Please Help!!!Which CLEP test is easier, History I or History II?

[vanessa000abc]

Thank you so much for your insightful advice. It really helps.

My college (University of Arkansas at Little Rock) also requires the essay version along with the CLEP multiple choice. I just took the essay to Western Civ II yesterday. I took it once before and failed the essay portion. My college is kind of ignorant about CLEPs and it took some persuading for them to let me re-take the essay portion only.

It has been my experience with the essay portion that, if you don't say something stupid, then you will pass. (I hope).They threw me a curve ball with the Western Civ II essay, and I wrote an essay on something totally different than what they asked. So, you'll probably be fine if you write a three-point essay and sound knowledgeable about the topic.

My college gave me four essay prompts divided into two "categories." I was allowed to pick one from each category and write an essay on each topic. I had 90 minutes.

I found the U.S. History I was easier, but that was because I had a strong background in this area (Founding of the nation, Revolution, Civil War). I would probably advise you to take U.S. History II since you are not originally from the U.S. The test will have more modern information, and I think you might be able to relate to it better because it covers the U.S. in more global terms. You might even get an essay question on the Cold War like I did.

My advice: highlight the major topics throughout U.S. History since 1865. For example, it might be World War I, World War II, the Cold War, Industrialization, the Great Depression. I don't remember all the main topics, but you can often see a thread running throughout history and how one major event affects the other. For example, World War I led to World War II, which led to the Cold War. WWI led to the Russian Revolution which created the Soviet Union and the Red Scare of the Cold War. It is easier to study when you can understand why the events took place, and what their impact was on later events.

I studied REA's U.S. History II and Barron's EZ 101 Study Key book. I wish you well. Study hard and I'm sure you'll do fine.:patriot:

[Drummerboy]

Is history 1 more fact based? And history 2 requires more deep understanding about specific political/philosophical beliefs , not just dates and names.?

I don't think either was different in that way. You should know the basic philosophical beliefs of different influential people or groups. For example, you'll need to understand that Alexander Hamilton and his Federalist party sought to create a more centralized government while Thomas Jefferson and his Democratic-Republicans wanted State's Rights (U.S. History I). In U.S. II you'll need to understand the views of different political parties and how they changed. For example, how the Radical Republicans wanted to impose harsh rule on the South after the Civil War. You'll need to understand facts and dates, but also the basics of major philosophies. There was a lot about socialism, so make sure you understand how this influenced the U.S. internally and externally.

[vanessa000abc]

I don't think either was different in that way. You should know the basic philosophical beliefs of different influential people or groups. For example, you'll need to understand that Alexander Hamilton and his Federalist party sought to create a more centralized government while Thomas Jefferson and his Democratic-Republicans wanted State's Rights (U.S. History I). In U.S. II you'll need to understand the views of different political parties and how they changed. For example, how the Radical Republicans wanted to impose harsh rule on the South after the Civil War. You'll need to understand facts and dates, but also the basics of major philosophies. There was a lot about socialism, so make sure you understand how this influenced the U.S. internally and externally.

Thanks for your info. Do you have to write a lot for the essay? What the essay look like on your History 1 ? I mean can you be more specific? I am sorry for lots of question.

[L_Hancock]

I personally thought U.S. history 1 was easier - for me, at least. As a child, I'd been to a lot of the historic sites and muesums. Good luck.

[vanessa000abc]

I personally thought U.S. history 1 was easier - for me, at least. As a child, I'd been to a lot of the historic sites and muesums. Good luck.

I am deciding to take the History I

[Drummerboy]

Thanks for your info. Do you have to write a lot for the essay? What the essay look like on your History 1 ? I mean can you be more specific? I am sorry for lots of question.

I was given four questions in two categories of which I chose one question from each. My "categories" were divided into the earlier part of the course material and two from the latter part (that way I was answering a question from different periods in history). I was also given two 8.5" x 11" booklets with white, lined paper. They didn't give me any scrap paper, so I tore a couple pages out of one booklet to create my outline and jot down notes and details that I wanted to cover.

I wrote a three point essay (Introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and conclusion). Make sure you introduce your subject with the three points, then summarize the three points again in your conclusion. And stay on the topic they give you!

My essays were about 3 single-sided pages long. They didn't specify how long they should be. By the way, I left some room between paragraphs so I could add to them later if I thought of something else.

I hope this helps. What college do you go to? I would definitely ask them their rules and such, because it might be different from my college.