is granted. If both exams are taken and passed, credit to be granted is ECON 101 or 103 instead of ECON 1TR.
- CLEP exams are not intended to test a student's mastery of a subject based on material already learned elsewhere; rather, the intent is to study and learn new material on which to be tested to earn college credit in place of taking a college course for credit. Credit will not be granted for uses of CLEP that violate the intent described above.
- A maximum of six Bucknell course credits may be earned from credit granted for achievement on comparable CLEP subject examinations, credit by examination and/or nontraditional study courses.
- Credit for CLEP examinations will not be granted when an individual has previously received credit for the same subject material by any of the following means:
- Transfer credit through course completion at another college/university.
- Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, General Certificate of Education or A-Level credit.
- Previously completed Bucknell coursework.
- CLEP may not be taken in the same subject as the student's major. Many departments have limits on the number of 100-level courses a student may complete; credit will not be granted when the CLEP examination would exceed the established academic department limit. Use of a CLEP transfer credit to fulfill requirements of a major will only occur with the consent of the department chair.
- Credits from CLEP cannot be used to satisfy the following General Education requirements: Foundational Experiences, Learning Goals, Intellectual Skills or Tools for Critical Engagement.
- Bucknell students (current or returning) must complete the Permission for College Level Examination Program Form, available from the student's academic dean, and have the necessary approval before scheduling any CLEP examination. This is to ensure individuals do not complete an examination for which credit could not be earned. Failure to do so may result in the inability to transfer the credit.
- Bucknell will grant course credit for CLEP subject examinations as noted above. Course credit will be awarded in the form of a direct course equivalent where indicated and in the form of departmental "1TR" credit, for example, ENGL 1TR for the American Literature exam.