Speaking Spanish Can Save College Students Time and Money

CLEP exams are popular with students who are fluent in Spanish, military service members looking to take advantage of military education benefits, or students who have decided to go back to college.

Getting college credit through CLEP® exams
Gabriel Hernández is fresh out of high school, and already he’s hustling to get the most out of his future college experience. At the Houston Academy for International Studies, he took several advanced courses including statistics, computer science and Spanish. This summer he is exploring getting college credit through CLEP® exams. “With enough college credit, I can go to college with sophomore standing,” said Hernández.

The College Board’s CLEP exams give students a chance to show what they already know in 33 subjects. Hernández and others like him who have acquired knowledge in a particular subject — whether in a classroom, through independent study or through life experience — can take a CLEP exam and earn advanced placement, college credit or both if they achieve a passing score.

A well-kept secret
“CLEP is a well-kept secret, but it shouldn’t be,” said Jonell Sánchez, the senior director who oversees the program for the College Board. “Students can earn between three and 12 college credits per exam, giving them the possibility of saving between $600 and $2,400 tuition dollars. As families look for ways to save, CLEP is definitely an education bargain.”

Most CLEP exams are designed to correspond to one-semester college courses, although some correspond to one- or two-year courses. This gives students a boost to get to the courses of their major more quickly.

For students from abroad
For international students considering degrees in the U.S., CLEP can serve as an incentive. Carmen Villanueva, a business professional who moved from Mexico to Chicago, didn’t go to college in the U.S. because she felt it was too daunting to start over. “If I had known about CLEP, it would’ve certainly motivated me,” she said.

As is true with any test, becoming familiar with a CLEP exam is a great way to prepare for it. Students can order downloadable exam guides or the CLEP Official Study Guide 2011, which offers practice questions on all tests, tips on preparing for the exam, and advice on evaluating a college’s CLEP policy. The exam descriptions, free study plans, a test center search, and information about earning credit can be found on www.collegeboard.com/clep

Before taking a test, students should review a targeted university’s posted CLEP credit policy to find out which exams and scores are recognized.

The advantage of being bilingual
“Latino students are at a great advantage,” said Sánchez. “Native speakers can do well on the Spanish CLEP exam.” A passing score can save students from repeating material they already know, allowing them to fulfill a requirement so they can jump ahead to other courses.

CLEP exams can even help students graduate on time when they are missing a few credits. The exams are offered year-round in local test centers and cost $77 per exam plus administrative fees. Most exams are only 90 minutes long. For more information, call 800-257-9558 or visit www.collegeboard.com/clep

Please send your questions to: mcorral@collegeboard.org

This post is also available in: Spanish