12-17-2018, 06:10 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-17-2018, 06:13 PM by cookderosa.)
The conversation about GRE testing prompted me to look up the old site that disrupted distance learning before disruption was a thing. Lawrie Miller's BAin4weeks site was "the" site for a long time and one that brought a lot of people to find InstantCert.
If you've never read his story: http://bain4weeks.com/introduc.html
When he did his degree (literally, in 4 weeks) he used 2 GRE exams to earn 60 credits in one shot. At the time, all 3 of the big 3 awarded credit for GRE exams, but now that TESU and EC don't, we don't hear much about it. However, COSC still does award credit for hitting in the 40% or better. (Note: COSC used to award 30 credits- a full concentration, now don't so that's probably part of it)
Lawrie Miller managed to score above the 90th percentile for both Psychology and Political Science. I've never taken these exams, so imagine they are quite hard, but clearly not impossible (not to devalue Lawrie's skills, you can see all of his scores, and they are all quite high- so clearly he is very very bright) http://bain4weeks.com/examperformancetables2.html
From Lawrie's site about GRE testing (from 2004)
-----
"ABOUT THE GRE SUBJECT EXAMS
Graduate Record Subject Examinations are offered in a variety of disciplines. Their primary purpose is to test the readiness of candidates for graduate study in a particular field. Most examinees writing these exams are bachelor graduates in the specific field or in a related discipline. Excelsior College is the only assessment institution to award enough credit for a score in the GRE subject exam, to meet all requirements of a major or to trigger conferral of a second degree based solely on one's performance in that exam. Empire State College (not an assessment college – requires that 30+ credits be earned “in-house”) will award up to 36 semester hours credit for a suitable performance in the GRE subject exam.
GRE subject exams are not the same animal as the GRE General exam. They are a different species. Knowledge of basic algebra, geometry, or synonyms and antonyms, will not be enough to cut it in these tests. However, with that said, although the majority of GRE subject test examinees may be graduates in the field, this does not mean examinees who are neither graduates in the discipline or indeed graduates at all, cannot pass these tests at the required level. They can and frequently do. I used the GRE subject test in Political Science to provide all the necessary concentration credit for my first Excelsior College degree. I wrote another GRE subject exam in Psychology, garnering an additional 30 semester hours credit.
A DWINDLING RESOURCE
GRE subject examinations are an endangered species, and it seems that with every passing exam diet there are fewer from which to choose. So if you're toying with the idea of doing this, don't hang about too long. Remember, you can earn such a degree by taking just one exam for about $130. "
----------
The current 2018 exam cost is only $150, which is a steal if you can hit the 40th%. https://www.ets.org/gre/subject/about/fees/
There are currently only 6 GRE subject exams available. They are:
Biology
Chemistry
Literature in English
Mathematics
Physics
Psychology
The Subject Tests are given at paper-delivered test centers worldwide three times a year, in:
September
October
April
Charter Oak State College is the only school that awards college credit for passing a GRE exam. https://www.charteroak.edu/pdf/charter-o...values.pdf
COSC awards credit as follows:
Biology (40th% = 24 UL/LL credits)
Chemistry (40th% = 24 UL/LL credits)
Literature in English (40th% = 18 UL/LL credits)
Mathematics (40th% = 24 UL/LL credits)
Physics (40th% = 24 UL/LL credits)
Psychology (40th% = 18 UL/LL credits)
One HUGE distinction of the GRE test, is that scores are only saved for 5 years (not 20 like CLEP, AP, DSST, etc) so you do have to use it or lose it.
A second HUGE distinction is that your number correct doesn't matter- it's your rank among other test takers. From the GRE site:
"Percentile Rank
Each GRE test score is reported with a corresponding percentile rank. A percentile rank for a score indicates the percentage of examinees who took that test and received a lower score. Regardless of when the reported scores were earned, the percentile ranks for Subject Test scores are based on the scores of all examinees who tested within a recent time period."
I think the real value in GRE is the upper level credit, though COSC doesn't tell us exactly how much is UL vs LL, which feels risky to me. Still, I think that for SECOND BACHELOR'S DEGREE SEEKERS, this might be the money shot.
"To earn a second baccalaureate degree a student must:
earn a minimum of 30 semester credits subsequent to the award of the initial degree
earn at least 15 of the subsequent credits at the upper level in the new Concentration
meet all distributive requirements
apply no more than 9 credits from the previous degree earned toward the new Concentration
Persons holding a Master of Arts or Master of Science or an earned doctorate must also request approval in writing from the Director of Admissions before applying for a bachelor's degree program."
So, it's possible that as a SECOND DEGREE, a person might be able to do one GRE, a Capstone (?), and maybe more 1 class/exam. Of course COSC does have a 1 credit lab science requirement, a 3 credit speech requirement, and a cornerstone class - so if a person didn't meet those in their first degree, you'd have to do those too (but would be part of the 30 new credits.)
If you've never read his story: http://bain4weeks.com/introduc.html
When he did his degree (literally, in 4 weeks) he used 2 GRE exams to earn 60 credits in one shot. At the time, all 3 of the big 3 awarded credit for GRE exams, but now that TESU and EC don't, we don't hear much about it. However, COSC still does award credit for hitting in the 40% or better. (Note: COSC used to award 30 credits- a full concentration, now don't so that's probably part of it)
Lawrie Miller managed to score above the 90th percentile for both Psychology and Political Science. I've never taken these exams, so imagine they are quite hard, but clearly not impossible (not to devalue Lawrie's skills, you can see all of his scores, and they are all quite high- so clearly he is very very bright) http://bain4weeks.com/examperformancetables2.html
From Lawrie's site about GRE testing (from 2004)
-----
"ABOUT THE GRE SUBJECT EXAMS
Graduate Record Subject Examinations are offered in a variety of disciplines. Their primary purpose is to test the readiness of candidates for graduate study in a particular field. Most examinees writing these exams are bachelor graduates in the specific field or in a related discipline. Excelsior College is the only assessment institution to award enough credit for a score in the GRE subject exam, to meet all requirements of a major or to trigger conferral of a second degree based solely on one's performance in that exam. Empire State College (not an assessment college – requires that 30+ credits be earned “in-house”) will award up to 36 semester hours credit for a suitable performance in the GRE subject exam.
GRE subject exams are not the same animal as the GRE General exam. They are a different species. Knowledge of basic algebra, geometry, or synonyms and antonyms, will not be enough to cut it in these tests. However, with that said, although the majority of GRE subject test examinees may be graduates in the field, this does not mean examinees who are neither graduates in the discipline or indeed graduates at all, cannot pass these tests at the required level. They can and frequently do. I used the GRE subject test in Political Science to provide all the necessary concentration credit for my first Excelsior College degree. I wrote another GRE subject exam in Psychology, garnering an additional 30 semester hours credit.
A DWINDLING RESOURCE
GRE subject examinations are an endangered species, and it seems that with every passing exam diet there are fewer from which to choose. So if you're toying with the idea of doing this, don't hang about too long. Remember, you can earn such a degree by taking just one exam for about $130. "
----------
The current 2018 exam cost is only $150, which is a steal if you can hit the 40th%. https://www.ets.org/gre/subject/about/fees/
There are currently only 6 GRE subject exams available. They are:
Biology
Chemistry
Literature in English
Mathematics
Physics
Psychology
The Subject Tests are given at paper-delivered test centers worldwide three times a year, in:
September
October
April
Charter Oak State College is the only school that awards college credit for passing a GRE exam. https://www.charteroak.edu/pdf/charter-o...values.pdf
COSC awards credit as follows:
Biology (40th% = 24 UL/LL credits)
Chemistry (40th% = 24 UL/LL credits)
Literature in English (40th% = 18 UL/LL credits)
Mathematics (40th% = 24 UL/LL credits)
Physics (40th% = 24 UL/LL credits)
Psychology (40th% = 18 UL/LL credits)
One HUGE distinction of the GRE test, is that scores are only saved for 5 years (not 20 like CLEP, AP, DSST, etc) so you do have to use it or lose it.
A second HUGE distinction is that your number correct doesn't matter- it's your rank among other test takers. From the GRE site:
"Percentile Rank
Each GRE test score is reported with a corresponding percentile rank. A percentile rank for a score indicates the percentage of examinees who took that test and received a lower score. Regardless of when the reported scores were earned, the percentile ranks for Subject Test scores are based on the scores of all examinees who tested within a recent time period."
I think the real value in GRE is the upper level credit, though COSC doesn't tell us exactly how much is UL vs LL, which feels risky to me. Still, I think that for SECOND BACHELOR'S DEGREE SEEKERS, this might be the money shot.
"To earn a second baccalaureate degree a student must:
earn a minimum of 30 semester credits subsequent to the award of the initial degree
earn at least 15 of the subsequent credits at the upper level in the new Concentration
meet all distributive requirements
apply no more than 9 credits from the previous degree earned toward the new Concentration
Persons holding a Master of Arts or Master of Science or an earned doctorate must also request approval in writing from the Director of Admissions before applying for a bachelor's degree program."
So, it's possible that as a SECOND DEGREE, a person might be able to do one GRE, a Capstone (?), and maybe more 1 class/exam. Of course COSC does have a 1 credit lab science requirement, a 3 credit speech requirement, and a cornerstone class - so if a person didn't meet those in their first degree, you'd have to do those too (but would be part of the 30 new credits.)
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