Over the past few years, Southern Lehigh High School has expanded options for students to earn college credits before graduation, in the form of AP exams and dual enrollment courses. This year, the district has provided yet another option for high school students to earn college credit: CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) exams.
Upon passing a CLEP exam, a student may earn up to 3 college credits for a particular course. CLEP offers exams for various subjects, such as history and social sciences, composition and literature, science and mathematics, business, and world languages. Each exam costs $93, not including school fees. The first exam was offered at SLHS on October 14th.
Although these exams may seem useful and time efficient, some students think otherwise. Senior Olivia Terefenko appreciates that the CLEP exam does not require you to undergo any coursework, though she also expressed some doubts.
“You do not have to take a class for the test to receive college credit, but then again, there is no class going over the material,” she said. “They are also so expensive.”
Testing season can be stressful, especially if students need clarification on what they are signing up for. Southern Lehigh Superintendent Dr. Michael Mahon elaborated on the worries students may have with the unfamiliarity of this exam.
“You may ask, If I pass the exam, are these credits really good for me, will they transfer?” Dr. Mahon said. “The idea is that rather than taking an elective while you are [at college], you will be able to skip over that elective.”
Other students might be worried about the cost or if taking the exams is worth it, but considering the cost of college courses, Dr. Mahon said the exams could help a student save money in the long run. Additionally, students can download exam guides for $15 from College Board to help them prepare and study for the exam. There are also free resources available across the internet.
More students may be interested in taking CLEP exams once they learn more about the benefits.
“I would be interested because I can get college credit without having the stress of an entire AP class for the whole year,” junior Orrin Bossert said.
If you want to register for the CLEP exams, sign up at https://clep.collegeboard.org/. They will be offered at Southern Lehigh High School two or three times during the school year, and all students are eligible to register.