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Credit Sprint's Guide to the CLEP® Principles of Macroeconomics Exam

The exam at a glance

  • About 80 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes. Some are unscored pretest questions, so don't panic over a strange one.
  • Scores run from 20 to 80. The American Council on Education recommends credit for a 50, worth 3 semester hours, but each college sets its own policy.
  • There's no free-response section and no penalty for guessing, so answer every question.

Before you register

  • Check your college's CLEP® policy first: the score it requires and the course it gives credit for. Search your registrar's site for "CLEP".
  • Finish the free Modern States course for Principles of Macroeconomics to get a voucher that covers the exam fee.
  • The CLEP® exam fee is $97 (2025–26). Test centers or remote proctoring add their own fee.

Test center or at home

  • Test centers are often on college campuses. Bring an approved photo ID.
  • At-home exams use remote proctoring. You install the ETS Online Test Application, run its equipment check, and use a smartphone with the Proctortrack app as a second camera.
  • You'll do a face scan, ID scan and room scan. One reschedule is free; more cost $10 each.

On exam day

  • Pace yourself: 90 minutes for about 80 questions is just over a minute each. Flag hard questions and come back.
  • Draw quick sketches of graphs on scratch paper; most macro questions are graph questions in disguise.
  • Your score appears on screen right after the exam for most subjects.

After the exam

  • Scores sent to colleges can take 10–14 business days to arrive, and the college may need more time to post credit.
  • If you don't pass, you must wait three months before retaking the same exam. A retake inside that window is canceled and the fee is forfeited.
  • Use the wait: your mistakes notebook and a fresh study plan will be ready.

Sources: CLEP® Principles of Macroeconomics · At-home CLEP® exams · Modern States. Policies change; confirm details on the official CLEP® site.