Tips For Passing The CLEP the First Time

Tips and Tricks from the Trenches

How and what to study for a subject specific CLEP exam depends upon how well you know the subject in the first place and what knowledge gaps you will need to fill. If you want the low down on passing the CLEP, you need to know how close you'd be to passing the test, if you took it today.

Get a baseline score for where you are today? You can easily over study for the CLEP, and that's not a bad thing, but if you are looking to save yourself time and money,

What if You Took the Test Today

Get an idea of how well you know a subject area as you study for the CLEP.

1. Get the free CLEP Sampler from the Colege Board web site. This free program will give you sample tests from the official testing folks at the College Board. It's not a comprehensive tester, but it is one tool you should have.

2. Join an inexpensive practice testing and exam studying service on the Interent. Since the CLEP is a Computer Based Test (CBT), there really isn't a better way to study for the multiple choice tests, except by taking a battery of comprehensive tests that not only test your skills but allow you to learn by doing. You can track you constant improvement and gain confidence in you testing taking skills this way.

3. What about paper based books and tests? Depending upon your learning sytle and how much of a knowledge gap you need to fill, paper test don't really give you the real-time feeling of taking the tests, and they can be out of date. But if you are more comfortable in general and you have a bigger than normal knowledge gap, getting help from different sources is important. You can find some study guides and books that other CLEP 'grads' found helpful.

How big is your knowledge gap

Once you know how you'd do today if you took the CLEP, you can get an idea of how much and what kind of studying you need to do. It's a good idea not to sign up for a test date until you have a gauge on the state of your current profeciency.

There are many resources available to help you close any knowledge gap you may have. Here are some ideas that have helped successful CLEP testers recently.

• The best all-around tool to prepare for CLEP exams is to use an online CBT based program, tutor, and study guide.

• CLEP study guides are often an essential resource while you are preparing to take your exam. While college textbooks can be helpful, they are often too complex, and cover more material than what is presented on the test. A good CLEP study guide will provide you with test-specific advice on what to expect on the test.

• A local college will most likely offer a course comparable to the CLEP exam you plan to take. The college bookstore will have the text used for the class. Compare the textbook's table of contents to the "Knowledge and skills required" section of the CLEP Exam Description to make sure it covers the same material. You can purchase the text locally, or go online and get it at a steep discount. Use the textbook required for that course to help you prepare. Find a huge selection of low priced college text books from places like eCampus.com, Bookbyte.com, Phat Campus, or Abebooks.com. .

• Ask your local librarian or college librarian to help you find other study aids such as videotapes from education-oriented companies; audio language tapes; and computer software.

• Sometimes you can find a preparation course specific to the subject you want to study.

Preparing for the CLEP Exam

Simulate the Required Behavior

When studying for an examination, the most effective approach is to closely simulate the behavior you'll ultimately be required to perform. For example, if you're studying for a difficult closed-book exam in Social Psychology, it's important that you practice answering difficult social psychology questions without access to your notes or textbook. Equally important, you need to practice answering questions that someone else has chosen. That's one of the reasons why workbooks and test batteries are so essential when preparing for the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) or the College Level Examination Program CLEP-- they provide you with difficult practice items that someone else has written.

For multiple choice tests like those given for the CLEP exams, especially when the test will be given on a Computer Based Testing (CBT), it is best to study using a similar environment. That's why an inexpensive computer based testing and stduy service is your best choice for preparing for the CLEP.

Spaced Practice is Better than Cramming

Suppose you have a tight schedule and can only afford to spend 6 hours studying for a major exam. One common question is whether you should "mass" the hours together right before the exam (to keep the material fresh in memory), or whether you should "space" the hours apart over a few weeks. Quite a bit of research suggests that spaced practice is generally superior to massed practice. For example, all things being equal, you'll get more mileage out of three 2-hour blocks than one 6-hour block, even though the total amount of time studying is identical in both cases. So if you have a particularly busy schedule and can only spend a few hours studying, be sure to use them well. Late-night cramming is usually a recipe for poor retention, mental and physical fatigue, and careless mistakes on the exam.

Don't Psych Yourself Out

It's been demonstrated that when you carry extra emotional baggage -- "I've got to ace this exam" or "If I screw up, I'll never get into graduate school" -- performance suffers, so don't lose the big picture. The most constructive approach is to focus on the task at hand, put in as much time studying as you can afford, and just do your best. Returning to the luggage metaphor: all the excess baggage can be dealt with later, if you're so inclined. Unpack after the exam.

A certain amount of anxiety is normal (or even useful) when studying for an exam, but if you feel overwhelmed or feel that uncontrollable emotions are interfering with your exam performance, you may be suffering from test anxiety. If you think this is a possibility, you should alert your instructor right away and ask for help. Your instructor may be able to recommend techniques to reduce your anxiety (e.g., relaxation training) or may allow you to take the exam in a less stressful environment (e.g., by moving you to a quieter room, or giving you a few extra minutes to complete the exam). In a case of severe test anxiety, the worst thing you can do is to continue taking the exams without notifying your instructor that there is a problem.

Study Habits

Other than finding relevant study materials, the most important action you can take to pass your CLEP exam is to prepare and follow a study schedule and routine. The cost of taking a CLEP exam is relatively inexpensive compared to the time you spend studying to pass it. Remember you can only retake a CLEP exam after six months. Here are some tips from other successful CLEP exam takers that you might want to consider:

• Keep track of your progress by frequently taking practice exams

• Study the the specific subject areas that you will need to improve

• Discipline yourself to regular time and place that you can study for the exam

• Mark the exam date on your calendar and work toward the goal of consistently passing your practices exam by that date.

• Have fun learning, use techniques and practices that make learning enjoyable.

See tips, tricks and strategies for answering CLEP multiple choice tests.

Be sure to take plenty of multiple choice practice tests in a testing environment that is similar to a CBT, like in front of your computer.