If you already have a passing or failing grade for GOV 310L, you may NOT take this exam. Additionally, if you have already taken the AP US Government and Politics exam and earned a score of 3 or higher, you should take the Texas Government Only exam, NOT the CLEP American Government exam.
You can find a test description for the CLEP exam in American Government at the College Board CLEP website. The maximum working time for the computer-based CLEP exam in American Government is 90 minutes. There are twenty multiple-choice questions on the Texas Government objective portion. The Texas Government Test is explained below under "UT Austin Supplemental Items."
This CLEP exam, with UT Austin supplement, is one of the eight CLEP exams accepted by the University of Texas at Austin.
Where and When to Take the Test
On campus: The CLEP exam in American Government, plus UT Austin test on Texas Government, is offered monthly on the UT Austin campus. Please review the ID Requirements, as students arriving without proper ID may not test. Visit the Test Registration System to view and register for upcoming test dates. If you only need to take the Texas Government Only portion of the exam, DO NOT register for the CLEP American Government exam. If you are unsure of which exam you should register for or are having difficulty registering, please contact our office for assistance.
Off campus: The CLEP exam in American Government may be taken at an off-campus testing center; however, before your eligibility for GOV 310L credit can be determined, you must arrange to take the UT Austin Test on Texas Government, which is offered only on the UT Austin campus. An official copy of your CLEP scores for the American Government exam must be on file with Student Testing Services before you may take the UT Austin Texas Government Test. You may make an appointment to take only the Texas Government Test by registering for that test online; only the $25 registration fee will apply. Take precaution not to accidentally register for an administration of both the CLEP and Texas Government Tests if you only need the Texas Government portion.
Supplemental Items:
The twenty multiple-choice questions in the Texas Government Test cover the politics and government of the state of Texas. The questions are very similar to the questions in the CLEP exam. The subject matter of these items is devoted exclusively to Texas politics and government and includes questions on the following:
- State government organization and powers
- Political parties and elections
- Social-economic environment
- Constitution and local government
- Policies, including state finance
Exceptions:
If you already have a passing or failing grade for GOV 310L, you may NOT take this exam.
Registration Fee:
When you confirm your registration for an administration of the CLEP exam in American Government with UT Austin Test on Texas Government, you will be immediately billed a non-refundable test registration fee of $25. In addition, there is a test fee of $93. The $93 CLEP test fee MUST be paid on the CollegeBoard website, http://clep.collegeboard.org/. Upon registration and payment, CLEP will send an order confirmation that includes a Ticket ID that our testing center will need to be able to start your test on test day.
Study Aids:
The UT Austin Department of Government suggests the following textbooks to use in preparation for the CLEP exam in American Government:
- Morris P. Fiorina & Paul E. Peterson, The New American Democracy (any recent edition, full or alternate). Longman
- Edward S. Greenberg, The struggle for Democracy (any recent edition). Harper Collins
- Theodore J. Lowi & Benjamin Ginsberg, American Government (any recent edition). W.W. Norton
Although the Texas Government Test questions are not based on a specific textbook, the following Texas Politics webtext should be helpful in preparing for the examination:
Test Results Retakes:
The CLEP Exam in American Government may be retaken, but students must wait three months between attempts per the CLEP retake policy. The Texas Government portion of the test may only be taken once.
| UT Austin Courses | Score Range | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GOV 310L | * | The CLEP exams have a score range of 20-80; however, because eligibility for credit is based on the combined CLEP and Texas Government tests, no minimum satisfactory scores are listed here. | ||
