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The English Literature CLEP exam

It’s about major British authors: about 95 questions in 90 minutes, from the Middle Ages to now. ACE recommends 6 semester hours for a 50 on the English Literature CLEP exam, twice what it suggests for American Literature. Poetry is almost half the test.

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Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

Periods and genres

PeriodShare
Middle Ages10%
16th and early 17th century15%
Restoration and 18th century10%
Romantic20%
Victorian20%
20th century to today25%

By genre, it’s poetry 45%, drama 20%, novels 15%, short stories 10% and nonfiction such as criticism, essays and memoir 10%.

What does the English Literature CLEP exam expect you to know?

About 35-40% is knowledge: literary background, authors, metrical patterns, references and terms. The other 60-65% is ability: form, meaning, tone, imagery, style and the reasoning in literary criticism. Some questions show a passage and ask who wrote it or what period it’s from. You should know terms like metaphor and personification, and forms like the sonnet and the ballad.

CLEP American Literature exam →Analyzing and Interpreting Literature CLEP exam →Free sample questions: English Literature ↗
Sources: College Board and 1 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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