College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

The College Board established CLEP to serve students who want college credit, placement and exemption by examination. The subject examinations measure achievement in specific college courses, some of which are honored by Northwestern Michigan College. NMC does not accept CLEP General Examinations for credit. Through CLEP exams, students can:

  • Accumulate credit toward a degree by demonstrating knowledge gained independently, start studies at a higher level, and save valuable time and money
  • Indicate level of competency in a subject in order to determine placement, particularly for foreign language courses
  • Demonstrate sufficient knowledge of a subject area to earn exemption from an introductory course

CLEP subject examinations may be taken by students for course equivalencies subject to the following specific regulations:

  • Student must be admitted to NMC
  • Only CLEP Subject Examinations will be accepted. No more than 12 semester hours of CLEP subject examinations may be granted in any one discipline as determined by the Discipline Chair.
  • CLEP credit will be recorded as transfer-in credit on the student's permanent record after the student has achieved a pre-determined score for the specific subject exam. CLEP credits are not computed in the student's grade point average.
  • Standard, pre-determined scores have been established for awarding credit and are listed in the list of courses.
  • Credit earned by examination will count toward graduation but will not count as hours in residence at NMC. Successful completion of a minimum of 15 semester hours of credit at NMC is required for a degree from NMC.
  • A student may not receive credit both for taking the course and for passing the subject examination that is equivalent of that course.
  • A student may not repeat an examination for which he received no credit for a period of at least six months and earn credit at NMC.

NMC maintains a list of courses it will accept for credit through CLEP. NMC will also test students who desire CLEP credit at other institutions.

How to apply

Contact the Student Success Center at (231) 995-2134.

CLEP courses and score requirements »