CLEP® College Algebra — credit-by-exam from the College Board
Earn credit for a one-semester college algebra course — expressions, equations, functions, logarithms and complex numbers.
About the exam
CLEP College Algebra lets you earn credit for a one-semester college algebra course by passing a single exam. It's taken by college students who want to skip or place out of the course, service members (often funded through DANTES) and adults returning to school. ACE recommends 3 semester hours for a score of 50, though each college sets its own policy.
The exam has about 60 questions in 90 minutes, some of them unscored pretest questions. About half are routine problems and half ask you to apply concepts in less familiar ways, and some use graphs and tables. An on-screen scientific (non-graphing) calculator is available throughout, and there's no formula sheet. Trigonometry and calculus aren't tested.
Our practice covers every content area with original questions in the real formats — multiple choice and typed numeric answers, graphs and tables, and conceptual problems. Every calculation comes with a step-by-step worked solution, and you also get flashcards for rules and formulas, worked case walkthroughs, illustrated guides, and timed practice tests with an estimated score.
How we track your progress
Every blueprint domain moves through five levels as you study:
- Not startedNo questions answered in this domain yet.
- Getting startedFirst questions answered — not enough yet to judge.
- DevelopingAt least 5 answered and 50% or better on your recent questions.
- ProficientAt least 15 answered and 70% or better on your recent questions.
- Exam readyAt least 25 answered, 80% or better recently, and holding up on hard questions.
The exam blueprint
CLEP College Algebra exam outline — College Board (current exam page). No outline changes have been announced for 2026–27. — Four content areas — Algebraic Operations, Equations and Inequalities, Functions, and Number Systems. Tap a domain to see its topics.
1 Algebraic Operations about 25% of the exam
118 practice questions in this domain so far
2 Equations and Inequalities about 25% of the exam
113 practice questions in this domain so far
3 Functions and Their Properties about 30% of the exam
135 practice questions in this domain so far
4 Number Systems and Operations about 20% of the exam
84 practice questions in this domain so far
What you get when you access this exam
Free with your QuizMe account.
Questions built on the official outline
Every question is tagged to a CLEP College Algebra content area — original routine and conceptual problems, graphs and tables, and typed-in numeric answers.
Hints that teach the rule
Reveal the rule or method behind the question when you're stuck. Every answer comes with the full rationale, and every calculation with a step-by-step worked solution.
Adaptive practice
Questions steer toward your weakest content areas, weighted like the real exam, and get harder as you get stronger.
Timed practice tests
Outline-weighted tests at the real pace — 60 questions in 90 minutes — with a pacing indicator, full review and an estimated CLEP score.
Flashcards, walkthroughs and guides
Flashcards for exponent and logarithm rules, factoring patterns and function facts, worked case walkthroughs that solve multistep problems step by step, and interactive illustrated guides you explore hotspot by hotspot.
Progress in every domain
Each domain moves from Not started to Exam ready, so you know exactly what to study next.
Test at home or at a center
Register and pay for CLEP exams in My Account at clep.collegeboard.org, then schedule a seat at a CLEP test center or book a remote-proctored session at home. Eligible service members can have the exam fee funded through DANTES.
At a CLEP test center
- Many test centers are on college campuses and at military bases; each center sets its own schedule and administration fee.
- Bring your registration ticket and acceptable government-issued photo ID that matches your registration.
- Phones, bags, notes and your own calculator are not allowed — the exam software supplies anything you need.
- Military examinees: ask about fully funded DANTES test centers on or near your installation.
Remote proctoring at home
- Take the same exam on your own computer while a live proctor watches through your webcam.
- Run the system check on the same computer and network well before test day; a remote-proctoring fee applies.
- Test alone in a quiet, well-lit room with a clear desk — no notes, phone or second monitor.
- Check College Board's current remote-proctoring requirements before you book.
Exam-day game plan
How to walk in ready — and how to pace 60 questions in 1 hour 30 minutes.
Pacing checkpoints
The real exam is about 60 questions in 90 minutes with an on-screen scientific calculator. Our timed test matches the length and pace; any drag-and-drop or graph-based item types are approximated with multiple choice and typed numeric answers, and we don't supply the on-screen calculator — use your own scientific (non-graphing) calculator.
The week before
- Take a full 90-minute timed practice test 4–7 days out, then shorter sets and rest.
- Practice with a TI-30XS-style scientific calculator — that's what the exam provides, and it doesn't graph.
- Memorize the quadratic formula and the exponent and logarithm rules — there's no formula sheet.
- Confirm your test-center appointment and ID — or run the remote-proctoring system check.
During the test
- Keep moving at about 1½ minutes a question; flag long ones and come back.
- Plug answer choices back into the equation when solving is slow.
- Check the domain — answers that make a denominator zero or a log argument negative are traps.
- Sketch a quick graph on your scratch paper for function and inequality questions.
- Answer every question — there's no penalty for guessing.
Keep your head
- A few nerves sharpen focus. If you freeze, take three slow breaths and reread the question.
- Some questions are unscored pretest items — a strange one may not even count.
- You'll see an unofficial score when you finish; don't let a tough stretch shake you before then.
After you test
- You'll see an unofficial score as soon as you finish; it's posted to your My Account, where you can send a transcript to your college.
- ACE recommends a score of 50 for 3 semester hours of college algebra, but each college sets its own cut score and credit policy — confirm with your college before you test; send your transcript through My Account.
- If you don't reach your target, you must wait at least 3 months before retaking the same exam; DANTES funds one attempt per exam title for eligible service members, so retests are self-paid.
Official sources and further reading
- CLEP — College Algebra ↗Official exam outline, calculator and credit recommendation.
- CLEP exam policies ↗Retest waiting period, ID rules and DANTES-funded attempts.
Ready to start?
450 questions and scenarios across the blueprint — and growing.
CLEP® is a registered trademark of the College Board. QuizMe and thinQtank Learning are not affiliated with or endorsed by the College Board. All questions are original. Details are summarized from the College Board's official CLEP pages; fees and policies change — always confirm at clep.collegeboard.org. Estimated scores are rough guides, not official conversions.