Success on the CLEP General Examinations as a Function of ACT Performance

This article provides information designed to assist counselors in helping high school students realistically assess their chances of earning college credit through the CLEP General Examinations. Based on sample sizes of approximately 1600 for each GE, separate regression equations were calculated with the corresponding ACT subscore and a person's sex as the independent variables. In addition, success rates were reported for each GE by level of ACT score. The medians of the CLEP 1963 Sophomore Norm groups were used as the criterion for success. This definition has wide applicability because the majority of institutions with CLEP policies have criterion scores in the vicinity of these medians. For criterion scores at this level or lower, the following conclusion seems warranted: Students with ACT Mathematics standard scores above 26, and ACT scores above 28 for any of the other subtests, have an excellent chance of earning credit through the corresponding CLEP GEs.