Struggling US History I Clep...Help

[cookderosa]

Cookderosa, this is my first year studying US History. I have read book 4 of the Mystery of History series (on US History), I also have been studying the IC flashcards for about two months, and I've watched the Hippo Campus videos. I have taken many tests on Collegeboard, and the Rea website and from the Rea book. My last online Rea exam was 30%. These were the subjects that they said I was weak in:

Economic developments
Social developments
Diplomacy and international relations
Political institutions, political developments, behavior and public policy

I have been studying this subject for around 2 and a half months. I just don't know why I'm scoring so low on the tests? We want to take the Clep, but only when I'm ready to take it. How do I know when I'm ready to take it? We really appreciate the help and advice! :-)

Ok, thanks for your answers. Let me help you (and your mom if possible) break this down the way I would do it if I were in your shoes.

I pulled up the outline for your textbook http://www.themysteryofhistory.com/wp-co...er_TOC.pdf and the thing I noticed immediately is that it is a full year of American History across 28 weeks. That's too light in my opinion. The exam you're prepping for only goes through the Civil War/Reconstruction, so in your text, that is weeks 1-12. To compare, a 16 week college class will cover a lot more than a 12 week high school class. You can, of course, review those first 12 weeks again- but I don't think that will help. You're likely missing large chunks of content, which is the issue. When your foundation is a little stronger, you can memorize facts and then intuit how they are part of the big picture. In my opinion, that is the missing link. You have facts that aren't connected floating around in your brain. You need that connection between them to help you.

REA and InstantCert are excellent, but if I were guessing, I'd say it probably feels like you're studying for a game of Trivial Pursuit instead of revisiting things you already learned in class. That's an indication that your class didn't fit the bill perfectly...but no worries, you can absolutely fill in those gaps.

My suggestion is to spend the next 2-3 weeks adding to your foundation. I don't know what your school schedule looks like right now, but if you have the time, you might want to watch this free video series that is VERY GOOD by Annenberg Media. I use this in my home as well as the study groups I've done in the past.
You may even want to take notes: Resource: A Biography of America

Second, you may benefit from reading a little longer content than what is in the REA guide. The REA is the absolute minimum/concise summary- but as you go through, it doesn't give enough back story, it's more targeted at helping you learn key points. My suggestion is to do a bit more reading from a free source I like called Sparks Notes. They have amazing US History summaries and quizzes to help you fact check as you go. Remember, don't go newer than the Civil War/Reconstruction for this exam! This link opens to a LOT of text. You don't need to read it all- but make sure you really pay attention to things that relate to the economic and political developments. Also, pay attention to BOOKS written in each time period- when a name like Harriet Beecher Stowe comes up, ask yourself why that book/author is significant? Remember, there was no such thing as the internet, so for something to "go viral" it must have really REALLY been a big deal. *this is where your gaps are in the social developments.

Finally, I have a site bookmarked that is so good. It's full of US History quizzes written by an Advanced Placement history teacher. Again, it's a full year of content, so don't go newer than Civil War/Reconstruction. USQuizMainPAge

If you spend more time going deeper (not wider) in the material, I think you'll see your scores improve. Don't do any more REA tests (save them for later!) until you've studied more. When the time comes, take your last REA and see how you do. If you're still struggling, there are other brands of practice tests you can try, but I really do believe you need more time in the subject before you do any more CLEP prep.

Keep me posted! I'm rooting for you.

EDIT to add: layers are really the key. Layering curriculum with videos and helper books, and then topping off with test prep and practice exams. This video I did a long time ago explains what I mean- it's for your mom- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijP7dm5fXeQ&t=9s