The passing percentage of clep tests

[Shadowless]

I did some research and found the passing rate for some clep and dante tests. My question is, quite a few clep tests are missing there passing rates. I believe a few are Micro and Macro ecomonics to name a few. Has anyone else noticed this or looked into this?

[ladybugjessi]

Hey, I would certainly love to have a look at passing percentages. I am all about the numbers. That would be a great tool to decide which tests to take when! Where can I go to look at them?

[larry7crys]

CLEP PASS RATE FY07
(Military Examinees Only)

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English Composition (without Essay) 30%
Social Science and History 35%
Natural Sciences 34%
Humanities 28%
College Mathematics 32%
Analyzing & Interpreting Literature 64%
College Algebra 17%
Freshman College Composition 54%
History of the U.S. I 23%
History of the U.S. II 25%
Information Systems & Computer Applications 44%
Introductory Psychology 34%
Introductory Sociology 37%
Principles of Management 57%

DSST
A History of the Vietnam War 38%
An Introduction to the Modern Middle East 41%
Art of the Western World 35%
Astronomy 43%
Business Law II 39%
Business Mathematics 64%
Western Europe Since 1945 35%
Criminal Justice 46%
Drug and Alcohol Abuse 41%
Environment and Humanity: The Race to Save the Planet 56%
Ethics in America 58%
Foundations of Education 49%
Fundamentals of College Algebra 25%
Fundamentals of Counseling 25%
General Anthropology 32%
Here’s to Your Health 69%
Human Cultural Geography 44%
Human Resource Management 61%
Introduction to Business 73%
Introduction to Computing 84%
Introduction to Law Enforcement 59%
Introduction to World Religions 57%
Lifespan Developmental Psychology 38%
Management Information Systems 74%
Money and Banking 13%
Organizational Behavior 42%
Personal Finance 62%
Physical Geology 16%
Principles of Finance 16%
Principles of Financial Accounting 21%
Principles of Physical Science I 46%
Principles of Public Speaking 83%
Principles of Statistics 29%
Principles of Supervision 62%
Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union 37%
Technical Writing 74%
The Civil War and Reconstruction 35%

Remember, this is military folk taking these exams and they are paper-based

[Shadowless]

Looks like a few of the passing marks went down by a point or two from 05.

[Basket Weaver]

Just my two cents worth, I personally didn't even bother to look at these "pass rates" while I was pursuing my degree. I feel that they subconsciously alter your confidence. Many of the tests (Clep, Dantes, ECE) I took had very low numbers but I knew that many people who take those tests don't even bother to study and simply "hope" to pass on life experience. If one really pushes themselves to study, and uses as many resources as possible to ready themselves, they will pass...regardless what the numbers say. Many on this forum pass very difficult exams, and fail supposedly easy ones...it all comes down to preparation, or lack thereof. Don't let the numbers play a factor in your study habits, take each one as serious as the previous and prepare the same for each one.

Good Luck! Lee

[Shadowless]

I agree with you for the most part, but honestly if not for those high passing marks I most likely wouldn't be where I am now. Knowing which tests had high passing rates gave me the courage to take those exams and pass the majority of them, which thus has starting my journey into the whole clep/dante world of taking tests lol.

[barcotta]

Would anyone like to take a shot at trying to explain why Fundamentals of Counseling has a pass rate of 25% and an upper-level Management Information Systems exam has a pass rate of 74%? The only thing I can reasonably conclude is that everyone in the military has taken a shot at the Counseling exam and only (or mostly) people who have prepared have taken the MIS exam. I'm with Lee on this one. These numbers are so horribly skewed in some areas that they would lead you to believe, for example, that MIS is a walk in the park--but watch out for the Fundamentals of Counseling!

This forum will provide anyone with MUCH more accurate information with regard to gauging exam difficulty. In fact, if you've been here long enough or have spent enough time mining the archives, you can find people who have similar abilities (and perhaps overlapping test scores) which I have used to give me an even clearer idea of what I'm in for.

[AlanD]

Late 2006 Navy Campus had a policy in effect where if you wanted tuition assistance for a class that had a CLEP or Dantes equivalent available, you must take the test (and fail) before they pay for the class. Apparently it was a cost cutting measure since there was no need to pay for an expensive class if you earned the credits by just taking a test. This may have led to some of the weird numbers you see since a lot of people took tests with no prep at all just on the chance they could pass. Not sure if this is still in effect or if it was uniform across the Armed Forces but when I was going to sign up for some classes I was told about this policy.

[BMWGuinness]

Is there a civilian equivalent, or is it similar?

[ladybugjessi]

I agree that the test pass rates are not the best way to definitively decide anything. And some people may be 'psyched' out by them, I don't think most people with the hutzpah to attempt a bachelor's in nothing flat will not be bothered by poor pass rates. But.....If I can only take one computer class will I take the more difficult comprehensive clep info sys and comp app or the easier intro to computing? Not a tough one..
I think it really is a help to know the pass rates when choosing between two similar exams. Especially if your college will only accept one. Why kill yourself studying for the more 'difficult' one?