CLEP History of the United States II

American history from 1865 to the present, split across political institutions and public policy, social developments, economic developments, cultural and intellectual developments, and diplomacy. Anything earlier than Reconstruction is background rather than tested content, though the exam may assume you understand the sectional conflict that preceded it.

It is a computer-delivered, multiple-choice exam. There is no essay section and no document-based writing. The official program publishes the current question count and time limit on its website, and those figures are revised periodically, so check there rather than relying on secondhand numbers.

It is a broad survey exam rather than a deep one. Students who recently finished a U.S. history survey course usually find it manageable; students returning to the material after years away often underestimate how much social and cultural history is tested alongside politics. Expect plausible distractors that reward precise reading.

Yes, retakes are permitted, but a waiting period applies before you can sit for the same exam again, and you must re-register and pay again. The current waiting rule is set by the testing program, so confirm it on the official site before you schedule a second attempt.

No. Acceptance is entirely up to each institution. Some award general elective credit, some award credit for a specific survey course, and some award nothing. Score thresholds also differ by school. Check the policy page of every college you plan to transfer to before you spend money on registration.

There is no universal pass mark. The testing program publishes a recommended credit-granting score, but each college sets its own requirement, and some set it higher than the recommendation. Look up your target school's minimum rather than aiming at a generic target.

Start with Reconstruction and move forward chronologically, because later eras assume you understand the constitutional and economic changes that followed the Civil War. Build a one-page timeline of presidents, major legislation, and turning-point elections, then layer social and cultural movements onto it during a second pass.

Memorizing dates without causes; blurring the Gilded Age with the Progressive era; treating the World Wars and Cold War as the only foreign policy content; and skipping social, immigration, and cultural history because it feels less examinable. No single president or war dominates the test.

Enough to read a survey text once, build your timeline, and complete several full practice sets with review. Candidates who cram slogans and dates without practicing question interpretation tend to underperform their actual knowledge. Scheduling the exam only after practice scores stabilize is safer than booking first and studying to a deadline.