Are Teaching Solutions study guides any good?

[The_Professor]

I only found a couple of posts by searching for Teaching Solutions so I wanted to put this question out there...

Are Teaching Solutions study guides any good? They seem to try hard with study material and practice tests that they claim to be constantly updated to remain as current as possible, although I'm not sure if this is more hype than reality. I guess I'll find out when I take my first CLEP exam in a few days for Principles of Management. Thanks in advance for any feedback...

[perrik]

I don't know anything about that company, but the website sets off HUGE alarms in my gut. I never trust anyone trying to sell me a system by waving big money amounts in my face repeatedly.

The CLEP page states multiple times that messing up on CLEP exams costs you $50000, under the odd assumption that someone with a newly-minted bachelor's degree is going to automatically be offered $50000 more in annual salary than someone without the degree. The US Census states that in 2006 the difference in average annual salary between a worker with a HS degree and one with a bachelor's is around $25000; that's everyone, at all experience levels and in all fields, not just new hires.

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the average starting salary for new college grads in 2008 was $49,224. So apparently new high school grads are being offered about $0.37 an hour? That starting salary figure is the average for all majors, including the ones that command big bucks like engineering, so it might be fairer to compare the HS grads to liberal arts majors. Liberal arts majors are averaging a 2008 starting salary of $36,715. (hmm, at this point the HS grads are being billed $13,285 a year to go to their jobs)

Questionable claims aside, the website also warns us that they're only accepting a limited number of students! And memberships/study guides for the most popular exams are almost sold out, so act now!

This company may be entirely legitimate, and the materials very helpful. They claim a pass rate of 87%, which is impressive if true. Frankly, I would run away screaming, but that's just my opinion.

[The_Professor]

Yes, their website is irritating, that's for sure... A bunch of urgent "you better sign up now while the getting's so dang good that it won't last much longer" to one cheesy, long-ass page you have to scroll down to the bottom of to finally get to the goods. The proof will be in the pudding, however, and I'll know in a few days when I sit for my first CLEP exam if this was a waste of money or they actually deliver what they promise. If their Better Business Bureau rating is any indication, then that big fat “F” might really tell the tale here. We shall see...

[perrik]

Yes, their website is irritating, that's for sure... A bunch of urgent "you better sign up now while the getting's so dang good that it won't last much longer" to one cheesy, long-ass page you have to scroll down to the bottom of to finally get to the goods. The proof will be in the pudding, however, and I'll know in a few days when I sit for my first CLEP exam if this was a waste of money or they actually deliver what they promise. If their Better Business Bureau rating is any indication, then that big fat “F” might really tell the tale here. We shall see...

*looks at The_Professor's list of certifications*

PMP, two Cisco certs... You know, you passing the CLEP with ease may end up having little to do with the cheesy learning system and more to do with natural ability. Just sayin'.

[The_Professor]

Yes, I’ve gotten pretty decent at passing professional certification exams over the years, which has served me well in my IT career (perhaps even better than a degree would have, although this is speculative and I can’t really say definitively). However, if I end up pursuing a degree at this stage of the game (the 50-year-old geezer that I am) I’m going need to raise my test-taking strategy to an even higher-level. Never can tell when the next round of pink slips are going to come and if I find myself back out competing in the job market it seems to me a degree coupled with a strong certification track would be a good differentiator between me and the next guy. Sounds like a good plan, anyway. Time will tell...