Strayer Challenge Exams

[barbeque22]

Has anyone taken one lately? They use to be open book and unproctored. I know that they are being done via ProctorU now and am wondering if they are still open book.

[rebel100]

Never heard of these before, but I would be very suspicious of anything related to Strayer, they are a predatory institution very similiar to UofP.

What sort of titles, cost, and standing do the exams hold?

[smf6824]

Contact strayer. It is legit. You get a credit that is regionally accreditted.

[SteveFoerster]

Never heard of these before, but I would be very suspicious of anything related to Strayer, they are a predatory institution very similiar to UofP.

Those are strong words -- can you back them up? I took a few courses through them and had a good experience. Granted that this was a long time ago, but they were already a publicly traded and rapidly growing institution at that time.

[defscarlett]

out of curiosity are these exams that can be taken to other institutions, specifically the big 3.

[barbeque22]

So I finally found someone at Strayer that knows about the process, etc.

The Strayer Challenge Exams are no longer open book. They are taken via ProctorU or can be proctored at any Strayer campus. They cost $100 and give you credit for Strayer specific classes. They are listed on transcript as pass/fail credit (so I assume they would be transferable).

Still waiting confirmation on if you have to be an enrolled student. She kept asking for my Strayer Student ID #, which I have, so it may be needed to take them. The exams test the knowledge obtained in the class which is listed in the Strayer course guide. Key thing to remember is that Strayer makes its own textbooks and the classes are textbook specific. I have registered to take three exams and will let everyone know how they go. I here they are very broad and difficult. I can't imagine it would be any more difficult than the ones I took at WGU.

They are normally about 50 questions.

[EI2HCB]

So I finally found someone at Strayer that knows about the process, etc.

The Strayer Challenge Exams are no longer open book. They are taken via ProctorU or can be proctored at any Strayer campus. They cost $100 and give you credit for Strayer specific classes. They are listed on transcript as pass/fail credit (so I assume they would be transferable).

Still waiting confirmation on if you have to be an enrolled student. She kept asking for my Strayer Student ID #, which I have, so it may be needed to take them. The exams test the knowledge obtained in the class which is listed in the Strayer course guide. Key thing to remember is that Strayer makes its own textbooks and the classes are textbook specific. I have registered to take three exams and will let everyone know how they go. I here they are very broad and difficult. I can't imagine it would be any more difficult than the ones I took at WGU.

They are normally about 50 questions.

Sounds interesting but more costly than a CLEP. Have you got advisor approval for these challenge exams from your college of choice. Strayer transcribes in quarter credit hours. How will that transfer to your COC?

[defscarlett]

They have a lot of exams that aren't typically found as CBE, which is really making me think about potentially switching to Strayer... though not sure how they would treat my SL and Aleks credits which I need.

*ETA: Just checked, challenge exams do not count toward their residency requirement for degree granting, but I would still be interested in taking some of their exams for transfer.

[rebel100]

Those are strong words -- can you back them up? I took a few courses through them and had a good experience. Granted that this was a long time ago, but they were already a publicly traded and rapidly growing institution at that time.

Again, I know nothing about the "challenge exams". If they count for credit at only $100 and the school doesn't screw you on the transcript process then go forth by all means. Strayer U however shares the typical for profit MO of promising a lot, milking the F/A system, and focusing on selling over educating. It's not that I find the model immoral, its that I think there are so many better alternatives that I question the individulas decision to pursue a program of study that will set the vast majority of students on a shaky fiscal path of debt with poor outlook for future earnings. Stories like this: For-profit colleges grab big share of GI Bill money | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com "Strayer University, the No. 1 recipient of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits in Virginia last year, devotes 52 percent of its revenue to marketing and profit, according to a staff analysis last month from the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee."

Let's consider the cost of Strayer Tuition and Fees | Tuition and Financial Aid At the undergrad level it runs $1400/course rack rate. And look at the ad that pops up on that page...some weird concept that Strayer is going to give you back $14,200 in their "graduation fund" might as well say "what do I have to do to put you in this car...err....degree today".

A few other links:
Would You Go to Strayer University? | Center for American Progress

This New York Times article http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/educat...d=all&_r=0 on the Senator Harkin report states of Strayer "Robert S. Silberman, the chief executive of Strayer Education, made $41 million in 2009, including stock options." rather astounding that that came when Drew Faust president of Harvard only makes about a million a year. and the money is made on the carcass of those to dumb to know any better.

Read through Harkin's actual report to see that Strayer is a pack leader in receipt of Post 911 GI Bill Benefits yet helps leads the way in student drop outs. http://www.harkin.senate.gov/documents/p...292704.pdf

If Strayer worked for you great. If the Challenge exams are legit, awesome, we should compile a list and plug them into the Big 3 degree plans. But that won't change the perception that Strayer University is an undesirable actor in US Higher education.

[barbeque22]

They have a lot of exams that aren't typically found as CBE, which is really making me think about potentially switching to Strayer... though not sure how they would treat my SL and Aleks credits which I need.

*ETA: Just checked, challenge exams do not count toward their residency requirement for degree granting, but I would still be interested in taking some of their exams for transfer.

I know they recently started accepting Straighterline....not sure about ALEKS.

Strayer University Course Equivalency Guide | StraighterLine

Yes, they do not count for residency requirements. You are required to take 12 classes at Strayer to graduate from there. As for the transfer of quarter to semester credits. The classes at Strayer are 4.5 credits which equal 3 semester credits of transfer.