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I've taken 4 CLEP exams so far (Intro to Psych, Intro to Sociology, Analyzing Literature, and Human Growth and Development), and used REA's practice exam packages before each one. The ones for Intro to Psych, Intro to Sociology, and Human Growth and Development were very, very close to the actual CLEP exams, if maybe a tiny bit easier. I felt afterwards that they were a pretty good diagnostic tool for my CLEP-readiness. Scoring in the 70s-80s on the practice exams led to CLEP scores in the 60+ range. The REA practice exams for Analyzing Literature, however, were just absurdly difficult and nothing like the actual CLEP.
I'm currently studying for the Humanities CLEP, and have done all the practice tests I could find. Here's my issue:
-I took the full-length practice exam in the 2018 official CLEP book and made a 94%.
-Took the Free-Clep-Prep practice exam and scored in the high 70s.
-I took the REA exams and they must have been designed by the same sadist who did their Analyzing Literature exams; it was all the exact same vague, highly-subjective analyses and trick questions. I scored a 64% on each of the REA exams.
-I took the first couple Peterson's tests and totally bombed them- -low 50s on both sections. The questions were pretty straightforward, but insanely specific and "deep."
What I'd like to know is, for those of you who use a lot practice exams, which tend to be more accurate? Obviously REA's accuracy depends on the subject (whoever is in charge of their Literature department should be tethered to a stake and flogged with a hardback copy of War and Peace). Are Peterson's generally more accurate than the REA tests? Is there a thread on here with different practice exam score comparison charts, or something similar?
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I don't know which is more accurate, but in the few ones I tried Peterson's and REA, I found that the Peterson's were a little harder.
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(08-12-2018, 12:33 AM)MNomadic Wrote: I don't know which is more accurate, but in the few ones I tried Peterson's and REA, I found that the Peterson's were a little harder.
Same. I voted for Petersons because I think the Peterson's test bank covers a wider selection and goes a bit deeper- making them a bit harder than the real exams, and I'm always afraid of having really great practice test scores with such a huge question bank, BUT FWIW, I think everyone should use REA as their practice test of choice. REA includes detailed answers behind each answer- something that is super valuable imo. Peterson does not, so you have to investigate on your own, which may or may not be tuned into something important. REA does a really great job of hitting the target.
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(08-12-2018, 06:23 AM)cookderosa Wrote: (08-12-2018, 12:33 AM)MNomadic Wrote: I don't know which is more accurate, but in the few ones I tried Peterson's and REA, I found that the Peterson's were a little harder.
REA includes detailed answers behind each answer- something that is super valuable imo. REA does a really great job of hitting the target.
I agree. Being able to see an explanation of exactly why I got an answer wrong is very important.
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(08-12-2018, 02:22 PM)MNomadic Wrote: (08-12-2018, 06:23 AM)cookderosa Wrote: (08-12-2018, 12:33 AM)MNomadic Wrote: I don't know which is more accurate, but in the few ones I tried Peterson's and REA, I found that the Peterson's were a little harder.
REA includes detailed answers behind each answer- something that is super valuable imo. REA does a really great job of hitting the target.
I agree. Being able to see an explanation of exactly why I got an answer wrong is very important.
What about using REA and InstaCert? I've been reading posts where they say that InstaCert is good enough for some people. I wonder if using both sources would help.
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Rea plus InstaCert should be enough for most situations.
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(08-12-2018, 02:22 PM)MNomadic Wrote: I agree. Being able to see an explanation of exactly why I got an answer wrong is very important.
Right. And that's why when you take a practice test, you should not guess. Even if you know the correct answer, you should not answer it if you can't explain why all of the other answers are incorrect. The purpose of a good practice test is to direct you to a detailed explanation of where your knowledge was deficient.
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08-12-2018, 08:20 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-12-2018, 08:25 PM by cookderosa.)
(08-12-2018, 03:51 PM)indigoshuffle Wrote: (08-12-2018, 02:22 PM)MNomadic Wrote: (08-12-2018, 06:23 AM)cookderosa Wrote: (08-12-2018, 12:33 AM)MNomadic Wrote: I don't know which is more accurate, but in the few ones I tried Peterson's and REA, I found that the Peterson's were a little harder.
REA includes detailed answers behind each answer- something that is super valuable imo. REA does a really great job of hitting the target.
I agree. Being able to see an explanation of exactly why I got an answer wrong is very important.
What about using REA and InstaCert? I've been reading posts where they say that InstaCert is good enough for some people. I wonder if using both sources would help.
So, for years and years, everyone here did CLEP and DSST only. There were very few, if any, ACE options at the time, and it was COMMON for people to not only pass using IC only, but in some cases, people scored VERY high. There are archived threads about passing exams using "IC only" or "scores over XX" which fed the fountain of information.
But.....
The behavior of the members here has changed, and fewer members are doing CLEP/DSST. I think we are seeing a small uptick in CLEP due to the launch of Modern States (who wouldn't want free credit!?!) but when I scan the Specific Exam Feedback, there aren't tons of new posts- and so I think that creates a snag in the "IC only" formula. IMO, one of the reasons you used to be able to pass using only IC was a combination of the flashcards WITH the specific exam feedback. EVERYONE posted, and the files were excellent- seriously excellent. I don't know how a thread like that *today* would turn out. I don't know if IC only as it is in its current form is enough, and even if it is, why not still go through MS to get the voucher? (unless it's DSST, which there is no voucher) For people who land here that are NOT targeting the big 3, CLEP is a really good plan (unless they know they can use ACE) but we need to keep that info flowing into the pool too.
I forgot to say also that passing with a 50 freaks people out a little. If you read the specific exam feedback threads, people often complain that their test had questions that weren't addressed in IC and are upset to only have a 50 or close to it. If you're trying for a pass, REA + IC for sure 100% I have no doubt will work every time (assuming you *learn* the content) because the scope is there. OTOH, if you need a higher score (like anyone in Ohio!) you might be able to pull off a 60 or so, but you start getting into those high scores, and you're just playing Trivial Pursuit - the point of diminishing returns kicks in and you really have to start going deeper AND wider.
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Oh, I am perfectly happy with making a 50. I just want to make sure I'm adequately prepared for that behemoth Humanities exam, and since my practice test scores are all over the place, I'm worried about my actual chances of hitting 50 (and eventually I'm going to attempt the Biology CLEP as well, and everybody's saying that one's a beast, too).
*Sigh* I long for the day when we can just download all this stuff into our brains, like in The Matrix. 
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(08-13-2018, 10:16 PM)alg1981 Wrote: Oh, I am perfectly happy with making a 50. I just want to make sure I'm adequately prepared for that behemoth Humanities exam, and since my practice test scores are all over the place, I'm worried about my actual chances of hitting 50 (and eventually I'm going to attempt the Biology CLEP as well, and everybody's saying that one's a beast, too).
*Sigh* I long for the day when we can just download all this stuff into our brains, like in The Matrix.
Well, the thing about a multiple choice test is that all the answers are already provided. You just have to figure out which one it is 
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