**Note: this article comes from the writer’s personal experience as a college senior having taken a university-level CLEP Exam.
For a college student, there’s nothing worse than being required to take a course unrelated to your field of study or a course that repeats material learned in high school. Unfortunately, the vast majority of colleges and universities across the nation require students to complete a certain amount of natural sciences, math courses, English courses, etc. before graduation.
Fortunately, the College-Level Examination Program® (or CLEP for short) offers students the opportunity to take and pass any of their 34 college credit exams. These tests are typically taken at a computer in a multiple choice format and are designed to test the student on knowledge that he or she has already acquired, whether through high school curriculums or activities completed outside of the classroom.
Various CLEP exams include: American Literature, English Literature, Humanities, American Government, Introductory Psychology, Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, College Algebra, Principles of Marketing, Introductory Business Law, etc. If successfully passed, a CLEP exam is good for a college course credit in the specific area of the test you completed. Bear in mind that a CLEP exam will test the student on an abundance of material within the specific subject of the test.
So how can you prepare yourself for such an exam? Here are a few tips, ideas and suggestions to consider.
1. Visit your Local or Campus Library and Check out a CLEP Test Study Guide
Believe it or not, you can find CLEP test study guides for each individual, specific CLEP exam. The guide will contain sample questions and answers from all 34 CLEP tests, as well as information on the CLEP exam and how to acquire college credits. These resources are a great way to prepare yourself for any material the exam may contain.
However, you should not count on the study guide to help you pass the exam. There are several additional study methods you should consider.
2. Check out a College-Level Textbook
Most of the officials from the CLEP exam College Board (www.collegeboard.com) recommend consulting a textbook “for the course at your college level that is comparable to the exam you plan to take.” Speaking from personal experience, this is a great way to study for the test.
For example, if you plan to take the Biology CLEP Exam, check out a Biology 101 textbook or visit a professor in the Biology department of your university to inquire about study materials. If he or she is willing to lend you a textbook, take the opportunity to skim through its chapters and maybe even make a few notes. Learn important terminology and concepts. This way, you will at least be able to make an educated guess when confronted with a multiple choice question.
3. Ask a Fellow Student or Friend who has Taken the Exam
Don’t worry, this is not considered cheating. The vast majority of CLEP Exam questions change from semester-to-semester. However, the key concepts remain the same within each subject test respectively. If your friend or a fellow student has taken the specific CLEP Exam you will be taking, ask him or her a few questions about the exam.
• Did you find the exam difficult?
• What concepts and terms would you recommend I review?
• Is there a specific textbook or study guide you would recommend?
This type of insight can be very helpful and very valuable as you prep for the test. You can even read a few tips from students who have taken the exam at the official CLEP web site (http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/prep_t.html). As always, do not count or rely solely on your friend or fellow students’ advice. Find your own personal study resources and methods as well.
4. Utilize the Internet for your Study Time
These days you can find almost anything online. If you run into a brick wall with textbooks and CLEP study guides, you can always perform a few educational searches online. Look for credible sites that deal with the specific subject you are studying, particularly sites with addresses ending in .edu. Avoid sites like Wikipedia®, where material has been written or contributed by a non-identified third party. Get your information from credible sources like professors, doctors, etc.
So if you find yourself signing up for a CLEP Exam this semester, don’t panic or worry about the test. There are plenty of study methods and resources at your fingertips, all of which can serve to better prepare you for the exam. Be sure to check out http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/about.html for more information and a chance to access study guides. Good luck on your test!
