Rush to the Finish

[rhapsody1447]

Hey IC,

I just signed up and purchased a membership... for good reason. I need to complete any 4 DSST/CLEP exams to be submitted by September 20, 2012 in order to be eligible for graduation. I'm currently taking 12 summer units at my university so I have only just started to prepare. I did complete the CLEP Analyzing & Interpreting Lit exam in the Spring with a score of 74 with roughly 10 days of solid study. My question for the more seasoned members is how would you go about selecting and preparing for 4 exams? I've been reading through the Easiest Exams thread and am leaning towards Principles of Supervision and Here's to Your Health to get me started. Does anyone have good advice on what exams I should take? DSST vs. CLEP? How long I should prepare? Should I purchase any supplemental material beyond IC? Any helpful tips or strategies the veterans could recommend?

I apologize if this reads like a typical newbie thread. Feel free to delete it or just refer me somewhere else. I just wanted to get a personal opinion on my specific situation.

Thanks for your time.

[NAP]

Do you just need free electives?

If your school accepts it and it fits in your degree plan, I'd suggest taking Substance Abuse DSST with the Health DSST. I studied for about 1 week for each. I took the Substance Abuse exam first and did not have to restudy that topic when I prepared for the Health exam. IC is great for both.

I would think there would be a fourth test that would make a good pair with Supervision, but someone else would have to help you with those options.

[rebel100]

Of course double check that your school will actually accept "any" DSST/CLEP. Along with Supervision I would suggest the CLEP Intro to Marketing and Intro to Management, both are considered "easy" comparatively and if your drawn to supervision you likely already have an interest in the topics. The DSST Intro to Business might make a nice forth exam, studying for any one of these is like studying for the next as there is a great deal of overlap.

You might take a look at the difficulty guides here: DSST Difficulty List - Free-Clep-Prep.com
And of course the specific exam feedback here at IC is invaluable! (likely that, and the flashcards are all you need on these. Specific feedback will guide you to any specific resource you may need).

Best,
Mike

[LaterBloomer]

Rebel100 beat me to the punch. I also think that checking out freeclepprep.com will be helpful in determine which exams are generally considered easier. More important than that, however, is NAP's recommendation. Make sure that your school will accept the tests. Most schools aren't like the Big 3. Also, make sure that the tests your taking will "fit." Some schools consider some DSST exams as upper level, and almost all schools consider CLEPs lower level. Don't go so fast that you trip over yourself! Good luck.

[burbuja0512]

Principles of Supervision and Management are very similar. Supervision is more of a front-line test while Management shows business decisions from a strategic (higher-level) perspective. However, there is a ton of overlap and if you can tolerate the boredom of studying for one, you can handle both within a week or so of the other.

I also agree with the substance abuse/here's to your health recommendation. I personally found Substance Abuse to be one of the most interesting tests that I took.

There are a ton of other testing 'pairs' out there, but it really depends on what you have already and what your school will accept. I personally really enjoyed Law Enforcement and I would imagine that Criminal Justice would go with that one nicely. I didn't take CJ, so can't say for sure, but it's just another example of a possible test set if it suits your interests and needs.