CLEP 101: What Every Test Center
Administrator Needs to Know
Marie Maher
The College Board
Associate Director
College-Level Examination Program
(CLEP)
Agenda
• Welcome
• What Is CLEP?
• CLEP Overview 2010-11
• Best Practices
• Q&A
What Is CLEP?
•
Credit-by-examination program serving a diverse group of students,
including adults, non-traditional learners, and military service members
•
Validates knowledge learned through independent study, on-the job
training, or experiential learning and translates that learning into college
credit that is commonly recognized.
•
More than seven million exams taken since 1967
•
1,700+ colleges administer CLEP
•
181,500 exams administered in 2010–11, including 54,000
administered to military service members
•
Exam fee = $77.00
33 CLEP Examinations
History and Social Sciences
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American Government
History of the United States I
History of the United States II
Human Growth and Development
Introduction to Educational Psychology
Principles of Macroeconomics
Principles of Microeconomics
Introductory Psychology
Introductory Sociology
Social Sciences and History
Western Civilization I
Western Civilization II
Business
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Information Systems and Computer
Applications
Principles of Management
Financial Accounting
Introductory Business Law
Principles of Marketing
Composition and Literature
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American Literature
Analyzing and Interpreting Literature
College Composition
College Composition Modular
English Literature
Humanities
Science and Mathematics
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Calculus
College Algebra
Precalculus
College Mathematics
Biology
Chemistry
Natural Sciences
Foreign Languages
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French Language
German Language
Spanish Language
About the CLEP Exams
Structure
• 33 computer-based exams.
• Mostly multiple-choice, essays, and listening sections for foreign languages
• Most are approximately 90 minutes in length.
Scoring
• “Rights-only” scoring (no penalty for wrong answers).
• Immediate score reports (except exams with essays).
• Exams are scored on a scale of 20–80. A score of 50 is equivalent to a grade of C.
Development
• More than 600 faculty contribute to the development of and standard-setting for CLEP
examinations.
• Standing faculty committees oversee ongoing test development, shape content,
review data, set exam policies.
• Opportunities to participate in College Board ACES Placement Validity studies.
Age Groups
Exams Administered to National Candidates, 2010-11
Under 18
9%
36 and older
19%
30-35
11%
18-22
39%
23-29
22%
Education Levels
Exams Administered to National Candidates, 2010-11
Other
0%
College
Graduate
12%
College Senior
28%
High School
Student
10%
High School
Graduate
7%
College Freshman
16%
College
Sophomore
16%
College Junior
11%
Ethnicity
Exams Administered to National Candidates, 2010-11
Native Am/Am Ind
1%
Other
4%
Asian/Asian Am/Pac
Not reported
1%
Isl
5%
Black/Afr Am
8%
Latino
19%
White
62%
Highest Volume CLEP Exams
National CBT, 2010-11
30,000
26,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
9,300
10,000
8,700
7,600
6,400
College
Algebra
Introductory
Sociology
5,000
0
Spanish
Analyzing &
College
Interpreting Lit Composition
College Composition or
College Comp Modular?
Timing
Multiple choice
College Composition
College Composition Modular
120 minutes
90 minutes (multiple-choice
only)
Yes
Yes
Essays
Mandatory: Two typed
essays, created by CLEP
Optional: Two handwritten
essays, created by CLEP OR
essay created by your college
OR no essay
Essay scoring
CLEP scores the essays every
two weeks, student receives
score within 2-3 weeks
College scores the essays
College Comp Modular:
•Students can take the optional essays on a different date
•Essay order form available in the Resource Center and in the TCA Handbook.
Promoting CLEP and Your Test
Center
• BEST PRACTICES
– Post information about test center on your institution’s
website; keep information updated
– Keep College Board informed of change in test center
information, i.e. change in phone number, temporary
closing due to relocation, etc.
– Work with your regional Senior Assessment Manager
(SAM) for strategies to promote CLEP
– Keep an ample supply of CLEP brochures available
at your test center
– Work with administration to ensure that CLEP policy
information on your website is current
Print Marketing
•Spanish Brochure
•Business Exam Brochure
•College Composition Brochure
•Take One brochures
•Posters
•National
•Military
•Information for Candidates
•Veteran’s Flyer
•CLEP in Higher Education
CLEP Software
• Once software is received and installed, the
following best practices must be followed:
– CD must be kept in a locked location at all times
– Master Site Administrators and Test Center Administrators
must have access to the CD at ALL times
– Upon installation or re-installation of the software, it is the
MSA and/or TCAs responsibility to ensure that the
software CD is returned by IT and locked in a secure
location
– If the software CD cannot be found, the MSA/TCA must
report the loss to CLEP Technical Support immediately
– Consult with CLEP Technical Support prior to upgrading
test center PCs
Creating MSA/TCA Passwords
• MSA is the only staff member who can create
accounts for TCAs
• Any login IDs and passwords should be kept in a
secure area
• Passwords are confidential
• BEST PRACTICES
– Change your password every 30 days
– Notify College Board of any changes in staff-via CLEP
Resource Center-Update My Contact Info
Hiring Test Center Staff
• BEST PRACTICES
– Must be at least 21 years of age and hold an
undergraduate degree
– May not be involved in courses, workshops or tutoring
activities or other coaching activity that involves the
content of secure CLEP exams
– Have new employees sign a confidentiality agreement
Required Identification
• Test takers must bear two forms of ID
– Photo, government issued
– Secondary form, i.e. student ID, Social Security card
• Test takers without proper ID may be turned
away
• BEST PRACTICES
– Have test takers sign in/out on signature logs;
recommended retention period-18 months
– If in doubt about validity of student’s ID, contact CLEP
Services immediately
Monitoring and Proctoring Test
Takers
• Test takers must remove all electronic devices prior to
entering the testing room and return to storage area
upon returning from break
– Cell phone, Blackberry, IPad, IPod, IPhone, PDA,
watch, calculator
• The test center must be a distraction-free environment
• Provide a clear glass viewing window or wall, video
surveillance and audio monitor, or seating for a test
administrator within the testing room.
-Whichever surveillance method is used, it must allow a
continuous unobstructed view of each candidate
within the testing room.
Monitoring and Proctoring Test
Takers
• If video and audio monitoring is used, a staff
member must periodically walk through the
testing room in at least 10 minute intervals, and
must be able to respond to enter the room within 10
seconds of a problem.
• BEST PRACTICE
– Aside from testing students, no other activities are
permitted in the test center.
– If you notice any suspicious activity from a test taker,
contact CLEP Services immediately and complete an
EIR.
General Best Practices
• When in doubt, refer to the eCBT Administrator’s
Handbook
– Latest version, updated July 2011, is available on the
CLEP Resource Center
• Username-CLEPadmin2
• Password-CLEPmsa22# (case sensitive)
– Chapter 9-CLEP policies
– Contact CLEP Services or Tech Support
• Observe program policies and procedures at all times
– Periodic visits are conducted to test centers by
College Board and ETS
CLEP Notes
Professional Development
Web Series
• Monthly sessions beginning September 2011
• Number of maximum participants increased from 20 to 30
• CLEP webinars:
– CLEP Overview
– Adopting CLEP On Your Campus
– Advising Students About CLEP
– Test Center Operations
– CLEP College Composition Exams
– CLEP Reliability and Validity-NEW
– CLEP For Military Members and Veterans-NEW
• Register at http://clep.collegeboard.org/professional
Professional Development
Series – Fall FY 12
10:30 Eastern
1st Monday
1st Tuesday
1st Wednesday
1st Thursday
New Regulations for ATB
Testing
ACCUPLACER Overview
ACCUPLACER for College
Readiness
Setting Up Branching Profiles
and Placement Rules
Exporting Data from ACCU
into Student Info Systems
1:00 Eastern
2:30 Eastern
ACCUPLACER//MyFoundations
Lab
Planning for ACCUPLACER
ACCUPLACER Diagnostics
Adopting CLEP on Your
Campus
2nd Monday
2nd Tuesday
2nd Wednesday
2nd Thursday
CLEP Test Center Operations
ACCUPLACER Reporting
Methods for Setting Cut
Scores
ACCUPLACER//MyFoundations
Lab
New Regulations for ATB
Testing
ACCUPLACER Computer Skills
Placement
Advising Students about CLEP
4:30 Eastern
10:30 Eastern
1:00 Eastern
2:30 Eastern
4:30 Eastern
ACCUPLACER Platform
Functional Enhancements
CLEP Overview
Professional Development
Series – Fall FY 12
10:30 Eastern
3rd Monday
3rd Tuesday
3rd Wednesday
3rd Thursday
New Regulations for ATB
Testing
Refining Placement with
Multiple Measures
WritePlacer
Planning for ACCUPLACER
CLEP for Military Members
and Veterans
1:00 Eastern
2:30 Eastern
CLEP for College Faculty
ACCUPLACER Overview
ACCUPLACER//MyFoundations
Lab
4:30 Eastern
10:30 Eastern
Setting Up Branching Profiles
and Placement Rules
4th Monday
4th Tuesday
4th Wednesday
4th Thursday
ACCUPLACER//MyFoundations
Lab
ACCUPLACER Diagnostics
ACCUPLACER Reliability and
Validity
CLEP Overview
CLEP College Composition
Exam
Creating Local Tests
ACCUPLACER ESL
1:00 Eastern
2:30 Eastern
4:30 Eastern
New Regulations for ATB
Testing
Senior Assessment Managers
Support for CLEP
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CLEP Services
– Phone: (800) 257-9558 or (609) 771-7865
– Fax: (609) 771-7088
– E-mail: CLEP@info.collegeboard.org
– Web site – www.collegeboard.com/clep
– General inquiries, Candidate inquiries, publication orders
CLEP Technical Support
– Phone: (800) 241-5357 or (609) 406-5620
– Fax: (609) 406-5600
– E-mail: CLEPCenter_Establishment@ets.org
– Do not share with students, potential CLEP candidate, or CLEP
candidates
CLEP Resource Center Web Site
– www.collegeboard.com/CLEPResourceCenter
– Secure web site. Contact CLEP Services for username and password.
Additional Support for CLEP
Marie Maher
Associate Director
CLEP Test Center Operations
Phone 212-520-8563
mmaher@collegeboard.org
Questions?