By Teresa Garcia

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – UTRGV’s Edinburg Testing Center has been given the CLEP Honors National Achievement award for being a top 20 CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) honors test center.   

The center was recognized at the National College Testing Association Annual Conference in August in Las Vegas, for administering high CLEP exam volumes during the 2022-23 school year.   

The annual CLEP Honors Award recognizes CLEP test centers that administer high volumes of CLEP exams, providing students the opportunity to earn college credit and achieve their educational goals.   

To make it into the top 20, national test centers were recognized for administering the highest number of self-funded/DANTES-funded CLEP exams.   

“The CLEP is a credit by examination program that allows students to earn college credits if they pass an exam,” said Cynthia (Cindy) Valdez, associate vice president in the university’s College Access and K-12 Partnerships program.   

“This can be cost effective for students, but the bigger benefit is that they are closer to graduation,” she said. “Recognition by the College Board as one of the top 20 CLEP testing sites in the nation means UTRGV provides a strong variety of opportunities for students to attain a diploma.”    

The College Board website says the CLEP organization values longstanding relationships with institutions and organizations committed to increasing access to higher education. Each test center has been commended for support in promoting CLEP.   

In addition to UTRGV, other UT System institutions in the CLEP Top 20 include UT Arlington, UT Austin and UT San Antonio. 

MORE ABOUT CLEP 

The CLEP Honors Award is an annual College Board program. The 2023 CLEP Honors Awards for the top 20 qualifying centers were awarded based on exams administered from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.    

CLEP.collegeboard.org reports that CLEP students are more likely to graduate, as passing a CLEP exam correlates to a 5.5 percent increase in degree completion. The estimate is stronger in groups who traditionally struggle to graduate, such as students at a two-year college, military students, students 25 or older, first-generation students, and underrepresented students.    

“The CLEP Honors National Achievement award for being a top 20 CLEP Test Center is an example of UTRGV's dedication to assisting students in obtaining their degrees,” said Dr. Cynthia Walls, director of P-16 Outreach and Testing Services. “This award is also a testament to the great P-16 Outreach and Testing Services staff who believe in providing students with the best possible testing environment."   

To learn more about CLEP or to register for a test at URGV, visit the link here.