Seeking advice on testing out for Bachelors in Liberal Arts

Discussion in 'CLEP, DANTES, and Other Exams for Credit' started by AJ7, Jun 25, 2017.

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  1. AJ7

    AJ7 New Member

    Hi Everyone,

    Complete and utter newbie here (in my 50's so please be gentle!) I have many years' of working experience behind me but feel a degree would make the path smoother when looking at job opportunities. Only thing I have (in terms of academic) is GED equivalent.

    I've been reading through the bain4 and learned a bit from that and have read through various posts on different discussion boards/sites.

    My question (because people have different takes on it) is, for someone with zero credits and wanting to test out 100%, which college would be best? Some people (to other posters) have suggested Excelsior but then others favor the other 2 for different reasons (when referring to the 'big 3').

    I'd prefer not to have do a capstone if possible. I'd like to keep costs down and would prefer a college which is easy to deal with and which will accept the credits without issue (I've noticed some people say that the admin staff aren't quite so helpful at the big 3).

    Last but not least, I think I would do reasonably well by self study and then testing out - though I would definitely need to apply myself for Math and Science; with these two being my biggest obstacles (as I see it - eg. not my strong suit), again, which do you think would suit me best please?

    As to resources for self study, which platform/resource would you recommend please?

    I'm grateful for all advice, and if someone did post exactly what I have posted here, then please accept my apologies, I just haven't found my exact question. Thank you very much!

    AJ
     
  2. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    In general, testing out is faster and cheaper than actually "taking courses" toward a degree. On the other hand, it requires the ability to cram for exams in short periods - so it means tight focus for short periods, absorb the material and take the exam successfully one time. The best way to start (my opinion) is to pick a subject that you know relatively well (like maybe American History) and do what seems some reasonable prep work and take the exam. Your results will give you a sense of where you stand, how much work it will be to "wash, rinse, repeat" a bunch of times. If you have a weakness (like Math) you can always take a course at a place like LSU which is self-paced (in this case this means you can slow it down) or even sit in a real classroom in a local CC so you can ask lots of questions. As for the choice of schools, you should read every thread in this forum to help you decide. Start here

    http://www.degreeinfo.com/clep-dantes-other-exams-credit/29692-easiest-hardest-clep-dsst-exams-thread.html
     
  3. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

    Saylor might be the cheapest for testing out: https://www.saylor.org/credit/#available-courses

    If you're taking, for instance, the algebra course then you can go through that course more than once at no cost and before taking the test.

    But...

    ...the school from which you seek credit must accept ACE or NCCRS approved courses.

    Saylor might also be a good study resource for CLEP or DSST tests as it has courses in addition to the above: https://learn.saylor.org/course/index.php?categoryid=2&utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=cta&utm_campaign=homepage&utm_content=header_button
     
  4. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    BA in 4 weeks is about a decade out of date. I suggest you go to CLEP Forum - CLEP Study - CLEP Testing - Study Guide and Strategies because they focus on testing out and have the most up to date information. Which school you should choose depends on which degree you want and what credits you have to transfer.

    All of the Big 3 require capstones now for all of their bachelors degree programs. At TESU, you can test out of the BSBA capstone, but that might be going away soon.
     
  5. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    That's true at the others, but famously not at Charter Oak State College. (Although admittedly, you'd expect me to say that since I'm on the Alumni Association Board of Directors.)

    More to the point, why are you trying to avoid a capstone? I think in this era that's exceedingly difficult. They're not that big a deal.
     

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