United States · ExamWhich periods are on the CLEP American Literature exam?
| Period | Share |
|---|---|
| Precolonial, colonial and early national (to 1800) | 15% |
| Romantic (1800-1865) | 20% |
| Realism and naturalism (1865-1910) | 20% |
| Modernist (1910-1945) | 20% |
| Contemporary (1945 to today) | 25% |
You need to know the works, not just read passages
| Skill | Share |
|---|---|
| Understanding and interpreting poems and prose excerpts | 35-40% |
| Knowing literary works: authors, characters, plots, settings, style, themes | 25-30% |
| Critical terms, verse forms and literary devices | 15-20% |
| Historical and social settings, and influences on authors | 15-20% |
That 25-30% on knowing works is the difference from Analyzing and Interpreting Literature, where every question is about a passage on screen and no reading list is assumed.
Analyzing and Interpreting Literature CLEP exam →English Literature CLEP exam →CLEP Humanities exam →Free sample questions: American Literature ↗
Sources: College Board. Checked October 2026.
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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