Suggestions for upper level credits

[Braylen]

OK, I'm 27 credits away from completing my degree through Excelsior, and can only have a limited number of any more Applied Professional classes. 24 of these need to be upper level.

I'm ready to take the CLEP "Intro to Educational Psychology", am signed up for "Graduate Research and Writing", and am working through "Abnormal Psychology." I've already completed the DSST Management Information Systems and a traditional upper level Business Ethics (so I don't think I could use the ECE "Ethics: Theory & Practice" exam).

Right now I'm looking at taking the following:

• Organizational Behavior (ECE) - (will finish my concentration in Psychology)
  
• Business Law II (DSST)
  
• Human Resource Management (ECE) (these two finish concentration in Business)
  

Then I need three more 9 more Upper Level credits, and right now I'm leaning toward:

• Drug and Alcohol Abuse (DSST)
  
• World Population (ECE)
  
• Foundations in Gerontology (ECE)
  

Assuming I only want to take exams, does anyone have suggestions for better tests to take? I picked these based on what I perceived to be the ones with the most resources available to help prepare, but didn't really research which might be the easiest. I *do* want to ace all of the tests, since I have a 4.0 average right now, and there's no point in screwing it up at this point, so ease and prep materials are key (i.e., availability of good sample tests to verify readiness).

I don't want to skimp on my education or anything, but I'm really interested in a particular Master's program, so the quicker I can get through this (obviously) the better.

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions.

[ShotoJuku]

OK, I'm 27 credits away from completing my degree through Excelsior, and can only have a limited number of any more Applied Professional classes. 24 of these need to be upper level.

I'm ready to take the CLEP "Intro to Educational Psychology", am signed up for "Graduate Research and Writing", and am working through "Abnormal Psychology." I've already completed the DSST Management Information Systems and a traditional upper level Business Ethics (so I don't think I could use the ECE "Ethics: Theory & Practice" exam).

Right now I'm looking at taking the following:

• Organizational Behavior (ECE) - (will finish my concentration in Psychology)
  
• Business Law II (DSST)
  
• Human Resource Management (ECE) (these two finish concentration in Business)
  

Then I need three more 9 more Upper Level credits, and right now I'm leaning toward:

• Drug and Alcohol Abuse (DSST)
  
• World Population (ECE)
  
• Foundations in Gerontology (ECE)
  

Assuming I only want to take exams, does anyone have suggestions for better tests to take? I picked these based on what I perceived to be the ones with the most resources available to help prepare, but didn't really research which might be the easiest. I *do* want to ace all of the tests, since I have a 4.0 average right now, and there's no point in screwing it up at this point, so ease and prep materials are key (i.e., availability of good sample tests to verify readiness).

I don't want to skimp on my education or anything, but I'm really interested in a particular Master's program, so the quicker I can get through this (obviously) the better.

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions.

[SIZE="2"][COLOR="Navy"]How about DSST-Civil War and Reconstruction -and- DSST-Rise and Fall Soviet Union?

These two UPPER level exams were not too bad, just filled with a lot to recall.

BUT......whatever you decide - make sure you have your entire plan reviewed and approved by your academic advisor first before you proceed.

GOOD LUCK!![/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Urbannaja]

ECE Org Behavior was pretty easy with IC only
DSST Civil War takes alot of knowledge questions, but doable
DSST Drug and Alcohol Abuse was pretty easy with IC only
ECE World Conflicts wasn't too bad with all knowledge questions (no IC though)
ECE Ethics was cake with IC (though you said you might not be able to take it)

[Braylen]

Thanks for the great recommendations - I'll definitely check out the non-history credits. I have Social Sciences & History, along with Intro to Psych & Intro to Sociology, and I'm concerned if I tack more History exams on, they might null the general SS&H CLEP out (I wouldn't blame them really). Plus, I'm not that great on rote memorization types of things!

Adulthood & Aging and Ethics (I'll check to see if I can once I'm further along) in particular are great suggestions that I wasn't considering, and am probably already fairly well prepared for them if so.

I think I'm not seeing the ECE courses on the site for some reason - the list I have only lists one (Psychology of Adulthood and Aging), but I'm guessing there is cross-over coverage from the CLEPs to the ECE courses (the forums have been a great source of info as to which of course), but I wonder why the InstantCert folks haven't referenced them more in their lists.

I'm looking at the list here:
http://www.instantcert.com/landing.html

Is there a different list that has more info on the ECE exam coverage?

Thanks again.

[snazzlefrag]

Thanks for the great recommendations - I'll definitely check out the non-history credits. I have Social Sciences & History, along with Intro to Psych & Intro to Sociology, and I'm concerned if I tack more History exams on, they might null the general SS&H CLEP out (I wouldn't blame them really). Plus, I'm not that great on rote memorization types of things!

Adulthood & Aging and Ethics (I'll check to see if I can once I'm further along) in particular are great suggestions that I wasn't considering, and am probably already fairly well prepared for them if so.

I think I'm not seeing the ECE courses on the site for some reason - the list I have only lists one (Psychology of Adulthood and Aging), but I'm guessing there is cross-over coverage from the CLEPs to the ECE courses (the forums have been a great source of info as to which of course), but I wonder why the InstantCert folks haven't referenced them more in their lists.

I'm looking at the list here:
http://www.instantcert.com/landing.html

Is there a different list that has more info on the ECE exam coverage?

Thanks again.

Braylen,

They've only just begun to put out ECE subjects. Psychology of Adulthood & Aging is the first. However, the existing Human Resource Management, Organizational Behavior, and Ethics sections can also be used as guides for the ECE versions in addition to the DANTES exams for which they were originally intended.

Hope this helps,
Snazzlefrag

[Braylen]

That's great - thanks for the info. I'll probably try it with Organizational Behavior, as that's one I think I'm pretty comfortable with already.

Thanks again for all of the great advice.

[shawc]

Hi Braylen. I took both "Civil War and Reconstruction" and "Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union" about a month and a half ago. I also took Excelsiors "Psychology of Adulthood and Aging" today. I used this site and Rudman's for both of the Dantes exams and got a 62 and a 61 respectively. For the test I took today, I only read the summaries at the end of each chapter in the text book from Excelsior. I used this site for the bulk of my studying. Only a few of the answers "matched." If you know them inside out, you'll be able to reason out the correct answers fairly easily. I got an "A" on the test. Hope this helps.

-Shaw

[ShotoJuku]

[SIZE="4"]Don't forget to get approval from you academic advisors too. Do you have to complete a sequence? Good Luck!![/SIZE]

[avi]

I saw that you plan on taking business law II, I didnt get my score back yet, and I think I passed but that test sucked. It was soo dumb. It's very hard to study for and a whole bunch of opinion questions. I would takes Management info systems or business finance instead. That is my simple humble opinion.
Good luck either way.

[Braylen]

Thanks - I have MIS already, and am looking for options other than Business Law now. I'm reluctant to attempt the finance since I have never done any accounting, but who knows where it will end up.

I'm actually leaning toward taking an actual distance learning class from LSU or other similar organization for one of these, or blowing off business altogether and going with a Psyc/Sociology focus.

The fun of planning and figuring.

What I *need* to do is just focus on one test at a time at this point - I got a little hung up on the entire plan, which can drag you down.