How to Save Time in College: CLEP Exams

A little background:  I grew up poor.  Very poor.  My mother did not have the money to send me to school.  It took a while for me to get there.  i started back to school when I was 27.  Worked full-time, raised a family while earning my degree.  After nine years, going through 3 majors, I earned my Bachelor's degree. 

This is one of the shortcuts that I used to earn college credits:

CLEP exams.  Instead of taking the class in a college, you take an exam and test out of the course.  This is not something that you wake up and say oh let me take this test today - It is something that you prepare for!

First, make sure your school accepts the exams and what grade is required for them to accept the course.  Click here to find out.

Second, decide on which courses you want to take.  I took all of the business basic courses, including economics, history, and biology.

Here is a list of the courses:

• American Government
• History of the United States I:
  Early Colonization to 1877
• History of the United States II: 1865 to the Present
• Human Growth and Development
• Introduction to Educational Psychology
• Introductory Psychology
• Introductory Sociology
• Principles of Macroeconomics
• Principles of Microeconomics
• Social Sciences and History
• Western Civilization I:
  Ancient Near East to 1648
• Western Civilization II:
  1648 to the Present
• American Literature
• Analyzing and Interpreting Literature
• College Composition
• College Composition Modular
• English Literature
• Humanities
• Biology
• Calculus
• Chemistry
• College Algebra
• College Mathematics
• Natural Sciences
• Precalculus
• Financial Accounting
• Information Systems and Computer Applications
• Introductory Business Law
• Principles of Management
• Principles of Marketing
• French Language
  (Levels 1 and 2)
• German Language
  (Levels 1 and 2)
• Spanish Language
  (Levels 1 and 2)

The College Board offers study guides, but I did not use them.  I used the following:
 
 Barron's EZ 101 and

 

Cliff Study Guides.  After all, I had already taken the courses, I just needed a refresher.


The test are given monthly.  When I was taking them they were available every month except December.  I would go to school during the fall and spring semesters, CLEP in January just before returning to school and during the summer months.

The key is to understand the test.  Each of the type of questions that appear in my test taking tips blog appear on the CLEP exam.  The key to remember on CLEP exam is DO NOT GUESS!  If you answer the question incorrectly, it is counted against you!  Therefore, if you do not know the answer do not answer it.  It will cost you 1/3 of a point.  That is the difference between passing and failing. 

Good luck!