How many hours did you put into BIOLOGY or AMERICAN GOV CLEP?

[duraci]

I'm considering studying for both the Biology and American Government CLEP over winter break (3 weeks) but I know that they have a reputation as some of the most difficult tests. How long did you study? I'm planning on taking Biology one day and American Government exam the very next morning.

[Westerner]

I put in about 50 hours on American Gov CLEP. 2 weeks' study, 4-5 hours every day. Depending on your prior experience, it'll be different for you.

[PonyGirl93]

If I remember correctly, I spent about 2 wks studying for Bio (I always studied for one test at a time, though.) Based on the topic feedback I've seen from other people, I had an unusual selection of questions, but I squeaked by with a 54. I would have felt a lot more comfortable if I had spent a lot more time on molecular biology. Again, most people have said they had only a few questions on that. I think I had 15 or more. Anyway, I would definitely recommend using an actual Biology textbook in addition to a CLEP guide like REA. If you have a solid background in Biology (good high school course that you think you mostly remember, etc,) that timeline should be fine. If you're pretty unfamiliar with biology or most of your focus is "macro" (food chain, etc) it would be more of a struggle. I say go for it, though! In looking at countless schools, most completely science-focused, Biology is one of the most widely-accepted, respected CLEP tests I've taken. It's worth a shot.

ETA: I just realized I didn't answer your actual question. I would say 4hrs/day during the week, so in the ballpark of 30-40 hrs? It was several years ago, though, so... I really don't know.

[Cory]

My advice is to dedicate at least 4hrs per day to each subject including weekends. That should give you plenty of time to prepare and get you near the 70hr range for both subjects.

Quality study is more important than quantity, but a typical 3 credit course has (48hrs of seat time) + outside study time. The biology clep is more like a 5 credit class (80 hours seat time) so will probably require more study time in general.

It's been many years since I took these, but I was taking 4-8 tests per month for the most part (full time student). My prep for all my tests was simply reading through a college textbook or two on the subject.