Opinion on Lit. CLEPS

Blessings to all!

who has taken these CLEPS?

American Literature
Analyzing and interpreting Literature
English Literature
College Algebra

Thank you mucho

Chris

 

I've taken two of them. Analyzing and Interpreting Lit. is just a reading comprehension test. I didn't study a bit and did just fine. My advice is to take the sample test and see how you do, but I am really not sure how to even study for this one. . .

I also took College Algebra. I worked through the Schaum's Outline by the same name to brush up on my algebra and found that the Shaum's more than prepared me for the test! If you had a couple years of Algebra in high school, you should just need to review the material. Otherwise, you will probably need some serious studying to do well.

 

I took Analyzing and Interpreting Lit. and used the REA study guide (which I am selling on Amazon). It was a pretty easy test.

 

thanks guys...

did either of you take the American Lit. or the Brit. Lit??

Chris

 

Easy or not, some need some guidance. I found the REA guide to this misleading (i.e., the sample exams). The review is better but actually overwritten and overly long.

THE best source for quick review is the second-half of "Cracking The AP English" by Princeton Review: it's brief, concise, helpful, and the sample tests much better. The only thing to keep in mind is that the AP multiple choice is only 60 minutes (for XX many questions); The CLEP Anal. and Interp. of Lit. is, of course, 90 minutes with around 80 questions.

--Orson

 

For American Lit CLEP. I'm reading "The Complete Idiot's Guide to American Literature" by Laurie E. Rozkis--it provides good selections of the literature.

For ENglish Lit CLEP, All you need to pass is "English Literature (Barron's Ez-101 Study Keys)" by Benjamin W. Griffith.

One-third of each exam is period and person and style details. Two-thirds, however, integrate such context recognition info with interpretation and comprehension. Therefore to do better than just pass one may need more. For examle, I'm doing close to two-thirds just with the above (partly read)--not quite enough for the 77% rate Lawrie Miller advises for the "sure A-level" results.


Therefore I'm studying from two more textbooks:
"Norton Anthology of English Literature, The Major Authors,"
which covers 34 greats (available at half.com for $5-8, plus lost of great lit in case you've never been exposed to it othewise); "REAs AP English Literarture and Composition," (which covers American AND English lit), because it gives shorter test-like examples with lots of multiple choice material to test one's comprehension against. I'm using both to brush up on titles and lit terms I missed on the CLEP sample exam--which provides great hints at what I need to know for the exam.

And finally "Quick Lit" by Seth Godin and Frank N. Magill's
"Masterplots" to do quick glosses on Shakespeare plays and 19th and 20th century novels I'm aquainted with (either through reading or "the movie")!

These should do it.
Remember, one can't know everything. Thus, I'm reminding myself of what I do or did know and adding to that strategically.
-
-Orson

 

Question for Christopher (or others)...

In taking the sample exam for the CLEP English lit, I noticed no questions on authors or examples that would fit under prose classics of literature, i.e., Lock, Hobbes, Carlysle...

Is this also true for the real exams (Eng lit or Am Lit)?

--Orson

 

***CORRECTION FOR ABOVE***

NOT "Cracking The AP English," but
Princeton Review for the ***SAT II*** English!

If anyone has been misled by my mistake, I apologize, but the former has little material of use, while the latter has a decent and judicious amount--and, it was, in fact, what I actually used!!! (Sorry--these test prep series can be confusing--there are so many names--but sorry again!)

--Orson

 

Re: Question for Christopher (or others)...

According to my vague, eight-year-old memories, yes; very strong preference for fiction, poetry, and plays. Though think I do remember some stuff about Camus' nonfiction in the Lit GRE.


Cheers,