First CLEP Exam Recommendation: Introductory Psychology OR College Mathematics

[agrubner]

Hi there,

I recently stumbled across this forum and have been so thrilled to have a community like this. So first of all, thanks for all the helpful resources, thoughts, and specific exam feedback.

In the next few weeks, I will be taking 4 specific CLEP exams: Introductory Psychology, Introductory Sociology, Human Growth and Development, and College Mathematics. I have never taken a CLEP exam before, though I would consider myself particularly good at studying and taking exams.

I wanted to hear some feedback for a CLEP noob on which exam to take first: Introductory Psychology or College Mathematics. Before drastically switching my degree, I was on an engineering path that came with a good deal of advanced-level math. With my current degree, I haven't touched a calculator in almost 4 years. I took Psychology in high school, but never took to it very much.

With all that being said and with your experience, which exam would you recommend that I take first?

Thank you for reading and for all of your help!

-a

[clep3705]

The first thing you need to do is get a copy of the official CLEP study guide for the practice tests. Don't waste your money on the newest version. https://www.amazon.com/Official-Study-Gu...guide+2013 The practice tests aren't rewritten with each new edition.

Try out the practice tests. If you were studying engineering, you can pass College Mathematics. All you need to demonstrate is C- level knowledge. Here's a good study guide for College Math. The other three exams overlap each other to some degree. I think sociology is slightly easier than the two psyc exams. The REA CLEP prep books for sociology and psychology are really good.

[keepsingin]

I'd say College Math would be a good start given your experience. In my experience, college math clep is mostly just basic high-school level algebra. (Compared to the College algebra clep which is a bit more advanced than college math.)

Psych is also considered easy, but there is a number of different terms, people, and their ideologies to learn.

[agrubner]

Sorry, double post!

[agrubner]

The first thing you need to do is get a copy of the official CLEP study guide for the practice tests. Don't waste your money on the newest version. https://www.amazon.com/Official-Study-Gu...guide+2013 The practice tests aren't rewritten with each new edition.

Try out the practice tests. If you were studying engineering, you can pass College Mathematics. All you need to demonstrate is C- level knowledge. Here's a good study guide for College Math. The other three exams overlap each other to some degree. I think sociology is slightly easier than the two psyc exams. The REA CLEP prep books for sociology and psychology are really good.

Thanks for the advice. I forgot to mention that I have the CLEP study guide already. I've also got myself setup with different online study helps, including IC and study.com with their exam-specific study prep.

I don't think I could walk into the College Mathematics exam tomorrow and pass it, just that I have an affinity for math, numbers, and could probably pick it up again pretty quickly. I thought that the College Mathematics exam only had 60 questions, 50 needed to pass? That's the part that worries me!

[clep3705]

According to some documents no longer available that were published on the internet and some of us downloaded, you need to pass 27 or 28 of 50 questions to pass. Think of it as you're going for a C- on a multiple choice final exam. It sounds like you are overstudying. As long as you're not trying to get credit from Howard University, which requires a 70, you only need to answer correctly about 56% of the time.

[agrubner]

According to some documents no longer available that were published on the internet and some of us downloaded, you need to pass 27 or 28 of 50 questions to pass. Think of it as you're going for a C- on a multiple choice final exam. It sounds like you are overstudying. As long as you're not trying to get credit from Howard University, which requires a 70, you only need to answer correctly about 56% of the time.

Dang, I'm conflicted. You've mentioned only needing a C- to pass, but the CLEP website mentions a recommended score of 50 and the Official Study Guide has 60 questions. Wouldn't that mean that I can only get 10 incorrect? I can't find anything on the Internet that says otherwise. It's just odd that an exam with 60 questions requires the same amount correct as an exam with 90 questions. Can you clarify? Thank you!

[clep3705]

The 50 is a scaled score on a scale of 20 - 80. This is the same company that owns the SAT. Do the 20, 50, 80 look sort of like a familiar pattern? Multiply by 10 and you have 200, 500, 800. Now do you see? The CLEP scale is the SAT scale divided by 10. 50 is not 50%. A 50 on this test is equivalent to 27 or 28 questions out of 50 correctly answered. While the 50 remains constant across exams, the percentage of correct answers to obtain a 50 varies widely.

Credit for passing a CLEP exam is equivalent to transfer credit. Some schools even transcribe CLEP and transfer credits the same way. What is transfer credit? A grade of C- or higher. A CLEP exam is essentially a proctored final exam for a college level course. You only need to perform at the C- level. Stop overstudying and overthinking. Go take the test.

[Synicaal]

Hi there,

I recently stumbled across this forum and have been so thrilled to have a community like this. So first of all, thanks for all the helpful resources, thoughts, and specific exam feedback.

In the next few weeks, I will be taking 4 specific CLEP exams: Introductory Psychology, Introductory Sociology, Human Growth and Development, and College Mathematics. I have never taken a CLEP exam before, though I would consider myself particularly good at studying and taking exams.

I wanted to hear some feedback for a CLEP noob on which exam to take first: Introductory Psychology or College Mathematics. Before drastically switching my degree, I was on an engineering path that came with a good deal of advanced-level math. With my current degree, I haven't touched a calculator in almost 4 years. I took Psychology in high school, but never took to it very much.

With all that being said and with your experience, which exam would you recommend that I take first?

Thank you for reading and for all of your help!

-a

For the 4 exams you listed I would take College Mathematics first. The reason is if you do Psych first then move to math you are hurting youself a bit. You can switch from Psych to Human Growth quickly. So I wouldn't have any down time between those. I would recommend doing

Option 1
College Math, Intro to Psych, Human Growth and Development, then Sociology.

Option 2
College Math, Sociology, Intro to Psychology, Human Growth and Development

I have taken and passed 3 of 4 of those exams (will be 4 of 4 come May). I used the REA Guides for each of them and passed all of them with a pretty good margin except for Human Growth and Dev (51). That was also because I put minimal time into studying for this exam.

[agrubner]

That definitely helps clarify. And I appreciate the kick in the pants! I'm definitely an overthinker. Thank you!