So how do I go about this...

[dfrecore]

I can answer some:

1) Any place that offers to administer CLEP exams will administer ALL of the CLEP exams. If you take it at a college, they are just the testing center - they don't determine the amount of credit you will get for passing an exam. You take the test wherever, then CLEP keeps your scores on file for 20 years. At any time, you can request to have your scores sent to a college via a transcript request. The school you send them to will determine how many (if any) credits you get at that school. You can also have your scores sent to a particular school at the time of testing for free - but you have to be an enrolled student at the school, otherwise, they don't have a record to match the score up to.

2) No, there are not enough CLEP exams to get a degree at any of the Big 3. And all of the Big 3 require Upper Level courses, and CLEP doesn't have any of those. BUT, there are lots of other inexpensive ways to get a degree at the Big 3, and Testing Out (not only with CLEP, but a combination of CLEP/DSST/UExcel/TECEP, etc.) is an option for the BSBA CIS degree at TESC. The other two schools require a Capstone course at their school which you cannot test out of. All of the other TESC degrees require a Capstone as well, just not the BSBA.

3) I personally don't think a business degree will do much for you if you want to work in IT. I think experience in IT will help though - and no degree necessary. If you're going to start at the bottom and work your way up, why would you wait for a degree to do that?? Just go get a job. Take some classes to help towards that if need be. Others who work in IT can give you more input. My husband works in networking & security sales now, but started as a helpdesk guy after getting his MS certifications in 1998. He has an AA in an unrelated field. Experience, certifications, and lots of hard work has been his ticket.

4) Yes, a BSBA CIS degree at TESC can be gotten entirely via testing/inexpensive courses. Not sure about the other 2 schools (definitely not capstone though).

5) Yes, to take a CLEP, you now have to go through Collegeboard.com to purchase the exam. Then, you need to schedule the exam with a testing center. You will want to call several of them to see what their prices are, they can vary dramatically (from free to $20-$25 which seems common here to as much as $135! Per exam!). Mine has terrible hours and is far away, which is why I opted not to take CLEP/DSST exams if I could find another way. Also, try scheduling your test at a college during Christmas when you have a lot of downtime at work. Oops, no, not possible, they're closed for 3 weeks! YMMV

6) The Big 3 all have listings online for what the tests are worth, although I would double-check directly with the school first. They have changed policies recently, but it's not on the web yet. Mostly a downgrading of the 6-credit exams, which are mostly 3-credits now. I personally would plan my degree assuming all of the CLEP's are 3 credits except the Language exams.

7) MANY people on this forum have taken SL courses and are very happy. If I had a choice between a CLEP/DSST & a SL course, I would DEFINITELY take the SL course, due to the difficulties mentioned above. I like taking courses more than testing, and I like testing from home rather than at a testing center. I'm a night owl, so testing after my kids go to bed is best for me, and not an option at the testing centers.

Here are many of the ways you can get your courses for cheap or even free:

Online Courses
1) ALEKS (Int. Alg, Coll. Alg, Precalc, Stats - 3cr each course) - $20/mo, you can get through as fast as you want
2) Kaplan PLA course (3cr) - free
3) Ethics and the CPCU Code of Professional Conduct (2cr) - free
4) TEEX (3 Cybersecurity courses for 2cr each) - free
5) NFA (3 courses for 1cr each) - free
6) DreamDegree (many courses, all LL, up to 30cr) - free
7) Saylor.org (many courses) - free to take course, $25 to take proctored final
8) Straighterline (many courses) - $99/mo and approx $50/course, you can take multiple courses in a month, you can also purchase "bundles", often has coupons and deals
9) Jumpcourse (11 courses) - $199 each
10) TorahCollegeCredits.com - $135-$220/course
11) LowCostGenEd.com (same as DreamDegree) - $299/course
12) Propero.org - $299/course
13) Sophia - $329/course, often has coupons and deals
14) U of Idaho Independent Study - $325/course
15) U of Arkansas Self-Paced - $480/course
16) CSU-Pueblo Independent Study - $495/course
17) BYU Independent Study - $534/course
18) LSU Distance Learning - $619/course
19) JavaOnline.org - different prices, but can earn up to 6cr

Exams
1) CLEP
2) DSST
3) TECEP
4) UExcel
5) CSU-Global