Studying

[rmullins]

I was wondering, How does everyone study? Do you have a certain
method that works great and fast?

[acs1122]

I really don't have a special method, per se. I review the material (IC flashcards, book, ect.) over and over, a minimum of 4 times. On test day, I take a book with me to review (CLEP official study guide or REA book) right before it's time to enter the exam room. Hope this helps.

[rmullins]

Thank you so much for your response. It does help.

[chromo]

I'm pretty methodical.

1) I do all the InstantCert material once with no randomization.
2) I go through InstantCert a second time no randomization and copy/paste every question/answer that I got wrong into a Word document. I also copy/paste anything that I got right but think will be important to review later.
3) I cram from my study guide, wait an hour for it all to soak in, and redo only the sections that I scored less than 70% on, this time in random mode.
4) On the day before the test I take the Official Study Guide test blind, with no cramming. If I got 70% or better I'm good to go.
5) An hour or two before the test I cram from my study guide and read all of the correct answers from the Official Study Guide test.

That worked for 9/10 of my exams. As I have already mentioned in another thread, I didn't do so well on my Biology pretest so for that one I went on to study some material from other sources.

Chris
84 credits

[Matymus]

I was wondering, How does everyone study? Do you have a certain
method that works great and fast?

I pray...ALOT! I do the flashcards over & over, I go over the material in a book, or Google the specific topics raised and go from there. Plus, I think it really is different for each exam. I don't think there's any 1 way to do it.

[Machelle]

I go over each section one by one until I get 100% (even if I make a dumb spelling error) and then move on to the next one. After I have done that, I go through them again like that, but I go faster because by then I know the material pretty well. Usually, I take a vacation day from work the day before a test and do nothing but study. IC is always my main study material, but sometimes I have to look things up in Wikipedia to get a better grasp on understanding some things, or even to get a visual of what it is that I'm trying to cram into my head. Sometimes I use Peterson's and sometimes I don't. It just depends on how difficult the material is or how confident I am about the subject overall. I have to say that for most of the exams I only used IC and I have done well.

You can do this! You will love the feeling of passing that first exam. Testing out has saved me nearly a year of class time and around $12,000 (yes, THOUSAND)!

[rmullins]

Thank you all so much for the responses. It has really helped.
Also thanks for the encouragement. I don't know what I would have done
without this site and you all.
Thanks again

[PeteDude]

I want to be able to state that I've invested some time into learning the subject, not just the exam. Given that, I usually first see if there's a low-level overview book geared to the public that's cheap, like the Complete Idiot's guides (you'd be surprised-- some of these cover the equivalent of a first semester overview class, especially the Astronomy book).

Sometimes I need to read a second or third book, or need a textbook to cover certain issues in depth. There are a few AP books that cover subjects that are also on CLEPs, for example.

Wikipedia and web searching are also invaluable for topics I want more depth for or get stuck on. Many college courses post class notes, lectures and/or syllabi online.

After that, I hit practice tests, flash cards, etc. If I feel I have time, I'll go for 100% on drills, but usually I'm in a hurry and I'm just looking to hit 60% or so (rough pass).

Usually, studying for an exam takes 3-6 weeks for me. I've only taken one exam cold (DSST MIS) and that was because I have 15+ years in the field. I few I've had to put aside temporarily after spending more than six weeks (e.g. Algebra).

[cookderosa]

I was wondering, How does everyone study? Do you have a certain
method that works great and fast?

>>

I like to use the words "independent study" rather than "testing out." It may seem like a silly distinction, but for me, it helps me understand what I am trying to accomplish- which is learning on my own. I use the exam to "prove" my independent study was sufficient.

I like to understand vs memorize because on an exam, the concept will not be asked the same way as on the flashcards.

I always get a book (thrift stores, yard sales, discards from your local college, freecycle, library sales, etc.) - I always take online practice tests at Peterson's - I always use the internet to explore subjects I don't understand- and now I have IC too. I treat the material like I am developing my own course. What are the key events? Who are the key players? What makes them key? Making (rather than copying) your own topical outline can be very helpful. Keep developing it while you study. As you learn new things, you will have to revise your outline- this will help organize your new information and see where it fits in overall. This is a very useful tool.

Before I enrolled in classes, I averaged about 9 credits per month. Now I am down to the 6 credit exams, so I am doing 1 exam per month. Per suggestions here, I schedule my exam on the first day that I start my study. Keeps me on track.

If I can add one more thing. When I first started, I thought everyone went so fast, that it must be easy! Bain4weeks, Accelerated Distance Learning, etc. Don't confuse fast with easy. People pass because people work for it. Don't think any of the exams will be on a silver platter- they all require study. When you read something like "it was easy, just know the cards" that person is only saying there were no surprises! "knowing the cards" will take hours of dedicated study time. Knowing the subject will take longer. Someone here has passed every CLEP, so it CAN BE DONE!! You can too!!
Just my two cents!