Have to take three CLEP exams within 10 days. I'm overwhelmed!

[beastcoast94]

if you don't get these credits in ten days, when is the next-time you can graduate? If you aren't going to graduate due to the college not being able to prepare for the tests in time, do you think your knowledge of World History from 1700 on could assist you in passing Western Civ II ?

That's a good question. If I don't complete these exams within that period then I won't have my credits in time for graduation which is May 16th. That is the commencement ceremony, which I'm not overly concerned with. I just want the degree. I don't know if they would just send it out a few weeks late, or if I'd have to wait until the end of the summer semester (August).

I opted not to take Western Civ in highschool. I'm much better with US history, but of course that does not count for a humanities elective. I'm taking the sociology CLEP this friday. I'm scheduled to take humanities next Thursday. I am going to have do a lot of studying for that one. How long does it take to receive test results? I've only ever taken Comp I, with an essay, and I didn't receive credits until 4 weeks later. If non essay CLEPs are faster, or even instant, than I will push off the Western Civ exam till the following week. Otherwise I'm taking it next Friday. Gulp

The essays being discussed are labeled as "optional" essays and it is totally dependent on the school as to whether they require them or not. Test centers do not keep extras on-hand of these optional essays - they are ordered at the time that a candidate says they want to take that particular subject exam and their school requires the essays. Some candidates decide to take the multiple-choice test first to see if they pass and then have the test center order the essays (they cost an additional $10 which is charged to the candidate). These essays are a pain because it takes about 2 weeks to receive them (from the time the order is placed).

I realize this candidate will probably not be able to take advantage of any of the lit exams (with optional essays) due to time constraints, but for those who might need to do this in the future, you can still plan to take the exam (and write the essays) at any CLEP test center. No matter what the school intends to do with the handwritten essays, the essay booklet has to be returned to CLEP first! A copy is made to go in storage and the original is mailed to the school with the official score. As you can see, this is not a fast-moving process! If you are testing in California and your school is in California, your handwritten essays are sent by mail back to CLEP (in New Jersey), and then they get them back into first-class mail to your school (back across the country to California). I am glad that not many schools require these optional essays.

By the way, schools that say they "score" these optional essays have their own separate score. It does not have any impact on the score you receive on the traditional multiple-choice part of the exam.

I have no idea why my COMMUNITY COLLEGE chooses to require these essays.