How is a test scored and other newbie questions

[Squeeealer]

I looked at the stickies and cannot find answers to some basic questions.

1. How are tests scored? It sounds like most schools require a 60 or above on most tests, but how is the 60 calculated?

2. How/when do you find out what you scored?

3. About how long does it take before your school receives your score and officially gives you credit? I've seen the answer to this on the CLEP website, but I was curious what your experiences have been.

Sorry for all the questions, but if I can pass a couple tests I CLEP out of my last two electives and get my degree. When I get my degree I get a raise at work, so I'm a little hyped up and impatient.

[zenurez]

You receive the score immediately at the end of the test.

It usually takes about two weeks for them to send the score to my college and another two weeks for my college to add it to my transcript. However these times are approximate as I don't think my college is the best at acknowledging receipt of transcripts. It's possible they are reported more quickly.

How they are graded is a bit of a mystery. Somewhere on this forum is a very detailed breakdown of how they think they're graded. Basically of you get a little more than half the questions right you get a passing score that is usually accepted at most colleges. You need to check with the college as to how the course will be transcribed and what their minimum required score is. Try searching via google or other search engine "site:degreeforum.net dsst scoring"

I understand impatient. I have been very happy with the speed that I was able to use instancert and earn college credits by exam. I've earned over 60 credits in the last 13 weeks using 11 DSST/CLEPS as well as 9 other self passed courses. However, I did have 20-30 hours per week to study which helped a lot.

[Leebo]

For CLEP, the score is on a scale from 20 to 80. In my experience 50 is a more common cutoff for credit, but it's possible for schools to be more strict. No one can really know for certain what percentage of correct questions will equal a 50, because each version of each exam is scaled slightly differently.

But in my experience, it's very easy to cross the passing line on CLEPs. I haven't studied hard for any of them, and I haven't been in danger of failing any.

You'll get the score immediately and then it usually takes several days for the school to get the score.

[zenurez]

What CLEPs are you looking at taking?

Its important to also add that this forum is a great wealth of information. It has been invaluable in helping me earn credit so quickly. I also like the website free-clep-prep.com. However, this forum has been my primary go-to resource for information, feedback and help along this journey for which I am extremely grateful. The search on the forum doesn't work very well, so using google with the search words I posted previously will help greatly.

[BGSU_Alum_86]

Many candidates get stuck on wanting to know how the scaled score number corresponds to a percentage. There is no hard-and-fast rule on this. The system is set up to first score the questions that are set to be scored (there are always extra questions that are NOT scored, just to create extra forms of the exams). Each scaled score number corresponds to a set number of correct responses (of the ones that are scored). CLEP has also communicated that a suggested passing score of '50' equates to a C-student's work.

As long as you are taking the IBT version of the exams, you will find out your results at the end of the exam (unless you cancel your score or are taking the College Composition exam).

CLEP Services prints official scores overnight, every night. These are the official scores that candidates have designated to be sent to a specific college/university. They get processed into first-class mail and then depart from CLEP Services (Trenton, NJ) to your school. They ask that you allow 2-3 weeks for your school to receive this official score because they have no control over the postal system. I typically hear that the local universities in our area (SoCal) receive these score reports in about 7-10 days after testing. I always suggest to new testing candidates that they contact their registrar's office and ask if they have an approximate number of days from the receipt of a transcript to posting the credits on the student's account. This varies by school!

[Squeeealer]

What CLEPs are you looking at taking?

Its important to also add that this forum is a great wealth of information. It has been invaluable in helping me earn credit so quickly. I also like the website free-clep-prep.com. However, this forum has been my primary go-to resource for information, feedback and help along this journey for which I am extremely grateful. The search on the forum doesn't work very well, so using google with the search words I posted previously will help greatly.

US History I and II. I confirmed with my advisor that these would do the trick.

US History I looks like it should be easy. I'm checking out the thread here, doing the flash cards, doing the practice exams on FCP, and taking the practice quizzes on historyteacher.net.

US History II appears to be getting a lot less action. I haven't even scrolled down far enough to check out their thread yet. Maybe Marketing would be a better way to go - FCP says that's one of the easiest!

[Squeeealer]

Many candidates get stuck on wanting to know how the scaled score number corresponds to a percentage. There is no hard-and-fast rule on this. The system is set up to first score the questions that are set to be scored (there are always extra questions that are NOT scored, just to create extra forms of the exams). Each scaled score number corresponds to a set number of correct responses (of the ones that are scored). CLEP has also communicated that a suggested passing score of '50' equates to a C-student's work.

As long as you are taking the IBT version of the exams, you will find out your results at the end of the exam (unless you cancel your score or are taking the College Composition exam).

CLEP Services prints official scores overnight, every night. These are the official scores that candidates have designated to be sent to a specific college/university. They get processed into first-class mail and then depart from CLEP Services (Trenton, NJ) to your school. They ask that you allow 2-3 weeks for your school to receive this official score because they have no control over the postal system. I typically hear that the local universities in our area (SoCal) receive these score reports in about 7-10 days after testing. I always suggest to new testing candidates that they contact their registrar's office and ask if they have an approximate number of days from the receipt of a transcript to posting the credits on the student's account. This varies by school!

Thank you for this!

[zenurez]

US History I was the first CLEP I took I was very afraid I wouldn't be able to pass the exams and even put off trying them for a few years. After taking the first two, my confidence was boosted significantly. I think you would be fine with either Marketing or History II using IC and specific exam feedback.

US History I and II. I confirmed with my advisor that these would do the trick.

US History I looks like it should be easy. I'm checking out the thread here, doing the flash cards, doing the practice exams on FCP, and taking the practice quizzes on historyteacher.net.

US History II appears to be getting a lot less action. I haven't even scrolled down far enough to check out their thread yet. Maybe Marketing would be a better way to go - FCP says that's one of the easiest!