Unixman's CLEP Oddysey :)

BigBadVR4

Are you getting your degree through Charter Oak? What did you use to prepare for the Technical Writing exam (I want to eventually take that exam). What do you think happened with regard to your failing the Humanities Clep initially? What did you do differently to prepare for (and pass it) the second time? I want to be as prepared as possible when taking any of these exams because, they state that if you fail it, you have to wait 6 months before testing again. Any other helpful hints you can provide to us newbies? Thank you!

 

I am going to Excelsior.

On most of my initial cleps I did absolutely no preperaton. With Technical Writing I did no prep, and I thought it was easy.

For the Humanities Clep I watched some videos that I got from the military base nearby. It blew me away. The second time I took it I only used instantcert and studied for about 4 days. I passed it no problem. Humanities was a tough test for me, I have a hard time just memorizing who painted what, or who wrote what. That test is alot about memorizing a very broad collection of stuff versus knowing what each actual book was about. I also only used instantcert.com for Principles of Microeconomics, I studied for 2 days. This is all I am going to use for Principles of Macroeconomics and US History II.

 

Just want to say I don't want to be hijacking this thread from Unixman, or taking anything away from his accomplishments. But this looks like as good of place as any soooo..

I just passed Principles of Macroeconomics with a 66, only needed a 60 to get an A by Excelsiors standards. The only thing I used was instantcert.com, which I sutdied for about 8 hours total over the course of 3 days.

I have US History 2 on Monday at 1:30. I will only use instantcert for that one also.

 

Congrats, BigBad ...

Just a quick update. This week (Tuesday) I'll be taking two TECEP exams (Database Management and BASIC Programming). Should be a quick 6 credits there.

This Thursday I will be taking the CLEP Accounting exam - I'm dreading it, but I need to get it out of the way. Taking it now, so if for some reason I don't pass, I can retake it again at the first of next year. I should pass it, but you never know with these damn things ...

Also, as some of you know, I have been evaluating graduate schools for my MBA once my BSBA from TESC is in the can. I believe I have finally decided upon NYIT/Ellis College.

I evaluated at least two dozen schools, including the usual cast of suspects - ranging from the higher end to the barely accredited. I chose NYIT/Ellis because of:

• Completely online
• Low time to completion - each term is only 6 weeks long (yep!), and terms start every 3 weeks. Plus, you can double up the courseload and take 2 courses at a time - meaning you could earn an MBA in as little as 10-11 months, although if you don't double up you can still get it in 18 months).
• No GMAT requirement (key for me, because prepping for and taking the GMAT would only frustrate me, piss me off, and slow me down lol)
• Degree conferred from New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), which is reputable, well-established, and regionally accredited
• A bit cheaper than some of the other schools on my short list (but still steep at around 25K or so).
• Can earn an MBA with a concentration in Technology Management (which I want for resume purposes)
• This is the old Cardean program now under the umbrella of a RA school - so these courses were developed in conjunction with some of the best business schools around (Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, etc). Makes for great talking points in a job interview.

I spoke to an advisor for a bit on the phone the other day, and was able to walk through a demo course on Marketing. Fantastic stuff. It is all done in a role play fashion - where you assume the role of a consultant, and you watch videos of your client discussing their situation, then you run off and do their assignments. Very interactive, and looks like it will be fun to boot.

I am at 65 credits officially on my TESC transcript, but if I count the PLAs that I have outstanding, and the tests that I have in the hopper, I am sitting (unofficially) at 102 credits. The end of the tunnel is near!

Sadly though, I've saved the hardest courses for last (Statistics, College Algebra/Trig, and Finance). Grrr.

Will post an update on my tests after I take them this week ...

Cheers.

 

Well, an update from my US History 2 test. I failed by 2 points. Crap. Oh well. I am going to replace it with something else, not sure just what yet.

 

Unixman, was it of any concern to you that the NYIT/Ellis program is not AACSB accreditated (at least from what I can tell)? I believe most of the other programs that you had been looking at were AACSB, just curious if this played any role in your decision. Other than that, the program does look very good, and I really like the flexible and short scheduling.

 

BigBad, sorry to hear that. 2 points isn't a lot - know that you've seen the test material, I'll bet you could prep in areas you felt weak in and retake it (if it fits within your degree window).

Rant, yes, that did occur to me. I wish it were AACSB accredited, but I felt that RA was good enough for my purposes. No one puts "AACSB" on their resume, so the only time it would ever come back on me is if some HR person checks to see if NYIT is on the AACSB list, which I can't see happening all that frequently.

Cheers.

 

Well, I just got back from taking the two TECEP exams on BASIC Programming and Database Management. Thoughts below:

TECEP - BASIC Programming

A very easy exam overall. The sample questions on the TESC site are in line with what is on the test.

If you have never programmed in BASIC, you can still pass this test. BASIC reads like "pseudo code" for the most part. Figuring out the logic of a small 5-10 line program is fairly elementary.

I last programmed in BASIC around 1985, so it has been almost 20 years lol. Nevertheless, it all came back when I started going through the questions. Did all 100 questions in about 30 minutes time.

In both instances, you can use a little trick I learned a long time ago. It works on any test, really, but even more so with tests on programming languages. If you have a question on syntax, or a particular function, flip to the back of the exam. That is where they tend to put the longer questions, where they give you a 1 page program and ask you 5-10 questions on it. Look for hints about the proper syntax or function arguments in their own code. Then go back to your original question and pick up a free point.

If you need to study for this exam, things to study are:

• Know what "REM" is. REM is short for REMark (remark). Its what is used to comment lines in BASIC. Lol. I'll bet there were 3 questions on this! (i.e. What does this do?: 100 REM LET X=5 ... the answer is, nothing. Its a comment.)
• READ, DATA - 5-10 questions include coverage of these in one way or another
• Flow control (GOTO, GOSUB)
• Know the difference between numeric variables and string variables ("X" vs. "X$")
• Know the LEN() function
• Know the string functions (LEFT, RIGHT, MID)
• Know what "ON X=5 GOSUB 100, 200, 300" does
• Know that a semicolon at the end of a PRINT line suppresses the normal newline that would be printed, and keeps subsequent output on that same line

They don't get into implementation-specific functions such as the old PEEK, POKE, or any graphic primitives that were in some dialects of BASIC. This is fundamental stuff here.

Search around on google for "BASIC programming language tutorial" or primer, etc. You will find lots to keep you busy. Know the basics (no pun intended) and you will easily pass this one.

I won't know my grade until TESC gets the exam back from my proctor and grades it, so who knows how long that will be ... But, I passed this test easily, no doubt about it.

TECEP - Database Management

I'm glad I had such an easy time with the BASIC exam, because I can honestly say that the TECEP for Database Management was the most antiquated, convoluted, and overly ambiguous exam I have ever taken. No, I am not kidding! I have been working with various databases for 15-20 years, and this test really pissed me off.

It covers a LOT of old theory. If that wasn't bad enough, there were several questions which, by today's standards, could have more than one possible answer. I was left to figure out their intent on my own. A royal pain in the ass, this one ...

One question I got was:

Which of the following is an example of a database management system.

- XBase
- Paradox
- Prodigy
- Excel

I chose Xbase, because well, it is a DBMS. However, on the drive home, I remembered that "Paradox" was an old DBMS system put out by Borland, and now owned by Corel I think. Given the apparent age of this exam, that is probably what they were looking for. I missed that one, I'm sure, and it ticks me off, too. By the way, Excel, theoretically, could also be used a database, although it isn't a full DBMS. Prodigy is, of course, the wrong answer lol.

Things to know:

• Know the basics of relational databases and SQL (obviously). Know the differences between database, tables, rows, columns (also called attributes or fields).
• Know the basic elements of an ERD (entity relationship diagram) - 3-5 questions on this
• Know general database theory. Know that "tuples" is the old word for what we call "rows" today. Know that users don't configure their access rights, but database administrators do, etc.
• Know about indexes, primary keys, and foreign keys - easy ones here, but 5-10 questions
• One question on what BCNF was - I had no idea, so I guessed - searching the net reveals that it is apparently the "Boyd-Codd Normal Form". Whatever ...
• Speaking of Codd, know that Edgar Codd invented the relational database (that one I actually remembered from ages ago).

Honestly, I have no idea whether or not I passed this exam or not. If I did pass it, it will be close, as I believe the passing rate is 60 out of 100 questions. There were easily 40 questions that either

Next up, CLEP Accounting, two days from now! Off to study some more ...

Cheers.

 

Another update for the afternoon - TESC applied my DANTES MIS exam and my 1 FEMA credit (finally) .... woot!

 

Good Luck

Uni,
Good luck on your Accounting Clep today. Kick some booty. 3 more credits closer to your Bachelors!

 

Just got back from taking the MOACT (Mother of All CLEP Tests): CLEP Accounting.

I was sure I flunked it, but ended up scoring a 59, my lowest score yet, but its still a pass, so 6 more credits to the pot!

Thoughts below:

This exam is hard as hell. Whatever studying you are doing, it will not be enough. You most likely *WILL* be overwhelmed on this test, unless you have a practicing accounting background.

I practically ran out of time - came down to the final 2 minutes. So I ended up guessing on a few questions.

Things to definitely know:

• Basics of double entry accounting (credits vs. debits, etc.)
• The accounting concepts and what they mean (matching principle, conservatism, entity, going concern, etc).
• There were a lot of questions about inventories and managing costs (job vs. process costing, cost allocation, etc.)
• Know about dividends and how they affect the accounting equation
• Financial statements - cash flow, balance sheet, income statement - know the differences!

I read through the CliffReview Accounting Principles I (and part of II). This alone will not be enough to pass IMHO.

I highly recommend the following book, which I ordered and spent a few weeks going through. The powerpoint slides (called "Ready Notes") and online quizzes they have on their web site are top notch, and really helped!

http://college.hmco.com/accounting/needles/2002e/fm/students/index.html

They really should allow you to use a calculator on this one (or at least use the computer-based calculator). It would have made this test a little easier. The numbers they give you are all nice round numbers (100,000, etc.). But still ... division sucks no matter what the numbers are lol.

Next up, DANTES Principles of Finance ...

Cheers.

 

Great Job!

Congrats!!!! That is how I felt after Business Finance. Check out degreeforum for tips on Finance. So far, that was my hardest Dantes. Then again, I don't think I would have passed Accounting. I took those as guided study at TESC. Also your CLEP score at TESC doesn't give grades anyways, so 56-80 are still CR (credit). You're almost DONE!

 

Thanks, Ult.

Also, at TESC, a CLEP scaled score of 50 is considered a pass on 9% of the CLEPS (including accounting).

Finally, the accounting CLEP was 78 questions long, and you only have an hour and a half for the exam. I went through the entire exam first, quickly answering all the "low-hanging fruit" - the easy ones, then went back to the beginning and started working out the problems. Probably a decent strategy ...

 

Just got confirmation that I passed my two TECEPS on BASIC and Database Management. 6 more credits to the pot!

 

You need to add those 6 credits to your signature line! Congrats!

 

This post is FANTASTIC. Care to share how much you've spent on tests so far and fees to TESC?

I've got my SIL, BIL, mom, brother, and one friend all very interseted in taking this route to complete their Bachelor's. The first question everyone has asked is "how much will all the tests cost?"

Thanks.

 

The 6 credits are already counted in my signature line - my 6 credits for the Accounting CLEP are not on the official tally yet, as I only update that when TESC transcripts something.

As far as costs, this is just an estimate, but here goes, as measured against my degree plan:

TESC - comprehensive tuition - non-resident = $5K this covers 9 PLAs (prior learning assessment, portfolio, et al), 3 TECEP exams, and 1 online class.

CLEP exams x14 ($15 proctor fee, $50 test fee) = $910. (NOTE: CLEP fee just went up to $55).

DANTES exams x3 ($80 per, if I recall) = $240.

Miscellanous expenses (books, videos, study guides, temporary instantcert.com subscription, etc.) = $500.

Total estimate cost to be around $6,500 - $7,000.

Cheers.

 

hello unixman,

thanks for all of your good posting, it has been a great help to me.

i have a question for you that i would like to ask. please email me [email protected]

thanks,

jeremy

 

What did you use to prepare for Comp w/essay?

 

I would highly recommend Princeton Review's "Cracking the CLEP" book ...