The official name is History of the United States I: Early Colonization to 1877 but most people call it US History 1 or American History 1. It covers first contact with indigenous peoples through the end of Reconstruction, and about 70% of the questions fall between 1790 and 1877. The general breakdown is below.
| Category | Share of exam | What is in it |
|---|---|---|
| Political Institutions, Developments, and Public Policy | 25% | Colonial governance, British-American relations, the Revolution, the Constitution and amendments, political parties, the Civil War, Reconstruction |
| Social Developments | 25% | Indigenous societies, slavery and resistance, immigration, women and family roles, reform movements, abolitionism |
| Cultural and Intellectual Developments | 20% | Religion, Transcendentalism, literature and the arts, education, popular culture |
| Economic Developments | 15% | Colonial economies, agriculture and trade, westward expansion, industrialization, the economic effect of the Civil War |
| Diplomacy and Transnational Interactions | 15% | Expansionism, the Revolution, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Monroe Doctrine, foreign relations through 1877 |
| Questions | 120 multiple choice |
| Time | 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 50 (some schools require 60) |
| College credits | 3 semester hours (typical) |
| Exam fee | $97 |
| Retake wait after a fail | 90 days |
Where should i spend my time studying?
Three points come up over and over in our degreeforum
- The 1800s outweigh everything before them. Antebellum politics, the Civil War, and Reconstruction carry more questions than the colonial period.
- Learn causes and the effects of certain actions. Why did the Kansas-Nebraska Act matter? Read the explanation on every question even the ones you get right.
- Learn pacing. 45 seconds per question is tight, don't spend too much time on questions you don't know. Two of our four-star reviewers for this exam passed and still said the cards alone did not feel like enough, and rehearsing at the real speed is what the timed practice tests are for.
For the full topic breakdown and pass-rate history, see the US History I CLEP study guide page. Your subscription also gives you 3 US History I mock exams.