A&I or Am. & Eng. Lit exams - Dilemma

[Dominae]

Hi all,

I just joined up after learning about the exciting world of CLEP exams. I passed my first one, Freshman Comp. without studying, for 6 credits - woohoo!

My college is picky about what CLEP exams I can take. Very much so, actually. They list ALL the exams and what credits you earn per exam on their website, but then stipulate that you're required to ask permission individually for each exam from a single administration staff-member. She gets to decide, before you sign up for the exam, if she'll allow you credit for it or not.

So far she has vetoed my taking the English Comp test: "it is too similar to the Freshman Comp. exam." Understandable.

I can't take both College Math (6cred) & College Algebra (3cred) - it is one or the other (Gee, hard decision there <sarcasm intended> ) I'll be sitting for that next - I'll have at least one full day of vacation during the week of the exam to re-learn what I forgot from highschool.

Bio, Sociology, Intro to PCs ... all ok, but no overlapping!


Anyway .. the big decision I need help with:
She has given me permission to take EITHER the Analyzing Literature CLEP (for 6 credits of english) *_or_* BOTH the American Literature & English Literature CLEPs (for 6 credits each = 12 credits total).

I know I can pass the A&I with a brushing up on literary terms for a couple hours the night before the exam.
I know little-to-nothing about Am & Eng Lit. I don't read for enjoyment, only for academic reasons - and never anything "englishy."

I won't really have too much time to study before these, either. I'm currently working around 20 hours a week and taking a full semester of "real" courses at school. I might be able to cram flashcard-style information a couple hours a night for a couple days beforehand for each - unless my University classes I'm taking pound me viciously with reading and work those weeks (which, sadly, I cannot foresee before it actually happens).


So ... what would you that have taken these exams suggest? Take the easy route and blow through A&I and don't look back? Try and study sparsely while I can and take Am & Eng Lit? (Separately, of course, with time to cool down between.)



I don't need any Gen. Eds - they've all been waved - so that doesn't factor into the equation. I don't need any of the classes I'm CLEP'ing out of, either.

I'm basically just burning credit to graduate faster; this is purely "the more credit I can get, swiftly, the better." I need to cram as many in as I can before they change their minds and restrict me from taking these exams, which is possible at any time and has been mentioned in passing in a kinda' "I don't think you can take these much longer, they're only for early-year undergrads and you're getting too high up."

Every CLEP drags my expected graduation date closer. Two CLEPs bring it a semester sooner.

So ... thoughts? ... I'm leaning toward just taking A&I more-or-less cold and being happy with the easy 6 credits, for fear that getting the 12 would be too much to do right now.

~Dominae~


*Edit* I also asked about DSST exams .. and the woman asked me if I was active military. I told her no, but that wasn't required ... but I think the school (despite their website saying they give credit for all DSST exams) is thinking it is for active military only? Ugh.