Anyone have any experience with CLEP exams?

[Juustin]

I'm finally getting back to school in January. First I have to finish my associates before I can transfer to a local 4 year for a B.S. Because I'm a) broke and b) going part time after work, I've decided taking CLEP exams for a bunch of classes sounds like a good idea.

They're for most of the basic courses: English, Psychology, Intro to Computers, and a Math Elective. By taking these I can save myself about $1200 in tuition, as well as trimming over a semester off my part-time schooling.

My main question is, when applying to transfer to a 4-year, do these exams look less impressive than taking the courses? It would be 12 of my 62 credits, so not an overwhelming percentage of my total classes.

 

[Basilio]

Wow, that takes me back (and makes me feel old!)! 27 years ago I took the CLEP tests (used the study books, etc) and passed most of them. I think I started college with 27 credits and as a third term freshman (old 3 term system not the standard 2 semester) at Ferris State. Credits were credits and I don't think that a 4 year college would offer them it they don't transfer or translate, besides, it help me get a jump on other courses before my fellow freshmen. I would have graduated almost a whole year early if I hadn't screwed up Organic Chem and so stuck around and took some useful electives (forensic chemistry, parasitology, basic computer language). In the end, Clep tests and other placement exams give you more flexibility and choices later in your academic career, and can get you out of the huge required freshman courses and maybe get you a little more individualizes attention. It's worth the money, and really worth the time. Most of the time, credits in "required" areas are just zipped by when looking on a transcript, so if you got them by CLEP or coursework will not affect how a grad school or employer thinks of your overall undergrad career. Hey, good luck!

 

[Juustin]

Sorry to drag up an old topic. When I transfer to a 4-year, my major is going to be biology. While I'm getting my first 2 years worth out of the way with night school at my local community college, I notice that the biology course I need for my freshman year (both semesters) is, of course, not offered at night. Am I doing myself a great disservice if I take the CLEP in a class that will be my major? Aside from saving me from the scheduling problem, it would cost me about $100 instead of $1000 for 2 semesters worth of credits.

I'm quite sure if I buy the textbooks and study, I can pass the CLEP. The downside is I'd have no lab experience, and I don't know if that's something that might hurt my ability to do well in future bio classes.

 

[thrombus29]

I Cleped out of 2 of my related courses in college in 1990, Psychology and Sociology. I had taken both in high school and since I was going to culinary school where I needed the classes for my BA in management instead them being part of the core curriculum I didn't think I would be missing much. As for whether it hindered me in future courses, there was no psychology 2, so I don't know, but the stuff that I had remembered from high school and doing the study questions in the old textbook was plenty of info to get me easily through Sociology II.

If it wasn't a subject you are completely comfortable that you are going to use as a foundation for your major I might think twice, but for knocking off some required courses that are peripheral to your field, It worked for me.

(Does the fountain in central park still light up at night? My grandparents lived across the street and I used to go watch it every night in the summers up in Schenectady, old memories.)

 

[Juustin]

Thanks. I read a lot of biology constantly, since a few years ago, and I feel like I have a good enough grasp on it that I could probably understand it pretty well if I buy the textbooks. I guess I'll see how it goes, worst case scenario I can always go back later and take the class, and only be out $100.

I actually haven't been to central park in years. I only moved here a few years ago and basically stick to either my house or places outside of Schenectady (it's gone downhill in recent years...)

 

[thrombus29]

As a side note about the textbook. Don't pay the school price for the newest one, get an old one from a used bookstore. The questions on the CLEP will be so general that any textbook will work.

 

[Tokenconservative]

I opted out of a few classes that way, but to tell the truth, I didn't do as well on them as I did in classes, so I stopped doing that.

If it's stuff you think you have down cold, and don't think you'll get anything out of the class (if you are getting a degree in computers or business and they want you to take a English Lit class and you can test out....sure, I'd go for it).


Tokie

 

[Juustin]

Ok. I found out I can't take the CLEP for my BIO I and BIO II which count towards my degree. But I can take it to get credit for the "Intro to bio" pre-requisite course that I would need to take because it's been over 3 years since I last took a bio course.

So I am taking the Bio CLEP. Here's a list of topics the exam covers, does anyone have a good recommendation for a textbook that covers these? Every bio textbook I find online generally seems to cover the same topics, I just didn't know if any are better than the others. One I could find online used would be best.

Thanks!

This is the list of topics from http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/ex_bio.html

33% Molecular and Cellular Biology Chemical composition of organisms

• Simple chemical reactions and bonds
• Properties of water
• Chemical structure of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids
• Origin of life

Cells

• Structure and function of cell organelles
• Properties of cell membranes
• Comparison of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells

Enzymes

• Enzyme-substrate complex
• Roles of coenzymes
• Inorganic cofactors
• Inhibition and regulation

Energy transformations

• Glycolysis, respiration, anaerobic pathways
• Photosynthesis

Cell division

• Structure of chromosomes
• Mitosis, meiosis, and cytokinesis in plants and animals

Chemical nature of the gene

• Watson-Crick model of nucleic acids
• DNA replication
• Mutations
• Control of protein synthesis: transcription, translation, posttranscriptional processing
• Structural and regulatory genes
• Transformation
• Viruses

34%Organismal Biology Structure and function in plants with emphasis on angiosperms

• Root, stem, leaf, flower, seed, fruit
• Water and mineral absorption and transport
• Food translocation and storage

Plant reproduction and development

• Alternation of generations in ferns, conifers, and flowering plants
• Gamete formation and fertilization
• Growth and development: hormonal control
• Tropisms and photoperiodicity

Structure and function in animals with emphasis on vertebrates

• Major systems (e.g., digestive, gas exchange, skeletal, nervous, circulatory, excretory, immune)
• Homeostatic mechanisms
• Hormonal control in homeostasis and reproduction

Animal reproduction and development

• Gamete formation, fertilization
• Cleavage, gastrulation, germ layer formation, differentiation of organ systems
• Experimental analysis of vertebrate development
• Extraembryonic membranes of vertebrates
• Formation and function of the mammalian placenta
• Blood circulation in the human embryo

Principles of heredity

• Mendelian inheritance (dominance, segregation, independent assortment)
• Chromosomal basis of inheritance
• Linkage, including sex-linked
• Polygenic inheritance (height, skin color)
• Multiple alleles (human blood groups)

33% Population Biology Principles of ecology

• Energy flow and productivity in ecosystems
• Biogeochemical cycles
• Population growth and regulation (natality, mortality, competition, migration, density, K-selection)
• Community structure, growth, regulation (major biomes and succession)
• Habitat (biotic and abiotic factors)
• Concept of niche
• Island biogeography
• Evolutionary ecology (life history strategies, altruism, kin selection)

Principles of evolution

• History of evolutionary concepts, Lamarckian and Darwinian theories
• Modern concepts of natural selection (differential reproduction, mutation, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, speciation, punctuated equilibrium)
• Adaptive radiation
• Major features of plant and animal evolution
• Concepts of homology and analogy
• Convergence, extinction, balanced polymorphism, genetic drift
• Classification of living organisms
• Evolutionary history of humans

Principles of behavior

• Stereotyped, learned social behavior
• Societies (insects, birds, primates)

Social biology

• Human population growth (age composition, birth and fertility rates, theory of demographic transition)
• Human intervention in the natural world (management of resources, environmental pollution)
• Biomedical progress (control of human reproduction, genetic engineering)

 

[thrombus29]

Find a used bookstore near Union college or SUNY Albany, they should have them there, Cheap.

As I said before, any textbook should have the basics.

 

[Abdul Alhazred]

I got out of taking the American History core requirement (at a SUNY college) with a CLEP test. The multiple choice questions were disturbingly easy.

I also took one for English composition, but I should have checked with the department first. I was told it is practically impossible for non-professional to waive that requirement, after I took the test and got a very high grade on it.

Oh well.