Is InstantCert REALLY Enough?

[sotired]

I just got enrolled into COSC, Yayy! hilarious

Now my concern is InstantCert all I need to pass these test?

Because if it is, that would be very cool - I can study this stuff all day long since I hate reading text books...

I started looking at the textbooks and man these are expensive (even through Amazon). And also, many test guides have up to 4 textbooks!

What are your thoughts on this?

[STG]

Never use just Instancert...always use other study sources also.

[ShotoJuku]

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Shoto-Advice:

:iagree:

[SIZE="3"]"[/SIZE]EC[SIZE="3"]"[/SIZE]
"CCU"
"Prayer"
"A Pass is a Pass"
"Slow and Steady - Wins the Race"
[B][I]“Sometimes The Easy Way Is Not Always The Best Way”
"Passing a Petersons = Conquering a CLEP -or- Defeating a DSST"
"The 5 R's of Study: Repetition - Re-Enforces - Recognition - Recall - Retention"[/B][/I]
"Always be Ready to Release Your Mind & Incorporate the Advice of Others into Your Plans."
"Studying is much like Boiling Water, if it is not Heated Constantly it will Once Again Become Cold Water."


Other Sources of CLEP & DSST Study Material
[SIZE="3"]REA Books, Comex Books, Pass Your Class Guides, Standard Deviants DVD's, Petersons Practice Exams, [COLOR="Gold"]Dummies Books, Idiot's Guides [/COLOR]. [/SIZE]

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[SIZE="3"]Study Time: How I Did It…[/SIZE]

Pre-Study-Prep: Obtain or set up whatever materials I will need to study (IC Flashcards, REA Books, Standard Deviants Videos, Pass-Your-Class Guides, and Petersons Practice Exams.

Week One: Begin to read books, review flashcards, watch videos. Call your test center and make an appointment in advance as they sometimes require a few weeks advance notice)

Week Two: Re-read books, review flashcards, watch videos Take 1-2 practice exams

Week Three: Continue to review all materials, take additional/final practice exams. You should be passing these with room to spare. Take real exam at end of the week and PASS.

Note you should have at this point already acquired pre-study-prep materials for your next exam so as not to waste time.[/COLOR]


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Something Else To Know

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FACT: The lowest possible score is a 20. The highest possible is an 80.

FACT: Approx. 1/2 the questions on the test must be successfully answered to get a 50, or a pass.


THE HYPOTHESIS: In a 100 question test, such as Sociology and many others, there are only 60 possible points (between 20-80) for 100 questions.

60 points divided by 100 questions = .6pts

If each questions is worth .6 points, 50 correct questions = 50q X .6pts = 30pts

You must add 20 since 0 correct questions = 20pts.

30 points + 20 points = 50 points, or a pass.

Now: If each point in a 100 question test is worth .6 points, 100 questions X .6 points = 60; 60 + 20 = 80.

By this formula, answering 75 questions correctly would translate to a score of 65.

[MISin08]

You don't need all 4 textbooks and they can be got very cheap (old editions), or borrowed from the library. It doesn't have to be the exact book; most CLEP subjects are so generic any standard text will do. Non-textbook references (Collins Outline, Idiot's Guide) are another good way to go.

Phillip

[rebel100]

Actually, I would say it depends on the test. For most test there is a great deal out there on the web to augment IC, google is your friend. I would never advise buying a current textbook for a CLEP/DSST. Buy one 2 or 3 edtions out, isn't gonna make a difference in the outcome.

And finally of the utmost importance is read through the specific exam feedback thread here on IC for each test your gonna take. As a rule, these are test prep goldmines! Often the best prep is something other than a textbook. Annenberg videos, standard deviant series, kahn academy, sparknotes, or just user made study guides can all be used in lieu of a formal text in many cases.

Good Luck!

Reb

[BGSU_Alum_86]

There is some misinformation being shared in regards to how many questions must be answered correctly in order to achieve a passing score. There is no hard and fast rule on this! A passing score of 50 (for CLEP) does not mean you need to answer at least half of the questions correctly in order to pass. First of all, your score is not calculated based on ALL of the questions you answered. Some of those questions are what CLEP likes to call "pretest" questions. There are usually 10 of your total questions that are not scored AT ALL. I want to share some of what CLEP has printed in their candidate bulletin under the heading "What Your CLEP Score Means" to see if this can be cleared up:
"First, your 'raw score' is calculated. This is the number of questions you answered correctly. Your raw score increases by one point for each question answered correctly..." "Second, your raw score is converted into a 'scaled score' by a statistical process called equating. Equating maintains the consistency of standards for test scores over time by adjusting for slight differences in difficulty betwen test forms. This ensures that your score does not depend on the specific test form you took or how well others did on the same form. Your raw score is converted to a scaled score that ranges from 20, the lowest, to 80, the highest. The final scaled score is the score that appears on your score report."

DSST has utilized this form of scoring in their older tests. They call it "norm-referenced standard setting". Their "refreshed" exams use what they call "criterion-referenced standard setting". Here is the link to the actual printed piece explaining the difference:http://www.getcollegecredit.com/pdfs/exam-scoring.pdf

Clear as mud, right?

[jackbanta]

Definitely hit up the Specific Exam feedback! To me, that's more valuable than the flashcards (though, they are very helpful too.) Most of the books I've purchased for a CLEP or DSST have come from the recommendations in the Specific Exam thread. Just make sure to plan ahead, scout out your next test well ahead of time to give yourself time for the books to get to you. For what it's worth, I've never spent more than 10 bucks on a CLEP/DSST book. There are definitely cheap options out there.

[Tasman]

It all depends on your prior knowledge...but I would never just rely on IC. Use other recommended resources as listed in the specific exam feedback.

[sanantone]

It depends on the person, the person's prior knowledge, and the test. I never paid for any study materials outside of InstantCert; and, for about half of the tests, I only used InstantCert. I had a solid foundation in psychology and the other social sciences, so there was no need for me to overdo it. For something like the Intro to Computing DSST, just about anyone who uses a computer can pass it without much effort.