CLEP exams vs 16 week semester courses

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by saiga, Jan 8, 2009.

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  1. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    Since I am the one that did it - I think it is fine!

    When you use terms like "brain dump" it seems as if you are leaning toward the MCSE Brain Dump sites. Let's be clear, a CLEP demonstrates knowledge you have. I passed several of the tests based on knowledge gained from the classes I took at California Coast University (not regionally accreditied). I did not cram for the tests. As far as the comparision to the CCNA, think of it as someone with 3-5 experience sitting for the test rather then someone that finishes the CCNA 5 day Boot Camp and passes the test. There is a difference between knowing the material and knowing how to pass a test. When I got my MCSE in 2000 I took about 8 months to complete the classes and each one was 6 weeks. I learned the material and knew it when I sat for the test. I know exactly what you are talking about.

    Well, I graduated from Touro University's MS-ITM program after being accepted without questions, gradauted from the University of Florida's graduate certificate program in Healthcare Risk Management and was accepted into the masters program, and was accepted to California State University's MA in Humanities program. That was a conditional acceptance because they could not confirm letter grades on my transcript. So, to answer your question - hey perceive it as a regionally accreditied degree that meets the requirements for admission.
     
  2. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    Maybe not as prepared as someone else but you learn quickly :D . How hard is it to follow a rule? You enter class, you're told to turn in the paper in APA format, you look at an APA book, you do the work.
     
  3. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    Which school are you looking at? I know so Physician's Assistant school will not allow CLEP's for some core classes like biology, AP, and chem.
     
  4. pooples

    pooples New Member

    I took 20 (and passed 18) CLEP and DANTES exams over the course of two years while I was in the Air Force. Initially it was to finish my general education requirements for my A.A.S. degree, but then I just started taking them because they were free and I could do it during work hours. I'm glad I did because I decided to pursue my B.S. and the CLEPs knocked out a lot of credits. These were classes that I didn't want to take anyway and didn't have any impact on my major learning. My wife is thinking about a nursing degree when she gets out of the Air Force. I told her to CLEP the English and Math and Social Science, but that she needs to attend the Biology and Science classes because that's what she needs to learn. That's the way I see it.

    I took them because they were free. I never studied once before any test. But I had that going for me. If you can take them and pass them, go for it. I just recommend to only CLEP material that you really know or don't need to know to apply you degree to your job or profession.
     
  5. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    Yeah, but where are you getting the MA from? There's no way I'd get accepted into the program I'm looking at for grad school if I had CLEP'd out of my entire degree.>>

    I used CLEP (among other types of tests) to complete nearly all of my gen ed requirements and was accepted into all the programs I applied to. (I'm also 38 which I think makes a difference) I didn't apply for a B&M PhD program though, of which I would have been unqualified (lacking research experience), however, with the thousands of master's programs, I felt confident that I would have no trouble choosing where I wanted to go. I will say that testing out of the entire degree causes problems for the "graded credit' requirements inside your major and a cumulative GPA. I completed only courses in my major, so this wasn't an issue. I would expect that this would still not be an issue for most people, especially since there are so many master's degrees with open enrollment.

    Some of us didn't actually party that much in college...instacert, I hear, is a really easy way to study for CLEP exams. It's not difficult to memorize a bunch of flash cards...

    This is true, but the IC flash cards are not the test questions...They are study cards. Are you implying that IC is giving answers/cheating or that flash cards are an inferior study method? I can't tell.

    PS...how are you going to be prepared for graduate school if you never completed a paper and used proper citation(MLA or APA)?

    I would agree with this challenge, however, not everyone has plans to earn a master's degree- they may already be well situated in their career and simply "check the box." For those who will be required to write, they need to be prepared.

    I think that you have to remember, CLEP credit is for 100 and 200 level gen ed classes- we are not talking about people going into the workforce as doctors unprepared! Gen ed classes are foundation courses, introduction, or surveys. Having a general understanding of the topic is the goal of the course.

    Perhaps you took calculus in high school, and 3 years later you go to your community college to start your AA degree. Your community college requires 3 credits of 100 level math for you to graduate with an AA (which they all do) You can go to the testing center and take the college math exam in an hour- done. No cost, not repetition, no homework, no review. Did you miss something? Or was the goal of the community college simply to verify that you had a basic ability?
     
  6. saiga

    saiga member

    This is true, but the IC flash cards are not the test questions...They are study cards. Are you implying that IC is giving answers/cheating or that flash cards are an inferior study method? I can't tell.


    No, I'm implying that IC allows a person to store a bunch of definitions, without application, into their short term memory.

    "I would agree with this challenge, however, not everyone has plans to earn a master's degree- they may already be well situated in their career and simply "check the box."

    Yeah, but I was directing that question at someone who said they tested out of their entire undergrad degree and said they were pursuing graduate studies. So you agree with me then.

    I think that you have to remember, CLEP credit is for 100 and 200 level gen ed classes

    Oh really? Last time I checked, principles of marketing and principles of management CLEP exams counted as upper division credit(301 and 302)at the school I attend. Do I agree that it should be? No.

    Did you miss something? Or was the goal of the community college simply to verify that you had a basic ability?

    I completed a lot of gen eds at a 4 year university, not a community college. All of my classes were hands on and provided a great platform for sharing ideas. I missed nothing. Did you?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 9, 2009
  7. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    No, I'm implying that IC allows a person to store a bunch of definitions, without application, into their short term memory.


    Have you taken A & P? LOL


    Yeah, but I was directing that question at someone who said they tested out of their entire undergrad degree and said they were pursuing graduate studies. So you agree with me then.


    Yes.


    Oh really? Last time I checked, principles of marketing and principles of management CLEP exams counted as upper division credit(301 and 302)at the school I attend. Do I agree that it should be? No.

    Each college decides if or how CLEP credit (or AP credit) is used. The ACE recommendations, I believe, are all for 100 and 200 levels. Since I'm not a business student, I'm really unsure of where those exams apply. However, that aspect is certainly outside the scope of what we are talking about- but you could always approach your dean if you have concerns.


    I completed a lot of gen eds at a 4 year university, not a community college. All of my classes were hands on and provided a great platform for sharing ideas. I missed nothing. Did you?

    Not relevant, but you missed my question, I wasn't being rhetorical...if someone took high school calculus, do they "miss something" by CLEPping out of college math 101? I would argue no, but there are too many variables to generalize that all CLEP either right or wrong for all students. I'm happy to share my opinions or experiences, but not really up for selling you on the process. It's available. It's legal. It's legitimate. If your college offers it, then they do. If not, <shrug> OK.
     
  8. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    Thanks for sharing your opinion. What school accepted CLEP's for upper level? I am sure everyone would be interested in knowing.
     
  9. saiga

    saiga member

    I was just correcting you, no need to get defensive.
     
  10. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    I know this was not directed towards me but I am still curious where you got your undergrad degree and what masters program will not accept a degree with CLEP's. Thanks-
     
  11. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    >>


    LOL- what needed correction?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 10, 2009
  12. PatsGirl1

    PatsGirl1 New Member

    What exactly were you "correcting" her on? She was just providing another perspective. AFAIK, even Ivy League schools will take some CLEPs or DSST exams.
    You do realize that you are coming on to a board of distance learners who may have completed such tests and basically implying that we missed out on a ton by testing, correct? Even if a blanket statement like that was true, it would not be true for everyone.

    For what it's worth, I missed nothing by testing out. I finished sooner, was able to get better job offers for more money to support my family, and I didn't have to sit in a classroom to do it. Caveat being, I wasn't the typical 18 year old college freshman. That person may need social interaction. I sure didn't. I had my share of B&M classes and it was enough.
     
  13. bazonkers

    bazonkers New Member

    I am really happy to have tested out of my degree as an adult learner but I am super grateful I did attend a B&M college when I was 18. Those were some great times and I made some great memories. I had a great time, maybe too great causing me to drop out and finish my degree later in life :)
     
  14. thatbrian

    thatbrian New Member

    I am taking my first few classes one at a time (distance) so I will ease into writing; I wont have a full course load. Also, the school offers help through their writing center.

    Bibliography software of course.
     
  15. Griffin

    Griffin Crazy About Psychology

    I think it's an easy assumption that everyone is somehow missing out on more knowledge by testing out of some courses. But realistically, the most that we are missing out on is the non-academic parts of school -- friends, shenanigans etc.

    I'm testing out of classes I wouldn't enjoy taking (or taking again), or courses where the politics can get in the way of learning. Meanwhile, all my study/research time is freed up to focus on my major. My major is the only thing that I will be doing for a career, so why bother sitting through sleep-inducing classes that I won't enjoy or even get anything out of???

    English Composition is a good example for me; I wrote a novel in high school and have always had a high level of english proficiency. So why waste $1'000 taking it at my current "warm-body" school or $2'500 taking it at my next school? I don't want to take out more student loans than I have to. Plus I'd hate it. Sure I can never remember what a Gerund is, but I can read/write/understand/analyze text -- and that is what is important when writing. Now if you're an English Major... well that's different.

    And I can attest to the fact that plenty of people sit through classes for 16 weeks and still barely squeak past finals -- and then promptly forget everything they struggled to "learn" 2 months later.

    I think medical majors are a bit different, so I won't touch the CCNA thing. But I would bet dollars to donuts that if a Pre-Med could test out of Anatomy, that they would in a heartbeat.

    If you have mastered the material already, why waste time on it?
     
  16. Griffin

    Griffin Crazy About Psychology

    I will also add that most of us here can learn proper paper formats in less than an hour, and you can always have the MLA handbook handy when writing.

    None of us are OMG tipyng liek dis WTF, so... Do people just think that everyone that tests out must be lazy, stupid and not able to write a frakking paper?
     
  17. BillDayson

    BillDayson New Member

    Some people learn a lot outside the classroom. They are well-read and have a great deal of practical experience. I don't have any problem with these people testing out of the occasional class, provided that the tests they take are credible.

    But yeah, I agree with you pretty emphatically when I read about people using exams as a way of avoiding education.

    I think that most people who do things like that are short-changing themselves. I don't believe that they come away knowing nearly as much about the material (whatever that material is) as somebody would who actually did the reading, thought about it, wrote about it, discussed it and used it.

    I don't think that it's credible. It's even worse than that; the phrase that comes to mind when I hear reports of people quickly racking up large amounts of credit in subjects that they've never seriously studied, is "accredited degree mill".

    When I was first posting on this board, I was among the more vociferous defenders of clepping. But I started having more and more misgivings as I read posts in which people boasted of passing exams in subjects that they'd never studied. When people started talking about earning entire quickie bachelors degrees that way, in as little as one month, I finally crossed the aisle and joined the ranks of the critics.
     
  18. ShotoJuku

    ShotoJuku New Member


    Precisely what I experienced as well. Ironically it is the "either you show up or not speech" given by the class professors that I remember most about go to a B&M school as a kid as opposed to what I was in the class to begin with.
     
  19. PatsGirl1

    PatsGirl1 New Member

    Ok now THAT made me laugh...
     
  20. PatsGirl1

    PatsGirl1 New Member

    I try not to judge others, but I do think it's a little weird to be done in a month or two lol...

    Then again, I CLEP/DSST'ed my way out of about 30-33 credits (I can't remember the exact total right this minute; I know it was 7 tests total) and I had enough after that. It let me get a year out of the way and get to where I could finish up quickly. Most of what I tested out of was the basic English tests- Amer Lit, English Lit, Analyzing and Interpreting Lit, Technical Writing, etc. That's because I already had those skills. Sure I had to read the Idiots Guide to American Lit to remind me of who some of the people were, but I didn't teach myself all of the info from scratch.

    But for someone who did that for an entire degree and passed, far be it for me to judge them. I took a similar route myself.
     

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