College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
Please consult with a counselor for questions and up to date information regarding exams. Units vary depending on the university.
College credit may be granted for the General and Subject examinations offered through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) by the College Examination Board when satisfactory scores have been earned. Southwestern College will grant credit to students who have attained a score at or above the 50th percentile level on each of the General Examinations and Subject Examinations. A maximum of six (6) semester units of credits will be granted or three (3) units of credit granted for each Subject Examination passed. No credit will be granted for scores below the 50th percentile and no credit will be allowed in subject areas wherein previous college credit has been earned. Credit will not be posted to the student’s permanent record.
| Examination | Score | SWC Units and/or GE Area | CSU-GE Certification* | CSU Units Towards Admission** |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Government | 50 | 3 units, Area D | 3 units, Area D | 3 units |
| American Literature | 50 | 3 units, Area C | 3 units, Area C2 | 3 units |
| Analyzing and Interpreting Literature | 50 | 3 units, Area C | 3 units, Area C2 | 3 units |
| Biology | 50 | 3 units, Area B | 3 units, Area B2 | 3 units |
| Calculus (Prior to Fall 2009^) |
51 | 5 units, Area A2 and Mathematics Competency | N/A | 3 Units |
| Calculus (Effective 2009^) |
50 | 5 units, Area A2 and Mathematics Competency | 3 units, Area B4 | 3 units |
| Chemistry (Prior to Fall 2009^) |
48 | 3 units, Area B | N/A | 3 units |
| Chemistry (Effective 2009^) |
50 | 3 units, Area B | 3 units, Area B1 | 3 units |
| College Algebra | 50 | 5 units, Area A2 and Mathematics Competency | 3 units, Area B4 | 3 units |
| College Algebra – Trigonometry | 50 | 3 units, Area A2 and Mathematics Competency | 3 units, Area B4 | 3 units |
| College Mathematics | 50 | 3 units, Area A2 and Mathematics Competency | N/A | N/A |
| College Composition | 50 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| College Composition - Modular | 50 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| College Composition (no essay) | 50 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| College Composition (with essay) | 50 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| English Literature (Prior to Fall 2011^) |
50 | 5 units, Area C | 3 units, Area C2 | 3 units |
| Financial Accounting | 50 | 4 units, Elective | N/A | 3 units |
| French Level I1 | 50 | 6 units, Elective | N/A | 6 units |
| French Level II2 (Prior to Fall 2015^) |
59 | 12 units, Area C | 3 units, Area C2 | 12 units |
| French Level II1 (Effective Fall 2015) |
59 | 9 units, Area C | 3 units, Area C2 | 9 units |
| Freshman College Composition | 50 | 3 units, Elective | N/A | N/A |
| German Level I1 | 50 | 6 units, Elective | N/A | 6 units |
| German Level II2 (Prior to Fall 2015^) |
60 | 12 units, Area C | 3 units, Area C2 | 12 units |
| German Level II1 (Effective Fall 2015) |
60 | 9 units, Area C | 3 units, Area C2 | 9 units |
| History, United States I | 50 | 3 units, Area D | 3 units, Area D and US-1 | 3 units |
| History, United States II | 50 | 3 units, Area D | 3 units, Area D and US-1 | 3 units |
| Human Growth and Development | 50 | 3 units, Elective | 3 units, Area E | 3 units |
| Humanities | 50 | 3 units, Area C | 3 units, Area C2 | 3 units |
| Information Systems and Computer Applications | 50 | 3 units, Area A2 | N/A | 3 units |
| Introduction to Educational Psychology | 50 | 3 units, Elective | N/A | 3 units |
| Introduction to Business Law | 50 | 3 units, Elective | N/A | 3 units |
| Introductory Psychology | 50 | 3 units, Area D | 3 units, Area D | 3 units |
| Introductory Sociology | 50 | 3 units, Area D | 3 units, Area D | 3 units |
| Natural Sciences | 50 | 3 units, Area B | 3 units, Area B1 or B2 | 3 units |
| Pre-Calculus | 50 | 3 units, Area A2 and Mathematics Competency | 3 units, Area B4 | 3 units |
| Principles of Accounting | 50 | 4 units, Elective | N/A | 3 units |
| Principles of Macroeconomics | 50 | 3 units, Area D | 3 units, Area D | 3 units |
| Principles of Management | 50 | 3 units, Elective | N/A | 3 units |
| Principles of Marketing | 50 | 3 units, Elective | N/A | 3 units |
| Principles of Microeconomics | 50 | 3 units, Area D | 3 units, Area D | 3 units |
| Social Science and History | 50 | 3 units, Area D | N/A | N/A |
| Spanish Level I1 | 50 | 6 units, Elective | N/A | 6 units |
| Spanish Level II2 (Prior to Fall 2015^) |
63 | 12 units, Area C | 3 units, Area C2 | 12 units |
| Spanish Level II1 (Effective Fall 2015) |
63 | 9 units, Area C | 3 units, Area C2 | 9 units |
| Spanish with Writing I1 | 50 | 6 units, Elective | N/A | 6 units |
| Spanish with Writing II | 63 | 9 units, Area C | 3 units, Area C2 | 9 units |
| Trigonometry (Prior to Fall 2006^) |
50 | 3 units, Area A2 and Mathematics Competency | 3 units, Area B4 (prior to Fall 2006) | 3 units |
| Western Civilization I | 50 | 3 units, Area C or D | 3 units, Area C2 or D | 3 units |
| Western Civilization II | 50 | 3 units, Area D | 3 units, Area D | 3 units |
| N/A- | Not Applicable |
| H/L- | Higher Level |
| * | Areas of GE Breadth (A1 through E) are defined in EO 1100 (Revised August 23, 2017). Areas of American Institutions (US-1 through US-3) are set forth in Sections IA and IB of EO 1061, and at assist.org. Numerical subcategories for CSU Area D were removed and no longer apply effective 4/11/2018. Contact the college Articulation Officer for historical CSU Area D reference. |
| ** | These units count toward eligibility for admission. The units may not apply towards Associate Degrees for Transfer (AD-T) or the baccalaureate degree. The units may not all apply toward certification of the corresponding GE-Breadth area. See Executive Orders 1036 and 1100 for details. |
| ^ | Students seeking certification in GE Breadth prior to transfer must have passed the test before this date. |
| 1 | If a student passes more than one CLEP test in the same language other than English (e.g., two exams in French), then only one examination may be applied to the baccalaureate. For each test in a language other than English, a passing score of 50 is considered "Level I" and earns six units of baccalaureate credit; the higher score listed for each test is considered "Level II" and earns additional units of credit and placement in Area C2 of GE Breadth, as noted. |
| 2 | French Level II, German Level II, or Spanish Level II prior to Fall 2015 earn 12 units toward CSU admission. |
| • | Credit may not be awarded for exams which duplicate credit for the same content earned through other means. |
| • | CSU: Each CSU campus will determine how it will apply examinations toward credit in the major. |
| • | IGETC: CLEP credits do not apply toward IGETC requirements |