College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Earn college credit for what you already know.

CLEP credit pathway flowchart illustrating step-by-step how to study, schedule, and earn college credit.

The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) enables eligible personnel to earn college credit for prior knowledge and military training. DANTES fully funds one-time free exams, allowing service members to bypass 8-12 weeks of coursework and save significant tuition costs.

*College credit recommendations for these exams are made through the American Council on Education (ACE) and are subject to the acceptance of individual academic institutions.

Program Eligibility

Service Members: All actively serving members of the U.S. Military Services, including the National Guard, Reserve components, Coast Guard, and Coast Guard Reserve members must have and maintain a valid government-issued Common Access Card (CAC) to be eligible for DANTES funding.

U.S. Coast Guard Spouses: Spouses of active duty and Coast Guard Reserve members must have and maintain the Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card, DD Form 1173 to be eligible for DANTES funding.

Air Force Civil Service Employees: Non-contract Air Force civilian employees are eligible for DANTES-sponsored CLEP testing, but must test at on-base or at fully-funded test centers.

Personnel not funded by DANTES include the following:

  • Inactive Guard, Inactive Reserve, and Coast Guard Auxiliary
  • Military Retirees
  • Separated/Discharged Veterans
  • DoW Acquisition Workforce Personnel
  • Spouses, Dependents, and Civil Service employees of active duty Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force
  • Spouses, Dependents, and Civil Service employees of National Guard and Reserve components
  • Employees of the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Reserve

Student Benefits

 
  • Earn college credit for your prior knowledge and training
  • Reduce course completion time; the average exam takes only a few hours vs. 8-15 weeks in-classroom or online
  • Decrease time to complete your degree; reduces the number of courses taken to complete your degree
  • Save money; DANTES funds one attempt per exam title for eligible examinees
  • Avoid tuition assistance (TA) costs for courses replaced by credit earned through testing
  • Find your exam scores on your military transcript, also known as the Joint Services Transcript (JST) or Community College of the Air Force (CCAF)
  • Get FREE test prep and study materials provided online, via mobile apps, and at installation libraries and education centers
  • Know your score instantly for most exams

Find a Test Center

 

There are two types of test centers:

  • Fully-Funded: Test centers may be located on or off base. DANTES funds the administration and test fees for service members.
  • Test Fee Only: Test centers are off-base colleges and universities that provide testing. DANTES funds the test fee. Service members are responsible for paying the administration fee. Fees vary by institution.

To find a national or international CLEP Test Center near you, visit
https://clep.collegeboard.org/test-center-search

Remote Testing

 

Did you know that College Board offers test takers the option to take a CLEP exam with remote proctoring? Each CLEP exam taken with remote proctoring has the same timing, content, format, and on-screen experience as the test you would take at a CLEP test center. You will be proctored remotely by a human proctor.

Basically, all you need are three things: a computer (no tablets or Apple computers, please), an approved testing environment, and a reliable internet connection. Learn more!

You can also watch this video below to get started. This is Part 1 of a 6-part series available on the DANTES YouTube channel.

Exam Subjects

Prep for Your Exam

 

Modern States

Modern States Education Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to making a high quality college education free of cost and accessible to any person who wants one. College Board and Modern States have partnered to help service members prepare for a successful testing experience. Visit the Modern States website for more information.

Speak with an Education Counselor

Your first step when considering a CLEP exam is to contact a Services' Education Counselor to determine if the exam you want to take will meet your degree requirements and if your college will accept this type of credit.

Free College Board CLEP Study Material

Upon registration for your exam, DANTES-funded examinees will receive a free eGuide. Create a My CLEP account to begin. eGuides are also available without registering for an exam.

Student testimonial quote about the CLEP program

Fees & Retesting

 

Exam Fees

For eligible test examinees, DANTES provides upfront funding of CLEP test fees for the first attempt on all exam titles.

Retesting Policy

Retests are not funded by DANTES. If military test takers want to retake an exam, previously funded by DANTES, a three-month wait and self-payment of the current exam fee and administrative fees are required of the examinee by the test center. Those members who retest should use the "public/civilian" test registration procedures to pay for their test costs.

Your Transcripts

 

Scores for all DANTES-funded CLEP exams are automatically reported to the Joint Services Transcript (JST). Air Force scores are also reported to the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF), AFAEMS, and the Air Force Virtual Education Center (AFVEC) website.

A no-cost score report is delivered to two institutions of choice, if designated during online registration using the institution(s)' four-digit institution code(s).

Service members can also pay for a consolidated transcript that includes CLEP and DSST exams using the Parchment online transcript ordering service.

Score News

 

Attention U.S. Air Force and Space Force Service Members:

  1. If your CLEP or DSST exam is missing from your CCAF record or you need help locating your test scores, please contact your base education center's CCAF Advisor. They can check for your test scores in the Air Force Virtual Education Center (AFVEC) system.
  2. If the scores are not found in AFVEC, your advisor should submit a Student Action Request (SAR) in the Air Force Education Management System (AFEMS) under the "Missing CLEP/DSST" category.
  3. If your scores cannot be located in either AFVEC or AFEMS, contact us at dodhra.dantes-cpl@mail.mil for additional assistance.

MyCAA for Spouses

 

Eligible military spouses of active-duty members and spouses of National Guard and Reserve on Title 10 orders in pay grades of E-1 through E-9, W-1 through W-3 and O-1 through O-3 are able to take CLEP exams under the My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Scholarship program. MyCAA provides up to $4,000 for college, certificates, certifications, and now credit-by-examinations.

Are you eligible? Visit MyCAA to learn more.

Download the MyCAA Program Overview and Spouses Career Goals Flyer (PDF)

Need Help?

 

Create a CLEP Account

College Board - Sign-in

Frequently Asked Questions

https://clep.collegeboard.org/help-for-students

Other Questions

Phone: 800.257.9558
Email: clep@info.collegeboard.org

DANTES Support

Email dodhra.dantes-cpl@mail.mil and we will respond promptly.