CLEP Guidance for Graduation Seals
The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a credit-by-exam program offered by College Board, the same organization that offers the SAT and AP exams, that allows students to earn college credit through a series of thirty-four (34) subject-specific exams.
House Bill 96, the most recent biennial budget, added CLEP as an “advanced standing program” under Ohio law. The same bill also included CLEP as an option to earn four (4) state-defined seals to meet the Demonstrating Readiness portion of Ohio’s graduation requirements. Eligible seals include the College-Ready Seal, Citizenship Seal, Science Seal, and Technology Seal.
The Ohio Department of Education & Workforce and the Ohio Department of Higher Education worked together to determine eligible CLEP exams and qualifying scores to earn relevant seals. Schools and districts should refer to the following guidance to determine whether students who achieve qualifying scores on these exams meet the requirements to be awarded each seal. This policy is effective as of Sept. 30, 2025.
Determining Qualifying CLEP Exams and Scores
The Demonstrating Readiness Graduation Seals page provides all options available to students to earn each seal. Qualifying CLEP scores are derived from longstanding guidance issued by the Ohio Department of Higher Education. This statewide CLEP policy was developed alongside public institutions of higher education in 2017 and is regularly updated to “college-ready” standards. The CLEP scores determined to award seals represent the minimum “cut score” established by the Ohio Department of Higher Education for each eligible exam. Students who achieve these scores or above could also earn college credit at Ohio’s public colleges and universities.
CLEP Exam Fee Reductions
Students with financial need may qualify for fee reductions to take eligible CLEP exams. Please refer to the
AP, IB, and CLEP Test Fee Reduction webpage for more information.
Eligible CLEP Exams by Graduation Seal
College-Ready Seal
Complete both English Language Arts and Mathematics requirements.
English Language Arts
Complete one (1) of the following English subject options:
- College Composition (see note below) | 50 or higher
- College Composition Modular (see note below) | 50 or higher
And one (1) of the following Reading subject options:
- Analyzing and Interpreting Literature | 59 or higher
- American Literature | 53 or higher
- English Literature | 63 or higher
- Humanities | 55 or higher
Mathematics
Complete one (1) of the following options:
- College Mathematics | 63 or higher
- College Algebra | 63 or higher
- Precalculus | 61 or higher
- Calculus | 64 or higher
Citizenship Seal
Complete both American History and American Government requirements:
American History
Complete one (1) of the following options:
- History of the United States I | 61 or higher
- History of the United States II | 57 or higher
American Government
- American Government | 56 or higher
Science Seal
Complete one (1) of the following options:
- Biology | 50 or higher
- Chemistry | 50 or higher
Technology Seal
- Information Systems | 50 or higher
PLEASE NOTE: Per guidance from the Ohio Department of Higher Education, attaining the qualifying score on most CLEP exams, including those listed above, will result in the awarding of college credit at any Ohio public college or university. As an exception, the Department of Higher Education does not recommend awarding credit for College Composition or College Composition Modular. However, credit may be awarded for this exam as determined independently by the college or university through its credit for prior learning review process.
Last Modified: 8/3/2026 3:09:39 PM