CLEP Alternatives: Full Online Courses for College Credit

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Credit by exam or a full course?

CLEP vs a full online course for credit

17 subjects where you can choose between a CLEP exam and a full, self-paced UPI Study course. See what each costs, how it works and who decides on the credit.

UPI Study is not a CLEP exam or credit by exam: each course has lessons, quizzes and a proctored final exam, and carries an ACE and/or NCCRS credit recommendation.

Find your subjectHow they differ

Pick a subject

17 CLEP exams, and the course for each

Each page compares one CLEP exam with the matching UPI Study course, fact by fact.

Math

Science

English

History

Psychology and social science

Business and economics

Side by side

A CLEP exam vs a course, in general

CLEP facts link to the College Board page they come from.

 A CLEP examA UPI Study course
CostCLEP charges a $97 exam fee, plus a proctoring fee: the test center's own administration fee College Board, or $30 for remote proctoring at home College Board.$250 for the course, with no proctoring or exam fees. A transcript is $20.
FormatOne exam per subject. Taken at a test center or at home with remote proctoring; all 34 CLEP exams can be taken remotely College Board.Online and self-paced: lessons, quizzes, an assignment and a final exam. The final is proctored, or lightly proctored with no camera needed if you already have 70% before it.
TimeNo fixed test dates: you book a time with a test center, or with the remote proctor College Board. Study time is up to you.Self-paced: start any day and finish as fast or as slow as you want.
What you getA score report to send to your college. Up to 2 colleges get your score free if you choose them when you register; after the exam, sending a score costs a fee College Board.A full course to learn from, with lessons, quizzes and Athena, an AI tutor that explains the lesson you are on. When you pass, a transcript to send to your college.
Credit recommendationScores run from 20 to 80; ACE recommends that colleges grant credit for a score of 50 or higher College Board.An NCCRS credit recommendation on every course, and an ACE one on some. Each course page names which.
Who decidesEach college sets its own CLEP policy: the score it needs and the credit it grants College Board.ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.

Who should pick which

Which route fits you?

CLEP suits you if

  • You already know the subject well.
  • You are ready for one timed exam.
  • Your college's CLEP policy lists the exam.

A full course suits you if

  • You want to learn the subject step by step.
  • You would like lessons, quizzes and a tutor.
  • You would rather spread your grade over a course.

Either way, check first

  • Ask your college which route it takes.
  • Some colleges won't grant credit for a CLEP exam if you have already attempted a college-level course closely aligned with it College Board.
  • Keep the answer in writing.
About credit: ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities. Search your school in Find My College. For CLEP, College Board has its own college CLEP policy search.

Questions

CLEP or a course: common questions

Is UPI Study a CLEP exam or credit by exam?
No. UPI Study is not a CLEP exam and not credit by exam. Each UPI Study course is a full, self-paced online course: lessons, quizzes, an assignment and a proctored final exam, with Athena, an AI tutor, to explain each lesson. It carries an NCCRS credit recommendation (some also carry one from ACE). It is an alternative to CLEP, not a version of it.
Should I take CLEP or a course?
If you already know a subject well and are ready for one timed exam, CLEP is built for that. If you want to learn the subject first, with lessons, quizzes and a tutor, a full course fits better. Either way, ask your college which route it takes for your requirement.
How much does a CLEP exam cost?
CLEP charges a $97 exam fee, plus a proctoring fee: the test center's own administration fee College Board, or $30 for remote proctoring at home College Board. A UPI Study course is $250, with no proctoring or exam fees; a transcript is $20.
Can I take a CLEP exam at home?
Remote proctoring is for test takers 13 or older (18 in Illinois) who live in the US, or who are DANTES-funded, with a live human proctor; anyone else can test at a CLEP test center College Board.
Will my college accept the credit?
For CLEP: Each college sets its own CLEP policy: the score it needs and the credit it grants College Board. For UPI Study: ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.

Sources

Where the CLEP facts come from

Every CLEP fact on this page is from College Board, which runs CLEP, and links to the page it came from. Last checked 19 October 2026. College Board can change its fees and policies, so check its pages before you register.

UPI Study facts are from our course catalog, price list and course rules. CLEP is a registered trademark of College Board, which is not connected with UPI Study.