CLEP exam intel
CLEP Human Growth and Development spans the whole lifespan and leans heavily on the major developmental theories. Knowing Piaget, Erikson, Kohlberg, attachment, and the stage-by-stage milestones covers most of the exam.
Pass score
50
Common CLEP credit-granting benchmark
Readiness
70-80%
Practice range before testing
Format
4 choice
Exam-native multiple choice
Step 1
Unit 1: Prenatal Development and Infancy
The core developmental theories plus early milestones and attachment are the largest share.
Step 2
Unit 2: Early and Middle Childhood
Cognitive, language, and social milestones of childhood are frequently tested.
Step 3
Unit 4: Adulthood
Adult development and the psychosocial stages of adulthood are a steady point source.
Step 4
Unit 3: Adolescence
Identity, puberty, and formal-operational thinking are quick points.
Step 5
Unit 5: Aging, Death, and Dying
Late-adulthood changes and the stages of grief round out the exam.
Which theorists must I know?
Piaget (cognitive), Erikson (psychosocial), Kohlberg (moral), Freud (psychosexual), Vygotsky (sociocultural), and attachment researchers (Ainsworth, Bowlby, Harlow).
Is it just babies?
No — it is the entire lifespan, prenatal through death, including adulthood and aging.
What is the fastest way to study?
Build a stage chart: for each age range, list the Piaget stage, Erikson conflict, and key milestones. Most questions map to it.
Use this guide to orient yourself, then check your readiness against the actual course instead of guessing.