CLEP Natural Sciences study guide
CLEP Natural Sciences · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The CLEP Natural Sciences exam is a College Board credit-by-examination option that lets candidates earn college credit for an introductory, non-major survey course sequence covering both biological and physical sciences. According to the College Board, it is designed for students who need to satisfy a distribution or general education requirement rather than for science majors, and it tests the understanding of scientific concepts expected of an adult with a liberal arts education. The CLEP Natural Sciences study guide has 10 sections and about 3,893 words.
01Biological Science: Origin and Evolution of Life; Classification of Organisms
This domain tests the evidence for common descent, the mechanisms that change allele frequencies, the leading hypotheses for the origin of life, and the taxonomic framework biologists use to organize diversity. Questions are usually conceptual: identify the mechanism at work, or classify an organism correctly.
400 words, about 2 min02Biological Science: Cell Organization, Cell Division, Chemical Nature of the Gene, Bioenergetics, and Biosynthesis
This domain tests the cell as the unit of life: how it is organized, how it divides, how DNA encodes information, and how energy and matter flow through metabolism. Prokaryotes lack a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles; eukaryotes compartmentalize.
426 words, about 2 min03Biological Science: Structure, Function, and Development in Organisms; Patterns of Heredity
This domain asks how multicellular organisms build and run themselves - transport, gas exchange, regulation, development - and how traits pass from parents to offspring. Structure follows function: fish gills use countercurrent exchange to maximize oxygen uptake; the nephron filters, reabsorbs, and secretes; xylem moves water under tension and phloem translocates sugars.
351 words, about 2 min04Biological Science: Concepts of Population Biology with Emphasis on Ecology
This ecology domain tests populations, species interactions, communities, and ecosystems - mostly as models and predictions rather than memorized numbers. Exponential growth: dN/dt = rN, unlimited resources, J-shaped curve.
374 words, about 2 min05Physical Science: Atomic and Nuclear Structure and Properties, Elementary Particles, and Nuclear Reactions
This domain covers atomic structure, nuclear decay and reactions, and the subatomic particles underlying them. Expect balanced nuclear equations and shell-filling logic.
403 words, about 2 min06Physical Science: Chemical Elements, Compounds and Reactions, Molecular Structure and Bonding
This domain tests the periodic table, bonding and molecular shape, reaction types, and quantitative stoichiometry. Elements are ordered by atomic number.
375 words, about 2 min07Physical Science: Heat, Thermodynamics, and States of Matter; Classical Mechanics; Relativity
This domain combines mechanics, thermodynamics and states of matter, and special and general relativity. Newton's laws: inertia; F = ma; equal and opposite forces.
412 words, about 2 min08Physical Science: Electricity and Magnetism, Waves, Light, and Sound
This domain spans electric circuits, magnetism, wave behavior, optics, and sound. Coulomb's law: F = kq1q2/r².
409 words, about 2 min09Physical Science: The Universe: Galaxies, Stars, and the Solar System
This astronomy domain covers stars, galaxies and cosmology, and the solar system. Stars form from collapsing nebulae and ignite hydrogen fusion when the core reaches roughly 10 million K.
371 words, about 2 min10Physical Science: The Earth: Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Structure Features, Geologic Processes, and History
This domain covers Earth's interior, plate tectonics, rocks and geologic time, and the atmosphere and hydrosphere. Layers: crust (oceanic basalt, thin; continental granite, thick), mantle, liquid outer core, solid inner core.
372 words, about 2 min