But I need to talk this out somewhere and H is not being helpful at all.
Between now and the beginning of November or so I need to take four CLEP exams to cover pre-req credits for my degree, and I'm totally overwhelmed with how to stagger the timing of them and what order I should take them in. To complete my degree focused requirements I'm taking 15 credits this term, 12 during summer term, and 12 during fall term.
My plan is to test out of these four subjects: Analyzing & Interpreting Literature College Composition College Mathematics Biology
I'm the most anxious about biology, because science has never been a strong subject for me. I don't even know how to begin studying for it. I feel good about college mathematics, which should only take a little bit of studying to remind myself of key concepts. College composition involves two essays, so it's the only one I'll have to wait for a score on (which would cause a delay if I didn't pass it the first time).
I need to decide on what my timeline should look like and what order I should take them in. Any thoughts? Advice?
suzv - They each have a breakdown of what topics will be covered, but the study resources are pretty much, "any college level textbook could help you prepare." For example, here's the biology resources page: clep.collegeboard.org/exam/biology/resources
I've taken classes that cover the other three subjects, I just need more credits. Biology is the only one I haven't taken as a college level class. I just can't seem to decide if I should take the more difficult tests first so that I have more time to re-take them if I need to, or if I should start with the ones I'm more comfortable with so that I can get a feel for the testing structure first.
I would take a different approach. I prefer to tackle harder tasks first in order to avoid burnout. So although composition and math might be easier and require less studying, I would do biology first even though that would be much harder for me. I don't know if that would work for you or not. Test-taking is stressful, regardless of how hard the subject matter is, so I would want to be as fresh and un-stressed-out as possible for the hardest subject.
Pushing biology off for later would just make me procrastinate on studying. When I studied for the GRE (9 years ago! yikes lol), I bought a study book in June and expected to study all summer before the exam in September. Well, I didn't...I studied for two weeks right before the test (and my scores were fine). Having the time pressure of the test date looming motivated me to study.
Now that I'm thinking things through, I'm also considering just taking a biology class summer term and adding an elective to fall term. I've been looking forward to only taking three classes per term, but I'm used to taking four classes and that might be easier than stressing about how to study for that one test. It would allow me to focus on the three I'm more comfortable with.
Now that I'm thinking things through, I'm also considering just taking a biology class summer term and adding an elective to fall term. I've been looking forward to only taking three classes per term, but I'm used to taking four classes and that might be easier than stressing about how to study for that one test. It would allow me to focus on the three I'm more comfortable with.
I think that's a good idea. I never took bio at the college level, and having to pass a test on it honestly sounds quite overwhelming.
Biology terrifies me. I'm not a science person, I'm a math/business person. I went ahead and registered to take it summer term instead of taking the test, plus a web design class fall term because I'll need 4 more random credits to complete my pre-req requirements (the test would get me 9 credits, the class is only 3 credits).
Now that I'm thinking things through, I'm also considering just taking a biology class summer term and adding an elective to fall term. I've been looking forward to only taking three classes per term, but I'm used to taking four classes and that might be easier than stressing about how to study for that one test. It would allow me to focus on the three I'm more comfortable with.
I think this would be my plan of attack.
I'm so glad that I started this thread, because I didn't even think of this option until I wrote everything out here. It makes so much more sense.
I would take the bio course. I would hit the easier tests first to get a feeling of what they are like and have those out of the way so you can focus on what you really need to study for.
The biology clep is mostly memorizing so if you're good with flashcards and orders of processes, it probably won't Actually be too bad.
Analyzing and interpreting lit is actually pretty tough. There is a ton of terminology to memorize also, in addition to some historical pieces to know, and theories. Several people I know have failed that one and had to re take it. Soo, I'd start studying for that now, and plan to take that at the end of summer with enough time to re take if needed.
College comp is so easy. I got nearly a perfect score on it without studying. It's like the ACT English section.
So I guess I'd take bio and one other in July, and the other two in September. That leaves two months to re take any if needed.
The biology clep is mostly memorizing so if you're good with flashcards and orders of processes, it probably won't Actually be too bad.
Analyzing and interpreting lit is actually pretty tough. There is a ton of terminology to memorize also, in addition to some historical pieces to know, and theories. Several people I know have failed that one and had to re take it. Soo, I'd start studying for that now, and plan to take that at the end of summer with enough time to re take if needed.
College comp is so easy. I got nearly a perfect score on it without studying. It's like the ACT English section. So I guess I'd take bio and one other in July, and the other two in September. That leaves two months to re take any if needed.
This is good to know. Maybe I should consider taking a different test. There are quite a few I can choose from, like American Lit, English Lit, or US History. If I wasn't so rusty, I would try the German one. Haha.
The biology clep is mostly memorizing so if you're good with flashcards and orders of processes, it probably won't Actually be too bad.
Analyzing and interpreting lit is actually pretty tough. There is a ton of terminology to memorize also, in addition to some historical pieces to know, and theories. Several people I know have failed that one and had to re take it. Soo, I'd start studying for that now, and plan to take that at the end of summer with enough time to re take if needed.
College comp is so easy. I got nearly a perfect score on it without studying. It's like the ACT English section. So I guess I'd take bio and one other in July, and the other two in September. That leaves two months to re take any if needed.
This is good to know. Maybe I should consider taking a different test. There are quite a few I can choose from, like American Lit, English Lit, or US History. If I wasn't so rusty, I would try the German one. Haha.
All the list and history are among the hardest there are just because there is so much to learn that they *may* test on even though the number of questions is pretty low. If you Facebook message me all the options though and I tell you if my husband or I took any of them and how they were. I took two cleps and two Dante's. I actually likes the Dantes exams much better.
I think any lit test is probably going to be really difficult because they can assess on hundreds of years worth of literature. My American and Brit lit survey courses in college were some of the hardest I took because they covered so much information. I think the analysis and interpretation test would be the way to go.
Reading the test summaries, I think you're right. The analysis and interpretation test doesn't require knowledge of any particular works, while both of the lit tests have a list of books you should be familiar with.
The biology clep is mostly memorizing so if you're good with flashcards and orders of processes, it probably won't Actually be too bad.
Analyzing and interpreting lit is actually pretty tough. There is a ton of terminology to memorize also, in addition to some historical pieces to know, and theories. Several people I know have failed that one and had to re take it. Soo, I'd start studying for that now, and plan to take that at the end of summer with enough time to re take if needed.
College comp is so easy. I got nearly a perfect score on it without studying. It's like the ACT English section. So I guess I'd take bio and one other in July, and the other two in September. That leaves two months to re take any if needed.
This is good to know. Maybe I should consider taking a different test. There are quite a few I can choose from, like American Lit, English Lit, or US History. If I wasn't so rusty, I would try the German one. Haha.
US History was so easy, imo. I passed the test right after I skimmed a history text about 5 hours before the test. If you're at all good at history, I recommend that one.