Having a hard time and feeling like an idiot...

[cookderosa]

So so far I started with Principles of Marketing on IC.  I signed up for Modern States on Marketing, went thru the course, got literally 100% (some required two or three tries, only a handful were true guesses) and then got the 'free clep prep' pay package with audio and a quick prep sheet - i've studied that about 4 hours or so, went back to Instant Cert to check my progress... and...  i'm still an idiot.  The language just feels so CLUNKY on the questions that even if I sorta understand the concept, I never know the exact word they are looking for.  My score starting out is as horrible as before I tried anything.  I feel like I have a decent chunk of the FCP mp3 files literally memorized for definitions, but plugging in the right word in the IC quiz is leaving me shooting blanks over and over.  If the CLEP tests actually look like the InstantCert test I think i'm in trouble. 

I'm aware that apparently the way to memorize this is just to go thru the test over and over I guess until you get used to all the clunkiness..?  Are there premade flashcards with the exact language and questions to help train it in?  I'm starting to feel I could get yet another pay help guide or something and still not be any closer/I feel mentally blocked and don't know why...

Your first exam is hard mentally more than anything else. I think peope tend to REALLY overprepare and come out with a super high score, or REALLY under prepare and bomb it. There is a middle ground, and it's hard to explain what that is, but you will eventually get a sense of what it feels like to be ready enough. If you're really really worried, you could take the Peterson's series. It's $20 for 3 online timed exams. They are about as close to the real thing as you can get- but keep in mind that the test bank of the real exam contains about a zillion questions, so on any given day, whether or not you get questions you know is a crap shoot. You can't know EVERYTHING that they'll ask- but there is a foundation of basics, and you need to be solid on the basics. After that, you'll encounter the rule of diminishing returns because it becomes a game of trivial pursuit. You could spend 2 weeks studying hard to hit a 50, a month to get a 60, but it might take you a year to hit a 75. Make sense?
I'm with everyone else- schedule your exam. You'll likely have at least a week before they can get you in due to the holidays. Between now and then you can study more, but you're probably ready.