July 5, 2023 is the “big day” for students who took the Advanced Placement exams this past May – scores are posted.  Based on a grade scale of 1-5, students earning at least a 3 are typically awarded college credit.  What about those who only scored a 2? I don’t think you should let that slide. You need a plan B.

Advanced Placement students have often logged an enormous number of study-hours, typically well above the standard expected in a typical high school class.  But even with the extra work, students who don’t pull a 3 or higher often don’t receive the benefits of college credit.  In contrast, students who took the same course for dual enrollment often will receive college credit, and without the pressure of the entire decision hanging on one big exam.

Earning a 3 or higher on an Advanced Placement exam isn’t always simply a matter of whether the student knows the material.  AP exams require written responses for almost every question.  Students who know the “facts” of the exam may still struggle with earning a high score if they struggle to articulate those ideas in their written form.  The mere format of this exam poses exceptional challenges for students that are very bright.  The AP exam takes place in a group setting with strangers, at a school that the student may not attend, requires a timed essay and short answer responses, uses the physical form of a pen and pencil while many students are more comfortable typing, and requires mastery of grammar and penmanship.

All AP scores are calculated and cataloged each year by The College Board.  We know that in any given year, depending on the exam, roughly 30% – 40% of all test-takers will NOT earn a high enough AP score to qualify for college credit!

We know that about 5 million AP exams were attempted last year, so based on The College Board’s own data, there are about 1.75 million students who have put in the hard work and are walking away with nothing. (nevermind the revenue that generates for College Board at about $100 each…. but that’s another topic)

Plan B

Students who scored at least a 2 should take the CLEP exam if available (see chart). Chances are excellent that they already have enough knowledge to pass the CLEP – in a few cases, they’ve already studied for TWO exams.

While there is not a “matching” CLEP exam for every AP subject, if the subject is available, your student can complete a very short test review program (free) using Modern States, and will receive a voucher to attempt the CLEP exam for free!  CLEP is $90 if you don’t get the voucher – so get the voucher! Passing the CLEP exam may allow them to earn college credit that was previously considered lost. About 75% of all accredited colleges will award college credit for a passed CLEP exam, so it’s worth getting even if you’re not sure that you’ll use it. There is nothing to lose!

Note:  you can’t get “extra” credit- if your teen’s AP score is high enough to receive college credit, the college won’t give you “extra” credit for also passing the CLEP.

Orange County Florida received recognition for taking this strategy into the public schools.  Read the full story.  Teachers collected their students who scored a “2” and conducted a short summer boot camp in preparation for the “Plan B” CLEP exam. Teachers reported a 100% pass rate among students they prepped for the CLEP exam.  Here is what the Spanish teacher had to say:

“We’ve just added the Spanish Language exam to our CLEP program. We reached out to students who scored a 2 on their AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam and gave them the opportunity to review materials and participate in a tutorial. Everyone who took the CLEP exam passed and the scores were phenomenal, in the mid to high 60s.”  -Marjorie Ceballos, Orange County Public Schools

Don’t be confused by the teacher’s comments.  Scores in the high 60’s are phenomenal- that’s not 60%.  CLEP exams are scored on a scale (like a curve) with a range of 20 to 80 with a passing threshold of 50.

You scored a 2 on this AP exam…	you can probably pass this CLEP exam(s)
AP Art History or AP Music Theory	Humanities
AP French Language & Culture	French Language
AP German Language & Culture	German Language
AP Spanish Language & Culture	Spanish Language   and Spanish with Writing **YES** take both!
AP Spanish Literature & Culture	Spanish Language   and Spanish with Writing **YES** take both!
AP English Literature & Composition	Analyzing and Interpreting Literature and English Literature **YES** take both!
AP United States Government and Politics	American Government
AP United States History	History of the United States I   and History of the United States II
AP Macroeconomics	Princ. of Macroeconomics
AP Microeconomics	Princ. of Microeconomics
AP Psychology	Introductory Psychology
AP Calculus AB or BC	Calculus
AP Biology	Biology
AP Chemistry	Chemistry
AP Biology ***AND*** you’ve also taken and passed either high school Chemistry or high school Physics as regular or honors classes.	Natural Science

Quick Plan for CLEP Prep

This plan operates inside the assumption that the student already prepared for and took the AP exam! As such, the foundational learning is already finished, and a little test prep is all that is needed. A student should be able to complete this plan in 1-2 days.

1. Create an account with ModernStates.org (parents- this account must be in the student’s name)
2. Select the proper CLEP course from the drop-down menu.
3. Proceed through each module quickly, looking for gaps or holes in your knowledge.
4. When a gap is identified, complete the lesson.
5. If no gap is identified, take the quiz. Repeat the quiz until you earn 100%.
6. Proceed to the next module and pass every quiz.
7. Upon passing EVERY QUIZ with a cumulative score of 70% or higher, the student will qualify for a test voucher (coupon) that will pay the cost of the CLEP exam and proctoring.
8. Register for the CLEP exam.
9. Schedule your test date (ASAP) and take the exam!

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