CLEP, Excelsior, And my 30 Day Degree?

Greetings all!

I was directed to the BA in 4 weeks guide by Lawrie from a diploma mill! I couldn't help but think what a professional guy to help me out...

Anyhow....

I currently have about 40 credits I'm hoping I can transfer, and maybe even some credit for OTJ training and life experience toward a BA or BS.

I'm applying to Excelsior, and I'm going to try to follow the guide almost to the letter. I will post my results exactly as I receive them because the site seems to have sound advice and I want to give all the support I can!

A couple questions I have, hopefully someone can answer...

As an Excelsior student, will I still have to pay for all the exams I take? If so, does anyone know the current costs of CLEP RCE and DANTES?

Any help anyone can provide will be greatly appreciated. Thanks to everyone here who is helping everyone out there find their way to a non-traditional degree!

Dominic

 

Welcome, Dominic! You'll find kindred souls and welcome assitance here.

You will still have to pay for your exams, but they don't cost much. Defiance College, where I take my exams, charges a $19.00 fee per exam, plus the test fee, which is $30.00 for a DANTES exam and $44.00 for a CLEP exam. I've earned six credit hours for several of the CLEP exams, making my cost per hour a little more than $10.00.

Have you checked into the GRE Subject exams, Dominic? I was able to earn 30 credit hours from Excelsior for a score of 580 on the History Subject exam, and the test fee was only $120.00.

I have completed 105 hours in my Excelsior Bachelor's degree program, with most of the hours coming from GRE, CLEP, and DANTES exams. I'd be glad to help you if you have any questions.

Good Luck, Dominic!

Regards,


Tony

 

Clep and Dantes test prices have two componets. A Clep/Dantes fee and a test site charge. In general terms figure $50 to $60 for the regular test and you'll be safe. Where I am at a Clep site has been hard to fine but I have found one that is helpful. A Dantes site has been much tougher. I have found one site that does internal only testing and one that might do external testing. There are several very small military sites that also might do it. My backup is a large military base 2.5 hrs north of here that does testing 5 days a week. They do testing for family members of military personality. I am not sure if they will do testing for civilians. If you have specific questions please post and good luck in your task.

 

Answer - Yes, and this is noted in the costing of the Excelsior degrees as detailed in BA in 4 Weeks .

Answer - Individual exam costs are addressed in the Frequently Asked Questions section of the BA in 4 Weeks guide. Prices are subject to frequent revision. http://www.geocities.com/ba_in_4_weeks/FAQs.html


BA in 4 Weeks FAQs - QUOTE . . . .

"· Wont it end up costing more than portfolio assessment and be slower?

9) The cost per 3-semester hour test varies by exam type, and prices are always subject to change, but, including administration fees, average cost are in the ball park of $35, $54, $120, $240, per 3 semester hours, for DANTES, CLEP, RCE objective, RCE essay. Note that further saving can be had by using CLEP General Exams at around $54 per 6 semester hours, and GRE subject exams at around $200 per 30 semester hours. Note again, that prices include all exam administration fees and transcript fees.

If a learner enrolls in an Excelsior College program, there is no fee for transcription of credits. The initial enrollment fee is around $800 and a graduation fee of around $440. The total amount paid to the college therefore, need be no more than $1240 or there abouts (prices subject to change).

Total costs including books, exam fees, transcripts, and all college fees, will be around $4000+, to complete a 120 semester hour bachelor's degree, from scratch in around four weeks. "

END QUOTE . . . .



Notes . . .

1. Here, "transcripts", refers to exam results notifications, which are sent directly to your college(s) of choice at no extra charge. Subsequent notifications (at some later date) of the same exam results would incur an extra charge.


2. As noted elsewhere in the Guides, GRE subject exam fees are $130 (US territories) not $200 (will have to change that). Outside the US, $150.


3. With the introduction of CLEP CBT end July 2001, CLEP went to no penalty questions. No letter grades were awarded until enough data had been accumulated to "grade the curve". This now has been done, and it seems and the new required scores are available on the Excelsior web site. A link to the CLEP CBT required minimum passing scores has been available on the BA in 4 Weeks web site. This will be updated soon to include the latest letter grade scoring data. http://www.geocities.com/ba_in_4_weeks/clepcbt.html


4. Under the old CLEP scoring system, the CLEP general exams standard scores ran 200 to 800 with ACE recommended passing scores set at 500 or there abouts. Excelsior, however, accepted scores down to 420. The CLEP general exams now follow the common 20 to 80 standard score system, and Excelsior now require a standard score of 50 for a pass. This *may* translate to an effective increase in the minimum effective pass threshold in the general exams for award of credit at Excelsior College. It should be noted however, that there may not be a linear relationship of equivalence between the old scoring system and the new scoring system, as it relates to the CLEP general exams (though it sure looks like there is).


5. The CBT CLEP subject exams retain the 20 - 80 standard score system.


6. Exam fees listed are inclusive of exam center service fees (estimated) as noted in the guide text.


Lawrie Miller
BA in 4 Weeks