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The two products (AP and CLEP) are developed by the same people contracted by the same company.  That is the same people who make up a US History CLEP test will also make up the AP US History test.

Differences:

AP tests are a high school product.  It is designed for high school students ONLY, performing at a “college level” (I put it in parentheses because the bar has slid lower through the years – no fault to College Board).  The AP class has to be taught by an AP certified teacher in order for us (home-schoolers) to put on the transcripts that our child has taken an AP class (whether they take the exam or not and whether they pass the exam or not).  You do not have to take an AP class to take an AP exam.  Only high school students can take these exams – that is once a high school diploma is in hand – you can no longer get AP exam credits.  I think the advertised number is over 3200 colleges and universities accept AP credits.

CLEP tests were designed for adults returning to college to complete a degree or start a degree after they have been out of high school for awhile – where they may already have expertise in  particular subjects.  The CLEP tests are supposed to be for adult college level students.  Colleges who have returning adults to college type programs (usually accelerated degree programs) most frequently accept these exams for credit.  High school students can take these tests (anyone can), college students can take these tests – basically anyone can take these tests and apply them to a degree at over 2900 colleges & universities in the US (there are around 4000 total colleges & universities in the whole US).

The rigor of each exam is kept similar – the primary key difference is one is an adult college student product and one is strictly a high school student product.  As far as gravitas or acceptance – again both are similar.  My experience (anecdotal, not totally scientific here – just dealing with the schools I have investigated) – most schools accept both.  The ones that will only take the AP credits basically are looking for your money (my opinion).  There is an appearance of exclusivity however they want your money for the class if you have not already taken the AP exam and they do not want to give the student any (less expensive) other opportunity to achieve that credit if they have not already done so.  I am not being totally fair to the colleges & universities who have no accelerated degree type programs here (painting with a broad brush) – certain colleges are just set up to handle incoming freshman from high school and do not cater to adult students (no evening classes, limited on-line classes, limited geographic access, etc).

There is another College Board product that gets little mention as well and that is the SAT II exams (again all made up by the same personnel contracted by “The College Board”).  Some colleges use the SAT II to place students at various class levels for their freshman classes and some colleges will give the students credit for lower level classes if they score at certain levels on the SAT II specific subject tests.  The SAT IIs are a college product used primarily by colleges.  Their acceptance of class credit for various scores is similar to the AP & CLEP and that is strictly at the discretion of the college or university.  A few colleges will require SAT II exams prior to admittance.

And there is the original SAT test – which again I have found certain colleges will give you credit for certain freshman level classes if you score at various levels on that test for various sections.  The basic credit by examination ( CBE ) rule applies here for all of these – “every college & university is different and every program at every college & university is different” (similarly for the ACT exam).

I hope this helps, God Bless, Ed R.