CLEP Study Guide
What's on the exam, which units to prioritize, the best free resources — and a 3-minute check to know if you're ready.
Pass Rate
25-35%
Published CLEP data
Prep Time
15-25h
Typical for first attempt
Units
5
Covered on the exam
CLEP Chemistry covers general college chemistry (two semesters). Exam: 75 questions, 90 minutes. Passing earns 6 credits (~$2,400 savings). Content: structure (20%), states (19%), reactions (12%), stoichiometry (10%), equilibrium (7%), kinetics (4%), thermo (6%), descriptive (14%), experimental (8%). Cognitive: 30-40% Recall, 40-50% Understanding, 20-30% Application.
Unit 1: Atomic Structure and Periodicity
electron configuration · periodic trends · quantum numbers
Unit 2: Chemical Bonding
ionic vs covalent bonds · Lewis structures and VSEPR · molecular polarity
Unit 3: Reactions and Stoichiometry
balancing equations · limiting reagents · mole conversions
Unit 4: States of Matter and Solutions
gas laws · colligative properties · solution concentration
Unit 5: Thermodynamics and Kinetics
enthalpy and Hess's law · entropy and Gibbs free energy · rate laws
Cognitive: 30-40% Recall, 40-50% Understanding, 20-30% Application.
Translation: rote memorization alone gets you about a third of the way. The rest comes from recognizing patterns and applying concepts — that's where a curated study guide beats crowd-sourced flashcards.
These are the best free resources for CLEP Chemistry. Use them, then come back here for exam-format practice and a pass-probability check.
Modern States: Chemistry
Modern States (College Board partner)
Free full video course. Earn the free CLEP voucher after 70% completion.
OpenStax: Chemistry 2e
OpenStax (free, peer-reviewed)
General chemistry — stoichiometry, thermodynamics, equilibrium.
Khan Academy: Chemistry
Khan Academy
Full gen chem — atoms, bonding, reactions, equilibrium.
YouTube: CrashCourse
YouTube
Fast-paced 10-min videos on each topic.
Before you study anything, know where you stand. You'll get a pass-probability, a weakest-unit callout, and an estimate of hours to ready. No signup.
Don't re-watch content you already know. Drill the 1-2 units flagged as weak. Exam-format flashcards + MCQs give you the question patterns, not just terms.
Simulate the real CLEP under time pressure. Hit 50+ and you're ready to book the test. Miss it, and you'll know exactly which unit to revisit.
Free Am I Ready assessment. No credit card, no signup.
Start the 3-minute check