Experience With Spanish CLEP

[goldpaws]

I am looking to take the Spanish CLEP for 6 -12 credits. I only really need 6 credits. I have the REA book, but I'm not so sure it is doing the job. I've read about half to three quarters of the 'study guide' portion and my score hasn't jumped much. (50 to 54) I would love some recommendations from you all about this.

I did have two years of Spanish in high school, but I'm pretty sure that's not going to help me as much as I would like because I misremember things and it's been about a year or two since I've touched on the subject. I do live in Texas, and I'm sure that helps, and I do sometimes order my food in Spanish, but that's not going to get me far.

I am scoring 50s and 54s in the REA practice book, but I would love to excel much higher than this because I've heard the REA tests are easier than the actual CLEP test. I know this is true on a few because of experience. I did find the College Algebra REA book insufficient, so I'm being very wary this time around. I don't expect myself to get an 80 but I would like to see practice test scores in the upper 50s to 60s. I know if I fail the CLEP Spanish it's going to be a "borderline" score - and I want to be extra prepared for any fault of mine (a safety net score)

Right now I could really use some encouragement and suggestions from you all. Thanks!

(P.S. I haven't scheduled my test yet but I was thinking the end of the week after Easter would be great. that will give me a week to finish the book and a week to condition myself)

[knucyt]

Goldpaws,
Have you already been to the Exam Specific Feedback on this forum?
I did French a while back and the key for me was refreshing my foreign language listening ear (to get through the oral portion of the test since you ONLY get to hear the text once before answering questions on it - so if you listen carefully and make some notes during that portion of the exam you'll do fine!) and making sure I had warmed up my memory on "exceptions to the grammar rules" on verbs and pronouns.

You have to judge when you are ready - have you tried any of the Peterson's tests? They are available for Spanish and I find Peterson's to be a good gauge of where I am at most of the time. Neither REA nor Peterson's are available for French so I did the CLEP when I was comfortable after studying part-time for 6 weeks. I scored a 75 and got 12 credits - a great way to start back on the testing circuit again!

Best of luck - let us know how you do!

[knucyt]

What are you scoring on the REA and Peterson's?

For verbs - I borrowed "501 French verbs" and browsed thru it, only looking closer at the fairly common irregular verbs and tenses. I also borrowed one other book - a basic grammar book and perused it to remind myself of the exceptions and worked through some of the practice worksheets - the kind of stuff you'd do in 2nd or 3rd year high school language class.
Do you have access to a library?

I also borrowed the Pimsleur Language CD's from the library and that helped as a grammar and auditory refresher also.

Regarding your remark about the comments being "old" on the Spanish Exam Specific feedback - you may find that even tho' they are old they may still be very valid - the CLEP exams do not change quickly or by much - it is a more gradual process from what I have read. Of course they do combine exams and write new ones every once in a while!

I did not find the French exam hard at all - in fact it was easier than I thought it would be and I was probably over-prepared when all was said and done - but I wanted those 12 credits! Thanks for the congrats!

Good luck!