The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a series of examinations that allow individuals to earn college credit for what they already know, regardless of where they learned it. CLEP is the most widely accepted credit-by-examination program in the United States. North Shore Community College awards academic credit for CLEP Exams as outlined below:
NSCC grants credit for the following CLEP examinations:
| CLEP Examination | Credit-Granting Score | Credit Granted | NSCC Equivalent Course |
| Composition & Literature | |||
| American Literature | 50 | 3 | LIT 210 |
| Analyzing & Interpreting Literature | 50 | 3 | CMP 104 144*Supplemental Essay Required |
| English Literature | 50 | 3 | LIT 202 |
| College Composition Modular | 50 | 3 | CMP 101*Supplemental Essay plus Portfolio Required |
| Science & Mathematics | |||
| College Algebra | 50 | 3 | MAT 151 |
| College Mathematics | 50 | 3 | MAT110 |
| Pre-calculus | 50 | 6 | MAT 151 / MAT 152 |
| Calculus | 50 | 4 | MAT 251 |
| Information Systems | 50 | 3 | CPS 100 |
| Foreign Languages | |||
| French Language, Level 1 (2 semesters) | 50 | 6 | FRE 101 / FRE 102 |
| French Language, Level 2 (3 semesters) | 59 | 9 | FRE 201 |
| German Language, Level 1 (2 semesters) | 50 | 6 | GER 101 / GER 102 |
| German Language, Level 2 (3 semesters) | 60 | 9 | GER 201 |
| Spanish Language, Level 1 (2 semesters) | 50 | 6 | SPN 101 / SPN 102 |
| Spanish Language, Level 2 (3 semesters) | 63 | 9 | SPN 201 |
| History & Social Sciences | |||
| American Government | 50 | 3 | GOV 104 |
| History of the United States I: Early Colonization to 1877 | 50 | 3 | HIS 103 |
| History of the United States II:1865 to Present | 50 | 3 | HIS 104 |
| Humanities | 50 | 3 | HUM 701 |
| Macroeconomics, Principles of | 50 | 3 | ECO 103 |
| Microeconomics, Principles of | 50 | 3 | ECO 104 |
| Psychology, Introductory | 50 | 3 | PSY 102 |
| Human Growth and Development | 50 | 3 | PSY 204 |
| Sociology, Introductory | 50 | 3 | SOC 106 |
| Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648 | 50 | 3 | HIS 101 |
| Western Civilization II:1648 to the Present | 50 | 3 | HIS 102 |
| Business | |||
| Accounting, Financial | 50 | 3 /or 6 | ACC108 or ACC101 & ACC102 |
| Business Law, Introductory | 50 | 3 | BUS 102 |
| Management, Principles of | 50 | 3 | MGT 102 |
| Marketing, Principles of | 50 | 3 | MKT 101 |