ACE recommends 50 out of 80 for every CLEP exam. Your college can set a different bar — verify before you pay $97 and sit.
Check your college FIRST.
Most schools accept 50, but some require 55-65. A passing score at College Board is not always a passing score at your college. Use the official CLEP Credit Policy Search.
| Exam | ACE Pass Score | Typical Credits | Prep |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Government | 50/80 | 3 | Prep → |
| American Literature | 50/80 | 3-6 | Prep → |
| Analyzing and Interpreting Literature | 50/80 | 3-6 | Prep → |
| Biology | 50/80 | 6 | Prep → |
| Business Law, Introductory | 50/80 | 3 | Prep → |
| Calculus | 50/80 | 3-4 | Prep → |
| Chemistry | 50/80 | 6 | Prep → |
| College Algebra | 50/80 | 3 | Prep → |
| College Composition | 50/80 | 6 | Prep → |
| College Composition Modular | 50/80 | 3-6 | Prep → |
| College Mathematics | 50/80 | 3-6 | Prep → |
| Educational Psychology, Introduction to | 50/80 | 3 | Prep → |
| English Literature | 50/80 | 3-6 | Prep → |
| Financial Accounting | 50/80 | 3 | Prep → |
| French Language | 50/80 | 6-12 | Prep → |
| German Language | 50/80 | 6-12 | Prep → |
| History of the United States I | 50/80 | 3 | Prep → |
| History of the United States II | 50/80 | 3 | Prep → |
| Human Growth and Development | 50/80 | 3 | Prep → |
| Humanities | 50/80 | 3-6 | Prep → |
| Information Systems | 50/80 | 3 | Prep → |
| Macroeconomics, Principles of | 50/80 | 3 | Prep → |
| Management, Principles of | 50/80 | 3 | Prep → |
| Marketing, Principles of | 50/80 | 3 | Prep → |
| Microeconomics, Principles of | 50/80 | 3 | Prep → |
| Natural Sciences | 50/80 | 3-6 | Prep → |
| Precalculus | 50/80 | 3 | Prep → |
| Psychology, Introductory | 50/80 | 3 | Prep → |
| Social Sciences and History | 50/80 | 3-6 | Prep → |
| Sociology, Introductory | 50/80 | 3 | Prep → |
| Spanish Language | 50/80 | 6-12 | Prep → |
| Spanish with Writing | 50/80 | 6-12 | Prep → |
| Western Civilization I | 50/80 | 3 | Prep → |
| Western Civilization II | 50/80 | 3 | Prep → |
CLEP scores range from 20 to 80. The 50 threshold means you got enough correct (weighted by question difficulty) to pass. Raw percentage varies by form, but ~62% correct is a good mental model. There's no guessing penalty — answer every question.
You'll need ~72% correct on average. That's not a huge jump from 50, but it matters for your study plan. Run a free diagnostic first so you know whether you're at 50, 60, or below.
Yes — after a mandatory 3-month wait. That's another $97. The wait is enforced on the test taker, not the exam, so a close-to-passing score often feels worse than a clear fail (because you could have passed with one more week).
Take a free diagnostic — in 10 minutes you'll see your projected CLEP scaled score.
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