Quick Tip: Study and Listen

handwriting, originally uploaded by *L*u*z*A*

One of the things I love to do when studying for a history CLEP (History of the United States 1 & 2, Western Civilization 1 & 2, Social Sciences and History) or DANTES (The Civil War and Reconstruction, Western Europe: Since 1945, History of the Vietnam War, Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union) is to listen to era-appropriate music.

Pandora.com is an awesome resource for this, since you can create a "radio station" with just the right composers. For example: I'm studying Russia right now, so I'm in the mood for some Russian classical music. Bring up the Wikipedia article on "Music of Russia" and I read about the Mighty Five: Balakirev, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky, Borodin, and Cui. Voilà, I have an entire station devoted to Russian classical music. It really helps get me in the mood, and lends some interest to hours of sometimes-tedious study.

If you don't have a Pandora account then I highly recommend it. It's free to sign up at www.pandora.com!

                                                                                                               Happy CLEPing,

What Happens to My Score?

The short answer is that your score is taken by pink pixies to a secret safe far, far away where it will be kept until the fated day when the order is given for the pixies to spirit it away to the college of your choice.

You don't believe me?

Well, the truth is that it varies, depending on what test you're taking and what choices you make on the front-end:


Seeing Your Score

• Most of the time you will know how well you did on a test instantly, right after you finish answering the questions. Your test administrator should also print out a copy of your scores and give it to you before you leave the testing center. If they forget, badger them within an inch of their lives until you have that glamorous piece of paper in hand!
• If your test includes an essay then you'll have to wait for it to be scored. You should receive your report in the mail 2-3 weeks later.

Sending Score Reports

How is a CLEP Scored?

It's a college level test, so they have to develop some incomprehensible new scoring system just to look cool. OK, granted, they probably have better reasons than that, but it seems to me that it would be so much easier if they just based it all on percentages. Ah well, if I ruled the world....

The Raw Score

This is the initial scoring system (the one you'll never see), where each correct answer counts for one point, and there is absolutely no penalty for incorrect or unanswered questions (a really good reason why you should always answer every question, even if you have no idea what they're talking about). If you get 70 questions right on a 120-question test, then your raw score is 70. 

The Scaled Score

This is where things get complicated. Your raw score is now translated into a more "sophisticated" scaled score by a statistical process called "equating". I picture it as a magical little machine into which you insert a perfectly logical number and a weird scores pops out from the other side. This number will always be somewhere between 20 and 80. The ACE (American Council on Education) recommended passing score is 50 for most tests, but the actually credit-value for your test's score varies greatly by test and college.

When Your CLEP Scores Don't Matter

Scam Diplomas

We've already seen that CLEP tests are 100% legitimate and well respected, accepted at over 2,900 colleges across the U.S. (and even in select international colleges, from Tahiti to Thailand). There are, however, plenty of hoaxes out there. 

These colleges are called "diploma mills" and are out to get your money and give nothing in return. Watch out for anything that is way too good to be true! These programs are usually claiming to give you credit for "life experience" or an easy online test.

A big red flag is if the school is unaccredited. Basically this means that they are not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Some unaccredited schools are completely legit, but many are nothing but scams. Here are a couple of links to help you find out if a college you're interested in is accredited:

USDE Accredited College Search

CHEA Accredited Colleges

There is actually an entire website dedicated to debunking these scams. Check out www.counterfeitdegrees.com

What is a Test Like?

graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

All CLEP tests are multiple choice. Isn't that comforting? Here is an example of a typical question on the American Literature CLEP:



Who is the narrator of The Great Gatsby?
A: Nick Carraway
B: Daisy Buchanan
C: F. Scott Fitzgerald
D: Jay Gatsby
E: Dean Moriarty


And here's one from the Natural Sciences CLEP:



What kind of biological compound prevents materials from moving across the cell membrane?
A: carbohydrates
B: ribosomes
C: nucleic acids
D: internal proteins
E: lipid

According to the College Board, there are five CLEP exams with essay sections:

• American Literature*
• Analyzing and Interpreting Literature*
• College Composition
• College Composition Modular
• English Literature*

Be careful: check with your college and see if the essay portion is required for credit! 

CLEP tests are roughly 90 minutes in length, with about 100-120 questions each, depending