Excelsior arts/sciences question, also Humanities/Analyzing Lit. CLEP question

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by LiveFromHouston, Oct 22, 2004.

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  1. LiveFromHouston

    LiveFromHouston New Member

    For those of you enrolled at Excelsior, does the Analyzing and Interpreting Literature CLEP test count towards the Humanities core, or as an elective?

    The worksheet seems to imply that 9 humanities credits are required, 3 of them coming from Ethics, and the remaining 6 from Lit., Art, Music, Language, Drama/Theatre, Comm., Religion, Philosophy. Has anyone taken a test-based alternative to the Humanities CLEP? Not feeling too confident about this one and wondering what my options are.


    If I understand correctly, 60 credits are needed in the arts and sciences domain over all, consisting of:
    - 9 credits humanities (3 from ethics),
    - 15 credits social sciences/history (3 from micro, 3 from macro),
    - 6 credits natural sciences/math (3 from college algebra, 3 from statistics).
    ... if this is true, what are some of the easier (read: quicker to knock out) tests for the remaining 30 credits required? Do I understand correctly that it doesn't matter if they are humanities/social/history/nat./math, so long as the core 30 above are fulfilled?

    Sorry for the length -- I'm just trying to get a feel for this before I actually register. This site has been an invaluable resource for me over the past few months.


    Thanks!
    LfH
     
  2. Fortunato

    Fortunato Member

    The Humanities CLEP is really just Trivial Pursuit: The Credit By Exam edition. I took it cold and got a 74. If you were awake in high school, you'll do great, and if you slept through high school, you'll probably still pass. Don't stress too much over this one.
     
  3. J Allen

    J Allen Member

    Ditto

    The Analyzing & Interpreting Literature CLEP is nothing but a reading comprehension test, and it does indeed count toward the Humanities requirement. This test can be taken and passed without study IMHO.

    With the right study guides, the CLEP General exams are the easiest way to knock out the other credits. The General Math exam will cover the math requirement as well.

    Lawrie Miller's site can give you all of this information.
     
  4. LiveFromHouston

    LiveFromHouston New Member

    I've taken the Analyzing and Interpreting Lit. CLEP already, and everyone here is right: a very easy 6 credits.

    Unfortunately, I've found Lawrie Miller's site increasingly difficult to navigate. There's great information there, but it would be useful to see a comprehensive plan with alternatives, rather than just a single, rigid plan. But don't get me wrong: her site has also been invaluable, and I'm extremely greatful to her for her work.

    Does anyone know of any online courses (RA, of course) that could be knocked out self-paced, and do not require proctored exams? I'm just as happy to go this route, but many of the courses I've seen require 3+ proctored exams. The way I see it, that's 3+ trips to a testing center that just as well be spent on an ECE, CLEP, or DSST exam.

    Thanks again,
    LfH
     
  5. Lawrie's site illustrates one possible path to complete a degree. If you are looking for a comprehensive plan with alternatives you're probably off better working with your academic advisor if you don't feel comfortable assembling it on your own.

    However, when I was putting together my plan Lawrie's site proved useful as it let me know two critical things - that it could be done via examination and it could be done in a reasonable period of time (whether 4 weeks, 4 months or a year).

    I then put together a spreadsheet that leveraged Excelsior's General Business requirements and placed both the core requirements as well as general electives into a schedule I knew I could keep. Then, I chose my electives based upon aptitude and interest.

    If you're thorough it's not that difficult. Just be sure to clear your program with your academic advisor!

    Cheers,
    Mark

    P.S. - Lawrie Miller is a man ;)
     
  6. LiveFromHouston

    LiveFromHouston New Member

    Lawrie, if you're reading this, my sincerest apologies for mis-stating your gender.

    Mark, I've been following your journey for quite a while on here, and it's been a great help. Likewise, Lawrie's site was the first to show me that this could be done entirely by examination.

    I don't understand why Excelsior hides their business catalog so deep in the site (in fact, after the redesign, I haven't been able to find it at all). They do a terrible job listing out which tests fulfill which requirements.

    It seems it would be easy enough to compile a spreadsheet listing all available CLEP, DSST, ECE, and possibly TECEP exams, then show which areas they count towards for each of the 'big 3'. Has anybody done this? If not, I'm willing to take a stab at it, but will inevitably have questions.

    Thanks,
    LfH

    PS- Mark, would you feel comfortable sharing your spreadsheet? I know I'm not the only one who could benefit from it. Thanks.
     
  7. At some point I'll clean it up and post it on my site...but probably not just yet. When I've completed my business degree I'm considering putting together a sort of package that people could purchase for a nominal fee.

    Cheers,
    Mark
     

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