A little guidance please

[BossLady]

I want to CLEP my GE requirements to complete my nursing degree. I know what test I need and understand that there is no particular order - HOWEVER, how long does it take to prepare for an exam??? I have been trying to get through American Government for 2 wks studying for 3-4 hrs x 3 days.

[ShotoJuku]

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Shoto-Advice:

:iagree:

[SIZE="3"]"[/SIZE]EC[SIZE="3"]"[/SIZE]
"CCU"
"Prayer"
"A Pass is a Pass"
"Slow and Steady - Wins the Race"
[B][I]“Sometimes The Easy Way Is Not Always The Best Way”
"Passing a Petersons = Conquering a CLEP -or- Defeating a DSST"
"The 5 R's of Study: Repetition - Re-Enforces - Recognition - Recall - Retention"[/B][/I]
"Always be Ready to Release Your Mind & Incorporate the Advice of Others into Your Plans."
"Studying is much like Boiling Water, if it is not Heated Constantly it will Once Again Become Cold Water."


Other Sources of CLEP & DSST Study Material
[SIZE="3"]REA Books, Comex Books, Pass Your Class Guides, Standard Deviants DVD's, Petersons Practice Exams, [COLOR="Gold"]Dummies Books, Idiot's Guides [/COLOR]. [/SIZE]

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[SIZE="3"]Study Time: How I Did It…[/SIZE]

Pre-Study-Prep: Obtain or set up whatever materials I will need to study (IC Flashcards, REA Books, Standard Deviants Videos, Pass-Your-Class Guides, and Petersons Practice Exams.

Week One: Begin to read books, review flashcards, watch videos. Call your test center and make an appointment in advance as they sometimes require a few weeks advance notice)

Week Two: Re-read books, review flashcards, watch videos Take 1-2 practice exams

Week Three: Continue to review all materials, take additional/final practice exams. You should be passing these with room to spare. Take real exam at end of the week and PASS.

Note you should have at this point already acquired pre-study-prep materials for your next exam so as not to waste time.[/COLOR]


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Something Else To Know

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FACT: The lowest possible score is a 20. The highest possible is an 80.

FACT: Approx. 1/2 the questions on the test must be successfully answered to get a 50, or a pass.


THE HYPOTHESIS: In a 100 question test, such as Sociology and many others, there are only 60 possible points (between 20-80) for 100 questions.

60 points divided by 100 questions = .6pts

If each questions is worth .6 points, 50 correct questions = 50q X .6pts = 30pts

You must add 20 since 0 correct questions = 20pts.

30 points + 20 points = 50 points, or a pass.

Now:If each point in a 100 question test is worth .6 points, 100 questions X .6 points = 60; 60 + 20 = 80.

By this formula, answering 75 questions correctly would translate to a score of 65.

[sanantone]

It depends on the person and the person's familiarity with the subject. I spent weeks studying for my first couple of CLEPs and realized that I really only need to spend a couple of days.

[Lindagerr]

It really depends on your ability to absorb the knowledge and your previous familiarity with the subject. I over studied for my first couple of exams (probably all exams) but I was always over stressing. American Government is a difficult exam, I would not recommend it as a first exam unless you are very familiar with the topic. Make sure you read all the specific exam feedback.

[Storyteller]

Govt. was my first Clep exam and I used only IC for 6 weeks - 8 hrs per day - I didn't know about REA or Peterson's until 2 days before I was scheduled to take the test - I found REA at Barnes&Noble and sat there and did all the tests and read all the explanations - I didn't buy the book - The test was hard, however, I passed with 66, which astounded the proctor who said nobody she knew ever made that high a score except their Govt. teacher who did two points better.
I knew very little about government before studying - I just wanted to get a hard Clep out of the way first and I did.
Be sure to check free-clep-prep.com for any extra info. Also, IC's Specific feedback forum.
Good luck. Don't be afraid of this test.
One more thing: I graduated BA in History and I discovered US Govt. would not fulfill any history requirements. I was disappointed to discover that, but I'm glad I took the test because I learned a lot!!! Surprisingly, there are residual benefits to studying. LOL
Go fo it, if you dare.....

[dcan]

The (admittedly subjective but hopefully not too much) difficulty list at Free-CLEP-Prep lists American Government as 4 out of 5, meaning it is one of the most difficult.

You may want to consider switching gears and spending the same amount of time (or less as some people do) and take Analyzing & Interpreting Literature. While I think you certainly do need to study for it many people rate it as "if you are breathing when you show up you can probably pass." It is definitely an easy one to start with, and it's a full year's 6 credits to boot.

FCP's A&I Lit description

"Most" people have absolutely, positively, no problems with the Analyzing and Interpreting Literature CLEP exam. If you read quite a bit (even if it's Dr. Seuss and comic books) then you already know the basics in how to analyze and interpret literature. Remember all those reading comprehension quizzes back in elementary school? Those are like mini Analyzing and Interpreting Literature CLEP tests. Being able to understand what a poet is talking about in a poem is no more difficult then trying to determine what a singer is talking about in a song. Most people can tell you what a song is about after listening to it once. Look at poetry the same way and I think it will help.

Like I said, you certainly should study but it is one of the easiest tests around and a good one for a first test.

[BossLady]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I will check for the REA book at Barnes & Noble. Unfortunately, I have the easy class credits already so Amer Gov't and Algebra are where I start before heading to the classroom for Anatomy & Physiology this Fall.

[rntobe3069]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I will check for the REA book at Barnes & Noble. Unfortunately, I have the easy class credits already so Amer Gov't and Algebra are where I start before heading to the classroom for Anatomy & Physiology this Fall.

Good luck with A&P!! I hated the classroom version. I did mine through Excelsior College (no lab) and passed with a B. In the classroom at the community college, I passed the lecture portion with an A but failed the lab portion.....so I failed then entire course, or would have but I withdrew right in the nick of time! Biology and Math is definitely NOT my cup of tea.