College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)
CLEP is a national program that offers students the opportunity to obtain college credit for prior academic achievement.
CLEP offers general and subject exams in History & Social Sciences, Composition & Literature, Science & Mathematics, Business, and World Languages.
- CLEP exams are proctored exams taken at a computer, so students are charged a reasonable fee to register and sit for the exam. Most exams last around 90 minutes and consist of multiple-choice questions.
- Students may take or download practice exams at the website listed above.
- Virginia Western accepts most of the CLEP offered exams and uses the American Council on Education recommended minimum score of 50 for most tests when awarding CLEP credit. For higher level courses, the minimum score may be higher and will be noted.
- An official CLEP transcript is required for the award of credit.
To register for a CLEP exam, students may visit: https://www.education.edu/testing/
CLEP Exams may be taken at the Roanoke Higher Education Center located at 108 N. Jefferson Street, Suite 413, Roanoke, Virginia 24016. For more information, email testing@education.edu. In order for Virginia Western to receive a CLEP exam score, the college code must be entered on the exam.
VIRGINIA WESTERN COLLEGE CODE = 5868
Challenge Exam
In disciplines where a CLEP or AP exam is not accepted by Virginia Western, locally developed department “challenge” exams may be a means of earning college credit for prior learning by demonstrating satisfactory academic competency in a particular subject.
To be eligible for credit-by-exam, the student must:
- Be admitted to the college in a program of study.
- Make a request to the appropriate academic office with at least two weeks’ prior notice of the requested exam date.
Students should be aware of the following when petitioning to take a challenge exam:
- Each departmental exam may be taken only one time for a course.
- The student must attain a grade of “C” or higher in order to receive credit.
- An exam may not be used to remove or improve a grade already earned.
- A student may not challenge a lower level course in a subject which he/she has previously earned credit.
- Credits awarded by a challenge exam may apply toward graduation requirements and will become part of the student’s permanent record.
- The grade earned on the exam will not be calculated into the student’s cumulative GPA.
- Credit-by-Exams will not transfer to another institution.
Contact Us
Cathy Ferguson
Credit for Prior Learning Specialist
540-857-6825
cplinfo@virginiawestern.edu
Records Office
records@virginiawestern.edu
Chapman Hall C107
855-874-6690
Fax: 540-857-6102
Mailing Address:
3094 Colonial Ave. SW
Roanoke, VA 24015