Are AP & CLEP similar?

[MommyThrice]

Ds is taking bio II next year and plans to prep for & take the AP exam. Should he also take the biology CLEP? Are they similar?

 

Thanks,

Tracie

[Photo Ninja]

The tests are different and colleges treat them differently. He can take both, but may not receive benefit from them both. Some colleges accept high scores on an AP test and some won't. Some give credit for AP tests, others don't give any credit, but count the test as meeting a course prerequisite. Some colleges give CLEP credit and others don't. Many colleges will have a cap on the number of colleges credit they accept from AP and CLEP tests. I think the only benefit your dc would get from also taking the CLEP test would be if he passed the CLEP, but got a a low score on the AP. He could then use his CLEP score for college.

 

One thing you can do would be to check with some colleges he may want to attend and find their policy on AP and CLEP tests, then make a decision.

[MommyThrice]

He's just now starting to think about schools. We decided to use this as his first attempt at AP, then I wondered about getting the most out of his studing... maybe he should sit for the CLEP, too. But only if it covers basically the same material.

[Kareni]

... I wondered about getting the most out of his studing...

 

Clearly there is a human biology focus in your curriculum!

 

AP and CLEP are both tests but do differ.

 

About the CLEP exams: "Each exam is 90 minutes long, and, except for English Composition with Essay, is made up primarily of multiple-choice questions; however, some exams do have fill-ins."

 

AP Exams are much longer (often three hours long) and generally contain a written portion as well as a multiple choice section. More details are available here.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[AuntieM]

Slight hijack/additional question....

 

Can the number of AP courses/exams taken affect a student's freshman standing (for college scholarship applications)? Or, like Clep, are these credits "banked" in some way? Or do the universities not count them when considering admission status, but just when the student begins to actually schedule classes?

[Photo Ninja]

Slight hijack/additional question....

 

Can the number of AP courses/exams taken affect a student's freshman standing (for college scholarship applications)? Or, like Clep, are these credits "banked" in some way? Or do the universities not count them when considering admission status, but just when the student begins to actually schedule classes?

 

Unfortunately, the answer varies by college. Some colleges limit the number of credits a student can have from AP and CLEP. Some have a low limit, and others allow many. It also depends on how many credits each college allows a freshman to bring in. In our experience, one college allowed a freshman to bring in no more than 14 credits (total of all community college courses, AP and CLEP). Other colleges said that any number of college credits is allowed as long as they were taken prior to high school graduation. In those cases, there was no maximum that affects freshman status, and the credits were applied at the end of the freshman year, so the student could go from freshman one year to junior the next. Another college said that freshman status could include bringing in no more than 24 credits.

 

Sorry, but you will need to check with potential colleges to get a specific answer.

[MomsintheGarden]

Slight hijack/additional question....

 

Can the number of AP courses/exams taken affect a student's freshman standing (for college scholarship applications)? Or, like Clep, are these credits "banked" in some way? Or do the universities not count them when considering admission status, but just when the student begins to actually schedule classes?

Photo Ninja has given you good advice. I just want to add that you should strive for useable credits. By useable credits, I mean those that would apply directly to a degree. It can be difficult to get everything to work out, because colleges differ so much in what credits they will give for which test (and score).

 

Yes, credits can be banked. You can take tests now and send scores later. The College Board saves CLEP scores for 20 years. I do not know how long AP scores are saved, but they are archived after 4 years, and then may be sent after you send a signed form and $25 to the CB. We just had AP scores from last year sent to a college; it cost $15.

 

Do you have a couple of colleges in which you are interested? Search their websites for their CLEP and AP credit policies. If you can't find them, call the admissions office (sometimes they don't put it on the internet). Download their catalogs and degree checklists and start investigating what the requirements are. You may notice that certain tests are a good fit at several colleges. Those might be the best ones to pursue.

 

I have seen policies that vary from almost no credit by exam (CBE) to a virtually unlimited amount. Some schools only give students advanced standing for APs, meaning that students begin their freshman year taking sophomore (or junior) courses. That may not be a good fit for your student. Keep in mind that some schools require additional testing even though a student gets a credit-producing score. Many engineering schools test for calculus proficiency - my ds had to take a placement test for calculus even though he had received a 5 on the Calculus AP test. The schools sometimes don't tell you this up front.

 

And finally, some schools only offer CBE for courses not required in a student's major. For example, a biology major could not receive credit for the Biology AP, but could receive it for Art History, etc.

 

HTH,

GardenMom