Southwestern Community College's Assessment Center is a national test site for CLEP exams. Through this program students are allowed to earn college credit by examination. All CLEP exams are computerized. Computerization offers many benefits, including flexible test scheduling, instantaneous scoring and credit-granting decisions, and enhanced test-development processes.
Subject Examinations
Thirty-four subject examinations are designed to test achievement on specific subject matter in the following areas:
| Subject Area | Test | Required Score | Credit Hours | SWCC Equivalency |
| Composition and Literature | ||||
| American Literature | 50 | 3 | SWCC Equivalency | |
| Analyzing and Interpreting Literature | 50 | 3 | LIT 110 American Literature to Mid-1800's | |
| College Composition | 50 | 3 | ENG 105 Composition I | |
| College Composition Modular | 50 | 6 | ENG 105 & ENG 106 Composition I & II (faculty review and approval of writing and research) | |
| English Literature | 50 | 3 | LIT 140 British Literature I | |
| Humanities | 50 | 3 | Core/Humanities | |
| Foreign Language | ||||
| College French Levels 1 & 2 | 50/59 | 6/9 | Humanities Elective | |
| College German Levels 1 & 2 | 50/60 | 6/9 | Humanities Elective | |
| College Spanish Levels 1 & 2 | 50/63 | 6/9 | FLS 141 & FLS 142 Elementary Spanish I & II OR FLS 141 Elementary Spanish I, FLS 142 Elementary Spanish II and three additional HUM 999 Humanities Electives. | |
| College Spanish with Writing Levels 1 & 2 | 50/65 | 6/12 | FLS 141 & FLS 142 Elementary Spanish I & II OR FLS 141 Elementary Spanish I, FLS 142 Elementary Spanish II and six additional HUM 999 Humanities Electives. | |
| History and Social Sciences | ||||
| American Government | 50 | 3 | POL 111 American national Government | |
| History of the United States I: Early Colonization to 1877 | 50 | 3 | HIS 151 U.S. History to 1877 | |
| History of the United States II: 1865 to the Present | 50 | 3 | HIS 152 U.S. History since 1877 | |
| Human Growth and Development | 50 | 3 | Developmental Psychology | |
| Introduction to Educational Psychology | 50 | 3 | PSY 281 Educational Psychology | |
| Introductory Psychology | 50 | 3 | PSY 111 Introduction to Psychology | |
| Introductory Sociology | 50 | 3 | SOC 110 Introduction to Sociology | |
| Principles of Macroeconomics | 50 | 3 | ECN 120 Principles of Macroeconomics | |
| Principles of Microeconomics | 50 | 3 | ECN 130 Principles of Microeconomics | |
| Social Sciences & History | 50 | 3 | Core/Social Sciences | |
| Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648 | 50 | 3 | HIS 110 Western Civilization: Ancient to Early Modern | |
| Western Civilization II: 1648 to the Present | 50 | 3 | HIS 111 Western Civilization: Early Modern to Present | |
| Science and Mathematics | ||||
| Biology | 50 | 6 | BIO 105 Introductory Biology | |
| Calculus | 50 | 4 | MAT 210 Calculus I | |
| Chemistry | 50 | 6 | CHM 166 General Chemistry I | |
| College Algebra | 50 | 3 | MAT 120 College Algebra | |
| College Mathematics | 50 | 6 | MAT 110 Math for Liberal Arts | |
| Natural Sciences | 50 | 6 | Core/Science - Non-Lab | |
| Precalculus | 50 | 3 | MAT 127 College Algebra & Trigonometry | |
| Business | ||||
| Financial Accounting | 50 | 3 | ACC 131 Principles of Accounting I | |
| Introductory Business Law | 50 | 3 | BUS 185 Business Law I | |
| Information Systems and Computer Applications | 50 | 3 | CSC 110 Introduction to Computers | |
| Principles of Management | 50 | 3 | MGT 101 Principles of Management | |
| Principles of Marketing | 50 | 3 | MKT 110 Principles of Marketing |
Subject exams are 90 minutes long and are composed of multiple-choice questions.
To purchase an Official CLEP Study Guide or to obtain more specific information about the CLEP program and each of the exams visit http://clep.collegeboard.org/started
Frequently Asked Questions About CLEP Exams
- Where and when are the examinations given?
Examinations are given by appointment in the Southwestern Assessment Center, located in room 215 of the Instructional Center.
To register by phone, call 641.782.1330 or 641.782.1320.
- How much does it cost to take an examination for credit?
Effective July 1, 2019, a $109 fee is charged for each CLEP test. $89 is paid to CLEP and SWCC receives $20. All CLEP® exam payments must be made by test-takers online through the My Account portal. Go to https://clep.collegeboard.org and then go to register for a test. When test-takers sign up for CLEP exams on My Account, they are issued a registration ticket to confirm their CLEP exam purchase and are required to then contact their test center of choice to schedule an appointment to take an exam. When registering and checking in test-takers only have the capability to select “Voucher” as the payment method. The Voucher ID which is found in the upper right corner of the registration ticket is entered in the voucher field on test day. SWCC’s $20 administration fee is paid on test day. Payment may be cash, check or major credit card.
ETS may charge an additional fee to cover the processing and handling of the optional essays for Freshman College Composition, English Literature, Analyzing and Interpreting Literature, and American Literature.
CLEP credits will be recorded on academic transcripts at Southwestern for a fee of $15 after the student has completed 12 credit hours with Southwestern. The type of exam will be noted on the transcript.
- Will CLEP credit transfer?
More than 2,800 colleges and universities recognize CLEP and award college credit based on acceptable test scores and individualized policies. However, Southwestern does not assume responsibility for transferability of CLEP credits. It is always recommended that an individual contact the school they are wanting to transfer credit to and ask about acceptability and specific policy.
- How is CLEP credit awarded at Southwestern?
Southwestern will award credit based on obtained scores. American Council on Education (ACE) recommended credit-granting scores of 50 will be accepted as the minimum for receiving credit. A maximum of 30 semester hours will be allowed for CLEP Exams. Credit by exam will not be granted if it duplicates courses previously passed or failed, for a course for which the student does not meet the stated prerequisites listed in the college catalog, or for a course which is a prerequisite to one for which credit has previously been earned.
A minimum of 12 hours of college credit must be earned at Southwestern before CLEP credit may be applied to the permanent record.
Credit earned through CLEP will not be given grades nor will it be considered in determining grade point.
For more information regarding the CLEP exam, contact Southwestern's Assessment Center, 641.782.1320.