01-22-2015, 09:06 PM
I took Art of the Western World today and it did not end well. I have taken over 25 CLEP and DSST tests in the past, and this is the first one I've failed. First of all, the comments on this thread seem to be from the old test with the 2-digit grading system. It has since been updated to the 3-digit grading. Passing grade is 400.
I used a lot of the info on this thread and from freeclepprep.com, but it was not as helpful as I had hoped. I blame this not on the previous test-takers, but on how the test must have changed since the latest comments. I studied for two weeks with these resources:
REA's AP Art History Study Guide - very in-depth about all sorts of artists and works you would never need to know. I felt like I was cramming my head full of information that was way too detailed.
Annenberg Art of the Western World videos - these didn't really do it for me. They were deathly dull, ergo it was hard for me to follow.
Dantes Study Guide link posted by anucha45 - not comprehensive by any means
cram.com flashcards - ditto
I felt fairly confident about this test because I've taken art before and it's a subject I enjoy. Furthermore, I studied the movements, time periods, artists and works quite in-depth. Unfortunately, I failed to pass, scoring a 378. I have no idea how because during the test, I felt like there were at least 50 questions that I knew the answer to immediately. Either I thought I knew and knew wrong, or I just really sucked at guessing for the rest.
My test consisted of 24 images. Twenty-four. Much more than I had expected based on older comments on this thread. I would suggest studying the terms for floorplan elements of cathedrals and basilicas. I had zero "who influenced who", zero "whats happening in this picture", and zero "who commissioned what" questions. There was a surprising amount of questions dealing with 20th and 21st century art, and also quite a bit of Impressionist and Ancient. I'm going to copy some other posters and say that knowing the techniques of artwork was important (tempera, encaustic, etching vs. engraving, etc.).
Good luck to future test takers, and study more than I did!
I used a lot of the info on this thread and from freeclepprep.com, but it was not as helpful as I had hoped. I blame this not on the previous test-takers, but on how the test must have changed since the latest comments. I studied for two weeks with these resources:
REA's AP Art History Study Guide - very in-depth about all sorts of artists and works you would never need to know. I felt like I was cramming my head full of information that was way too detailed.
Annenberg Art of the Western World videos - these didn't really do it for me. They were deathly dull, ergo it was hard for me to follow.
Dantes Study Guide link posted by anucha45 - not comprehensive by any means
cram.com flashcards - ditto
I felt fairly confident about this test because I've taken art before and it's a subject I enjoy. Furthermore, I studied the movements, time periods, artists and works quite in-depth. Unfortunately, I failed to pass, scoring a 378. I have no idea how because during the test, I felt like there were at least 50 questions that I knew the answer to immediately. Either I thought I knew and knew wrong, or I just really sucked at guessing for the rest.
My test consisted of 24 images. Twenty-four. Much more than I had expected based on older comments on this thread. I would suggest studying the terms for floorplan elements of cathedrals and basilicas. I had zero "who influenced who", zero "whats happening in this picture", and zero "who commissioned what" questions. There was a surprising amount of questions dealing with 20th and 21st century art, and also quite a bit of Impressionist and Ancient. I'm going to copy some other posters and say that knowing the techniques of artwork was important (tempera, encaustic, etching vs. engraving, etc.).
Good luck to future test takers, and study more than I did!