New and confused

[ibepatience]

Ok I signed up to study for the English Comp test. I am a 34 year old who took the GED at 16 and that was the last test I took. I'm so scared I don't even know how to begin studying! I'm a little confused at the "flashcards" you all talk about. Can someone tell a REAL beginner where to begin?

Also, off topic.... I have 4 kids in high school, how do you decide which CLEPs to take so they can get some of their classes out of the way and save some money! I checked and the colleges they are considering are on the CLEP list so does that mean any CLEP would count towards their credits?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[daniellevine]

Hello!

Are you a member of InstantCert? That is the website that many of us are on, and this message board is linked to their site. It's only $20 per month, they provide excellent flash cards, and you can access specific exam information on this message board. So if you haven't signed up, save some money and do this the easy way. InstantCert.com: Leader in Online CLEP and Dantes Exam Preparation . For many people, this monthly membership eliminates the need for expensive textbooks, or sometimes they'll use the InstantCert flashcards with some inexpensive books.

What are your academic goals? Do you plan to go back to school to get a bachelor's degree? If so, there are lots of amazing opportunities that people discussed on this forum. Some popular choices are Excelsior College, Thomas Edison State College, and Charter Oaks. The reason these are popular is they allow you to take CLEP and DSST (similar to CLEP) exams for nearly all of your credits, and at $60-70 for 3 credits, you can certainly save a bundle of money and have a legitimate, certified degree. You can also complete this much, much faster than in a classroom.

For your kids in high school, the best thing to do is contact the Admissions or Registrar's office at their schools. Each school has a different policy for CLEP exams so it's best to check with them.

[ibepatience]

I am signed up for InstantCert. Originally I found out about CLEP because I was looking into going to a small private Law School in my town and the admission requirements are either an AS or completion of three CLEP tests, one of them being English Comp. I decided I'd start there and see if I could do it. I started doing some of the questions on InstantCert and was wondering if there is something else I should be doing. Are the questions the same as the flashcards everyone is talking about? When will I know I am ready to test? I have to be really ready because if I fail it will be hard for me to get the confidence up to try again.

Thanks for replying! I really want to do this, but I am shocked at how scary it is to me!

[daniellevine]

I am signed up for InstantCert. Originally I found out about CLEP because I was looking into going to a small private Law School in my town and the admission requirements are either an AS or completion of three CLEP tests, one of them being English Comp. I decided I'd start there and see if I could do it. I started doing some of the questions on InstantCert and was wondering if there is something else I should be doing. Are the questions the same as the flashcards everyone is talking about? When will I know I am ready to test? I have to be really ready because if I fail it will be hard for me to get the confidence up to try again.

Thanks for replying! I really want to do this, but I am shocked at how scary it is to me!

Well, I've been there before, and I mean I have been there before. I originally signed up for the exact same reason. Last June, I decided to try law school and needed to study for the 3 CLEP exams (worth 6 credits each, for a total of 18 credits.) Before I go further, I just want to ask you which state you reside. And, do you plan to become an attorney? I live in California and the rules are kind of lax; in 47-48 states you need to graduate from the an ABA-approved school in order to sit for the bar exam. Just want to make sure your school is giving you all the information you need...

Your level of ability depends on your past experience in the subject. Do you feel like you have a good grasp of the language, grammar, and sentences? It is probably best to do the InstantCert flashcards until you know them cold. You might also find some other resources; go to the main page of this message board, go to the "Specific Exam Feedback" section, and find the English Composition CLEP exam (you might have to go through a few pages). Lots of people have/had similar concerns that you have right now, and you can read about suggestions from people who have already taken the exam.

Don't worry about a failed test; it happens. But if your law school is being specific about the test you need to pass, be aware that there's a six-month waiting period to re-take the CLEP if you do fail it. So it's best to be safe and make sure you've put in your studying time; you might want to take some practice exams also (you can find that on the CLEP webpage.)

[ibepatience]

I am in California too. I have heard that before about it being a little easier here. What happens if I become a lawyer and then want to move out of state? Do you know how that works? That isn't my plan but always a possibility. Do you just have to pass the bar in the new state?

I'll check out the specific section you mentioned. I think I have a good understanding of language, grammer and sentences. I have been working as a secretary for 12 years and handle all of the legal stuff before it goes to our attorney, so I have tried to perfect my letter writing skills. That should help a little.

[daniellevine]

I am in California too. I have heard that before about it being a little easier here. What happens if I become a lawyer and then want to move out of state? Do you know how that works? That isn't my plan but always a possibility. Do you just have to pass the bar in the new state?

I'll check out the specific section you mentioned. I think I have a good understanding of language, grammer and sentences. I have been working as a secretary for 12 years and handle all of the legal stuff before it goes to our attorney, so I have tried to perfect my letter writing skills. That should help a little.

I probably should have said "progressive" rather than lax, since I'm infuriated that the ABA has a monopoly over the study of law. Unfortunately most states are not as progressive as California; if you wanted to become an attorney, most states outside of CA would not allow you to. There are a few states that would allow you practice as long as you have passed the CA bar, their state bar, and have some experience and letters of recommendation (I believe Massachusetts is one of them.) Hopefully in a few years many of the states will pull their heads out of their you-know-whats and realize that many intelligent, deserving attorneys cannot afford or commute to an ABA-approved school.

[Lindagerr]

When I first returned to college after 20 years away I was terrified of the unknown. When I took my first test it was a TECEP(Thomas Edison's own version of CLEP) I was so worried, then I had to wait weeks for the results. You are already 2 steps ahead of me you found this site and this board. You will find great info here.

When you have studied for a while and feel you might be nearing readiness go to this site INSPIRE Information it is a free site. Scroll down on the left side and click on Testing and education reference center.Then in college prep tool click on CLEP prep, This will take you to a list of exams, click on English composition, on the next page click on Start now. This will take you to where you register it is FREE. You will get 3 practice test that are close to the real thing with correct answers and explanations available afterward. These are the Peterson test you will see mentioned often. They are a great resource and a great way to decide if you are ready for the real thing. I usually feel if I can get at least 60% on Peterson's I am ready for the test.

As for your children I usually suggest Intro to Sociology, Intro to Psychology as good first test if their college accepts them. My sons friends are looking into them now.

This is very overwhelming at first, but after a while you will get more comfortable with it.

Good Luck and welcome to the board