My First CLEP Exam I took my first CLEP exam today. I am pursuing the B.A. in English degree from Thomas Edison State College, so I took the Analyzing and Interpreting Literature exam first. Here is what I used to prepare: 1. http://www.guidancenet.com/testprep/code/bcaflame.asp 2. http://www.degreeforum.net/specific-exam-feedback-only/1571-analyzing-interpreting-literature-clep.html 3. http://www.amazon.com/CLEP-Analyzing-Interpreting-Literature-REA/dp/0878918973/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228423897&sr=8-1 I spent a total of about 20 hours studying the book and taking practice exams. The real exam was just like the practice exams online and in the REA book. Both resources are excellent and give a true feel for the real exam. I took the exam at a local university. I studied for about an hour before I took the exam. For me, this was essential; it helped get my mind off other things and on literature, archaic English, and general test taking strategies. It all paid off; I got a 78/80. The person working at the assessment desk said it was the highest score she had ever seen on a CLEP test. Next up: Humanities for 6 credits and Social Science and History for 6 credits!
Nice job! You shouldn't have any trouble on your next exam. After finishing a CLEP or Dantes exam, I would always leave the test center with a huge smile on my face. I couldn't stop thinking about all the cash I saved by testing out.
I just picked up my REA guide for the Western Civ I exam. They do look like pretty thorough guides. I used other material for my other CLEPs but this one looks like it'll do the trick. I'm sure the REA guide will work for you as well.
Congratulations! Humanities is tricky; when I took it many years ago, there was a fairly strong emphasis on ancient architecture, so forewarned is forearmed. I never took Social Science and History, but good luck! Also, I echo the recommendation of DANTES exams. With common sense you can probably pass Here's To Your Health, and with some minimal study you could probably knock-off Intro to Law Enforcement and Intro to Criminal Justice to fill your open electives.
Maybe that was it. I thought the passing scores on DANTES were lower than CLEPs. Maybe not but I found both pretty easy.
I thought of Humanities as the CLEP equivalent of Trivial Pursuit - broad but not very deep. It was the last exam I took in my program at Wyoming, and was what actually put me over the top in terms of credits needed to graduate. It was also the only CLEP I took completely cold. Wyoming only gives three credit hours for it, so I definitely envy those of you who walk away with 6 hours!
It was one of my first but it's a pretty accurate assessment. Another CLEP not to ignore, if one has Spanish, French or German skills, are the language exams. You can quickly get 6 credits, or 12 if you score highly enough. When I started I amassed around 30 credits in the first month through Here's To Your Health, CLEP French, CLEP Humanities and a couple of others. If you're looking to pass and not worry too much about how you pass, I also recommend looking at sites like instantcert.com and passyourclass.com.
That was my first exam (CLEP or DANTES), and also the only one I took cold where I didn't already have training in the area. I passed by an uncomfortably small margin, and learned my lesson; I did at least some reading for subsequent exams.
