Principles of

Management
EXAM GUIDE

Visit our website at

clep.collegeboard.org
for the most up-to-date
information.
Contents
1 Introduction
1 CLEP Study Materials: A Word of Warning
1 American Council on Education (ACE)
2 I. The College-Level Examination Program
2 How the Program Works
2 The CLEP Exams
2 What the Exams Are Like
3 Where to Take the Exams and How to Register
3 College Credit Recommendations of the American Council on Education (ACE)
3 How Your Score Is Reported
4 II. Approaching a College About CLEP
4 How to Apply for College Credit
6 Questions to Ask About a College’s CLEP Policy
7 III. Deciding Which Exams to Take
7 If You’re Taking the Exams for College Credit or Career Advancement . . . 
9 IV. Preparing to Take CLEP Exams
9 Using the Exam Guides
10 Assessing Your Readiness for a CLEP Exam
11 Suggestions for Studying
12 Test Preparation Tips
14 Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
15 V. Taking the Exams
15 Test-Taking Strategies for Multiple-Choice Questions
16 Answering Essay Questions
16 Test-Taking Strategies for Essay Writing
17 VI. Interpreting Your Scores
17 How CLEP Scores Are Computed
17 How Essays Are Scored
18 VII. Principles of Management
34 Appendix
34 What Your CLEP Score Means

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clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program

Introduction
This is the only official guide to the College-Level important tips to get ready for the tests. The guides
Examination Program® (CLEP®) exams. CLEP exams aren’t meant to help you learn all the subject matter
are administered on computers at test centers across CLEP exams cover. We suggest you study a textbook
the country. for the relevant course at your college or access one
of the suggested resources listed on the CLEP website
This guide has been written for adults making plans
to learn or review the content of the exam in which
to enroll in college, and it contains information of
you’re interested.
interest to others as well. College-bound high school
students, current college students, military personnel, Many private companies offer preparation services
professionals seeking certification, and persons of all for CLEP exams. Some companies are legitimate, but
ages who have learned or wish to learn college-level others make promises they can’t keep and sell services
material outside the college classroom will find the and products you don’t need.
guide helpful as they strive to accomplish their goals.
We’ve received complaints from CLEP candidates
CLEP is based on the premise that some individuals regarding the following practices (practices we
enrolling in college have already learned part of what consider unfair or inappropriate).
is taught in college courses through job training,
ƒ Attempts to sell preparation services for many CLEP
independent reading and study, noncredit adult
exams at once, with sizable payment up front or
courses, and advanced high school courses. Often,
on credit
their jobs and life experiences have enhanced and
reinforced their learning. CLEP gives these individuals ƒ Credit agreements with companies other than the
a chance to show their mastery of college-level one selling the preparation material
material by taking exams that assess knowledge and ƒ Contacts from salespeople to you or your family
skills taught in college courses. at home

The first few sections of this guide explain how CLEP ƒ Promises that you can get college credit without
can earn you credit for the college-level learning you enrolling in college
have acquired and provide suggestions for preparing ƒ Efforts to sell dictionaries or encyclopedias as part
for the exams. The individual exam section includes test of a test preparation package
descriptions, sample questions, and study tips. If you feel you have been cheated, we recommend you
The guide also has an answer key for each exam, as seek the assistance of an organization such as the
well as in-depth information about how to interpret Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org) or the Federal
your scores. Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov).

CLEP Study Materials: American Council on

A Word of Warning Education (ACE)
There are many free or inexpensive sources for CLEP If you still have general questions about continuing
preparation materials, including public or college or adult education after reading this book, ACE can
libraries, bookstores, and educational websites. CLEP provide advice and information:
exams reflect the material taught in introductory American Council on Education
college courses. Check with local colleges to see what One Dupont Circle, NW
texts are being used in the subject you hope to study Washington, DC 20036
for a CLEP exam. 202-939-9300
The College Board provides the CLEP Official Study www.acenet.edu
Guide and individual exam guides so you get to know
the types of questions on the exams. You also get

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program 1

I. The College-Level
Examination Program
How the Program Works retesting on a previously funded CLEP exam. However,
you may personally fund a retest after the specified
CLEP exams are administered at over 2,000 test centers
wait period.
nationwide, and 2,900 colleges and universities award
college credit to those who do well on the tests. This
rigorous program lets self-directed students of a wide
The CLEP Exams
range of ages and backgrounds show their mastery of
CLEP exams cover material directly related to specific
introductory college-level material and pursue academic
undergraduate courses taught during a student’s first
success. Students earn credit for what they already
two years in college. The courses may be offered for
know by getting qualifying scores on any of the
three or more semester hours in general areas such
33 exams.
as mathematics, history, social sciences, English
CLEP exams cover material taught in introductory-level composition, natural sciences, and humanities.
courses at many colleges and universities. Faculty at Institutions will either grant credit for a specific course
individual colleges review the exams to ensure that based on a satisfactory score on the related exam, or in
they cover the important material currently taught in the general area in which a satisfactory score is earned.
their courses. The credit is equal to the credit awarded to students
Although CLEP is sponsored by the College Board, only who successfully complete the course.
colleges may grant credit toward a degree. To learn about
a particular college’s CLEP policy, contact the college
directly. When you take a CLEP exam, request that a
What the Exams Are Like
copy of your score report be sent to the college you’re CLEP exams are administered on computer and are
attending or planning to attend. After evaluating your approximately 90 minutes long, with the exception
score, the college will decide whether or not to award you of College Composition, which is approximately
credit for, or to exempt you from, one or more courses. 120 minutes long. Most questions are multiple choice;
other types of questions require you to fill in a numeric
If the college decides to give you credit, it records the
answer, to shade areas of an object, or to put items in
number of credits on your permanent record, indicating
the correct order. Questions using these kinds of skills
that you completed work equivalent to a course in
are called zone, shade, grid, scale, fraction, numeric
that subject. If the college decides to grant exemption
entry, histogram, and order match questions.
without giving you credit for a course, you’ll be permitted
to omit a course that would normally be required of you CLEP College Composition includes a mandatory
and to take a course of your choice instead. essay section, responses to which must be typed into
the computer.
The CLEP program has a long-standing policy that an
exam can’t be taken within the specified wait period. Some exams have optional essays. You should
This waiting period gives you a chance to spend more check with the individual college or university where
time preparing for the exam or the option of taking a you’re sending your score to see whether an optional
classroom course. If you violate the CLEP retest policy, essay is required for those exams. These essays are
the administration will be considered invalid, the score administered on paper and are scored by faculty at the
canceled, and any test fees forfeited. If you’re a military institution that receives your score.
service member, note that DANTES (Defense Activity
for Non-Traditional Education Support) won’t fund

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program 2

 I. The College-Level Examination Program 

Where to Take the Exams How Your Score Is Reported

and How to Register You have the option of seeing your CLEP score
CLEP exams are administered throughout the year immediately after you complete the exam, except for
at over 2,000 test centers in the United States and College Composition; scores for this test are available
select international sites. Once you have decided online one to two weeks after the exam date. Once you
to take a CLEP exam, log in to My Account at choose to see your score, it will be sent automatically
clepportal.collegeboard.org/myaccount to create to the institution you designated as a score recipient.
and manage your own personal accounts, pay for It can’t be canceled. You’ll receive a candidate copy
CLEP exams, and purchase study materials. You can of your score before you leave the test center. If you
self-register at any time by completing the online tested at the institution that you designated as a score
registration form. recipient, it will have immediate access to your test
results. Additionally, you’ll be able to view your CLEP
Through My Account, you can access a list of exam scores by logging into My Account and clicking
institutions that administer CLEP, and you can locate on “View My CLEP Exam Scores.” Scores are available
a test center in your area. After paying for your exam online one business day after taking an exam.
through My Account, you must still contact the test
center to schedule your CLEP exam. If you don’t want your score reported, you may select
that as an option at the end of the examination before
If you’re unable to locate a test center near you, call the exam is scored. Once you have selected the option
800-257-9558 for help. to not view your score, the score is canceled. The score
won’t be reported to the institution you designated,
and you won’t receive a candidate copy of your score
College Credit Recommendations report. In addition, scores of canceled exams can’t be
of the American Council viewed on My Account. You’ll have to wait the specified
on Education (ACE) wait period before you can take the exam again.

For many years, the American Council on Education’s CLEP scores are kept on file for 20 years. During this
College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT) period, for a small fee, you may have your transcript
has periodically evaluated CLEP processes and sent to another college or to anyone else you specify.
procedures for developing, administering, and scoring Your score(s) will never be sent to anyone without
the exams. ACE recommends a uniform credit-granting your approval.
score of 50 across all subjects (with additional Level-2
recommendations for the world language exams),
representing the performance of students who earn
a grade of C in the corresponding course. The score
scale for each CLEP exam is decided by a panel of
experts (college faculty teaching the course) who
provide information on the level of student performance
that would be necessary to receive college credit in
the course.

The American Council on Education, the major

coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education
institutions, seeks to provide leadership and a unifying
voice on key higher education issues and to influence
public policy through advocacy, research, and program
initiatives. For more information, visit ACE CREDIT at
acenet.edu/higher-education/topics/Pages/Credit-
Evaluations.aspx.

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program  3

II. Approaching a College
About CLEP
The following sections provide a step-by-step guide to considering. If you’re a nontraditional student, be sure
learning about the CLEP policy at a particular college to check whether the school has separate admission
or university. The person or office that can best assist requirements that apply to you. Some schools are
you may have a different title at each institution, but the selective, while others are “open admission.”
following guidelines will point you to information about
Contact the admission office for an interview with a
CLEP at any institution.
counselor. State why you want the interview, and ask
Adults and other nontraditional students returning to what documents you should bring with you or send in
college often benefit from special assistance when they advance. (These materials may include a high school
approach a college. Opportunities for adults to return transcript, transcript of previous college work, or
to formal learning in the classroom are widespread, completed application for admission.) Make an extra
and colleges and universities have worked hard to effort to get all the information requested in time for
make this a smooth process for older students. Many the interview.
colleges have established special offices staffed with
During the interview, relax and be yourself. Be prepared
trained professionals who understand the problems
to state honestly why you think you’re ready and able
facing adults returning to college. If you think you
to do college work. If you have already taken CLEP
might benefit from such assistance, be sure to find out
exams and scored high enough to earn credit, you have
whether these services are available at your college.
shown you’re able to do college work. Mention this
achievement to the admission counselor because it
may increase your chances of being accepted. If you
How to Apply for College Credit haven’t taken a CLEP exam, you can still improve your
Step 1. Obtain, or access online, the general chances of being accepted by describing how your job
information catalog and a copy of the CLEP policy training or independent study prepared you for college-
from each college you’re considering. level work. Discuss with the counselor what you learned
Learn about admission and CLEP policies on the from your work and personal experiences.
college’s website at clep.collegeboard.org/school- Step 3. Evaluate the college’s CLEP policy.
policy-search, or by contacting or visiting the admission
office. Ask for a copy of the publication that explains the Typically, a college lists all its academic policies,
college’s complete CLEP policy. Also, get the name and including CLEP policies, in its general catalog or on its
the telephone number of the person to contact in case website. You’ll probably find the CLEP policy statement
you have further questions about CLEP. under a heading such as Credit-by-Examination,
Advanced Standing, Advanced Placement, or External
Step 2. If you haven’t already been admitted to a Degree Program. These sections can usually be found in
college that you’re considering, look at its admission the front of the catalog. Check out the institution’s CLEP
requirements for undergraduate students to see Policy on clep.collegeboard.org/school-policy-search.
whether you qualify.
Many colleges publish their credit-by-examination
Whether you’re applying for college admission as policies in separate brochures distributed through the
a high school student or transfer student, or as an campus testing office, counseling center, admission
adult resuming a college career or going to college office, or registrar’s office. If you find an overly
for the first time, you should be familiar with the general policy statement in the college catalog, seek
requirements for admission at the schools you’re clarification from one of these offices.

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program  4

 II. Approaching a College About CLEP 

Review the material in the section of this chapter Transcripts only include CLEP scores for the past
entitled “Questions to Ask About a College’s CLEP 20 years; scores more than 20 years old aren’t
Policy.” Use these guidelines to evaluate the college’s kept on file.
CLEP policy. If you haven’t taken a CLEP exam, this
Your CLEP scores will be evaluated, probably by
evaluation helps you decide which exams to take.
someone in the admission office, and sent to the
Because individual colleges have different CLEP
registrar’s office to be posted on your permanent
policies, reviewing several policies helps you decide
record once you’re enrolled. Procedures vary from
which college to attend.
college to college, but the process usually begins in
Step 4. If you haven’t yet applied for admission, do so the admission office.
as early as possible.
Step 6. Ask to receive a written notice of the credit you
Most colleges expect you to apply for admission several receive for your CLEP score(s).
months before you enroll, and it’s essential that you
A written notice may save you problems later when
meet the published application deadlines. It takes time
you submit your degree plan or file for graduation.
to process your application for admission. If you have
In the event that there’s a question about whether
yet to take a CLEP exam, you can take one or more
or not you earned CLEP credit, you’ll have an official
CLEP exams while you’re waiting for your application
record of what credit was awarded. You may also need
to be processed. Be sure to check the college’s CLEP
this verification of course credit if you meet with an
policy beforehand so that you’re taking exams your
academic adviser before the credit is posted on your
college will accept for credit. You should find out from
permanent record.
the college when to submit your CLEP score(s).
Step 7. Before you register for courses, seek academic
Complete all forms and include all documents
advising.
requested with your application(s) for admission.
Normally, an admission decision can’t be reached until Talking with your academic adviser helps you avoid
all documents have been submitted and evaluated. taking unnecessary courses and lets you know exactly
Unless told to do so, don’t send your CLEP score(s) until what your CLEP credit will mean to you. This discussion
you’ve been officially admitted. may take place at the time you enroll. Most colleges
have orientation sessions for new students prior to
Step 5. Arrange to take CLEP exam(s) or to submit your
each enrollment period. During orientation, students
CLEP score(s).
are assigned academic advisers who give them
CLEP exams can be taken at any of the 2,000 test individual guidance in developing long-range plans and
centers worldwide. To locate a test center near you, visit course schedules for the next semester. In conjunction
clep.collegeboard.org/search/test-centers. with this counseling, you may be asked to take some
additional tests so you can be placed at the proper
If you have already taken a CLEP exam, but didn’t have
course level.
your score sent to your college, you can have an official
transcript sent at any time for a small fee. Prior to
sending a transcript to an institution, please ensure that
you have verified the institution’s CLEP credit-granting
policy. Order your transcript online by logging in to My
Account (clepportal.collegeboard.org/myaccount)
using the same account you used to register.

Please note there are some instances in which CLEP

exam scores cannot be ordered. If you have a score on
hold, took an exam that was DANTES-funded or retook a
CLEP exam within the 3-month waiting period, those exam
scores are considered non-orderable. In addition, CLEP
Transcript Requests are nonrefundable. Once ordered, a
request cannot be canceled, changed or re-routed.

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program  5

 II. Approaching a College About CLEP 

Questions to Ask About requirements, distribution requirements, or liberal

arts requirements. The requirements, are often
a College’s CLEP Policy expressed in terms of credit hours. For example, all
Before taking CLEP exams for the purpose of earning students may be required to take at least six hours
college credit, try to find the answers to these of humanities, six hours of English, three hours of
questions: mathematics, six hours of natural science, and six
1. Which CLEP exams are accepted by the college? hours of social science, with no particular courses
in these disciplines specified. In these instances,
A college may accept some CLEP exams for credit
CLEP credit may be given as “6 hrs. English Credit”
and not others—possibly not the exams you’re
or “3 hrs. Math Credit” without specifying for which
considering. For this reason, it’s important you
English or mathematics courses credit has been
know the specific CLEP exams you can receive
awarded. To avoid possible disappointment, you
credit for.
should know before taking a CLEP exam what
2. Does the college require the optional free-response type of credit you can receive or whether you’ll
(essay) section for exams in composition and be exempted from a required course but receive
literature, as well as the multiple-choice portion of no credit.
the CLEP exam you’re considering? Do you need
4. How much credit is granted for each exam you’re
to pass a departmental test such as an essay,
considering, and does the college place a limit
laboratory, or oral exam in addition to the CLEP
on the total amount of CLEP credit you can earn
multiple-choice exam?
toward your degree?
Knowing the answers to these questions ahead of
Not all colleges that grant CLEP credit award the
time will enable you to schedule the optional free-
same amount for individual exams. Furthermore,
response or departmental exam when you register
some colleges place a limit on the total amount of
to take your CLEP exam.
credit you can earn through CLEP or other exams.
3. Is CLEP credit granted for specific courses at the Other colleges may grant you exemption but
college? If so, which ones? no credit toward your degree. Knowing several
colleges’ policies concerning these issues may
You’re likely to find that credit is granted for specific
help you decide which college to attend. If you think
courses and that the course titles are designated
you’re capable of passing a number of CLEP exams,
in the college’s CLEP policy. It’s not necessary,
you may want to attend a college that allows you to
however, that credit be granted for a specific course
earn credit for all or most of the exams. Find out if
for you to benefit from your CLEP credit. For instance,
your institution grants CLEP policy by visiting
at many liberal arts colleges, all students must
clep.collegeboard.org/school-policy-search.
take certain types of courses. These courses may
be labeled the core curriculum, general education

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program  6

III. Deciding Which Exams to Take
If You’re Taking the Exams 3. Sample Questions
The sample questions included in this guide are
for College Credit or Career
representative of the content and difficulty of the
Advancement . . . exam questions. None of the sample questions
Most people who take CLEP exams want to earn credit appear on any CLEP exam. Use them to get an
for college courses. Others take the exams to qualify for understanding of the content and difficulty level
job promotions, professional certification, or licensing. of the questions on an actual exam. Knowing the
Whatever the reason, it’s vital for most candidates to be correct answers to all of the sample questions isn’t
well prepared so they can advance as fast as possible a substitute for college-level study or a guarantee of
toward their educational or career goals. satisfactory performance on the exam.

Those with limited knowledge in the subjects covered Following the instructions and suggestions in
by the exams they’re considering are advised to enroll Chapter V, answer as many of the sample questions
in the college courses in which that material is taught. for the exam as you can. Check your answers
Although there’s no way to predict whether you’ll pass against the answer key at the end of each section.
a particular CLEP exam, you may find the following
guidelines helpful. ƒ Were you able to answer almost all of the
questions correctly? You may not need to study
1. Test Descriptions the subject extensively.
For each exam, read the test description and the ƒ Did you have difficulty answering the
outline set forth in the “Knowledge and Skills questions? You’ll probably benefit from more
Required” section provided in this guide. Are you extensive study of the subject.
familiar with most of the topics and terminology in
the outline? 4. Previous Study
Have you taken noncredit courses in this subject
2. Textbooks
offered by an adult school or a private school,
Review the textbook and other resource materials through correspondence, or in connection with your
used for the corresponding course at your college. job? Did you do exceptionally well in this subject
You can find a list of suggested textbooks and in high school, or did you take an honors course
free online resources for each exam at in this subject?
clep.collegeboard.org/exams. Are you familiar
with most of the topics and terminology used in 5. Experience
college textbooks on this subject? Have you learned or used the knowledge or skills
included in this exam in your job or life experience?
For example, if you lived in a Spanish-speaking
country and spoke the language for a year or
more, you might consider taking the Spanish
Language exam. Or, if you have worked at a job
in which you used accounting and finance skills,
Financial Accounting would be an exam to consider
taking. Or if you have read a considerable amount
of literature and attended art exhibits, concerts,
and plays, you might expect to do well on the
Humanities exam.

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program 7

 III. Deciding Which Exams to Take 

6. Other Exams
Have you done well on other standardized tests in
subjects related to the one you want to take? For
example, did you score well above average on a
portion of a college entrance exam covering similar
skills, or did you get an exceptionally high score on a
licensing exam in this subject? Although such tests
don’t cover exactly the same material as the CLEP
exams and may be easier, people who do well on
these tests often do well on CLEP exams too.

7. Advice
Has a college counselor, professor, or some other
professional person familiar with your ability advised
you to take a CLEP exam?

If you answered yes to several of the above questions,

you have a good chance of passing the CLEP exam
you’re considering. It’s unlikely you would have acquired
sufficient background from experience alone. Learning
gained through reading and study is essential, and you’ll
likely find additional study helpful before taking a CLEP
exam. Information on how to review for CLEP exams can
be found in Chapter IV and in Chapter VII.

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program 8

IV. Preparing to Take CLEP Exams
Having made the decision to take one or more CLEP You may also choose to contact a college in your
exams, most people then want to know how to prepare area that offers a course with content comparable
for them—how much, how long, when, and how they to that on the CLEP exam you want to take, or read
should go about it. The precise answers to these the suggested resources for each exam on
questions vary greatly from individual to individual. clep.collegeboard.org/exams. If possible, use the
However, most candidates find that some type of test textbook and other materials required for that course
preparation is beneficial. to help you prepare. To get this information, check the
college’s catalog for a list of courses offered. Then
Most people who take CLEP exams do so to show
call the admission office, explain what subject you’re
that they already learned the key material taught in a
interested in, and ask who in that academic department
college course. Many need only a quick review to assure
you can contact for specific information on textbooks
themselves that they haven’t forgotten what they once
and other study resources to use. You might also be
studied, and to fill in the gaps in their knowledge of the
able to find the course syllabus, which will list course
subject. Others feel that they need a thorough review
materials and assignments, on the college’s website. Be
and spend several weeks studying for an exam. Some
sure the college you’re interested in gives credit for the
people take a CLEP exam as a kind of “final exam” for
CLEP exam you’re preparing for.
independent study of a subject. This last group requires
significantly more study than do those who only need Begin by carefully reading the test description and
to review, and they may need some guidance from outline of knowledge and skills required for the exam in
professors of the subjects they’re studying. the exam guide. As you read through the topics listed,
ask yourself how much you know about each one. Also
The key to how you prepare for CLEP exams often lies
note the terms, names, and symbols mentioned, and ask
in locating those skills and areas of prior learning in
yourself whether you’re familiar with them. This will give
which you’re strongest and deciding where to focus
you a quick overview of how much you know about the
your energy. Some people may know a considerable
subject. If you’re familiar with nearly all the material, you’ll
amount about a subject area but may not test well.
likely need a minimum of review. If topics and terms are
These individuals would probably be just as concerned
unfamiliar, you’ll probably require substantial study to do
about strengthening their test-taking skills as they
well on the exam.
would about studying for a specific test. Many mental
and physical skills are required in preparing for a test. If, after reviewing the test description provided in the
It’s important not only to review or study for the exams exam guide, you find that you need extensive review,
but also to make certain that you’re alert, relatively free put off answering the sample questions until you have
of anxiety, and aware of how to approach standardized done some reading in the subject. If you complete
tests. Suggestions about developing test-taking skills them before reviewing the material, you’ll probably
and preparing psychologically and physically for a test look for the answers as you study, and this won’t be a
are given in this chapter. The following section suggests good assessment of your ability at a later date. Don’t
ways of assessing your knowledge of the content of an refer to the sample questions as you prepare for the
exam and then reviewing and studying the material. exam. The sample questions are representative of
the types of questions you’ll find on a CLEP exam, but
none of the questions will actually appear on an exam.
Using the Exam Guides Concentrating on them without broader study of the
The individual exam guides contain the same information subject won’t help you.
you’ll find in the CLEP Official Study Guide. Each If you think you’re familiar with most of the test material,
exam guide includes an outline of the knowledge and try to answer the sample questions, checking your
skills covered by the test, sample questions similar to responses against the answer key. Use the test-taking
those that appear on the exam, and tips to get ready for strategies described in the next chapter.
the exam.

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program  9

 IV. Preparing to Take CLEP Exams 

Assessing Your Readiness for a CLEP Exam

Select CLEP Exam Title

Read Exam Description

and Knowledge
and Skills Required

Don’t
Understand Terms
Understand Terms

Review Study Materials

Try Sample Questions Suggested in the Study
Resources Section of
Each Subject

Most
Sample Questions
Answered Di˜culty Answering
Correctly Sample Questions

Take CLEP Exam

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program 10

 IV. Preparing to Take CLEP Exams 

Suggestions for Studying Most of this material is free. Educational websites,

like those offered by PBS (pbs.org) or the National
The following suggestions have been gathered from
Geographic Society (nationalgeographic.com),
people who have prepared for CLEP exams or other
can help. Find a list of suggested textbooks and
college-level tests.
online resources for each CLEP exam at
1. Review CLEP exam content. clep.collegeboard.org/exams.
Remember, if you want to review exam
Check with your librarian about study aids relevant
content, Chapter VII of this study guide
to the exams you plan to take. These supplementary
contains a complete exam description—
materials may include videos or DVDs made by
including a content outline, a description
education-oriented companies and organizations,
of the knowledge and skills required to do
language tapes, and computer software. And don’t
well, and sample questions. An answer key is
forget that what you do with your leisure time can be
also included. However, the study guide isn’t
very educational, whether it’s surfing current-events
intended to replace a textbook. Additional
websites, watching a PBS series, reading a financial
study may be required.
newsletter, or attending a play.
2. Define your goals and locate study materials.
3. Find a good place to study.
Once you have determined how much preparation
To determine what kind of place you need for
you’ll need to do, you’ll need to define your study
studying, ask yourself the following questions: Do
goals. Set aside a block of time to review the exam
I need a quiet place? Does the telephone distract me?
content provided in this book. Using the guidelines
Do objects I see in this place remind me of things
for knowledge and skills required, locate suitable
I should do? Is it too warm? Is it well lit? Am I too
resource materials. If a preparation course is
comfortable here? Do I have space to spread out my
offered by an adult school or college in your area,
materials? You may find the library more conducive
you might find it helpful to enroll. (You should be
to studying than your home. If you decide to study
aware, however, that such courses aren’t authorized
at home or in your dorm, prevent interruptions by
or sponsored by the College Board. The College
household members by putting a sign on the door of
Board has no responsibility for the content of
your study room to indicate when you’re available.
these courses, nor are they responsible for books
on preparing for CLEP exams published by other 4. Schedule time to study.
organizations.) If you know others who have taken
To help you determine where studying best fits
CLEP exams, ask them how they prepared.
into your schedule, try this exercise: Make a list of
You may want to get a copy of a syllabus for the your daily activities (for example, sleeping, working,
college course that’s comparable to the CLEP eating, attending class, sports, or exercise), and
exam(s) you plan to take. You can also ask the estimate how many hours a day you spend on
appropriate professor at the school you’ll be each activity. Rate activities on your list in order of
attending, or check his or her website, for a reading importance, and evaluate your use of time. Often
list. Use the syllabus, course materials, and/or reading people are astonished at how an average day looks
list as a guide for selecting textbooks and study from this perspective. You may discover that your
materials. You may purchase these or check them out time can be scheduled in alternative ways. For
of your local library. Some websites offer excellent example, you could remove the least important
course materials and lectures. Examples include: activities from your day, and devote that time to
studying or to another important activity.
ƒ MIT OpenCourseWare (ocw.mit.edu)
ƒ Carnegie Mellon’s Open Learning Initiative
(cmu.edu/oli/)
ƒ National Repository of Online Courses
(thenrocproject.org)

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program  11

 IV. Preparing to Take CLEP Exams 

5. Establish a study routine and a set of goals. solving is involved, work enough problems to
To study effectively, establish specific goals and a master the required methods and concepts. If
schedule for accomplishing them. Some people find you have difficulty with problems, review any
it helpful to write out a weekly schedule and cross sample problems or explanations in the chapter.
out each study period when it’s completed. Others e. To retain knowledge, most people have to
maintain concentration by writing down the time review the material periodically. If you’re
when they expect to complete a study task. Most preparing for an exam over an extended period
people find short periods of intense study more of time, review key concepts and notes each
productive than long stretches of time. For example, week or so. Don’t wait weeks to review the
they may follow a regular schedule of several 20- or material or you’ll need to relearn much of it.
30-minute study periods with short breaks between
them. Some people allow themselves rewards as
they complete each study goal. It doesn’t matter Test Preparation Tips
whether you accomplish every goal on schedule. 1. Familiarize yourself as much as possible with the
The point is to be committed to your task. test and the test situation before the day of the
exam. It helps to know ahead of time:
6. Learn how to take an active role in studying.
a. how much time is allowed for the test and
If you haven’t done much studying lately, you may find whether there are timed subsections. (See
it difficult to concentrate. Try a method of studying, Chapter VII.)
such as the one outlined below, that gets you to
b. what types of questions and directions appear
concentrate on and remember what you read.
on the exam. (See Chapter VII.)
a. First, read the chapter summary and the c. how your test score is computed.
introduction so you’ll know what to look for d. in which building and room the exam is
in your reading. administered.
b. Next, convert the section or paragraph e. the time of the test administration.
headlines into questions. For example, if you’re
f. directions, transportation, and parking
reading a section entitled “The Causes of the
information for the test center.
American Revolution,” ask yourself, “What
were the causes of the American Revolution?” 2. Register and pay your exam fee through My Account
Compose the answer as you read the at clepportal.collegeboard.org/myaccount and print
paragraph. Reading and answering questions your registration ticket. Contact your preferred test
aloud let you grasp and retain the material. center to schedule your appointment to test. Your test
center may require an additional administration fee.
c. Take notes on key ideas or concepts as you
Check with your test center to confirm the amount
read. Writing fixes concepts more firmly in your
required and acceptable method of payment.
mind. Underlining key ideas or writing notes in
your book may work for you and is useful for
review. Underline only important points. If you
underline more than a third of each paragraph,
you’re underlining too much.
d. If there are questions or problems at the end
of a chapter, answer or solve them on paper
as if you were asked to do them for homework.
Mathematics textbooks (and some other books)
sometimes include answers to exercises. If you
have such a book, write your answers before
looking at the ones given. When problem

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program  12

 IV. Preparing to Take CLEP Exams 

3. On the day of the exam, remember to do the – two number 2 pencils with good erasers.
following: Mechanical pencils are prohibited in the
a. Arrive early enough so you can find a parking testing room.
place, locate the test center, and get settled c. Don’t bring a cell phone or other electronic
comfortably before testing begins. devices into the testing room.
b. Bring the following with you: d. Leave all books, papers, and notes outside the
– completed registration ticket. test center. You aren’t permitted to use your
own scratch paper. It’s provided by the test
– any registration forms or printouts required by
center.
the test center. Make sure you have filled out
all necessary paperwork before your testing e. Don’t take a calculator to the exam. If a
date. calculator is required, it will be built into the
testing software and available to you on the
– a form of valid and acceptable identification.
computer. The CLEP website has a link to a
Acceptable identification must:
demonstration on how to use online calculators.
∙ Be government-issued.
4. When you enter the test room:
∙ Be an original document—photocopied
a. You’ll be assigned to a computer testing
documents aren’t acceptable.
station. If you have special needs, be sure
∙ Be valid and current—expired to communicate them to the test center
documents (bearing expiration dates administrator before your test date.
that have passed) aren’t acceptable, no
b. Be relaxed while taking the exam. Read directions
matter how recently they expired.
carefully, and listen to instructions given by the
∙ Bear the test taker’s full name, in test administrator. If you don’t understand the
English language characters, exactly as directions, ask for help before the test begins. If
it appears on the Registration Ticket, you must ask a question not related to the exam
including the order of the names. after testing has begun, raise your hand, and a
∙ Include middle initials only if preferred proctor will assist you. The proctor can’t answer
to be included by test taker. They’re questions related to the exam.
optional and only need to match the first c. Know your rights as a test taker. You can expect
letter of the middle name when present to be given the full working time allowed for
on both the ticket and the identification. taking the exam and a reasonably quiet and
∙ Bear a recent recognizable photograph comfortable place in which to work. If a poor
that clearly matches the test taker. testing situation prevents you from doing your
∙ Include the test taker’s signature. best, ask whether the situation can be remedied.
If it can’t, ask the test administrator to report
∙ Be in good condition, with clearly legible
the problem on a Center Problem Report that
text and a clearly visible photograph.
will be submitted with your test results. You may
Refer to the Exam Day Info page on the
also wish to immediately write a letter to CLEP,
CLEP website (clep.collegeboard.org/
P.O. Box 6656, Princeton, NJ 08541-6656.
earn-college-credit/taking-the-test)
Describe the exact circumstances as completely
for more details on acceptable and
as you can. Be sure to include the name of the
unacceptable forms of identification.
test center, the test date, and the name(s) of the
exam(s) you took.
– military test takers, bring your Geneva
Convention Identification Card. Refer to
clep.collegeboard.org/military for additional
information on IDs for active duty members,
spouses, and civil service civilian employees.

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program  13

 IV. Preparing to Take CLEP Exams 

Accommodations for Students

with Disabilities
If you have a disability, such as a learning or physical
disability, that would prevent you from taking a CLEP
exam under standard conditions, you may request
accommodations at your preferred test center. Contact
your preferred test center well in advance of the test
date to make the necessary arrangements and to find
out its deadline for submission of documentation and
approval of accommodations. Each test center sets its
own guidelines in terms of deadlines for submission of
documentation and approval of accommodations.

Accommodations that can be arranged directly with

test centers include:

ƒ ZoomText (screen magnification)

ƒ Modifiable screen colors
ƒ Use of a human reader, a scribe/writer, or sign
language interpreter
ƒ Extended time
ƒ Untimed rest breaks
If the above accommodations don’t meet your needs,
contact CLEP Services at clep@info.collegeboard.org
for information about other accommodations.

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program 14

V. Taking the Exams
Test-taking skills enable a person to use all available 6. Watch for the following key words in test questions:
information to earn a score that truly reflects their all may only
ability. There are different strategies for approaching always must perhaps
different kinds of exam questions. For example, free- but necessary rarely
response and multiple-choice questions require very except never seldom
different approaches. Other factors, such as how the every none sometimes
exam will be scored, may influence your approach to generally not usually
the exam and your use of test time. Consequently, your however often
preparation for an exam should include finding out
When a question or answer option contains words
all you can about the exam so you can use the most
such as ’’always,’’ ’’every,’’ ’’only,’’ ’’never,’’ and
effective test-taking strategies.
“none,” there can be no exceptions to the answer
you choose. Use of words such as ’’often,’’ “rarely,”
’’sometimes,’’ and ’’generally’’ indicates that there
Test-Taking Strategies for may be some exceptions to the answer.
Multiple-Choice Questions 7. Make educated guesses. There’s no penalty for
1. Listen carefully to any instructions given by the test incorrect answers. Therefore, guess even if you
administrator, and read the on-screen instructions don’t know an answer. If you have some knowledge
before you begin to answer the questions. of the question and can eliminate one or more of the
2. Keep an eye on the clock and the timing that’s answer choices as wrong, your chance of getting
built into the testing software. You have the option the right answer improves.
of turning the clock on or off at any time. As you 8. Don’t waste your time looking for clues to right
proceed, make sure that you’re not working too answers based on flaws in question wording or
slowly. You should have answered at least half the patterns in correct answers. CLEP puts a great
questions in a section when half the time for that deal of effort into developing valid, reliable, and fair
section has passed. exams. CLEP test development committees are
3. Before answering a question, read the entire composed of college faculty who are experts in the
question, including all the answer choices. subjects covered by the exams and are appointed
Instructions usually tell you to select the by the College Board to write test questions and
“best’’ answer. Sometimes one answer choice is to scrutinize each question on a CLEP exam. They
partially correct, but another option is better. It’s a ensure that questions aren’t ambiguous, have only
good idea to read all the answers even if the first or one correct answer, and cover college-level topics.
second choice looks correct to you. These committees don’t intentionally include ’’trick’’
4. Read and consider every question. Questions that questions. If you think a question is flawed, ask the
look complicated at first glance may not actually be test administrator to report it, or write immediately
so difficult once you have read them carefully. to CLEP Test Development, P.O. Box 6600, Princeton,
NJ 08541-6600. Include the name of the exam and
5. Don’t spend too much time on any one question. If
test center, the exam date, and the number of the
you don’t know the answer after you’ve considered
exam question. All such inquiries are investigated by
it briefly, go on to the next question. Mark that
test development professionals.
question using the mark tool at the bottom of the
screen, and go back to review the question later
if you have time.

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program  15

 V.  Taking the Exams 

Answering Essay Questions Test-Taking Strategies for

The College Composition exam is the only CLEP exam Essay Writing
that includes two mandatory essays. Both the multiple- 1. Before you begin to respond, read the questions
choice section and the essay section of the exam are carefully, and take a few minutes to jot down some
administered on the computer. You’re required to type ideas or create an outline. Scratch paper is provided
your essays using a format similar to word processing. at the test center.
The essays for the College Composition exam are 2. If you’re given a choice of questions to answer,
scored by English professors from various colleges and choose the questions that you think you can answer
universities who are trained by CLEP. A process called most clearly and knowledgeably.
holistic scoring is used to rate your writing abilities. 3. Determine the order in which you’ll answer the
This process is explained in the exam guide for College questions. First, answer those you find the easiest
Composition, which also includes scored sample so you can spend any extra time on the questions
essays and essay questions. you find more difficult.
Four other CLEP exams have optional essays. Some 4. When you know which questions you’ll answer and
colleges or universities may require you to take one in what order, determine how much testing time
of these optional essays as part of the American remains, and estimate how many minutes you’ll
Literature, Analyzing and Interpreting Literature, English devote to each question. Unless suggested times
Literature, or College Composition Modular exam. are given for the questions, try to allot an equal
There’s an additional fee for each of the optional amount of time for each question.
essays, payable to the institution that administers the 5. Before answering each question, read it again
exam. These essays are scored by the faculty of the carefully to make sure you’re interpreting it correctly.
institution that grants the credit. Therefore, you may Pay attention to key words, such as those listed
find it helpful to talk with someone at your college to below, that appear in free-response questions. Be
find out what criteria are used to determine whether sure you know the exact meaning of these words
you’ll get credit. Ask how much emphasis is placed before taking the exam.
on your writing ability and your ability to organize
analyze describe interpret
your thoughts, as opposed to your knowledge of the
apply determine justify
subject matter. Find out how much weight is given to
assess discuss list
your multiple-choice test score, compared to your
compare distinguish outline
free-response score, in determining whether you’ll get
contrast enumerate prove
credit. This gives you an idea of what to work hardest
define explain rank
on in preparing for and taking the exam.
demonstrate generalize show
derive illustrate summarize

If a question asks you to ’’outline,’’ ’’define,’’ or

’’summarize,’’ don’t write a detailed explanation; if a
question asks you to ’’analyze,” ’’explain,’’ “illustrate,’’
’’interpret,’’ or ’’show,’’ you must do more than briefly
describe the topic.

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program 16

VI. Interpreting Your Scores
CLEP score requirements for awarding credit vary from How CLEP Scores Are Computed
institution to institution. The College Board, however,
In order to reach a total score on your exam, two
recommends that colleges refer to the standards set
calculations are performed.
by the American Council on Education (ACE). All ACE
recommendations are the result of careful and periodic 1. Your “raw score” is the number of questions you
review by evaluation teams made up of faculty who are answered correctly. Your raw score increases by one
subject-matter experts and technical experts in testing point for each question answered correctly.
and measurement. To determine whether you’re eligible 2. Your raw score is then converted to a scaled score
for credit for your CLEP scores, refer to the policy of the that ranges from 20 to 80, and this is the score that
college you’ll be attending. The policy states the score appears on your score report. The American Council
that’s required to earn credit at that institution. Many on Education (ACE) recommends that colleges grant
colleges award credit at the score levels recommended credit for a score of 50 or higher, but individual
by ACE. However, some require scores higher or lower institutions can set their own CLEP credit policies.
than these.

Your exam score is printed for you at the test center

immediately upon completion of the exam, unless you
How Essays Are Scored
took College Composition. For this exam, you’ll receive The College Board arranges for college English
your score online one to two weeks after the exam date. professors to score the essays written for the
You can also view your scores for other exams online College Composition exam. These carefully selected
one business day after taking the test by logging into college faculty members teach at two- and four-year
My Account (clepportal.collegeboard.org/myaccount). institutions nationwide. The faculty members receive
Your scores are kept on file for 20 years. Your CLEP extensive training and thoroughly review the College
exam scores are reported only to you, unless you ask to Board scoring policies and procedures before grading
have them sent elsewhere. If you want your scores sent the essays. Each essay is read and scored by two
to a college, employer, or certifying agency, you must professors, the sum of the two scores for each essay
select this option through My Account. This service is is combined with the multiple-choice score, and the
free only if you select your score recipient when you result is reported as a scaled score between 20 and 80.
register. For a fee, you can request a transcript at a Although the format of the two sections is very different,
later date. Order official transcripts by logging in to My both measure skills required for expository writing.
Account (clepportal.collegeboard.org/myaccount). Knowledge of formal grammar, sentence structure, and
organizational skills is necessary for the multiple-choice
The pamphlet, What Your CLEP Score Means, gives section, but the emphasis in the free-response section
detailed information about interpreting your scores and is on writing skills rather than grammar.
is available at clep.collegeboard.org. A copy of the
pamphlet is also in the appendix of this guide. A brief Optional essays for CLEP Composition Modular and
explanation appears below. the literature exams are evaluated and scored by the
colleges that require them, rather than by the College
Board. If you take an optional essay, it’s sent to the
institution you designate when you take the test. If you
didn’t designate a score recipient institution when you
took an optional essay, you may still select one as long
as you notify CLEP within 18 months of taking the exam.
Copies of essays aren’t held beyond 18 months or after
they have been sent to an institution.

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program  17

Principles of Management
VII. Principles of Management
Description of the Exam 15%–25% Organization and Human Resources
The Principles of Management exam covers Personnel administration
material that’s usually taught in an introductory Human relations and motivation
course in the essentials of management and Training and development
organization. The fact that such courses are offered Performance appraisal
by different types oÿnstitutions and in a number Organizational development
of ÿelds other than business has been taken into
account in the preparation of this exam. It requires Legal concerns
a knowledge of human resources and operational Workforce diversity
and functional aspects of management. Recruiting and selecting
The exam contains approximately 100 questions Compensation and beneÿts
to be answered in 90 minutes. Some of these Collective bargaining
are pretest questions that won’t be scored.
10%–20% Operational Aspects of Management
Knowledge and Skills Required Operations planning and control
Work scheduling
Questions on the Principles of Management
exam require candidates to demonstrate one Quality management (e.g., TQM)
or more of the following abilities in the approximate Information processing and management
proportions indicated. Strategic planning and analysis
• Speciÿc factual knowledge, recall, and general Productivity
understanding of purposes, functions and
techniques of management (about 10% of 45%–55% Functional Aspects of Management
the exam) Planning
• Understanding of and ability to associate the Organizing
meaning of speciÿc terminology with important Leading
management ideas, processes, techniques, Controlling
concepts, and elements (about 40% of
Authority
the exam)
Decision making
• Understanding of theory and signiÿcant
underlying assumptions, concepts, and Organization charts
limitations of management data, including a Leadership
comprehension of the rationale of procedures, Organizational structure
methods, and analyses (about 40% of the Budgeting
exam) Problem solving
• Application of knowledge, general concepts, Group dynamics and team functions
and principles to speciÿc problems (about
10% of the exam) Con°ict resolution
Communication
The subject matter of the Principles of Management
Change
exam is drawn from the following topics. The
percentages next to the main topics indicate the Organizational theory
approximate percentage of exam questions on that Historical aspects
topic.

clep.collegeboard.org 2019 College-Level Examination Program 613

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program 18

 VII.  Principles of Management 
Principles of Management

10%–20% International Management and 3. Which of the following is a correct statement

Contemporary Issues about controlling as a management function?
Value dimensions
(A) It can be performed independently of
Regional economic integration planning.
Trading alliances
(B) It is performed only by the controller of
Global environment an organization.
Social responsibilities of business (C) It is more prevalent in business than
Ethics in government.
Systems (D) It assumes a certain approach to
Environment motivating employees.
Government regulation (E) It must be closely related to planning in
Management theories and theorists order to work efÿciently.
E-business
Creativity and innovation 4. Decentralization tends to be encouraged by
which of the following business trends?
Sample Test Questions
The following sample questions don’t appear on an I. Product diversiÿcation
actual CLEP exam. They’re intended to give II. Telecommuting
potential test takers an indication of the format and III. Geographical expansion of operations
difÿculty level of the exam and to provide content
for practice and review. Knowing the correct (A) I only
answers to all of the sample questions isn’t a
(B) II only
guarantee of satisfactory performance on the exam.
(C) III only
Directions: Each of the questions or incomplete
statements below is followed by ÿve suggested (D) I and III only
answers or completions. Select the one that’s best (E) I, II, and III
in each case.
5. Which of the following can be best determined
1. Which of the following words is NOT a step in by consulting an organization chart?
the management process?
(A) The size of the company
(A) Planning (B) The distribution of company resources
(B) Leading (C) The nature of work performed
(C) Producing (D) The connections of positions
(D) Controlling (E) The quality of management of the ÿrm
(E) Organizing
6. The number of subordinates who directly report
2. A homebuilder dominates a market by offering to a superior refers to the manager’s
attractive options, higher quality, and
value-added services. Which of the following (A) span of control
competitive strategies has the homebuilder (B) organizational role
adopted?
(C) organizational structure
(A) Cost leadership (D) chain of command
(B) Differentiation (E) general staff
(C) Price leadership
(D) Generic
(E) Design focus

614 2019 College-Level Examination Program clep.collegeboard.org

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program 19
 P R I N C I P L E S
7. Which of the following best illustrates informal
organization?
(A) Line authority, such as that of the field
marshal and battalion commander in
the military
(B) Staff authority, such as that of personnel
or cost control in manufacturing
(C) Functional authority, such as corporate
supervision of the legal aspect of pension
plans in branch plants
(D) Groupings based on position titles
(E) Groupings based on such factors as technical
ability, seniority, and personal influence
8. The choice of organizational structure to be
used in a business should be
(A) made by mutual agreement among all the
people affected
(B) made by organization specialists rather
than managers
(C) subject to definite and fixed rules
(D) based on the objectives of each individual
business
(E) based on consideration of the type of
organizational structures used by
competitors
9. Which of the following best describes a system
that requires subassemblies and components to
be manufactured in small lots and delivered as
needed to the next stage of production?
(A) Just in time (JIT)
(B) Small batch inventory (SBI)
(C) Inventory readiness (IR)
(D) Inventory preparedness
(E) Integrated preparedness (IP)
clep.collegeboard.org
O F M A N A G E VII.
M  Principles
E N Tof Management 
10. Frederick Taylor is considered a pioneer in the
school of management referred to as the
(A) management process school
(B) empirical school
(C) scientific management school
(D) behaviorist school
(E) social system school
11. Preparation of which of the following is the
most logical first step in developing an annual
operating plan?
(A) A sales forecast by product
(B) A production schedule by product
(C) A flow-of-funds statement by product
(D) A plant and equipment requirement forecast
(E) A pro forma income statement and
balance sheet
12. A large span of control throughout an
organization invariably results in
(A) low morale
(B) high morale
(C) an excess workload for each manager
(D) a flat (horizontal) organizational structure
(E) a tall (vertical) organizational structure
13. Which of the following is a conflict-resolution
practice that seeks to satisfy both parties in a
conflict?
(A) Avoidance
(B) Stipulation
(C) Competition
(D) Collaboration
(E) Appeal to authority
611
College-Level Examination Program 20
 P R I N C I P L E S O F M A N A G E VII.
M  Principles
E N Tof Management 

14. Which of the following is most commonly used 18. A type of control device for assessing the
to measure the total productivity of a company? progress of planned activities and the
expenditure of resources allocated to their
(A) The ratio between total outputs and total accomplishments is referred to as
inputs
(B) The ratio between fixed costs and variable (A) a strategic plan
costs (B) an organizational chart
(C) The ratio between contribution margin and (C) a tactical plan
total revenue (D) a budget
(D) The ratio between the break-even point and (E) a proposal
total output
(E) The ratio between total inputs and total
capital 19. Beatrice is a full-time employee who is
permitted to arrange her schedule so that she
works only four days a week and does not travel
15. The practice in large companies of establishing during rush hour. This is an example of
autonomous divisions whose heads are entirely Beatrice’s employer
responsible for what happens in the division is
referred to as (A) applying the Civil Rights Act, Title VII
(B) scheduling flextime
(A) management by exception
(C) engaging in sexual discrimination
(B) decentralization of authority
(D) encouraging low productivity
(C) delegation of authority
(E) enhancing compensation
(D) integration
(E) informal organization
20. According to Maslow, the need to feel genuinely
respected by peers, both in and out of the work
16. Which of the following control techniques is environment, is included in which of the
most likely to emphasize the importance of following need classifications?
time?
(A) Physiological
(A) Break-even charts (B) Safety
(B) Physical standards (C) Stability
(C) Quality circles (D) Esteem
(D) Variable budgeting (E) Self-actualization
(E) Program Evaluation and Review Technique
(PERT)
21. Which of the following management activities
is most typically described as a controlling
17. In a labor negotiation, if a third party has the function?
power to determine a solution to a labor dispute
between two parties, the negotiation is known as (A) Goal setting
(B) Purchasing
(A) a grievance
(C) Budgetary review
(B) an arbitration
(D) Staffing
(C) a conciliation
(E) Recruiting
(D) a mediation
(E) a concession

612

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program 21

 P R I N C I P L E S O F M A N A G E VII.
M  Principles
E N Tof Management 

22. Which of the following personality traits best 26. Which of the following best describes a team
describes individuals who can adapt and adjust that brings together organizational members
their behavior to external factors? from various areas such as marketing,
engineering, human resources, and production
(A) Low self-esteem to work on a task?
(B) External locus of control
(A) Command
(C) High self-monitoring
(B) Self-managed
(D) Low authoritarianism
(C) Cross-functional
(E) High authoritarianism
(D) Restrictive
(E) Informal
23. A person who believes that the ends justify the
means is best described as
27. Which of the following is NOT an input,
(A) self-confident according to equity theory?
(B) Machiavellian
(A) Effort
(C) authoritarian
(B) Experience
(D) having cognitive dissonance
(C) Education
(E) having an internal locus of control
(D) Seniority
(E) Pay incentives
24. In which of the following situations are groups
most effective?
28. Which of the following terms best describes
(A) Cohesive groups with groupthink leaders who guide or motivate their followers in
(B) Noncohesive groups without groupthink the direction of established goals by stressing
(C) Cohesive groups in alignment with rewards and the consequences of not conforming
organizational goals to expectations?
(D) Noncohesive groups in alignment with (A) Transactional
organizational goals
(B) Transformational
(E) Cohesive groups not in alignment with
(C) Charismatic
organizational goals
(D) People-oriented
(E) Informal
25. If a manager commits a halo error in
performance appraisal, the manager may have
done which of the following? 29. Which of the following is the primary purpose of
the management-by-objectives (MBO)
(A) Based assessment on most recent approach?
performance rather than an entire period.
(B) Based assessment on an entire period (A) Aligning goal setting and planning
performance rather than most recent. (B) Creating a dynamic and complex work
(C) Based assessment on a single attribute of environment
employees’ performance. (C) Reducing employee resistance to change
(D) Given every employee the same rating of (D) Implementing standard operating procedures
“average.” (E) Implementing a decision rule to respond to a
(E) Failed to give feedback to employees about designated problem
their performance.

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 P R I N C I P L E S O F M A N A G E VII.
M  Principles
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30. Which of the following is best defined as a 34. Which of the following describes the critical
process that involves defining organizational path in a Program Evaluation and Review
objectives and goals, establishing an overall Technique (PERT) process?
strategy, and developing a hierarchy of plans
to integrate activities? (A) Parts that require the most costly materials
(B) The most time-consuming sequence of
(A) Manipulating events and activities
(B) Leading (C) The shortest route to the project completion
(C) Planning (D) The central guideline for quality control
(D) Managing by objectives (E) The property insurance
(E) Controlling
35. Which of the following oversees the
31. Which of the following terms best describes transformation process that converts inputs
a corporation’s sexual harassment policy? such as labor and raw materials into outputs
such as goods and services?
(A) A single-use plan
(B) A standing plan (A) Operation management
(C) A strategic plan (B) Control management
(D) A short-term plan (C) Strategic management
(E) A specific plan (D) Human resource management
(E) Project management
32. The preparations that a small town might make
for a visit by the President of the United States 36. An employee manual is given by a supervisor to
would be considered what type of plan? employees reporting to that supervisor. The
manual outlines attendance policies. This is an
(A) Strategic example of which of the following methods of
(B) Directional developing norms in groups?
(C) Standing
(A) First behavior precedents
(D) Long-term
(B) Secondary behavior
(E) Single-use
(C) Explicit statements from an authority figure
(D) Critical events in the team’s history
33. Which of the following best describes a type (E) Carryover from other experiences
of planning in which multiple scenarios are
developed to test possible future outcomes?
37. The behavior of young athletes when they imitate
(A) Queuing theory the way they see professional athletes celebrate
(B) Simulations on television is most likely explained as
(C) Linear regression
(A) classical conditioning
(D) Marginal profits
(B) operant conditioning
(E) Project management
(C) cognitive learning
(D) social learning
(E) behavior modification

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 P R I N C I P L E S O F M A N A G E VII.
M  Principles
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38. Which of the following best describes the 42. If George blames new software for his group’s
situation in which an employee arrives for poor performance in the most recent quarter, but
work on time in order to avoid being placed attributes the group’s success in the prior quarter
on probation for a second time? to his outstanding managerial skills, he is most
likely exhibiting
(A) Positive reinforcement
(B) Negative reinforcement (A) projection
(C) Extinction (B) selective perception
(D) Intermittent reinforcement (C) fundamental attribution error
(E) Cognitive learning (D) self-serving bias
(E) Pygmalion effect
39. Which of the following are most likely to cause
a team to avoid groupthink? 43. Praise received from an employee’s peers is best
described as an example of
I. The team holds a second-chance meeting.
(A) an extrinsic reward
II. Outside experts are invited to observe and
react to the group process. (B) an intrinsic reward
III. The team leader expresses an opinion at the (C) low valence
outset of the meeting to save time. (D) high instrumentality
(E) high directive leadership
(A) I only
(B) I and II only
(C) I and III only 44. Which of the following procedures is (are)
appropriate when disciplining an employee?
(D) II and III only
(E) I, II, and III I. Advising the employee of what he or she
has done wrong.
40. If a manager announces a casual-dress policy on II. Advising the employee of what he or she
Fridays and then comes to work dressed casually does well.
on the following Friday, this is an example of III. Disciplining the employee in private.
(A) planning (A) I only
(B) organizing (B) II only
(C) leading (C) I and II only
(D) controlling (D) II and III only
(E) negative reinforcement (E) I, II, and III

41. Which of the following models classifies 45. When a company adopts telecommuting, which
products as stars, question marks, cash cows, core job characteristic is likely to be influenced
or dogs? the most?
(A) Porter’s five forces model (A) Skill variety
(B) Theory X (B) Task identity
(C) The Boston Consulting Group Matrix (C) Task significance
(D) Theory Y (D) Autonomy
(E) Kanban (E) Job feedback

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 P R I N C I P L E S O F M A N A G E VII.
M  Principles
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46. If jobs are designed so that each worker 50. In their classic study of the bases of social
assembles a different part of a product on power, John R. P. French and Bertram Raven
an automated assembly line, the job design explicitly identified all of the following sources
is most likely to EXCEPT
(A) provide high levels of intrinsic rewards (A) referent
(B) be highly challenging (B) expert
(C) make it easy to train workers (C) coercive
(D) be highly satisfying (D) information
(E) demand creativity from the workers (E) reward

47. If individual contributions in a group project 51. If an investor buys a stock based on the
are not evaluated, which of the following is recommendation of a broker because the
likely to occur? broker’s previous recommendations have
been profitable, the broker possesses which
(A) Synergy type of power?
(B) Task significance
(A) Referent
(C) Social loafing
(B) Legitimate
(D) The Leavitt effect
(C) Informal authority
(E) Vertical loading
(D) Charismatic
(E) Expert
48. Determining whether membership of a group
should be heterogeneous or homogeneous
should be most influenced by which of the 52. Which of the following styles of leadership is
following factors? most likely to be effective with workers who
have experience and are professionally oriented?
(A) The group size
(B) Status congruence (A) Supportive
(C) The organizational setting (B) Task-oriented
(D) The goals, rewards, and resources (C) Achievement-oriented
(E) The nature of the task (D) Mentoring
(E) Authoritarian
49. Which of the following describes the most
favorable situation for a leader of a group? 53. “You are always late to meetings
and this will have to change!”
(A) The group has high group cohesiveness and
positive group performance norms Which of the following best describes the
(B) The group has high group cohesiveness and comment above by a manager to an employee?
negative group performance norms
(A) Proxemics
(C) The group has low group cohesiveness and
positive group performance norms (B) Constructive feedback
(D) The group has low group cohesiveness and (C) A general overspecific comment
negative group performance norms (D) A specific overgeneral comment
(E) The group has both moderate cohesiveness (E) Nonverbal communication
and moderate performance norms

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 P R I N C I P L E S
54. The power base that relies on the use of
knowledge to persuade is best described as
(A) rewards
(B) expert
(C) referent
(D) coercive
(E) legitimate
55. Which of the following is the most accurate
description of a grapevine in an organization?
(A) It is a constant source of disruptive
information.
(B) It follows the chain of command.
(C) It can be suppressed once it is recognized.
(D) It plays an important role in organizations.
(E) Most managers believe that it is a positive
source of information.
56. Which of the following business situations is
most appropriate for telecommuting?
(A) Workers thrive on competition.
(B) Decisions and actions are predetermined.
(C) Decisions rely on negotiation and social
interaction.
(D) There is an oversupply of workers.
(E) Individual productivity is of primary
importance.
57. Empowerment opportunities are LEAST likely
to be found in which of the following?
(A) Participative goal setting
(B) Serving as a messenger
(C) Delegation of work
(D) Self-managed teams
(E) Freedom to experiment
clep.collegeboard.org
O F M A N A G E VII.
M  Principles
E N Tof Management 
58. Which of the following pairs of functions of
management are most closely interdependent?
(A) Staffing and organizing
(B) Staffing and controlling
(C) Planning and leading
(D) Planning and controlling
(E) Disciplining and recruiting
59. Which of the following is the primary concern
of employees responsible for strategic planning
in a company?
(A) Monitoring daily cash flow
(B) Determining the contribution each subunit
should make to the overall corporation
(C) Determining how to accomplish specific
tasks with available resources
(D) Determining how to pursue long-term goals
with available resources
(E) Preparing the annual statement
60. Which of the following is most likely to result
from the use of flowcharts in planning?
(A) A guarantee that work will progress
according to schedule
(B) A visual sequencing of activities
(C) A chart useful for comparing cash flow
during two different quarters
(D) A scheduling process
(E) A combined sequencing and scheduling plan
61. Which of the following is a deterrent to
“escalation of commitment”?
(A) A desire to justify earlier decisions
(B) Organizational politics
(C) An efficiency “reality check”
(D) The Abilene paradox
(E) A cultural emphasis on persistence
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 P R I N C I P L E S O F M A N A G E VII.
M  Principles
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62. Which of the following is most likely to be 66. The span of control most appropriate in a given
a major advantage of group-aided decision organization is primarily influenced by which of
making? the following?

(A) Social pressure can drive the decision.
(B) Goal displacement and hidden agendas
can occur.
(C) Groupthink may occur.
(D) The likelihood that the decision will be
accepted increases.
(E) It frequently saves both time and money.
(A) Types of services or products being
produced
(B) Amount of supervision needed by
subordinates
(C) Amount of authority given to a supervisor
(D) Number of hierarchical levels within the
organization
(E) Presence of work teams

63. Which of the following basic leadership styles

67. The extensive use of work teams in an
most closely matches the “high structure, low
organization is most likely to occur under
consideration” of the Ohio State leadership
which of the following circumstances?
studies?
(A) Control is centralized by top management.
(A) Country club
(B) The management style is primarily
(B) Team autocratic.
(C) Selling (C) Employees are unmotivated.
(D) Relationship motivated (D) Supervisors have a narrow span of control.
(E) Telling (E) Employee involvement is a management
goal.
64. According to Fiedler’s contingency studies, for
organizations that were considered “moderately 68. Which of the following quality tools utilizes a
favorable” in terms of leaders’ authority, task visual depiction of a process to help identify
definition, and leader-member relationships, problem areas?
which of the following is the most effective style
for the leader to have? (A) Vector diagram
(B) Histogram
(A) Country club (C) Scatter diagram
(B) Team (D) Cause-and-effect diagram
(C) Selling (E) Pareto chart
(D) Relationship motivated
(E) Telling 69. Outsourcing allows an organization to have
which of the following?
65. Large organizations are likely to structure their (A) Higher employee motivation
work operations and personnel in any of the
following ways EXCEPT (B) Improved labor-management relations
(C) Lower accident rates
(A) accounting (D) Greater flexibility in staffing
(B) divisional (E) Increased control over employees
(C) geographic
(D) market
(E) product

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 P R I N C I P L E S
70. Requiring a prospective employee to
demonstrate the ability to do a specific task
during the screening process is defined by
which type of test?
(A) Achievement
(B) Aptitude
(C) Assessment
(D) Work sampling
(E) Spatial
71. Intrinsic rewards can be classified as rewards
that do which of the following?
(A) Allow the employee to establish flexible
working hours.
(B) Provide a sense of achievement and
accomplishment.
(C) Create work coordination among all
employees.
(D) Improve communication effectiveness.
(E) Allow greater span of control.
72. The best tangible measurement of leadership
effectiveness is which of the following?
(A) Financial success
(B) Turnover ratios
(C) Training and development rates
(D) Employee job performance
(E) Employee morale
73. The use of transactional leadership is based on
the concept of which of the following?
(A) Using rewards and coercive power
(B) Stressing intrinsic motivators
(C) Creating team-based goal setting
(D) Using peer-based performance evaluations
(E) Implementing employee involvement plans
clep.collegeboard.org
O F M A N A G E VII.
M  Principles
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74. Group or team cohesiveness is usually
influenced by which of the following?
(A) Employee incentive systems
(B) Goal-setting processes
(C) Identification with the group by its members
(D) Size of the organization
(E) Type of organizational structure
75. Resolving conflict through collaboration
requires that parties do which of the following?
(A) Work cooperatively
(B) Have a third party intervene
(C) Involve a supervisor in the process
(D) Establish predetermined outcomes
(E) Prepare written plans
76. Coaching as a leadership technique is most
likely to work when which of the following
exists?
(A) Employees are well trained.
(B) Job descriptions are valid.
(C) Performance-development needs are known.
(D) A performance appraisal process is used.
(E) Training programs are offered.
77. All of the following criteria are commonly used
to evaluate decision-making alternatives
EXCEPT
(A) ethicality
(B) economic feasibility
(C) legality
(D) practicality
(E) popularity
78. All of the following are considered steps in the
planning process EXCEPT
(A) determining the organization’s mission
(B) establishing goals and objectives
(C) formulating strategies
(D) implementing strategies
(E) measuring performance
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 P R I N C I P L E S
79. Job enrichment can be an effective tool to
achieve which of the following?
(A) Better communication
(B) Increased job responsibility
(C) Improved work relations
(D) Teamwork
(E) Shared decision making
80. Social Security, unemployment benefits, and
workers’ compensation are benefits required by
law. If a company has 120 employees, what
other benefit does federal law require a company
to provide?
(A) Health insurance only
(B) Paid vacations only
(C) Family and medical leave
(D) Both health insurance and paid vacations
(E) Flextime
81. Which of the following best describes
managerial ethics?
(A) It is the social obligation that the individual
manager has to fulfill.
(B) It is a statement of the social responsibility
of the organization.
(C) It is the standard of conduct that guides a
person’s decisions and behavior.
(D) It is the mission statement of the
organization.
(E) It is a behavior that conforms to legal
principles of justice.
82. A manager decides to lay off 10 percent of the
workforce and justifies the action by noting that
90 percent still have jobs and the company will
remain solvent. This manager has utilized which
of the following views of ethics?
(A) Rights view of ethics
(B) Theory of justice view of ethics
(C) Integrative social contracts view of ethics
(D) Utilitarian view of ethics
(E) Golden rule view of ethics
clep.collegeboard.org
O F M A N A G E VII.
M  Principles
E N Tof Management 
Questions 83–84 are based on the following
information.
Ruth has been the chief executive officer of her
company for fifteen years. Ten years ago, Ruth
utilized the Internet to augment the traditional way
of doing business, but she did not intend the Internet
to replace her company’s main source of revenue.
Five years ago, Ruth’s company began to use the
Internet to perform traditional business functions
better but did not sell anything on the Internet.
Also, the company began to utilize an intranet as
an internal organizational communication system.
Last year, Ruth decided that her company’s total
existence must revolve around the Internet, leading
to a seamless integration between traditional and
e-business functions.
83. Ten years ago, Ruth’s company would have been
classified as which type of e-business?
(A) A total e-business organization
(B) An e-business enhanced organization
(C) An e-business enabled organization
(D) An e-business committed organization
(E) An e-business learning organization
84. Five years ago, Ruth’s company would have
been classified as which type of e-business?
(A) A total e-business organization
(B) An e-business enhanced organization
(C) An e-business enabled organization
(D) An e-business committed organization
(E) An e-business learning organization
85. According to Hofstede, the degree of
individualism found in a country is most closely
related to which of the following characteristics?
(A) Age
(B) Wealth
(C) Religion
(D) Location
(E) Democracy
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 P R I N C I P L E S O F M A N A G E VII.
M  Principles
E N Tof Management 

86. A multinational company expands its operation 90. In one stage of group development, group
to Brazil and hires Brazilians to manage the members come to accept and understand one
operation of the new branch. The company is another; differences are resolved and members
using which type of approach to expand its develop a sense of team cohesion. This stage of
operations? group development is known as
(A) Ethnocentric (A) Adjourning
(B) Polycentric (B) Performing
(C) Monocentric (C) Storming
(D) Geocentric (D) Norming
(E) Egocentric (E) Forming

87. Knowledge management involves encouraging 91. Solomon is reviewing the types of power the
members of an organization to company has provided him for his job as a
department head. A certain degree of authority
(A) create educational programs targeted at the comes with his position. He will directly
average employee exercise authority through which form of power?
(B) develop new training programs to help new
employees learn their jobs (A) Referent
(C) develop a corporate university to provide (B) Information
educational solutions in-house (C) Expert
(D) systematically gather information and share (D) Legitimate
it with others (E) Decision making
(E) retrain top managers through traditional
MBA programs
92. A performance-appraisal method that utilizes
evaluation information from supervisors,
88. Which of the following is the type of team that employees, and coworkers is known as
is made up of experts in various specialties
working together on various organizational (A) paired-comparison feedback
tasks? (B) programmed-feedback decision
(C) behaviorally anchored rating scale
(A) Functional
(D) 360-degree feedback
(B) Cross-functional
(E) graphic rating scale
(C) Self-directed
(D) Vertical
(E) Autonomous 93. Which of the following refers to gender-related
problems in the career advancement of
employees?
89. Which of the following types of questions would
be the best to use during a job interview? (A) Flextime
(B) Glass ceiling
(A) Open-ended
(C) Job enrichment
(B) Rotational
(D) Job sharing
(C) Technology-ended
(E) Career anchor
(D) Prodding
(E) Hypocritical

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 P R I N C I P L E S O F M A N A G E VII.
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94. The breakeven point is defined as the level of 99. Which of the following should be the first step in
production at which a decision-making process?
(A) fixed costs are covered by revenue (A) Implementing a decision
(B) variable costs are covered by revenue (B) Assigning the problem to qualified
(C) total revenue is sufficient to cover total costs personnel
(D) marginal revenue equals marginal cost (C) Considering all alternatives
(E) the law of diminishing returns is activated (D) Knowing when to decide
(E) Defining the problem
95. Which technology integrates financial,
marketing, operational, and human resource 100. Which of the following can best be described as
applications on a single computer system? a planning function?
(A) Universal application server (UAS) (A) Monitoring operations
(B) Material requirements planning (MRP) (B) Determining objectives
(C) Vendor managed inventory (VMI) (C) Acquiring necessary resources
(D) Electronic data exchange (EDI) (D) Controlling inventory
(E) Enterprise resource planning (ERP) (E) Coordinating interdepartmental activities

96. The Hawthorne studies are examples of which 101. Which of the following people is associated
management approach? with the development of the Theory X and
Theory Y model?
(A) Classical
(B) Behavioral (A) Abraham Maslow
(C) Modern (B) Elton Mayo
(D) Administrative (C) Douglas McGregor
(E) Scientific (D) Frederick Taylor
(E) Lillian Gilbreth
97. A Gantt chart is a visual depiction of the time
frame planned for completing specific tasks as 102. If the verbal and nonverbal parts of a manager’s
compared to which of the following? message are in conflict, research suggests that
(A) The delivery date promised to the customer an employee usually should believe which of
the following?
(B) The actual progress made on each task
(C) The manager’s projected task completion (A) The verbal message only.
(D) The budgeted task completion (B) The nonverbal message only.
(E) The weighted-average task-completion score (C) Either depending on the circumstance.
(D) Neither the verbal nor the nonverbal parts
98. A manager who outlines a problem to of the message.
employees, accepts suggestions, and makes a (E) It is impossible to judge which part of the
decision is said to be following what style of message should be believed.
leadership?
(A) Free reign
(B) Democratic
(C) Charismatic
(D) Autocratic
(E) Laissez-faire

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 P R I N C I P L E S O F M A N A G E VII.
M  Principles
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103. The process of discovering relationships and 107. Which of the following is a quantitative
patterns in large amounts of data is called data technique that can be used to predict employee
performance based on such factors as
(A) mining education, seniority, job-related skills, and job
(B) clustering satisfaction?
(C) encryption (A) Time-series analysis
(D) networking (B) Econometric modeling
(E) warehousing (C) Sales force composition
(D) Econometric indicators
104. The style of leadership in which the manager (E) Regression modeling
shouts and screams is typical of
(A) participative leadership 108. Who among the following was important in the
(B) benevolent leadership scientific management field for promoting
motion studies?
(C) autocratic leadership
(D) free-rein leadership (A) Max Weber
(E) democratic leadership (B) Henri Fayol
(C) Abraham Maslow
(D) Frank & Lillian Gilbreth
105. The hierarchy of needs theory argues that
deficiency needs must be met before the push (E) Henry Ford
to satisfy growth needs drives personal growth.
The individual most commonly associated with 109. Elton Mayo was famous for which of the
this theory is following?
(A) Peter Drucker (A) Theory X
(B) Henri Fayol (B) Theory Y
(C) Abraham Maslow (C) The Hawthorne Studies
(D) Elton Mayo (D) Administrative management
(E) F. W. Taylor (E) Bureaucratic management

106. In a company, Employee A is scheduled to 110. Which of the following is NOT an external
work from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., while Employee B environment force on an organization?
is scheduled to work from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
(A) Sociocultural trends
This situation is an example of which of the
following? (B) Technology
(C) Economy
(A) Flextime (D) Political trends
(B) Job sharing (E) Human resources
(C) Job enrichment
(D) Compressed work schedule
(E) Telecommuting

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 P R I N C I P L E S O F M A N A G E VII.
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Study Resources
Answer Key
Most textbooks used in college-level principles of
management courses cover the topics in the outline
1. C 29. A 57. B 85. B
given earlier, but the approaches to certain topics
2. B 30. C 58. D 86. B
and the emphases given to them may differ. To 3. E 31. B 59. D 87. D
prepare for the Principles of Management exam, 4. E 32. E 60. B 88. B
it’s advisable to study one or more college 5. D 33. B 61. C 89. A
textbooks, which can be found in most college 6. A 34. B 62. D 90. D
bookstores. When selecting a textbook, check the 7. E 35. A 63. E 91. D
table of contents against the knowledge and skills 8. D 36. C 64. D 92. D
required for this test. 9. A 37. D 65. A 93. B
Visit clep.collegeboard.org/earn-college- 10. C 38. B 66. B 94. C
credit/practice for additional management 11. A 39. B 67. E 95. E
resources. You can also ÿnd suggestions for exam 12. D 40. C 68. D 96. B
preparation in Chapter IV. In addition, many 13. D 41. C 69. D 97. B
14. A 42. D 70. D 98. B
college faculty post their course materials on their
15. B 43. A 71. B 99. E
schools’ websites.
16. E 44. E 72. D 100. B
17. B 45. D 73. A 101. C
18. D 46. C 74. C 102. B
19. B 47. C 75. A 103. A
20. D 48. E 76. C 104. C
21. C 49. A 77. E 105. C
22. C 50. D 78. E 106. A
23. B 51. E 79. B 107. E
24. C 52. C 80. C 108. D
25. C 53. C 81. C 109. C
26. C 54. B 82. D 110. E
27. E 55. D 83. B
28. A 56. E 84. C

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Appendix
What Your CLEP Score Means Scores are kept on file for 20 years. During this
In order to reach the total score you see on your score period, score reports may be sent to an institution, but
report, two calculations are performed. only at the request of the candidate. Students can order
official transcripts through the CLEP My Account portal
1. Your “raw score” is the number of questions you (clepportal.collegeboard.org) and pay a fee. CLEP
answered correctly. Your raw score increases by one Transcript Requests are nonrefundable. Once ordered,
point for each question answered correctly. a request cannot be canceled, changed, or rerouted.
2. Your raw score is then converted into a “scaled To order official transcripts for DANTES-funded exams,
score” that ranges from 20, the lowest, to 80, the candidates need to complete a Military Transcript Form
highest. This scaled score is the score that appears on (getcollegecredit.com/images/uploads/documents/
your score report. Military_DSST_CLEP_transcript_post74.pdf).

The scores that appear in the table shown are the Test takers may not repeat an exam of the same
credit-granting scores recommended by the American title within the specified wait period of the initial
Council on Education (ACE). Each college, however, testing date. If a test taker retakes the exam within
can set its own credit-granting policy, which may the specified wait period, the administration will be
differ from that of ACE. If you haven’t already done so, considered invalid, the score will be canceled, and
contact your college as soon as possible to find out the any test fees will be forfeited. For military service
score it requires to grant credit, the number of credit members: DANTES doesn’t fund retesting on a
hours granted, and the course(s) that can be bypassed previously funded CLEP exam. However, service
with a satisfactory score. members may personally fund a retest after the
specified wait period.
Please note that College-Level Examination Program ®
(CLEP®) exams are developed and evaluated If you have questions about your score report, a test
independently and aren’t linked to one another except question, or any other aspect of a CLEP exam that your
by the program’s common purpose, format, and method test center cannot answer, write to CLEP, P.O. Box 6600,
of reporting results. For this reason, direct comparisons Princeton, NJ 08541-6600 or email
shouldn’t be made between CLEP exams in different clep@info.collegeboard.org.
subjects. CLEP scores aren’t comparable to SAT®
scores or other test scores.

© 2018 The College Board. College Board, CLEP, College-Level Examination Program, SAT, and the acorn logo are registered trademarks
of the College Board. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Visit the College Board on the web: collegeboard.org.

clep.collegeboard.org College-Level Examination Program 34

 Appendix

CLEP Credit-Granting Recommendations

®

ACE Recommended Score* Semester Hours*

Business
Financial Accounting 50 3
Information Systems 50 3
Introductory Business Law 50 3
Principles of Management 50 3
Principles of Marketing 50 3
Composition and Literature
American Literature 50 3
Analyzing and Interpreting Literature 50 3
College Composition 50 6
College Composition Modular 50 3
English Literature 50 3
Humanities 50 3
World Languages**
French Language, Level 1 Proficiency 50 6
Level 2 Proficiency 59 9
German Language, Level 1 Proficiency 50 6
Level 2 Proficiency 60 9
Spanish Language, Level 1 Proficiency 50 6
Level 2 Proficiency 63 9
** F
or each of the world languages, there’s only one exam covering both Level 1 and 2 content. ACE recommends 6 semester hours of credit for mastery
of Level 1 content (a score of 50) and 9 semester hours of credit for mastery of both Levels 1 and 2 (a score of 59 on French Language, 60 on German
Language, and 63 on Spanish Language).

History and Social Sciences

American Government 50 3
History of the United States I: Early Colonization to 1877 50 3
History of the United States II: 1865 to the Present 50 3
Human Growth and Development 50 3
Introduction to Educational Psychology 50 3
Introductory Psychology 50 3
Introductory Sociology 50 3
Principles of Macroeconomics 50 3
Principles of Microeconomics 50 3
Social Sciences and History 50 6
Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648 50 3
Western Civilization II: 1648 to the Present 50 3
Science and Mathematics
Biology 50 6
Calculus 50 4
Chemistry 50 6
College Algebra 50 3
College Mathematics 50 6
Natural Sciences 50 6
Precalculus 50 3
*    The American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT) has evaluated CLEP processes and procedures for
developing, administering, and scoring the exams. The scores listed above are equivalent to a grade of C in the corresponding course. The American
Council on Education, the major coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education institutions, seeks to provide leadership and a unifying voice on
key higher education issues and to influence public policy through advocacy, research, and program initiatives. For more information, visit the ACE CREDIT
website at acenet.edu/acecredit.

© 2018 The College Board. 00951-007 FPO