CLEP Unethical?

[studyhard]

I did ask "why" it's unethical, She said that is was because the CLEP is a test to prove you know something without classes and that if you took a class AND THEN the test then that its "cheating."

Okay, I'm trying to wrap my brain around this.

Let's say I take a CLEP without having gone to a college class. Guess what I'm going to do? I'm going to study the topic. I'm going to get me a couple of books and work on the InstantCert flashcards and read online and whatnot. Then I'm going to take the test. I will probably pass because I have studied the material. And guess what? Passing the CLEP demonstrates a knowledge of the topic.

Now, let's say I take the CLEP after failing a college class. Is it somehow "unethical" to pass a CLEP after having sat through the college class? Isn't the college class just a form of study, just like reading books or studying flashcards? How is it wrong to use the knowledge I have gained there and then apply it to a test? After all, if I pass the CLEP, doesn't that demonstrate that I now have a knowledge of the topic? Isn't that the point?


I'm trying to see why this person you talked to thinks there's something unethical going on. I'm missing it. I think this lady thought that CLEPs were solely to test you on existing knowledge. 'Cause, y'know, heaven forbid you actually go STUDY for a CLEP.....

[ryoder]

It is about as unethical as having a high school student take an AP course or enter into the IB program.
If you check out any college website, they will generally have a page where they show you how CLEP/DSST/AP/IB tests articulate to their college courses.
Some schools grant no credit for Natural Science or Social Science since they are too broad.
USF here in Tampa grants only 3 CR for Biology while other schools in this city grant 6CR for bio and 8CR for Natural Science. USF also grants elective credit for the Management and Marketing exams where UT in Tampa grants direct Principles of Management and Marketing credit.

So go check out the school you are looking at and decide which tests will help you realize your goals.

Many of those who criticize CLEP tests have never taken one and don't know how much effort it takes to learn the content and pass. I for one, love CLEP/DSST tests and would like to take all of them since I have learned so much and enjoyed studying for them.

[Lindagerr]

THAT person needs a lesson in life. First if you failed the class 15 years ago who says you didnt leearn the material in the mean time. Why should it be unethical to teach yourself something? Back when I was just out of high school and married I failed microbiology and got a D in Sociology. Since that time I have spent over 30 years in a lab should I not be able to take the Micro exam for credit that is rediculous. When I started at TESC i did not want to use those old"bad" credits so I took the Sociology CLEP, I passed with room to spare. Later when I sent Tesc the old transcript they put the sociology D as dupplicate credit. No one ever said I was unethical

[IgnazSemmelweis]

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Some(most) colleges have a policy to not award CLEP/DSST credit in a subject that you have previously attempted.

I can't think of a reasonable justification for that policy, but it's there.

[IgnazSemmelweis]

Since you don't have any transferable credits, there's no need for any college to know that you have previously attempted credits elsewhere anyway. hrug:

[cookderosa]

Hi,

I am new here but have been reading and searching the forum a bit. I have been thinking about getting my degree through testing for a couple years but hadn't gotten up the courage to try it. I didn't do well in a classroom setting due to dysgraphia and frequent illness, but can study on my own very well, and tests I can handle. So it seems well made for me!

I don't have any transferable credits from other schools (except maybe a 1 credit PE/hiking course), my first college attempt I ended with a bunch of incompletes due to illness which turned into Incomplete/Fails because I never completed them. My next try, just a couple years ago I wanted to combine classroom classes with testing, but I was told that because I had attempted most of the general education classes and failed them 15 years ago, that no college would ever take any CLEP credits from me because it is unethical to get CLEP credit in a course I have ever attempted.

I tried to Google it a bit and didn't see anyone calling it "unethical" but I did see a few college websites saying they don't allow CLEP for already attempted courses, but they also have other rules that not all colleges would have the same. Not really proof either way if its considered unethical, or not.

So, While I still REALLY want to test for college I also don't want to do things that are academically "unethical". I don't want to cheat to get a degree! I want to earn it.

Does anyone know if it is cheating if the college allows it? Do these Big 3 schools allow this? I couldn't find it on the tesc website.

Your understanding is correct. If you have taken a class AND EARNED CREDIT, then you can't use CLEP because that's a duplicate. In your case, you simply don't use your previous transcript since there is nothing to gain by doing so.

Ethics vs legal. Legally, you're not going to have an issue. (by legally I don't mean anything other than standard college policy). 3 reasons, first, you won't be attending the same college thus their policy regarding your CLEP attempt is irrelevant. Second, nearly any community college has a "fresh start" policy allowing you to start fresh after X number of years- at my college it's 10 years. Lastly, you don't have credit in the courses, so you are not duplicating anything. There isn't a reason under the sun to request/pay for/use a transcript with 1 credit on it. The cost you will incur for doing so will be a lot. Any time you include a transfer credit on a transcript, the next college will want an official transcript every time. So, let's say you later apply to 7 grad schools. You'll have to pay TESC $ for 7 transcript requests AND your 1 credit college the $ for 7 transcripts. And so on for the rest of your life..... I had the "pleasure" of making this mistake TWICE :mad:

Ethical? Go to College Admissions - SAT - University & College Search Tool website and in their explanation of CLEP they'll tell you it's an opportunity to get credit for what you "already know." Of course, no one "already knows" what's on most of these exams, we all study (sometimes a lot) to pass. I'll go out on a limb and say that you are not at an unfair advantage in any way, and you'll likely need to study like everyone else. So, IMO, not unethical at all.

[ryoder]

Jennifer - that CLEP "already know" clause is what stopped me from taking these back when I was a kid in college. I looked into it. I went down to the student service center and asked about it. I read some flimsy piece of paper and decided that I didn't already know enough about anything to pass a comprehensive final.
If I had just gone to Borders and bought the REA Clep book comprehensive book and the College Board CLEP book, I would have been able to graduate 15 years ago.
Such is life.

[GJC]

What is the fastest least expensive way to test out 100%. Which of the big three allow this without costing a mint?

[GJC]

I want to test 100%. Which big three allows this for the least money. I was shocked to see TEC tuition costs.

[cookderosa]

Jennifer - that CLEP "already know" clause is what stopped me from taking these back when I was a kid in college. I looked into it. I went down to the student service center and asked about it. I read some flimsy piece of paper and decided that I didn't already know enough about anything to pass a comprehensive final.
If I had just gone to Borders and bought the REA Clep book comprehensive book and the College Board CLEP book, I would have been able to graduate 15 years ago.
Such is life.

Yep. It's laughable.