+- Online Degrees and CLEP and DSST Exam Prep Discussion (https://degreeforum.net/mybb)
+-- Forum: Main Category (https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Forum-Main-Category)
+--- Forum: General Education-Related Discussion (https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Forum-General-Education-Related-Discussion)
+--- Thread: When? (/Thread-When)
Pages:
1
2
When? - jm82792 - 07-31-2009
I'm almost done with learning Introduction to sociology.
Read the REA book 3 times,
and am almost able to get 9/10 on all of the Insta Cert Questions.
Took all of the Peterson's before I found Insta Cert.
Scored slightly more than half,
going to take them again and get like 80% right.
I'm hoping that's good enough,
but how do the universities and colleges look at the scores ?
I'm 16,
I scored around the average(540) on the CLEP(got to take the compass since I didn't get it high enough)
but that was then and there is no excuse to just get by if I'll be frowned on by my college I'm going to hopefully go to.
Saying I took it when I was/am 16 won't cut it
So what is a good score ?
Do they look at the score or just say you passed(past the minimum score),
and don't care about the score ?
When? - MaieJaie - 07-31-2009
Colleges can set their own score requirements for what constitutes a Pass. Many will use the American Council on Education's recommendations, but others will have higher standards for a Pass.
Having taken and passed CLEP exams looks good on college applications. Try to score high enough to Pass, but scoring above and beyond the requirements to pass is not likely to significantly change the way a college views your application.
When? - jm82792 - 07-31-2009
Okay I see.
I'll just try to score high since according to REA slightly mroe than half of them right will make a pass but getting atleast a hopeful 70% right on the real test should give me a guarantee.
When? - 94steve - 08-01-2009
Ditto the comments on ACE requirements vs. your college's. So long as you are above the cut score, you get credit. An 80=50 and 1=49. A pass is a pass and a fail is a fail. Capeesh?
I haven't heard of a college assigning grades for CLEPS on a tiered system ala Excelsior DSST's but I'm sure somebody out there does.
As for your chances, I'll be highly surprised if you don't break 70. I scored a 73 on this bad boy using the same test prep material and my practice test scores were below yours. Then again I'm also a fairly adept multiple guess test taker. Go for it kiddo, and CLEP out all you can!!!
My girlfriend is 80 grand in debt thanks to private college and no CLEPS. I'm in the process of earning my bachelors degree free of charge thanks to my rich uncle sam and his GI bill. She pays 2500 a class for her MBA coursework at an unranked b school. Uncle sam is going to foot the bill at my ranked (hopefully) b school. If you make the right choices you too can be debt free AND educated. Contrary to Sally Mae, the two are not mutually exclusive.
[SIZE="4"]
OTHER WORDS OF ADVICE I WISH SOMEONE WOULD HAVE SHARED WITH ME WHEN I WAS 16:[/SIZE]
If it can be CLEPed, CLEP it. Don't buy into the college experience hype. You can socialize and interact with the same folks from your english 101 class at the mall or at a starbucks for free and probably have more fun than you would in actual english class to boot. Care for more intellectual and collegey type english class interaction? Join a book club. Similar social opportunities exsist for other subjects (like aa meetings for DSST Substance Abuse!!!)
In the wild and wonderful world of CLEPing, a 50 out of 80 is 3-12 ungraded credits. Lets say you are terrible/disinterested/whatever in Biology or you just HATE going to bio, disecting kittens, hearing the boring lectures for 6 hours a week, whatever. You can half-a** it, score in the 50's and your GPA is unaffected. You can CLEP all your difficult subjects (difficult defined as subjects that aren't a surefire "A"), take easy cake walk classes and have a massively inflated GPA as a result that; a GPA that reflects your shrewdness, efficiency and understanding of how to manipulate the system in your favor.
If you aspire to go to a 4 year B&M get your AA or AS at a local CC and then transfer in. They typically take more CLEP credit and cost far less per credit than a 4 year school. When you get to the B&M you can then take electives in subjects you are actually interested in your major and elsewhere instead of sitting through gen-ed classes re-learning all the stuff you learned in high school. (NOTE: Princeton doesn't take transfers. They are only interested in the kiddies. Once you enroll somewhere that isn't Princeton you become a leper in their eyes. If Princeton has this policy it is likely somebody else pulled a monkey-see-monkey-do and did the same thing in a vain attempt to be like Princeton. They are, after all, Ivy League and who doesn't want to be Ivy League (save for Rutgers).)
CLEPS beat AP tests hands down. AP tests mean you have to go to the AP class, with the AP teacher, do the AP homework, take the AP quizzes and suffer all year. Then at the end of the year you take the test and get 3 credits. CLEPS mean you can take the easy class, coast all year, do the IC, REA, peterson's shuffle for a few weeks before you want to take the CLEP test and get the same 3 credits or maybe even 6 or 12. AP =waste of time and effort. CLEP = Effeciency in education.
If you're feeling really ambitious you can get a job or an internship or enlist in the service, CLEP/DSST out several degrees worth of credits, and then xfer it all into one of the big 3 on your 21st birthday. Then you can go get a great job with your degree and work experience a year ahead of your bluto wannabe 4 year college cohorts.
Undergraduate education is a commodity product. It is your job as a consumer to get this product for the lowest possible cost/hassle. Never, ever let the higher education industry tell you otherwise. Anything they offer that is unrelated to your degree is sizzle not steak, granted I can see how some of it could be attractive (study abroad, animal house style parties, athletics). Don't fall for it.
You finding CLEPS and this forum at age 16 tells me your sharp. Being that you're sharp you can probably CLEP out a degree by age 18 if you wanna put a little effort in. Anyway, I wish you all the best with your sociology test and with your education. NOW GO GET'EM!!!
When? - Chebasaz - 08-01-2009
Now that's an outstanding post. I too wish that someone would have said the same to me at that age.
Of course, I doubt I would have listened at the time. :o
Great information Steve!
When? - jacanyardie - 08-01-2009
I am going to turn your post into a flyer, and had it out............thanks Steve
When? - jacanyardie - 08-01-2009
jm82792 Wrote:Okay I see.
I'll just try to score high since according to REA slightly mroe than half of them right will make a pass but getting atleast a hopeful 70% right on the real test should give me a guarantee.
There is hope for the future............good job young one
When? - tbradford1 - 08-01-2009
Fantastic post 94Steve! I wish that I had this information a few years ago too. I made the mistake of finishing an AS degree from a school that was nationally, but not regionally accredited. This left me with the choice to transfer it to the only regionally accredited school that would take the credits, which was of course overpriced and not a great school -- which then led to a mediocre (and overpriced) MBA!
I'm glad that I found clepping and this board today, since a regionally accredited AA is something that I will need if I ever want to get a different bachelor's or want to go to a good grad school. Community college is a fantastic way to go, cheap credits and I can test out of half of them.
They should distribute your post as high schools everywhere!
-Someone else's girlfriend who is in way too much debt.~
When? - tbradford1 - 08-01-2009
Sorry for the double-post, but I forgot to mention that if you are interested in transferring testing credit to a specific community college you may want to check their policies on it before taking any tests. My community college will only take CLEP credit when you gain it after you're enrolled at the school. Enrolling would probably be a fairly simple process, even if you're still in high school most will allow you to enroll after jumping through a couple of hoops. I know most colleges do not have this requirement, but you may want to check it out if you have your heart set on a school already.
When? - LatinTea - 08-01-2009
94steve Wrote:My girlfriend is 80 grand in debt thanks to private college and no CLEPS.
I needed to hear this on this particular morning! I was second guessing our decision to have my son test out of so many credits and missing all the b&m perks. Well, I think this is one perk he can do without.
