Introductory Sociology
1 free practice test · 100 questions · 1h 30min · No sign-up required
About This Exam
The CLEP Introductory Sociology exam measures knowledge normally taught in a one-semester college introductory sociology course. It emphasizes core facts and concepts, basic theory, methods, institutions, social patterns, social processes, and social stratification.
What's Covered
- Institutions (20%) - family, education, religion, politics, medicine, and the economy
- Social Patterns (10%) - community, demography, environmental sociology, and rural/urban patterns
- Social Processes (25%) - culture, socialization, interaction, groups, deviance, social control, and social movements
- Social Stratification (25%) - class, mobility, race and ethnicity, gender, aging, occupations, and inequality
- The Sociological Perspective (20%) - theory, methods, major thinkers, and how sociologists study society
For the official exam description, see the College Board CLEP Introductory Sociology page.
Study Tips
- Know the major perspectives cold: functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism, feminist theory, and the sociological imagination.
- Do not memorize definitions in isolation. CLEP sociology often asks how concepts apply to scenarios involving schools, families, workplaces, neighborhoods, and inequality.
- Be comfortable reading short described tables and charts, especially population patterns, mobility, inequality, and survey results.
- Keep key distinctions clear: culture vs. structure, role strain vs. role conflict, prejudice vs. discrimination, and class vs. status.
- Institutions and stratification make up nearly half the exam, so spend real time on education, family, religion, government, race, gender, and poverty.
How to Register
Register at clep.collegeboard.org. The exam costs $97 and can be taken at a testing center or remotely. Check with your college for its CLEP credit policy and minimum score requirement before registering. Military service members, their spouses, and eligible veterans may be able to take CLEP exams at no cost through DANTES funding.
About Our Practice Tests
All questions are original and written to match the difficulty, structure, and topic coverage of the real exam based on official College Board descriptions. Practice Mode gives instant feedback and explanations after each question. Test Mode simulates the full timed exam with feedback only at the end.
Sample Practice Questions
Review these sample questions to get a feel for the exam. For the full interactive experience, use the Practice Test above.
- A) random psychological traits that vary across individuals
- B) public issues rooted in social structure and history
- C) purely biological differences in temperament
- D) individual choices that are unaffected by social context
- E) statistical noise in survey data
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer:
B) public issues rooted in social structure and history
Explanation:
Mills argued that sociology links biography to history. What looks like an individual problem may actually reflect wider social institutions and structural forces.
- A) macro-level structural functionalism
- B) symbolic interactionism
- C) world-systems analysis
- D) demographic transition theory
- E) dependency theory
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer:
B) symbolic interactionism
Explanation:
Symbolic interactionism focuses on how people create shared meanings through language, symbols, and everyday interaction.
- A) the stated purpose of a social institution
- B) an unintended consequence that helps stabilize society
- C) a dysfunction that always destroys social order
- D) a manifest goal that is publicly criticized
- E) a conflict between dominant and subordinate groups
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer:
B) an unintended consequence that helps stabilize society
Explanation:
Latent functions are unrecognized or unintended consequences, while manifest functions are the intended, openly recognized purposes.
- A) universal value consensus alone
- B) competition over resources and the power to define whose interests count
- C) purely voluntary cooperation without coercion
- D) random cultural drift
- E) the elimination of inequality through functional necessity
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer:
B) competition over resources and the power to define whose interests count
Explanation:
Conflict theorists stress inequality, competition, and power. Social order is not simply consensus; it often reflects the interests of dominant groups.
- A) ignoring gender as a dimension of power and experience
- B) overemphasizing religious institutions
- C) rejecting quantitative methods entirely
- D) denying that socialization occurs
- E) assuming culture is fixed and unchanging
View Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer:
A) ignoring gender as a dimension of power and experience
Explanation:
Feminist sociology examines how gender shapes institutions, inequality, identity, and knowledge production, and critiques theories that treat men's experiences as universal.