Students must have College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exam results sent to the Admissions & Records Office (hand-carried copies will not be accepted). Students are strongly encouraged to see a counselor when interpreting CLEP scores. CLEP credit granted at Columbia College may differ from credit and units granted by a transfer institution. Students with the minimum CLEP scores may earn credit to satisfy Columbia College General Education Breadth areas as well as California State University General Education Breadth areas as outlined in this chart. NOTE: The University of California does not award credit for CLEP exams and IGETC does not allow use of CLEP exam credit to satisfy requirements.
Exam/Subject |
Passing Score |
Minimum Elective Semester Units |
Semester Units Toward CC-GE |
Semester Units Toward CSU-GE |
American Institutions and/or GE Breadth Area |
CLEP American Government |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
D |
CLEP American Literature |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
C2 |
CLEP Analyzing and Interpreting Literature |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
C2 |
CLEP Biology |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
B2 |
CLEP Calculus |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
B4 |
CLEP Chemistry |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
B1 |
CLEP College Algebra |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
B4 |
CLEP College Algebra - Trigonometry |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
B4 |
CLEP College Composition |
50 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLEP College Composition – Modular |
50 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLEP College Mathematics |
50 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLEP English Composition (no essay) |
50 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLEP English Composition with essay |
50 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLEP English Literature |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
C2 (F11)* |
CLEP Financial Accounting |
50 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLEP French** Level I |
50 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLEP French** Level II |
59 |
9 |
3 |
3 |
C2 |
CLEP French** Level II |
59 |
12 |
3 |
3 |
C2 (F15)* |
CLEP Freshman College Composition |
50 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLEP German** Level I |
50 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLEP German** Level II |
60 |
12 |
3 |
3 |
C2 (F15)* |
CLEP German** Level II |
60 |
9 |
3 |
3 |
C2 |
CLEP History, United States I |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
D+US-1 |
CLEP History, United States II |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
D+US-1 |
CLEP Human Growth and Development |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
E |
CLEP Humanities |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
C2 |
CLEP Information Systems and Computer Applications |
50 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLEP Introduction to Educational Psychology |
50 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLEP Introductory Business Law |
50 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLEP Introductory Psychology |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
D |
CLEP Introductory Sociology |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
D |
CLEP Natural Sciences |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
B1 or B2 |
CLEP Pre-Calculus |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
B4 |
CLEP Principles of Accounting |
50 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLEP Principles of Macroeconomics |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
D |
CLEP Principles of Management |
50 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLEP Principles of Marketing |
50 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLEP Principles of Microeconomics |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
D |
CLEP Social Sciences and History |
50 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLEP Spanish** Level I |
50 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLEP Spanish** Level II |
63 |
12 |
3 |
3 |
C2 (F15)* |
CLEP Spanish** Level II |
63 |
9 |
3 |
3 |
C2 |
CLEP Spanish** with Writing I |
50 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLEP Spanish** with Writing II |
63 |
9 |
3 |
3 |
C2 |
CLEP Trigonometry |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
B4 (F06) |
CLEP Western Civilization I |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
C2 or D |
CLEP Western Civilization II |
50 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
D |
*Valid only prior to date in parentheses.
** If a student passes more than one CLEP exam in the same language other than English (example: two exams in Spanish), then only units from one exam may be applied.
Columbia College General Education area application and California State University General Education area application in compliance with Title 5, 55052.5 for CLEP and IB exams, and CSU Executive Orders 1100, 1036, and 1061.
University of California does not accept CLEP exam credit.
IGETC does not allow use of CLEP exam credit to satisfy requirements (IGETC Standards 2.3, 2022).
Confirmed by Academic Senate 1/26/24