Des Moines, Iowa -- Approximately 42 members of the 132d Wing will be testing at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa on November 10, 2017 as part of a ‘CLEP-a-thon.’
College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests assess the knowledge of subjects and skills learned over a lifetime and translates them into college credits. The credits can go towards any higher education the member is pursuing such as Community College of the Air Force degrees, various associate degrees and bachelor degrees.
In addition to receiving college credit, CLEP testing saves the state and Air Force money. Currently, 20,000 dollars has been saved state-wide through testing. The CLEP-a-thon this weekend has the potential cost savings of 40,000 dollars.
“It’s awesome for saving the members money, saving the state of Iowa’s National Guard Education Assistance funds and saving the Air Force’s tuition assistance funds,” said Senior Master Sgt. Gary Burch, the 132d Wing education and training manager.
Last spring, 21 of the 31 participants passed CLEP tests, accounting for a 70 percent passing rate. The pass rate for the entire Department of Defense is 54 percent. Over the last six months, 100 members have tested in 14 subjects including math, social science and humanities.