English/College Composition

[EAH]

Any tips about English/College Composition CLEP? This will be my first CLEP so I am wondering if the Instacert Study guide is sufficient and how much time have you allocated to study prior taking exam?

Thank you and good luck to everyone!

[cooperalex2004]

This question was just asked a few days ago so I'll paste over what I said then. Try doing a search in the upper right and you'll find a ton of great info on this (or other) exam(s). I didn't use Instantcert when I took this exam but you'll probably find that any study added to Instantcert can't hurt. On a test like this with delayed grading you really want to make sure you pass.

Just make sure you know how to write both essays, one is 30 minutes to a prompt using your own knowledge, and the other is 40 minutes using two passages they provide. If you plan on taking more than just this one exam I highly recommend the CLEP Official Study Guide (about $24.99 at local stores and online). For the other exams it mirrors what is on their website and provides a sample test, but for this test it has details on scoring the essays and provides examples of a few essays and how they were scored, something I found very useful. If you can write fast enough I recommend a five paragraph essay with 4-6 sentences per paragraph. CLEP doesn't come right out and ask for it, but since they have actual professors grading the essays you should do your best to do it the way they would likely teach it. An essay answering the question by listing three reasons why or why not (the three body paragraphs) along with a good intro and conclusion will likely be scored well. On the second essay you MUST source the material they give you.

If you haven't already, check out this link:
College Composition | CLEP

Good luck, I'm sure you'll do great. Remember you can also take the DSST Technical Writing Exam for most schools and get another three credits (check with your school). That one gives you an instant score since it is multiple choice only (optional essay, check with your school to see if required). And just for fun before you leave the English subject behind, check out CLEP Analyze and Interpret Literature. Most schools take that for six credits and it is mainly interpreting short passages (poems and old english material).