CLEP subject or individual exams?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by TCord1964, Jan 5, 2005.

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  1. TCord1964

    TCord1964 New Member

    I've been planning on knocking out a bunch of general education requirement credits by taking the CLEP subject exams. But I notice a lot of people take the CLEP exams for individual courses to satisfy these requirements. Which is better? I've been taking practice courses for the Social Science and History general exam and the American Government individual course exam, and I keep scoring about 60 to 65 percent. I study with FreeUniversity.com, "Cracking the CLEP" and the "CLEP Official Study Guide".
     
  2. Papa Georgia

    Papa Georgia New Member

    It depends on what your school will accept. For example, some schools will not give credit for the English exam. I took Biology and Natural Science . My school gave me six hours credit for Biology but only three for Natural Science because of duplication.

    Which school are you attending?
     
  3. TCord1964

    TCord1964 New Member

    I plan on attending Thomas Edison State College. Their website says there is no limit on the number of CLEP exams they will accept, although I have heard they will not accept the CLEP Math General Subject Exam to satisfy the math requirement.
     
  4. CoachTurner

    CoachTurner Member

    There are more than a few issues for you to consider here.

    Primary is whether the school you attend will accept that particular exam at all and at what score. Some schools will assign a grade to your score (useful if you score high, not good if you score low).

    Consider too how many credits are awarded for the particular exam. Some exams are rated at 6 hours but individual schools sometimes award only 3 (or none).

    Further, you need to determine whether they accept that credit as meeting a requirement in your program. (the example: CLEP General Math not meeting a math distribution requirement while it is accepted as lower level mathematics)

    Next is the issue of duplication of credit. There is considerable duplication of both level and material in the English exams for example. It would be unwise to take all of the CLEP general and subject exams in English if you intended them all to count for a degree program. You can only get credit for English 101 once. Distribution among the history general and the subject history exams fall in this category as well.

    Then too, some schools will accept an exam for credit but require the optional essay component. Others don't require the essay. Some won't accept the exam at all as meeting the distribution requirement (written english for example) but will award hours for it as an elective.

    With the "Big Three" (and many others) there is no issue with the number of hours of credit by exam. Some schools limit the amount of credit that can be awarded based on the various exam methods. If you find yourself later in a program such as this, it is important which courses you tested. Usually, it's best to exam out of the basic classes (Freshman Comp for example) because they are often prerequisite to other courses. The exception is science courses with a lab component. Labs are time intensive and using tests to avoid them can save considerable time.

    Many schools publish a list of the exams that they accept, at what score, for how many hours. This is a very good thing to have.

    Now, if you're working on an AA/AS/AAS then it could be a good idea to take the several exams even if they're not accepted by your program or school. My rationalle here is that since you are already preparing for an exam at that level, you could perform well on each and possibly use them later for an additional AA/AS/AAS or (more likely) for a BA/BS program.

    Taking all five general exams is a very good diagnostic tool. It will show you quickly which areas you are strongest in and which subject areas might be most your "cup of tea". They're a fairly easy way to establish that you are academically prepared to use institutionally prepared subject exam methods (most schools have a provision for "testing out" of any class) for those courses that there is no standardized test available.
     
  5. TCord1964

    TCord1964 New Member

    >>Many schools publish a list of the exams that they accept, at what score, for how many hours. This is a very good thing to have.>>

    Does anybody know if such a list exists for Thomas Edison State College? What score do they require for a "pass" on a CLEP? I only have a handful of credits, so duplication isn't a major concern at this point. I am studying for a BA in Journalism.
     
  6. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    TCord,

    Thomas Edison State College does not accept English Composition without essay. There are more details to your answer at http://www.tesc.edu/catalog/collegecatalog.php?section=prospective . And TESC always go with the recommended scores from ACE.

    Good Luck with your decission. BTW, I am going to admitt to TESC next month after passing English Composition w/ Essay.
     
  7. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    TCord,

    Thomas Edison State College does not accept English Composition without essay. There are more details to your answer at http://www.tesc.edu/catalog/collegecatalog.php?section=prospective . And TESC always go with the recommended scores from ACE.

    Good Luck with your decission. BTW, I am going to admitt to TESC next month after passing English Composition w/ Essay.
     

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