If you need help studying for the CLEP College Composition exam or just want some more information about what the exam is like, you’ve come to the right place!
Click below to take a free CLEP College Composition practice test!
What is a CLEP Test?
A CLEP exam helps you test out of certain intro courses in college. When you pass a CLEP exam, it proves that you know enough about that topic to move on to a more advanced course, which can save you a lot of time toward your degree!
Taking the CLEP College Composition exam can allow you to bypass certain intro courses in English composition.
What’s on the Exam?
First, let’s talk about the questions on the exam. There are 50 multiple-choice questions total, but some of the questions will NOT count toward your score. Why is that?
The unscored questions on the CLEP exam are there to determine if they’re good enough questions to add to future versions of the test.
The trick is that you won’t have any way of knowing which questions are scored and which ones aren’t—they will all appear like scored questions throughout the test.
The time limit for the test is 125 minutes. There aren’t any scheduled breaks, but you’re free to take restroom breaks as needed!
Let’s take a closer look at the different sections of the College Composition test:
Conventions of Standard Written English
10% of the exam
- Recognition of correct sentences
- Concord/agreement
- Syntax
- Sentence boundaries
- Active/passive voice
- Lack of subject in modifying word group
- Logical comparison
- Logical agreement
- Punctuation
- Diction
- Modifiers
- Idiom
Revision Skills
40% of the exam
- Organization
- Transitions
- Evaluation of evidence
- Awareness of audience, tone, and purpose
- Level of detail
- Main idea, thesis statements, and topic sentences
- Evaluating an author’s authority and appeal
- Evaluating reasoning
- Consistency of point of view
- Sentence-level errors
- Rhetorical effects and emphasis
- Use of language
- Coherence between sentences and paragraphs
- Sentence variety and structure
Ability to Use Source Materials
25% of the exam
- Integration of resource material
- Use of reference materials
- Evaluation of sources
- Documentation of sources
Rhetorical Analysis
6% of the exam
- Appeals
- Organization/structure
- Rhetorical effects
- Use of language
- Tone
- Evaluation of evidence
The Essays
2 essays
- Essay 1: Your opinion on a given statement
- Essay 2: A synthesis of two given sources
You should aim for each essay to be 4-5 paragraphs.
How to Register
To register for the test, you’ll need to create an account on the College Board’s website. From there, you can sign into the My CLEP student portal and register for the exam.
When you register, you’ll need to pay the $95 testing fee. You’ll also have the option to send your final score to two institutions for free.
CLEP College Composition Study Guide and Flashcards
Get practice questions, detailed study lessons, and complex subjects broken down into easily understandable concepts.
CLEP Scores
Multiple-Choice Section
The multiple-choice questions on the CLEP College Composition exam are scored using a scaled scoring method. Here’s how it works:
For every question you answer correctly, you get one point added to your raw score. At the end of the test, your final raw score will be converted to a scaled score. This scaled score will range somewhere between 20 and 80.
The American Council of Education recommends aiming for a final score of at least 50.
The reason your raw score is converted to a scaled score is because everyone that takes the test is given a slightly different set of questions. Since everyone has a different arrangement of questions, and because some questions are harder than others, converting your raw score to a scaled score ensures a more even playing field.
Essays
The essays are each scored on a scale from 0 to 6, with a score of at least 4 being recommended.
Here’s what each number on this scoring scale means:
- 0: Your essay is off-topic, and/or no attempt was made to write it.
- 1: Your essay is fundamentally deficient and doesn’t address the prompt.
- 2: Your essay is seriously flawed and contains major language errors.
- 3: Your essay demonstrates limited competence and fails to hold a viewpoint.
- 4: Your essay contains some errors and lapses in quality.
- 5: Your essay demonstrates a generally high degree of competence with some lapses in quality.
- 6: Your essay demonstrates a high degree of competence and contains very few errors.
FAQs
What is CLEP?
CLEP stands for College-Level Examination Program®. This program was set up by the College Board to help students earn college credits without taking college courses.
Are CLEP exams hard?
It depends on which one you take! Some CLEP exams are harder than others due to the material being covered. For example, the Chemistry and Western Civilization II tests are considered to be the hardest, while the Spanish Language and College Composition tests are thought to be the easiest.
How many questions are on the CLEP College Composition exam?
The exam contains 50 questions and two essays.
What is the time limit for the CLEP College Composition exam?
The exam is timed at 125 minutes.
What is the passing score for the CLEP College Composition exam?
It’s recommended that you get a final score of at least 50 on the multiple-choice section and at least a 4 on the essays.
How much does the CLEP College Composition exam cost?
The testing fee is $95.