CLEP Information Systems Exam Prep Course | 350+ Questions
CLEP® Exam Prep 3 College Credits Business IS, Not Programming · Passing Score 50

CLEP Information Systems Exam Prep Course

Full course with 350+ practice questions and a practice exam

Self-paced prep for the CLEP Information Systems exam. 16 chapters covering all 7 content areas the exam tests, with a quiz after every subchapter. 100 questions, 90 minutes. A score of 50 earns 3 transferable college credits.

Start studying — $19 About the exam
50Passing score
2,900+Colleges accept CLEP
2–4 wksTypical study time
CLEP Information Systems prep course
  • Backup ACE/NCCRS credit path — earn the credit even if you don't pass
  • Lifetime access — no deadlines, no expiry, study at your own pace
  • Credits accepted at 2,900+ U.S. colleges
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Pricing

$19 for this course with lifetime access, or $29 a month for all 28 CLEP subjects. Every plan also unlocks the ACE/NCCRS course closest to this subject.

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$19
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Information Systems prep only
  • All 16 chapters and 54 lessons
  • Five-question quiz after every subchapter
  • Readiness score tracker
  • Business cases for every system type
  • Lifetime access, no expiry
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All 28 CLEP prep courses included
  • All 28 CLEP prep courses
  • Every chapter, lesson and quiz
  • Readiness tracker per subject
  • Backup ACE/NCCRS credit path
  • Cancel or pause anytime
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  • Lifetime access to all 28 subjects
  • All current and future courses
  • 12-month ACE/NCCRS backup path
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What are ACE and NCCRS?

Two independent bodies that review online courses and recommend them for college credit. The American Council on Education (ACE) and the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS) put courses through faculty panels that assess rigor and learning outcomes, then publish a credit recommendation. When you complete one, the credentialing body issues an official transcript you send to your college — the same kind of transfer credit a student moving from another university would bring with them.

  • Reviewed by faculty panels, not by the course provider
  • Official transcript issued on completion
  • Recognized at 2,100+ colleges, many of which also take CLEP and DSST
ACE vs NCCRS explained How ACE/NCCRS credit works

Both routes, one plan

Buying CLEP Information Systems prep also opens the ACE/NCCRS course closest to this subject — Fundamentals of Information Technology — at no extra cost. So exam day isn't the only way through. If the score doesn't land, the course is already sitting in your account: complete it self-paced, no proctor and no 90-minute timer, and earn the three credits through coursework instead.

  • Fundamentals of Information Technology: 3 semester hours through coursework
  • Unlocked automatically — no extra fee, no application
  • CLEP can still be retaken after three months

Each college sets its own transfer policy, so confirm yours accepts the route you plan to use.

Check your college's policy before you buy. We keep 280+ school pages listing accepted exams, required scores and credits awarded.

Check your college

CLEP Information Systems exam format and topics

The exam covers an introductory college business information systems course across 7 content areas, testing terminology, concepts and how they apply in organizations rather than technical detail. About 100 questions in 90 minutes, some of them unscored pretest items. College Board defines the systems development life cycle as planning, analysis, design, implementation and maintenance. Pass mark is 50.

CLEP Information Systems content areas by exam weighting
Content area Weighting Questions What it covers
Office and Technology Applications 20% ≈20 Productivity software and office systems; specialized systems such as TPS, DSS, expert systems, GIS and BI; e-commerce; ERP, CRM and SCM; business strategy; real-time, transaction and batch processing
Internet and World Wide Web 15% ≈15 Intranets and extranets; search, cloud storage and streaming; protocols and Web 2.0; browsers and cookies; HTML, CSS, XML and JavaScript; website development and accessibility
Hardware and Systems Technology 15% ≈15 Processing, storage, I/O and networking devices; operating systems; LAN, WAN, PAN and VPN; computer classes; Wi-Fi, cellular, GPS, RFID and Bluetooth
Data Management and Programming Concepts 15% ≈15 Data warehousing, mining and big data; data types and structures; file organization; relational and other DBMSs; Boolean and SQL logic; object-oriented and structured methods
Security 10–15% ≈10–15 Malware; individual and business privacy and identity theft; authentication, access and database security; disaster recovery
Social and Ethical Implications and Issues 10–15% ≈10–15 Outsourcing, offshoring and green computing; intellectual property and open source; telecommuting and ergonomics; IS careers; social networking
Software Development 10% ≈10 Prototyping, SDLC, RAD, CASE, JAD, agile and spiral; feasibility, analysis and design; testing, training and conversion; proprietary and open standards
7 content areas 100% ≈100 90 minutes · multiple choice · score 50 for an ACE recommendation of 3 semester hours

How hard is the exam?

This is a business-systems exam, not a programming test. Most questions ask what a technology is and how an organization uses it — which system supports which decision, what a protocol or database structure does, how a security control works. The largest area is office and technology applications, so enterprise systems and e-commerce matter as much as hardware.

  • Start with office and technology applications — 20% of the exam
  • Know the system types: TPS, MIS, DSS, ERP, CRM, SCM
  • Learn CLEP's five SDLC phases by name and in order

Exam fee and booking

Register with College Board for $97. Test centers may add an administration fee. You can test at a center or remotely with a proctor, year-round. Scores are reported immediately for multiple-choice exams, and you send them to your college yourself.

  • Passing score 50, for 3 semester hours
  • Retake permitted after three months
  • Free for active-duty military via DANTES

CLEP defines the development life cycle as planning, analysis, design, implementation and maintenance. Questions use those five names even where textbooks differ.

Check your college

Course chapters and lessons

16 chapters across 61 instructional hours. Expand any chapter to see the lessons inside it.

16Chapters
54Lessons
270+Quiz questions
100Practice final questions
61 hrsInstructional hours
16 chapters  ·  54 lessons  ·  1 practice final exam
Chapter 1 What Is an Information System? 3 lessons · 3 hrs
  1. 1.1 Defining Information Systems

    What an information system is, its components, and how organizations use it for competitive advantage.

  2. 1.2 The Role of Information Systems
  3. 1.3 Competitive Advantage
Chapter 2 Hardware 3 lessons · 4 hrs
  1. 2.1 Understanding Digital Devices and Binary Systems

    Digital devices and binary data, the parts of a PC, and information systems hardware — the start of hardware and systems technology.

  2. 2.2 Tour of a PC
  3. 2.3 Overview of Information Systems Hardware and Computing Devices
Chapter 3 Software 3 lessons · 4 hrs
  1. 3.1 Types of Software

    System and application software and how they work together in modern computing.

  2. 3.2 Comprehensive Overview of Software Types and Enterprise Applications
  3. 3.3 Application in Modern Computing
Chapter 4 Productivity Software and Office Systems 5 lessons · 3 hrs
  1. 4.1 Word Processing, Spreadsheets and Presentation Software

    Word processing, spreadsheets, presentation and database packages, email and collaboration tools, and processing methods — office and technology applications, the largest area.

  2. 4.2 Database Packages and Office Suites
  3. 4.3 Email, Conferencing and Collaborative Work
  4. 4.4 Document Imaging, OCR and Voice Recognition
  5. 4.5 Information Processing Methods: Real-Time, Transaction and Batch
Chapter 5 Data and Databases 5 lessons · 6 hrs
  1. 5.1 Understanding Data, Information, Knowledge, and Big Data in Information Systems

    Data, information and knowledge, database design, database management systems, and managing data for business.

  2. 5.2 Understanding Data, Databases, and Information Systems
  3. 5.3 Designing and Implementing a Database
  4. 5.4 Overview of Database Management Systems (DBMS) and Structured Query Language (SQL)
  5. 5.5 Understanding Data Management and Business Intelligence
Chapter 6 Networking and Communication 3 lessons · 3 hrs
  1. 6.1 A Brief History of the Internet

    The history of the internet, high-speed access, and LANs, WANs and organizational networks.

  2. 6.2 The Evolution and Impact of High-Speed Internet and Wireless Networking Technologies
  3. 6.3 Networking in Organizations: LANs, WANs, and Beyond
Chapter 7 The Internet and the World Wide Web 6 lessons · 4 hrs
  1. 7.1 Intranets, Extranets and Internet Governance

    Intranets and extranets, online services, web protocols, browsers and cookies, HTML, CSS, XML and JavaScript, and website development.

  2. 7.2 Search Engines, Cloud Storage and Streaming Services
  3. 7.3 Web Protocols, Push and Pull, and Web 2.0
  4. 7.4 Browsers, URLs, Cookies and Web Standards
  5. 7.5 Web Technologies: HTML, CSS, XML and JavaScript
  6. 7.6 Website Development and Accessibility
Chapter 8 Information Systems Security 3 lessons · 3 hrs
  1. 8.1 Comprehensive Overview of Information Security: The CIA Triad and Essential Tools

    The principles of information security, its key controls, and protecting systems and data.

  2. 8.2 Key Concepts in Information Security: Blockchain, Bitcoin, Backup Strategies, and Firewalls
  3. 8.3 Comprehensive Guide to Information Security: Tools, Policies, and Best Practices
Chapter 9 The Strategic Role of Information Technology in Business 3 lessons · 4 hrs
  1. 9.1 Productivity, Competitive Advantage, and Industry Analysis

    How IT drives productivity and competitive advantage, and how to judge an IT investment.

  2. 9.2 Using Information Systems for Competitive Advantage
  3. 9.3 Investing in IT for Competitive Advantage
Chapter 10 Business Processes 2 lessons · 3 hrs
  1. 10.1 Comprehensive Overview of Business Processes and Their Strategic Importance

    Business process management and reengineering for competitive advantage.

  2. 10.2 Optimizing Business Processes for Competitive Advantage: BPM and BPR
Chapter 11 Enterprise and Specialized Information Systems 5 lessons · 4 hrs
  1. 11.1 Transaction Processing and Management Information Systems

    Transaction processing, decision support, expert and knowledge systems, BI and OLAP, ERP, CRM, SCM and e-commerce models.

  2. 11.2 Decision Support, Expert and Knowledge Management Systems
  3. 11.3 GIS, Business Intelligence and OLAP
  4. 11.4 Enterprise Systems: ERP, CRM and SCM
  5. 11.5 E-Commerce Models, EDI and Transactions
Chapter 12 The People in Information Systems 3 lessons · 4 hrs
  1. 12.1 The Roles and Responsibilities in the Creation of Information Systems

    The roles of the people who build, run and use information systems, and IS careers.

  2. 12.2 Key Roles in Information Systems: Creation, Operation, and Management
  3. 12.3 The People Component of Information Systems: Roles, Careers, and Organizational Impact
Chapter 13 Information Systems Development 4 lessons · 5 hrs
  1. 13.1 Software Development Methodologies

    Development methodologies, programming languages and tools, and the build-versus-buy decision — the software development area.

  2. 13.2 Programming Languages
  3. 13.3 Programming Tools and Web/Mobile Development
  4. 13.4 Software Development: Build vs. Buy, Implementation, and Maintenance
Chapter 14 Globalization and the Digital Divide 2 lessons · 3 hrs
  1. 14.1 Globalization

    Globalization and the digital divide.

  2. 14.2 The Digital Divide
Chapter 15 The Ethical and Legal Implications of Information Systems 2 lessons · 3 hrs
  1. 15.1 Ethics, Intellectual Property, and Legal Implications in Information Systems

    Ethics, intellectual property, legal issues and privacy in information systems.

  2. 15.2 Privacy Considerations in Information Systems
Chapter 16 Trends in Information Systems 2 lessons · 3 hrs
  1. 16.1 Global and Social Trends in Information Systems

    Global, social, mobile and emerging trends in information systems.

  2. 16.2 Personalization, Mobile, and Emerging Technologies in Information Systems
Practice exam Practice final exam 100 questions
  1. Practice final exam — 100 multiple-choice questions

    A full-length practice final that mirrors the exam's content areas and question style. Your score feeds the readiness tracker, so you know when you're ready to book the real exam.

These chapters make up the CLEP Information Systems exam prep class. They cover every content area on the official exam outline, and some topics go further than the exam requires.

Take the CLEP exam for the fastest route to 3 credits. If it doesn't go your way, your plan also includes a backup course that earns the credit through coursework.

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Colleges that accept CLEP Information Systems

CLEP is recognized at more than 2,900 U.S. colleges, but each one sets its own minimum score and decides how many credit hours to award. Check yours before you book the exam.

Find my college Search 280+ school pages for CLEP policy, accepted exams, minimum scores and credit hours.
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Which CLEP exams the school accepts Minimum score required Credit hours awarded CLEP institution code ACE and NCCRS status

Browse college credit policies

University of Virginia38 exams accepted Cleveland State University36 exams accepted Keuka College36 exams accepted Heritage University35 exams accepted College of Central Florida33 exams accepted Olympic College32 exams accepted Commonwealth University of PA32 exams accepted Clayton State University29 exams accepted Mercy UniversityCLEP credit policy Reinhardt University17 exams accepted

Browse all colleges

Policies change. Every college page lists the date the policy was checked, and we recommend confirming minimum scores and credit awards with the Registrar before you schedule an exam. TransferCredit.org is an independent education service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the institutions listed.

Practice tests and study guides

Five questions in the style of the CLEP Information Systems exam, drawn from the chapters above. No sign-up needed — see where you stand before you buy.

Question 1 of 5
Take the full practice test Open the study guides
270+ quiz questions across 54 subchapters 100-question practice final Readiness tracker Written guide for every content area Unlimited retakes

Frequently asked questions

What is the passing score for CLEP Information Systems?
The credit-granting score is 50. At a score of 50 or above, the American Council on Education recommends 3 semester hours of credit. Each college sets its own policy, so confirm the score and credit hours your school awards.
How many questions are on the CLEP Information Systems exam?
Roughly 100 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes. Some are unscored pretest questions.
How much does the CLEP Information Systems exam cost?
The exam fee is $97, paid to College Board. Test centers may add a separate administration fee. Active-duty military can take CLEP exams at no cost through DANTES. TransferCredit prep is $19 for lifetime access to this subject.
What topics are on the CLEP Information Systems exam?
Seven content areas: Office and Technology Applications (20%); Internet and World Wide Web (15%); Hardware and Systems Technology (15%); Data Management and Programming Concepts (15%); Security (10–15%); Social and Ethical Implications (10–15%); and Software Development (10%).
Is the CLEP Information Systems exam hard?
It's broad but conceptual: it tests how organizations use technology, not coding or technical depth. Most students prepare in two to four weeks; people who work in business or IT usually move faster.
Do I need to know programming for CLEP Information Systems?
No. You need programming concepts — Boolean logic, SQL basics, structured versus object-oriented approaches — but you won't write code.
Which colleges accept CLEP Information Systems for credit?
CLEP is accepted at more than 2,900 U.S. colleges and universities. Information Systems usually replaces an introductory business information systems or computer applications course. Check your own institution's policy before booking.
How long should I study for CLEP Information Systems?
Two to four weeks of consistent study is typical. Start with office and enterprise applications, take the subchapter quizzes, and use the readiness tracker to decide when to book.
Do I need to know Microsoft Word or Excel for CLEP Information Systems?
No specific product is required. College Board says references to applications such as word processing or spreadsheets don't require knowledge of a particular program; questions focus on concepts that apply across products, such as what productivity software and office systems do for an organization.
How much math is on CLEP Information Systems?
Very little. College Board assumes math at the level of a first-year high school algebra course, and what appears is mostly Boolean, arithmetic and SQL logic within the Data Management and Programming Concepts area, 15% of the exam.
What happens if I fail the CLEP Information Systems exam?
You can retake a CLEP exam after three months. Your TransferCredit plan also includes a backup ACE/NCCRS information technology course, which awards credit through coursework with no exam required.
What are the SDLC phases on CLEP Information Systems?
College Board defines them as planning, analysis, design, implementation and maintenance, and uses those names on the exam.
Is CLEP Information Systems the same as DSST Management Information Systems?
No. They are separate exams from different providers with different outlines. CLEP Information Systems is broader on applications, the web and hardware; DSST MIS focuses more on data, decision-making and managing information systems in the enterprise.