Not sure where to start...

[Synicaal]

I agree that testing is a good option, as well as online courses.

One thing to keep in mind is that testing can be a hassle for many people (distance, limited times to take exams, cost if you have to pay more than $20 for testing center fees, etc.). Not only was my testing center fairly far away and inconvenient to get to (including paying for parking and walking quite a distance across campus), they had very inconvenient hours and limited availability to administer tests (I couldn't sign up for a DSST AND CLEP exam on the same day, I couldn't sign up for more than 1 exam per day even if I had the time to take one in my time slot, and they only had 1 computer they allowed for CLEP/DSST testing in a very large, empty computer lab with 100% computers in it). It was not really worth it for me to test out of much with the barriers they threw up. I was very glad when I got the opportunity to take TECEP exams though, because I'm a pretty decent tester, and a night owl, which was great since I had homeschooled kids at home when I was testing and could schedule them after everyone went to bed.

Then, there are plenty of people who are not good testers - so when you say that a test is very easy and can easily taken cold, that really applies to YOU, but not to everyone. If you have a testing anxiety, then this is definitely easier said than done.

I have also found that people that contact me privately are pretty test-averse. They are really busy at work during the day, and can't get away to test. But they all manage to fit in some courses at night via SL, Study.com, Saylor, etc. That's just been my personal experience though, I'm sure others have people who just want to test out completely.

I like the fact that we have MANY options open to people, and you are not stuck with just 1 way to take most courses. If you want to test, great. If you want to take SL courses, go for it. Saylor - have at it. Each person gets to choose the option that works best for THEM. It's a pretty great system.

Similar Problems here with CLEP/DSST exams. I have been limited to taking One a Month because my testing center has been limited. I got lucky and managed to get two done in one month but mostly 1 a month. Now I really on the heels of the deadline for 12/3 and hoping to be able to get in before it fills up. It usually says FULL when I go to the testing center and when I get to it, usually at least half the computers are still open. I can only take 1 per day and can't take a CLEP and DSST. I did find a test center about an hour away that can do multiple CLEPS on the same day. I'd try that but who knows how the weather will be in the next coming months.

[pmm]

...If I were you, I would probably start knocking out credits that all degrees need- English, Humanities, Science, Math, etc...

So I don't have to enroll first? I can just start passing tests? I know its probably a dumb question, but is there an actual list of courses that all degrees need? Also, how would I know the exact courses a certain bachelors degree requires? Is it a published curriculum?

[dfrecore]

So I don't have to enroll first? I can just start passing tests? I know its probably a dumb question, but is there an actual list of courses that all degrees need? Also, how would I know the exact courses a certain bachelors degree requires? Is it a published curriculum?

You can start taking courses/exam, and enroll whenever you want.

I'm not sure which school in particular you're asking about, so here is info pertaining to TESU.

Here is TESU's list of degrees, click on one and see what the requirements are:Online Degree Programs | Thomas Edison State University

And here's the list of what counts in each area: Thomas Edison State University | General Education - 2016 or After - although there are plenty of other courses that will work in most areas, this is just their list of their own courses that will work. For instance, in Ethical Leadership, they list 7 courses that they teach. But if you took an ethics course at another college, they will take that one even if it's not exactly the same as the ones on their list.

If you want to start researching credit-by-exam degrees, here's a good place to start:http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...llege.html

Then, start reading through this forum a couple of times a day, and read the posts all the way through starting from the beginning. After a while, it will start to make sense. Then, you can start to lay out a plan for your exams/courses you want to take, and begin.

[jsd]

If you want to start researching credit-by-exam degrees, here's a good place to start:http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...llege.html

Just be careful there, a handful of that stuff is already out dated. No more Kaplan PLA for starters, and one of the three NFA courses mentioned is no longer approved for credit. Double check info before committing to anything.