Accounting Clep, can I pass?

Hello all,

I'd like to begin by thanking everyone for the great information they post on this site every day. A degree is possible!


How can i prepare for the accounting Clep? Does anyone have any experience with the accounting clep that they wish to share? What to study, what is on the exam, any input would be great!

Bill

 

I can't offer much help, but maybe my experience can at least offer a little insight. I would probably say accounting was the hardest exam for credit I took. I used the Barron's 'accounting the easy way' book, studied about 8-10 hours, and came out with a 54 (not a great score, but passing). I think what makes this exam hard is that accounting is silly and overcomplex (at least in my opinion). It seems anytime any money changes hands you have to write something down like 8 different times...remind me to never be an accountant. Anyhow, I can't remember much about the content, but I vaguely remember that it's not important to know how to create the journals, ledgers, ect, but more important to know the reasoning behind the entries you make. My complaint about the Barron's book would be that it seemed to really concentrate its practice excercises by having you write out pages and pages of ledgers and journals.

 

Thanks for the feed back! A win is a win & a 54 is a pass! Did you have any accounting experience before the test?

 

Nopes, not a bit of experience or knowledge of accounting. I don't even balance my checkbook.

 

CLEP Accounting covers the material which many accountants have told me is categorically the most difficult: The introductory, foundation materials that confuse everyone who's never had to think like an accountant. It's not intuitive, it's just a collection of definitions and rules that you either know or don't know.

Fortunately, I knew enough of them (and guessed correctly on enough) to also pull off a 54. I reviewed the sample test in the "official" CLEP book, coupled with a review of a basic college-level Introductory Accounting book (really, they're all pretty much the same.) I concentrated on the areas most likely to be on the test, as described in the CLEP book. The total investment was around 10 hours.

If you're planning to continue on to more advanced accounting courses, take solace in knowing that virtually everything covered in the Introductory courses will be re-taught in Intermediate Accounting. If you're not planning to continue, take the 6 credits and make good your escape.

 

Yep, have to agree. Accounting is very counter-intuitive. I used to think that I wanted to be a CPA until I started to take an advanced accounting class. Those days are now happily behind me. I would prefer the Chinese water torture over a career in accounting.

Cy