Award-Winning CLEP American Literature
Tutors
Who needs tutoring?
FEATURED BY
TUTORS FROM
- YaleUniversity
- PrincetonUniversity
- StanfordUniversity
- CornellUniversity
Award-Winning CLEP American Literature Tutors

Certified Tutor
Peter
The CLEP American Literature exam covers everything from Puritan sermons to Harlem Renaissance poetry, and Peter's journalism and English education background means he can unpack how literary movements connect to the cultural moments that produced them. He teaches students to identify period-specifi...
Ohio State
Masters in Education, English Education
Syracuse University
Bachelor of Science, Journalism

Certified Tutor
5+ years
Manuel
From Puritan sermons to Harlem Renaissance poetry, the CLEP American Literature exam expects students to place authors within their historical and cultural movements — not just recall plot summaries. Manuel studied American literature at both the high school and college level and teaches students to...
Princeton University
Bachelor in Arts

Certified Tutor
9+ years
Samantha
American Literature isn't Samantha's core academic focus, but her experience teaching English abroad in Thailand and her strong standardized test prep skills translate well to the CLEP format. She approaches the exam as a critical reading exercise — teaching students to identify literary periods, re...
Princeton University
Current Undergrad Student, Psychology

Certified Tutor
8+ years
Allison
The CLEP American Literature exam covers everything from Puritan sermons to Harlem Renaissance poetry, and knowing which literary movements the test emphasizes makes a real difference in score. Allison's deep background in American literature — she teaches it at both the high school and college leve...
Yale University
Master of Arts, Sacred Music
Jacksonville University
Bachelor of Science, Music Teacher Education

Certified Tutor
Andrew
Andrew's dual background in molecular biology and literature gives him an unusual advantage on this exam — he reads American literary movements the way a scientist reads data, looking for patterns in style, theme, and historical context that make period identification systematic rather than guesswor...
Boston University
PHD, Law, Management
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bachelors, Molecular Biology, Literature

Certified Tutor
8+ years
Caroline
From Puritan sermons to Harlem Renaissance poetry, the CLEP American Literature exam covers an enormous timeline and expects students to connect authors to movements, not just recognize titles. Caroline's deep engagement with American literature at Fordham — where she studies it at both the survey a...
Fordham University
Bachelor in Arts, Philosophy

Certified Tutor
4+ years
Martin
Covering American literature from the Puritans through the postmodernists in a single exam requires more than familiarity with titles and authors — it demands understanding of literary movements, recurring themes, and how writers responded to each other across centuries. Martin holds a PhD in Englis...
Duke University
Master of Arts, English
Yale University
Bachelor of Science, Ancient Greek
Duke University
Doctor of Philosophy, English

Certified Tutor
10+ years
Arianna
Arianna's Dartmouth education built strong analytical reading habits across disciplines, and she applies that same rigor to breaking down CLEP American Literature's trickiest skill: identifying an author's era and movement from a brief, unlabeled passage. She teaches students to spot stylistic cues ...
Dartmouth College
Bachelor of Science

Certified Tutor
6+ years
Ariana
From Puritan sermons to Harlem Renaissance poetry, the CLEP American Literature exam expects students to identify literary movements, match authors to periods, and analyze passages they may have never seen before. Ariana's English teaching background and her certification in English (grades 6–12) me...
Kansas State University
Master of Arts, Teaching French as a Second or Foreign Language
Kansas State University
Bachelor in Arts, French

Certified Tutor
10+ years
Having earned a PhD studying contemporary American poetry at Notre Dame, Emma knows the full arc of American literature — from Puritan sermons through Whitman, Dickinson, Harlem Renaissance writers, and postmodern fiction — at a level that goes far beyond what the CLEP exam requires. She teaches stu...
University of Notre Dame
PHD, English
Wake Forest University
Master of Arts, English
Wheaton College (Illinois)
Bachelors, English
Top 20 Test Prep Subjects
Meet Our Expert Tutors
Connect with highly-rated educators ready to help you succeed.
Varun
AP Calculus AB Tutor • +112 Subjects
I am enthusiastic about helping others reach their educational goals. Whatever the task, no matter how long it takes, I will make sure you get the most out of your sessions and will tailor my personal approach to whatever you need.
Nicole
Calculus Tutor • +74 Subjects
I am currently a graduate student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling master's program at Nova Southeastern University, and I received my B.A. in English with a minor in Spanish from the University of Miami in 2016. I am a native speaker of English and Russian. Throughout the course of my education, I have helped my fellow students improve their analytical and writing skills through collaboration. I am able to tutor a broad range of subjects, including standardized test preparation, English literature up to the college level, essay and academic writing and grammar, Russian and Spanish language skills. Having scored in the top percentiles on the verbal and essay writing sections of standardized tests, such as the SAT and GRE, I also possess the perspective and expertise to help others excel on these and similar exams. I am passionate about empowering students to achieve their full potential through education, and I strongly believe tutoring can be a valuable tool for any student's academic growth. In my free time, I enjoy reading, crafting, and journaling.
Jennifer
Middle School Math Tutor • +93 Subjects
I am a recent graduate of the University of Alabama, where I got my Bachelor of Arts in Communications, and majored in public relations and English. I recently moved to the Atlanta area to begin an exciting job as a digital media specialist! I have six years of tutoring experience, especially in English, grammar, writing, general study skills, and essay planning.
Lauren
Calculus Tutor • +52 Subjects
I am currently a PhD student in the English department at the University of Texas at Austin. I also hold a Master of Letters in Romantic and Victorian Literature from the University of St Andrews in Scotland, as well as a BA in English (Writing concentration) and a minor in business administration. Prior to pursuing my PhD, I worked as corporate communications consultant and a client manager/tutor coach for high-end tutoring firm in New York City.
Courtney
11th Grade math Tutor • +99 Subjects
I am happily employed at Carleton College in Northfield as an evening supervisor in the library I love it! My plan is to eventually go on to get my Ph.D. in Sociology.
Frank
Calculus Tutor • +44 Subjects
I'm looking to tutor middle and high school students across the humanities: literature, history, philosophy, theology, social studies, and religious studies. I also look forward to coaching students through their writing efforts, having the tools to help them improve both substance and style. Having been inspired by a host of excellent teachers throughout my intellectual career, I'm anxious to transfer my passion for humanities to any and all students. I also love reading students' writing, as it can clue me in to their passions and make it easier for me to instill a love of learning.
Alexandra
Middle School Math Tutor • +182 Subjects
I am a rising senior at The University of North Texas in Denton. I am working towards my Bachelor of Arts in Spanish as well as English with a concentration in Creative Writing. I was raised in an academically competitive environment in Fort Bend County and my rigorous secondary education prepared me for success in college. I am a fortunate member of the Terry Scholarship Foundation, which has provided me and hundreds of other Texans with a private, four-year, full-ride scholarship. As a Terry Scholar, I am well-versed in all subjects and have taken on the role of mentor to many of the incoming freshmen. I have spent most of my free time in college as a nanny and tutor to families around the DFW area. I have experience with all age groups and there is nothing that intimidates me! While I tutor a broad range of subjects, I am most passionate about English, Literature, History, Spanish, and Government/Social Studies. Through my experiences helping struggling students and peers, I have realized the value of adaptability. Most people reach out to a tutor because the traditional classroom method is not best suited for their learning needs. There is nothing more joyful than when a student finally understands the material in a way that makes sense to them. Many times, students need flexibility and patience in order to grasp a foreign concept. I am a firm believer in the power of education and I hope to share my love of learning with all of my students. After graduation I plan on returning to Houston to obtain my Master of Arts in Teaching from Rice University. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and writing anything from poetry to screenplays. I have also been involved in competitive dance for most of my adolescence, so I understand the balance of academics and extracurriculars. Hobbies: reading, music, writing, art, books, dancing, yoga
Mary
Pre-Algebra Tutor • +86 Subjects
I am a graduate of Indiana University Bloomington. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures with a focus on Russian, Russian Literature, and International Relations. Since graduating, I have worked at a YMCA Learning Center as a Preschool Teacher Assistant, camp counselor, after-school counselor, art program leader and childcare provider for all ages. I tutored children (K-8) in the after-school program in all subjects, overseeing study time and assisting students with homework. I also worked as a data analyst for the Data Recognition Corporation: reading, assessing and scoring standardized tests in a variety of subjects for grades K-12. I worked on WIDA projects where I evaluated and scored English proficiency tests (verbal and written) for multilingual learners. As a WIDA analyst, I gained insight into the national system of standardized testing. While I tutor in a broad range of subjects, I am especially interested in Literature, Language, History and Philosophy. I am passionate about teaching and about learning, and I firmly believe that the pursuit of knowledge is lifelong. Hobbies: swimming, writing, art, books, hiking, reading, music
Andrea
10th Grade math Tutor • +160 Subjects
I am a graduate of James Madison University. I double majored in English Literature and Arabic. In college, I started tutoring students of all ages. I assisted them in various areas of study, including essay and Arabic grammar. After college, I worked at a refugee center with children of immigrants. I helped them to adjust to a new environment, while simultaneously adapting to the public school curriculum. I am also a certified ESL/TESOL teacher and have experience teaching groups of students as well as providing individual lessons.
Jennifer
5th Grade math Tutor • +116 Subjects
I am available throughout the week, including summer! Let me help you help yourself! Hobbies: art, books, travel, reading, music, writing, painting
Top 20 Subjects
Frequently Asked Questions
The CLEP American Literature exam spans from colonial literature through the 20th century, with significant emphasis on major movements like Romanticism, Transcendentalism, Realism, Naturalism, and Modernism. You'll encounter foundational authors like Hawthorne, Melville, Twain, and Whitman, but the exam also tests deeper knowledge of less obvious works—obscure Puritan poetry, regional short stories, and lesser-known plays. A tutor can help you identify which periods and authors appear most frequently in released exams and focus your reading strategically rather than trying to memorize every work.
The exam tests your ability to identify literary devices, tone, and historical context from passages you've likely never seen before. Many students struggle with questions that ask you to infer an author's purpose or identify subtle irony without having read the full work. A tutor can teach you systematic strategies like annotating for voice and diction, recognizing period-specific language patterns, and using process of elimination to avoid trap answers that sound plausible but miss the passage's actual meaning.
With 80 questions in 90 minutes, students often spend too much time analyzing each passage deeply and run out of time for later questions. The exam tests breadth of knowledge across centuries of literature, not mastery of individual texts, so over-analyzing can actually hurt your score. A tutor can help you develop a pacing strategy—knowing which question types to tackle first, when to make educated guesses, and how to identify questions where you can quickly eliminate wrong answers without reading every option carefully.
Most students have significant gaps—maybe you know 19th-century fiction well but struggle with colonial literature or modern poetry. Taking a full-length practice test under timed conditions reveals exactly where you're losing points, whether it's comprehension, historical context, or recognizing literary devices. A tutor can analyze your practice test results to pinpoint patterns (e.g., consistently missing questions about Puritan themes or modernist techniques) and create a targeted study plan that addresses your specific weaknesses rather than reviewing everything equally.
Context matters significantly—the exam frequently tests whether you understand how historical events shaped literary movements and individual works. For example, questions about transcendentalism often require knowing the philosophical climate of the 1830s-40s, and modernist literature questions assume familiarity with post-WWI disillusionment. However, you don't need to memorize every author's biography; a tutor can help you focus on the specific historical contexts that actually appear in exam questions and teach you how to use context clues in passages to infer meaning when you're unfamiliar with a work.
Score gains depend on your starting point and study commitment. Students who take a diagnostic practice test, work with a tutor for 4-6 weeks on targeted weak areas, and complete additional practice tests typically see improvements of 10-15 percentage points. However, jumping from a 40% to 80% requires consistent effort—you can't cram centuries of literature in a few sessions. A tutor helps you use your study time efficiently by focusing on high-value content and test-taking strategies rather than trying to read every assigned American literature text.
The exam uses multiple-choice questions in several formats: straightforward comprehension questions about passages, questions asking you to identify literary devices or tone, questions requiring historical context, and "which statement best explains" questions that test deeper analysis. Students most commonly struggle with questions that require distinguishing between similar answer choices—for instance, identifying whether a passage uses dramatic irony versus situational irony, or choosing between two plausible interpretations of an author's intent. A tutor can teach you the specific language and logic patterns that separate correct answers from distractors on each question type.
The most efficient approach combines both strategically. Reading full texts for major works (like a Hawthorne novel or Whitman's poetry) builds genuine understanding and confidence, but you can't realistically read everything tested on the exam. A tutor can help you prioritize which texts deserve full reads versus which you can learn through quality study guides and passage analysis, then use practice questions to test your knowledge and identify gaps. This balanced approach lets you build real literary knowledge while using your study time strategically for exam success.
Connect with CLEP American Literature Tutors
Get matched with expert tutors in your subject


