Have you heard classmates talk about the College Board or seen the name pop up on Google searches? While you may not be familiar with this non-profit association, many of the tests it offers are household names. Most American students have heard of the SAT, PSAT, AP, and CLEP tests. In this article, we’re going to briefly cover the College Board as an organization, give you the 411 on its tests, and wrap up with an overview of its other services.

So, what’s the College Board?
The College Board is a a non-profit membership organization focused on education. It offers standardized tests used by colleges and universities to assess students’ academic abilities. Additionally, the College Board promotes programs for K-12 and higher education institutions. This association also offers free services to students, such as financial aid information and a scholarship search engine. The College Board is best known for developing and managing the SAT test. The College Board aims to make tests accessible by offering accommodations for students with disabilities, fee waivers for low-income students, and advocacy programs intended to help students from all backgrounds achieve academic success.

What should I know about the SAT, SAT Subject Tests, and PSAT?
The SAT is a standardized college admission test and the PSAT is its corresponding practice test. SAT Subject Tests are multiple-choice tests that measure your proficiency in certain subjects. Our blog has helpful articles about the SAT, SAT Subject Tests, and PSAT, along with tips on how to decide between taking the SAT or ACT, and how to pass college admission tests in general.

What are AP exams?
Advanced Placement exams are tests that give you a chance to earn college credits while in high school. According to the College Board, over 90% of four-year colleges in the U.S. give credit, advanced placement, or both based on a student’s AP scores. Almost all of the tests are a combination of multiple-choice questions and a free-response section. The only exception is AP Studio Art, which is based on a portfolio of work. AP tests correspond with AP classes, which are offered at many high schools. However, you can take an AP test even if you didn’t enroll in an AP class. Each exam is graded on a scale of 1 to 5. Scoring a 1 means you receive no recommendation, while a 5 means you’re extremely well-qualified. Exams vary in length. Each exam costs $87.

What’s the point of taking AP exams?
The more credits you earn through AP exams, the less time and money you’ll have to spend on college courses. According to the College Board, “AP students are more likely to graduate from college in four years.” This author personally saved thousands of dollars when, as a result of scoring well on 4 AP tests, her university granted her 18 credits! Good AP test scores can also boost your odds of landing a scholarship. The College Board claims that “31 percent of colleges and universities look at AP experience when determining scholarships.”

What are CLEP exams?
Like AP exams, CLEP exams are tests that allow you to earn college credits without taking college classes. However, unlike SAT, PSAT, and AP tests, CLEP tests are generally administered at institutions of higher learning, not high schools. Also, while AP tests are designed to correspond to high school AP courses, CLEP tests are geared toward measuring what you’ve learned from work experience, life experience, or personal study. CLEP tests are mostly based on multiple-choice questions, but some include essays, and language tests include listening sections.

CLEP tests are graded on a scale from 20 to 80. Most colleges and universities accept 50 as a qualifying score. Each CLEP test is about 90 minutes long and costs $77 to take. Men and women of the U.S. armed forces can take CLEP tests for free. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs reimburses veterans who take CLEP tests.

What’s the point of taking CLEP exams?
Taking CLEP exams offers many of the same benefits as taking AP exams. Getting college credits though testing can help you graduate in four years or less, which saves you time and money. Another advantage of CLEP tests is that they allow you to instantly see your score after finishing, unlike SAT, PSAT, and AP tests. The English Composition with Essay is an exception, since someone needs to read your essay first.

What other services does the College Board offer?
The College Board offers many more services. Here are just a few:

• College Search allows you to look up information on specific colleges, find schools similar to those you’ve searched for, and figure out which schools match your interests.
• The College Board store sells official study guides for many of their tests, such as the SAT, SAT Subject Tests, and CLEP exams.
• Free SAT practice questions let you prepare for the SAT or SAT Subject Tests online.
• Student-oriented articles offer college planning tips to help you with many aspects of student life, from balancing high school and extracurricular activities to scheduling college classes your first year.
• Scholarship Search lets you find scholarships that are relevant to you based on your sex, citizenship status, minority background, religious affiliation, prospective major, and other relevant factors.
• Financial Aid EasyPlanner helps you figure out the costs of college, how much you can save up, the amount schools will expect your family to pay, how much you can borrow, and more.

Clearly, the College Board has much more to offer students than just the SAT test. Preparing for college can be tough, so make the best of the College Board’s 100+ years of experience in the education industry. Bookmark their website and use it to help you plan your college career.