July 19, 2011

Just Take the Pretest!


study. by billaday
This is for those who might doubt the Power of the Pretest:

1. For those who have the tendency to--shall we say--overstudy.

I know what it feels like: you've been studying for days or weeks, beating your brains out over your textbook, trying to absorb algorithms, lists, functions, processes, rules, etc. You've finished the book, you've read over your notes, and you're still not sure you're ready.

This is where the pretest comes in.

The pretest is a God-send and a lifesaver, and whenever I study for a CLEP or DANTES that doesn't have one (these are fairly few and far between) I get horribly nervous. The preliminary test can be a fantastic tool to decide if you're really ready to take the real thing or not. 

Sometimes I'm so unsure of myself that I don't even want to take the pretest until I've burned all the information possible into my brain. If you've ever been like that, don't be! Just take the pretest, even if you're not confident. A personal example: I was studying for the Natural Sciences CLEP (science = not my thing) and even after reading two books was feeling very shaky on my knowledge of chemistry. I took the test, was terrified the whole time, and ended up with a 63!  


2. For those who have the tendency to--shall we say--understudy.

July 11, 2011

Free Flash Cards for Your Memory



209., a photo by d3b...* on Flickr.
It's something we learned in kindergarten: flash cards are great study tools. That goes for CLEP tests too! Decide where your weakest areas are, find out the right questions and answers, and then burn them into your brain with a hot iron, a.k.a. flash cards.


It can be a pain to write everything out on index cards, but with the wonder of the internet you can learn from others and make flash cards of your own for free online!


Here are some of the top helpful, free websites: