WHAT’S ON IT
The English Literature exam covers material usually taught in a course at the college level. The test is primarily concerned with major authors and literary works, but it also includes questions on some minor writers. Test takers are expected to be acquainted with common literary terms, such as metaphor and personification, and basic literary forms, such as the sonnet and the ballad.
NUMBER OF QUESTIONS
A student needs to answer 95 multiple choice questions in 90 minutes.
NUMBER OF CREDITS
The English Literature CLEP was recently changed from a 6-credit exam to a 3-credit exam. It can serve as 1 high school credit. Some colleges may award 6 credits for this exam. It was worth 6 credits when my daughter took it. See Locating College CLEP Lists and College CLEP Policies to help you learn about the CLEP exams that your target college may accept.
PASSING SCORE
This exam is pass/fail. A passing score is 50. Read CLEP Exam Scoring.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL
This exam is rated as a high 3 out of 5 with 5 being the most difficult on websites that rate CLEP exams. See CLEP Difficulty Ranking based on our experiences as middle and high school test takers.
STUDY PLAN
My daughter studied the material in six weeks without taking a course or using a textbook. She studied at least four hours a day. As a disclaimer, by the time she took this CLEP, she had become a proficient CLEP taker. In addition, my daughter loves literature and writing. See CLEP Study Plans and Sample CLEP Year.
WHEN TO TAKE
This exam is probably best for 11th and 12th graders who have had experience taking CLEP exams and possibly taken an English literature course. If a student is passionate about the subject, it could be taken earlier. See Which CLEP When: How We Tracked from Middle School to Graduation.
RESOURCES
My daughter read through Instantcert questions and did deeper research on the facts writing down new information that seemed important. She also used a Barron’s study guide. Then she took one practice test.
- Instantcert online (for facts)
- Barron’s EZ-101 Study Keys for English Literature (for facts)
- CLEP Official Study Guide (provided one practice test)
FINAL PREPARATION
See CLEP Prep Boot Camp: The Final Weeks and Determining CLEP Exam Readiness.
HOW TO USE THESE CREDITS FOR HIGH SCHOOL
Government high schools in NC require 4 years of English. It can be a challenge fulfilling these credits as homeschoolers. We run short on course ideas. It seems that British/English literature awaits at the end of the high school journey. In fact, most people assume that this course must be taken in the senior year. Whenever your homeschooled student takes this, the credits can fill a valuable spot on the high school transcript.
Read CLEP on the High School Transcript for ideas on how to record these credits. For ideas on how to determine a letter grade for the material studied read Determining Grades for CLEP Courses. For help on how to determine a credit read Transcripts: How to Calculate Course Credits.
HOW TO USE THESE CREDITS IN COLLEGE
English literature credits can be used to fulfill the “global” general education requirements at colleges. This area may be challenging for some students to complete – especially the ones who do not enjoy foreign languages.
Our community college accepts these credits but some four-year schools do not, but there is a loophole. If your state has an articulation agreement like North Carolina does, earning an associate’s degree at a community college allows CLEP credits normally not accepted by a state four-year college to transfer. Read CLEP Credits and NC’s Articulation Agreement.
WHAT THIS EXAM PAIRS WITH
This exam requires knowledge of literary analysis techniques. The Analysis and Interpretation of Literature CLEP would be a good exam to take before this one. English literature is good preparation for the Humanities CLEP.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
I did not have my second daughter take this exam because we never found time in her schedule to learn the material. Plus, she is a STEM girl. She double-dipped high school English credit through courses at the community college, and that fulfilled English general education requirements. This would be a good exam for someone who loves literature and wants to transfer into a high CLEP accepting college as a junior or senior. What is double-dipping? Read Double-Dipping Credits.
My experience with CLEP testing. I have coached my kids and their friends through 16 different CLEP exams over a period of 9 years. Collectively, they have passed 39 CLEP exams and earned over 159 college credits. I’m still coaching my younger son through his CLEP journey. My high school graduates have received full-ride merit scholarships.
Musing: a period of reflection or thought. As such this post reflects my thoughts, opinions, and experiences on the topic. The choice to home school and the methods you choose are yours to determine.