CLEP Social Sciences and History

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 Social Sciences and History

    About 120 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes.


    Official Social Sciences and History Exam Description
    http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/ex_ssh.html


    I scored a 65/80 on this exam. As is my custom, I got to the testing site about an hour before my exam to review the books and answer some practice exam questions; it helped me to get in the right frame of mind for the exam. The official exam description above is accurate, so study accordingly. For the sake of time, I did not study world history; therefore, the world history questions were the toughest for me. I studied for about 20 hours for the exam, which was more than enough. If I had to do it over again, I would have spent more time on Western civilization and world history.


    To prepare, I used the specific Cliffs Quick Notes books for each subject (link below). I also used some Idiot’s Guide to… books. The Cliffs Quick Notes series is MUCH better, in my opinion. If I had to do it over again, I would have just used only the Cliffs Quick Notes books. I checked all of the books out from the library, and I accessed practice tests via my library account (from home). Make sure you take advantage of your local library’s ability to get books from other libraries and online offerings. It doesn’t hurt to ask! My local library purchases about half of the books that I request. I request two books per month, and they buy one. If my local library system doesn’t have the book, they either buy it or get it for me via Inter-Library Loan. ASK!

    Over and above what is listed in the official exam description (link above), know the following:
    • Major world religions and the their basic beliefs
    • The U.S. Constitution (Articles and Amendments)

    Cliffs Quick Notes Series
    http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=cliffs+quick+notes&x=14&y=20

    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/DODHu...2894&HubPage=9


    Always check your local library for a book before you buy it. If they don’t have the book, request a purchase. When I buy used books, I buy used from Amazon.com and Half.com. Also, I search for the best price using the following:

    www.campusbooks.com
    www.addall.com
    www.allbookstores.com

    Also, Google Book Search has LOADS of books that are partially and completely viewable online. For example: http://books.google.com/books?lr=&q=psychology+textbook&btnG=Search+Books
     
  2. Sowak777

    Sowak777 New Member

  3. Sowak777

    Sowak777 New Member

    Also, I found the GED test prep books to be helpful for this exam. My local library had a lot of GED preparation books, so I checked out a few and took some of the social studies practice tests. They helped.

    The Standard Deviants videos are pretty juvenile, but they have value:
    http://studio4learning.tv/sub_subject.php?id=0&pl=42

    Flashcard Exchange has millions of free flashcards. Search for what you need.
    http://www.flashcardexchange.com/
     
  4. Sowak777

    Sowak777 New Member

  5. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    I used the Comex book and passed this one. It was not really easy but a quick 6 credits with about 2 weeks of study.
     
  6. thatbrian

    thatbrian New Member

  7. soupbone

    soupbone Active Member

    As always I must thanks all of you who helped me. I took the SS&H this morning and got a 61! Here is the crazy part. I studied for 2 weeks for around 2-3 hours a day. I used REA, Peterson's and the Official CLEP guide. During the test I only noticed around 15-20 questions max that were similar to ones I had studied. Most of the questions were ones I remember from courses I took in high school but it was strange seeing so many that I had not seen before. Like many have pointed out this test is very broad. I can also say that it appeared that around 50% of the questions were U.S. History. As far as the rest of the test learn the basic players in Sociology like Freud, Durkheim, Weber, etc. and also know the basics of Economics.
     
  8. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    I used the REA general CLEP study guide for this one, and also did not study world history at all. It was my weakest subject, so rather than skim it- I skipped it and hit the other subjects harder. There is a lot of US History- and I would say my version was heaviest on events up through the civil war/reconstruction.
    I had already taken US History 1 and 2, intro psych, educational psych, growth and development, anthropology, and intro sociology before sitting this exam. If you take it after those courses/exams, I think you'll find this exam very straightforward and super basic. It is very broad though, and REA provides a great general overview of the sub-subjects of the exam.
     
  9. Simeon2009

    Simeon2009 New Member

    I used the Comex study guide for this as well as Princeton Review's Cracking the CLEP. I think I also skimmed through the REA CLEP General Exams study guide. This is not overly difficult, but it's not easy, either. I passed with a 70. :)
     

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