CLEP single subject study guides

[Stan]

First and foremost, thanks for putting this board up, it is very much appreciated. I'm looking for study guides for the single subject CLEP tests. The only ones I found were REA and expensive ($26 each) Any ideas?

Stan

[Tom Head]

Originally posted by Stan:
First and foremost, thanks for putting this board up, it is very much appreciated. I'm looking for study guides for the single subject CLEP tests. The only ones I found were REA and expensive ($26 each) Any ideas?

Stan

Hi, Stan! Welcome aboard!

The CLEP is based more solidly on specific freshman/sophomore foundation courses than any other standardized college level examination scheme; subsequently, any really good textbook in the field of a subject CLEP should do a fair job of preparing you for the exam. For example: to prepare for the Western Civilization I exam, I used the textbook Ole Miss students use for History 101.

That's half the solution. Here's the other half: find a copy of Princeton Review's "Cracking the CLEP" (it should be under $20) and study the exam-taking methods it describes. Not necessarily the subject areas themselves, mind you, but mainly the "good test-taking habits" chapters. My top three tips:

- Take a lesson from "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire": If you're iffy on a question, try to eliminate two wrong answers. This literally doubles your chances of guessing correctly.

- If you run into a question and draw a complete blank, skip it and keep moving.
My rule of thumb was that if I couldn't come up with an answer in seven seconds, I moved on (exception: math related exams, where it might take longer to crunch the numbers). It's better to have a few unanswered questions than run out of time at the end. You can always come back to the tough cookies later once you've dealt with the questions you can answer.

- Head's Law of Multiple Choice Exams: If you don't understand a question but still feel drawn to a specific answer, it's probably a red herring.

Good luck.


Peace,

Tom

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[Lawrie Miller]

Originally posted by Stan:
The only ones I found were REA and expensive ($26 each) Any ideas?

Stan[/b]

I'll partly echo the previous response in saying you should obtain a copy of Cracking the Clep. You should also get The CLEP Official Study Guide published by the College Board, this volume is essential.

Both of these publications are of course test aids and not primary subject reading material, but I'd suggest you practice the tests in the first instance so that you can assess your current knowledge level. Once you have some objective reading of your current ability, you will be able to tailor study to fit the gaps.

Cracking the Clep is useful for the CLEP General exams. It is comprehensive and can be a very accurate predictor of performance in the actual exams. The Official Guide covers all the exams (from the horses mouth), but suffers from the relatively merge question sample size. Nevertheless, to labor the point, it is essential you read this book and practice the example questions.

SCORING
One thing people often fear when practicing for these exams, is their apparent poor performance. This is a standardized test. It would be very difficult to determine a range of performance if contents were skewed to produce an average "pass mark" of 90% (common in the U.S.). Instead we have to have enough questions and grades of quality of questions, that will accurately assess and reflect a range of abilities of the total population of examinees. Bottom line, look for 40% to 45% raw score for a standardized score of 50 (out of 80) in the subject exams, and 500 (out of 800) in the General exams. This score in the General exams is enough for a pass at TESC (500 required) and Regents/Excelsior (420 required) and COSC.

RULES OF THUMB
1)
As a general rule, to be sure of passing a CLEP exam, ensure you're hitting 50% raw score, and you WILL pass each and every one.

2)
As a general rule, to be sure of scoring an "A" (Regents/Excelsior only), ensure you're hitting 77% raw score, and you WILL score an "A" every time.

3)
PLEASE remember this bit if nothing else, there's so much poor advice in respect of omitting an answer when you're not sure due to the quarter point penalty for a wrong answer. IF YOU CAN ELIMINATE EVEN ONE OF THE FIVE POSSIBLE CHOICES - PICK AN ANSWER - DO NOT LEAVE THE QUESTION BLANK. The probabilities are with you every time.

If you eliminate one choice as definitely wrong, your chances of randomly picking the correct answer are 1/4. If, for the entire exam, for all the questions, you could only eliminate one choice per question, and had to randomly pick the answer from the remaining four possibilities, you will, on average come out 18.75% ahead. That is, in a test of (say) 100 questions, you haven't a clue but CAN eliminate one in five choices per question, your score is 25 - 75x0.25 = 18.75.

In practice you will ALWAYS come out ahead and that can be important on the margin where you may be a couple of points away from pass/fail or letter grade A/B. NEVER leave the answer blank if you can eliminate at least one choice.

Another thing worth mentioning - there is no penalty at all. All the quarter point deduction for a wrong answer does is eliminate the likelihood of a 25% mark by random selection. Probability of randomly selecting correct answer (five choices per question) = 0.2; 20 per 100. So, you will on average randomly select 20 correct answers and 80 wrong answers. Raw score if all answers are randomly selected
~ 20 - 80/4 = 0. You lose no points from the quarter point deduction, you just don't gain any with neutral luck.

I've gone on about this a little bit too long, but there are so many people who are not doing themselves the best of favors, I'm sure you're not one but . . . just in case.

BOOKS
Standard texts generally work well. The Cliff Notes versions if you can (i.e. abbreviated). Don't want to go too deep into the subject, if your goal is simply to pass the exam at the appropriate level. That is why doing the example questions first is so important. They
provide a benchmark indicating how much you need to know and whether or not you already know enough. If your target is a simple pass and you're scoring 50% - sit the exam. If your target is a sure-fire "A" and you're scoring >77% - sit the exam.

If you are not reaching your minimum requirement, use the test as a map to where you must invest your efforts. What categories
within the subject area are you failing on? where within those failure might maximum credit be gain for study effort?

I could offer specific tests, but I don't know which sujects you are taking. In any case, the texts I used were whatever I had to had in my library, what I could find on the net, and if I had to shell out for a book, whichever was the cheapest. Least expensive and time consuming of all is where you have sat the mock exam and find you need no further study (you've met your target score).
Then you need do nothing but take the test. This may happen to you with comforting regularity. I hope so, but if not use the following algorithm:

WHILE (NOTPASS) DO
MOCK TEST - REVISE - MOCK TEST

[Stan]

(Tom and Lawrie) Thanks for the advice. I have Cracking the Clep, and I'm using it to pass the generals. I've done english, 4 more to go. I'm getting a BA in music, and along with the Clep tests I'm testing out my music classes at a local Community College. The subject cleps are what I'm hoping will fill in the GE stuff. The idea is the least amount of time and cost, so as long as I pass and get the credits, I'm in business. Are there actual Cliff notes on subjects? Thanks again.

[bgossett]

Originally posted by Stan:
Are there actual Cliff notes on subjects?[/b]

Some are Cliff Notes, others are from the Quick Review series. See the complete list at http://www.cliffs.com/section.asp?section=8 .



------------------
Bill Gossett

[Lawrie Miller]

Originally posted by Stan:
(Tom and Lawrie) Thanks for the advice. I have Cracking the Clep, and I'm using it to pass the generals. I've done english, 4 more to go. I'm getting a BA in music, and along with the Clep tests I'm testing out my music classes at a local Community College. The subject cleps are what I'm hoping will fill in the GE stuff. The idea is the least amount of time and cost, so as long as I pass and get the credits, I'm in business. Are there actual Cliff notes on subjects? Thanks again.

Stan,


You did not specify which exams you intend to take. I guess you haven't decided. Here's a listing of the exams I've taken and the books used, compiled for a private email enquirer.
All but one of the books are in the range $5 to $15. Where "None" appears, the exam concerned was taken with no study/revision. Remember, I used these books because I already had them to hand, or because they were cheap, cheap, cheap. I do consider them equal to the task, however.

If may profit you to consider the alternative exams included below (DANTES, RCE, GRE).

Another list follows the first detailing the difficulty of the exams on a scale from 1 to 5. "5" the most difficult, "1" no sweat at all. Clearly, everyone's view of hard or easy
will be affected by their degree of prior exposure to the particular subject matter and their innate talent relative to the specific discipline. Nevertheless, here you have it, and there you go. Good luck!



USEFUL BOOKS FOR SPECIFIC PROFICIENCY EXAMINATIONS

CLEP

Introduction to Educational (Psychology Barron's EZ-101 Psychology)

Social Science None

Introductory Psychology (Barron's EZ-101 Psychology)

Information Systems and Computer Applications None

Macroeconomics (Cliffs Quick Review Economics)

Principles of Management (Barron's EZ-101 Management)

English Composition with Essay None

Principles of Marketing (Barron's Business Review Marketing)

Microeconomics (Cliffs Quick Review Economics)

Natural Science None

Humanities None

Introductory Business Law (Barron's Business Review Business Law)

American Government (HarperCollins College Outline Into to Gov)

Principles of Accounting (Barron's Business Review Accounting)

DANTES

Management Information Systems None

Principles of Finance (Barron's Business Library Financial Man'gment)

Business Law II (Barron's Business Review Business Law)

Principles of Supervision (Barron's Business Library Human Resources)

Contemporary Western Europe None

Money and Banking Various Sources

Criminal Justice None

Fundamentals of Counseling None

Principles of Financial Accounting (Barron's Financial Man'gment)+ Accounting detailed

Drug and Alcohol Abuse (Practicum)

RCE

Abnormal Psychology (HarperCollins Outline Abnormal Psych)

Ethics Theory and Practice (HarperCollins Outline Ethics)

Fundamentals of Gerontology (Princeton Review Cracking GRE Psych)

Labor Relations (Federal/State Labor Laws from web)

Lifespan Developmental Psycholog (Princeton Review GRE Psych)

Organizational Behavior (Barron's Business Lib Human Resources)

Psychology of Adulthood and Aging (Princeton Review GRE Psych)

English Composition None

Business Policy and Strategy (Strategic Mangment, Wheelan)

Human Resource Management (Barron's Business Lib Human Resources)

Production/Operations Management (The Vest-Pocket MBA)

Research Methods in Psychology (Princeton Review GRE Psych)

World Population None

GRE Subject

Psychology (Princeton Review GRE Psych)

Revised Political Science (History of Western Political Thought)

. . . . . . . .


Likely relative difficulty an average adult would experience scoring above 70% in selected proficiency exams

1 = No study required
2 = Light revision required
3 = A reasonable effort required
4 = Some real study required
5 = No messing around an good score requires significant effort.

For a simple "pass", reduce difficulty index by 1 in each case.

CLEP

Introduction to Educational Psychology 2
Social Science 2
Introductory Psychology 2
Information Systems and Computer Appl 1
Macroeconomics 3
Principles of Management 2
English Composition with Essay 1
Principles of Marketing 3
Microeconomics 4
Natural Science 2
Humanities 3
Introductory Business Law 2
American Government 2
Principles of Accounting 4

DANTES

Management Information Systems 1
Principles of Finance 4
Business Law II 4
Principles of Supervision 2
Contemporary Western Europe 1
Money and Banking 4
Criminal Justice 1
Fundamentals of Counseling 2
Principals of Financial Accounting 3
Drug and Alcohol Abuse 1

RCE

Abnormal Psychology 3
Ethics Theory and Practice 3
Fundamentals of Gerontology 3
Labor Relations 3
Lifespan Developmental Psychology 3
Organizational Behavior 3
Psychology of Adulthood and Aging 3
English Composition 3
Business Policy and Strategy 5
Human Resource Management 3
Production/Operations Management 3
Research Methods in Psychology 3
World Population 1

GRE Subject

Psychology (30) 4
Revised Political Science 4

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[Bruce]

To Lawrie's excellent list, I would add;

DANTES: Here's To Your Health-1 (only because there is no 1/2 listed)

DANTES: Intro to Law Enforcement-1

DANTES: Civil War & Reconstruction-3

DANTES: Vietnam War-4

CLEP: Analyzing & Interpreting Literature-1

CLEP: US History 1 & 11 (seperate exams)-2

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[Orson]

Some surprises on the Intro to Ed Psych CLEP exam (especially for those of us without much teaching experience):

Three or more questions on
Premack principle,
INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT (IDEA),
and bilingual education

--Orson

[mboston]

I used the REA for Marekting. I also read and took notes from an entire textbook. I found the REA very helpful on what to expect on the structure of the test. I don't think I would have passed without additional study from the textbook.

[DaveHayden]

Originally posted by Orson
Some surprises on the Intro to Ed Psych CLEP exam (especially for those of us without much teaching experience):

Three or more questions on
Premack principle,
INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT (IDEA),
and bilingual education

--Orson

I don't recall any of these questions on the version I took. Good for to know for those studying for the test of course.

[crimstudent]

you say no study required for the criminal justice clep? What was it like? Do you happen to have a study guide available i could look at?

thanks

[Lawrie Miller]

Originally posted by crimstudent
you say no study required for the criminal justice clep? What was it like? Do you happen to have a study guide available i could look at?

Hi,

Not necessarily no study, I just didn't use and formal text.

Criminal Justice is a DANTES exam, not CLEP, of course. You can


This from BA in 4 Weeks, Bachelor Degree second year
. . . "Criminal justice"? Watched any crime programs on TV? No problem then. Seriously, this was not a justice system with which I was familiar, but most of the answers were fairly obvious. No need for prior contact or experience with the U.S. justice system required. Do make sure you try the free DANTES sample questions, though. If you experience a significant problem, a primer may be in order. I think it likely most of you having come thus far, would have no difficulty.
.................................................. ..............



The practice exams are not free any more. I had a link posted for well over a year that give direct access for free, that apparently was there by mistake, and they eventually closed that down.

However, you can use the fact sheets. They're free and can be downloaded in pdf format. Only a few practice questions - number varies by exam - but in all cases, I found them adequate to the task. Your mileage may vary.

I provide links to DANTES DSST fact sheets and other critical resources, on the imaginatively titled, "Critical Resources" page of BA in 4 Weeks. Use a search of the site for more on other DSST exams and their application in earning college credit and a degree.

.