CLEP Analyzing and Interpreting Literature

Discussion in 'CLEP, DANTES, and Other Exams for Credit' started by Sowak777, Dec 29, 2008.

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  1. Sowak777

    Sowak777 New Member

    CLEP Analyzing and Interpreting Literature

    About 80 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes. There is an optional essay that is not required by the Big Three.

    Official Analyzing and Interpreting Literature Exam Description
    http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/ex_ail.html

    I scored a 78/80 on this exam. I used the below book to prepare. A few questions will deal with literary terms, so it will help to review them. Taking the practice tests in the book and online was very helpful. Also, I got to the testing site about an hour before my exam to review the book and answer some practice exam questions; it helped me to get in the right frame of mind for the exam. The exam is simply reading and then analyzing and interpreting literature. If you do well on the practice tests, then you are ready for the real exam.

    REA Analyzing and Interpreting Literature CLEP Test Prep
    http://www.amazon.com/CLEP-Analyzing-Interpreting-Literature-REA/dp/0878918973/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230427928&sr=1-2

    My local library purchased the above book when I requested that it be purchased. My local library purchases about half of the books that I request. I request two books per month, and they buy one. It doesn't hurt to ask.

    Literary Terms
    http://www.masconomet.org/teachers/trevenen/litterms.htm

    http://mrbraiman.home.att.net/lit.htm
    http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/lit_terms/


    Online Practice Tests
    My local library provides free access to Peterson’s practice exams via their website. Check your local library for availability. If they don’t offer it, then request it.

    Also: http://www.guidancenet.com/dod/DODHubPage.aspx?sponsor=12894&HubPage=9

    I have read many opinions on this exam, and I agree, that it is on the easy side and is a great place to begin your credit by examination journey. Good luck.
     
  2. Shawn Ambrose

    Shawn Ambrose New Member

    This was the first CLEP that my daughter took - we used the CLEP Official Study Guide:

    http://www.amazon.com/College-Board-Official-Study-Guide/dp/0874477883/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230544741&sr=8-2

    For practice exams - we used REA's book:

    http://www.amazon.com/CLEP-Analyzing-Interpreting-Literature-REA/dp/0878918973/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230544842&sr=1-1 (picked it up used).

    If you are well read - this is a good CLEP to begin the journey. Sowak's comments are right on.

    Shawn
     
  3. Sowak777

    Sowak777 New Member

  4. Alissa

    Alissa New Member

    I took this one cold. It is basically a large reading comprehension exam. If you can read a poem, or a bit of Elizabethan English, and understand what it means, then you will be fine on this one, especially if you like to read.:p
     
  5. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator


    All I used was the REA book and it was pretty easy.
     
  6. operalady

    operalady New Member

    We used the Lit section of the Comex Humanities exam, only because we had it on hand. I also found good practice in Barron's AP English Literature. The analysis sections of that particular text were invaluable.

    Make sure you know the basic lit lerms (metaphor, simile, personification and such). I made a nifty power point to practice them.
     
  7. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

  8. thatbrian

    thatbrian New Member

    Passed today with a 65 with no study. I did take two Peterson's tests to prep myself, but in this case, the actual test was more difficult than the Peterson's practice tests.

    The clock was nerve racking on this one, watching it tick away made it very difficult to concentrate on what I was reading. Since time was of the essence I read the question first, then went to the passage for the answer. It worked for me and I finished with about two minutes to spare.
     
  9. operalady

    operalady New Member

    Edited for links.
     
  10. soupbone

    soupbone Active Member

    I took this one today and got a 60. I can't really offer any advice except that if you find yourself not being able to understand what a poems meaning is then you should really brush up on it.

    I found this test to be more difficult than the English comp test and I found myself second guessing many of my answers. I think like many people have said here that there is no real way to study for it except to learn about "Literary Devices". Even then there were maybe 3 questions in reference to literary terms. Hope this helps a little. :)
     
  11. Lauradglas

    Lauradglas New Member

    I got a 72 on this one and I took it cold. I think if you're an avid reader you can take it without prep.
     
  12. Simeon2009

    Simeon2009 New Member

    I actually studied for this test for about an hour, reviewing the literary terms from the REA book. I also took the REA practice test and got a 57. I then took the actual CLEP exam soon after and scored a 75.

    I don't think anyone should spend too much time studying for this test.

    So, the actual exam is much easier than the REA practice test! :)
     
  13. SGTNOW

    SGTNOW New Member

    Awesome Information Gang

    Thanks to all of you who gave me some awesome tips here. I will get ready for the lit exam. Thanks again folks.

    Warmest Regards,
    Rob
     
  14. MISin08

    MISin08 New Member

    I scored a 75 on this today. I prepared using REA, Petersons tests and skimming Idiot's English Literature. I think I reviewed some websites on literary devices but did not systematically study them. In the test, I tried as much as possible to skim the passage - answer what I could, go back read in detail, answer the rest, and avoid marking for review. I did mark perhaps a dozen for review hoping they would 'sink in'. I watched the clock up to the halfway point of the test with a little over half the questions answered, after that I paid less attention.

    My background: I'm reasonably well-read, but not so much in a college lit canon sort of way. Last time I was in a literature class, Happy Days and Farrah were still the rage. So my greatest strength going in was reading comprehension, rather than experience with a wide range of literature. I come & go on poetry; it often leaves me impatient due to its indirectness (and I think putting Emily Dickinson on a timed test is simply cruel!). To get myself in a frame of mind to look at poems, I made a habit of browsing Poetry 180 for a while, but that was over 6 months ago.

    Given my strengths I focused on passing practice tests rather than doing a lot of reading. REA tests were much harder to me than the CLEP -- I had trouble finishing in time and passed, but not with the margin I like to have. Two of the pieces in the REA exams were on the CLEP, which was nice, though the questions were different. Peterson was much closer to the CLEP in scope and difficulty of question content. and I was scoring in the 70s on those. Going in to the test today, I felt confident of breaking 60, but I was a little surprised to break 70.

    One bit of advice I might be able to add is: choose the obvious answer, don't over-interpret. If there are two answer choices that look right and you're not sure, the one most related to the passage (rather than to the work as a whole) is probably the one the test is looking for.

    Phillip
     
  15. PonyGirl93

    PonyGirl93 Member

    Just passed with a 74 using the REA study guide. I read through it and studied some of the literary terms, but none of the terms I studied helped me at all. Anyone who is good at reading comp shouldn't need to study this at all, just possible take some practice tests to get the hang of it. I didn't use anything I read in the book (and the practice tests were harder than the real thing). Easy.
     

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