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
varies
Published exam data
Prep Time
15-25h
Typical for first attempt
Units
5
Covered on the exam
CLEP Human Growth and Development covers lifespan development. Exam: 90 questions, 90 minutes. Passing earns 3 credits (~$1,200 savings). Content: theoretical perspectives (10%), research methods (5%), prenatal/infancy (10%), childhood (15%), adolescence (15%), adulthood (15%), aging/death (10%), cross-cutting (20%). Cognitive: 30-40% Recall, 40-50% Understanding, 20-30% Application.
Unit 1: Prenatal Development and Infancy
teratogens and prenatal stages · Piaget's sensorimotor stage · attachment theory (Bowlby/Ainsworth)
Unit 2: Early and Middle Childhood
preoperational/concrete operational stages · Vygotsky's ZPD · language acquisition theories
Unit 3: Adolescence
puberty and brain development · formal operational stage · identity formation (Erikson/Marcia)
Unit 4: Adulthood
Erikson's intimacy vs isolation · cognitive changes in midlife · career development theories
Unit 5: Aging, Death, and Dying
cognitive aging and dementia · Kubler-Ross stages of grief · social-emotional selectivity theory
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.
These are the best free resources for CLEP Human Growth and Development. Use them, then come back here for exam-format practice and a readiness check.
Modern States: Human Growth & Development
Modern States (College Board partner)
Free full video course. Earn the free CLEP voucher after 70% completion.
OpenStax: Psychology 2e (Ch. 9: Lifespan)
OpenStax (free, peer-reviewed)
Developmental chapters of OpenStax Psychology.
YouTube: Various educators
YouTube
Piaget, Erikson, Vygotsky, Kohlberg stages.
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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 exam under time pressure. Miss it, and you'll know exactly which unit to revisit.
Full CLEP Human Growth and Development prep
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