Chemistry
Chemistry covers a full year of general college chemistry, including structure, bonding, reactions, equilibrium, kinetics and thermodynamics. It is among the most demanding CLEP exams.
Start practice testAbout this exam
Nine areas are sampled, from atomic structure and states of matter through stoichiometry, equilibrium and kinetics to descriptive and experimental chemistry.
Calculation-heavy topics such as stoichiometry and equilibrium carry significant weight, and conceptual questions on bonding and periodic trends appear throughout.
Students who have taken high school chemistry recently have a real advantage; those who have not should plan a longer preparation period.
Topic breakdown
Topic weights published by College Board.
How to study for this exam
- Rebuild stoichiometry first, including limiting reagents and solution concentration.
- Learn periodic trends and bonding well enough to predict properties from position on the table.
- Practise equilibrium problems, including acids and bases, until the setup is routine.
- Review laboratory technique and data interpretation, which form their own scored area.
How the practice test works
- Choose all units or a single unit to focus on.
- Set the number of questions and a time limit, or practise untimed.
- Filter by difficulty to warm up or push yourself.
- Retake as many times as you like — every attempt is free.
- Your recent sessions stay on this device so you can review them.
Common questions
How much maths is required?
Algebra and logarithms, used constantly. No calculus is needed, but arithmetic fluency matters.
Does this include organic chemistry?
Only lightly, as part of descriptive chemistry. It is not an organic chemistry exam.
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