Clep Study Strategies

If you're trying to get a 'jump start' on your college education by taking advantage of the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), you'll want to develop some good CLEP study strategies. CLEP testing is a good way to get inexpensive college credit, but as there is nobody to hold your hand or motivate you but yourself, you'll need to be very self-motivated and disciplined in order to successfully pass a CLEP exam.

Fortunately, you are not the first to take this road; you can benefit from clep study materials and strategies developed by those who offer the test as well as those who have gone before you. You've Been Here Before As a result of the NCLB ('No Child Left Behind') boondoggle, the agenda of forcing standardized tests down the throats of schoolchildren went on steroids over the past seven years ' but chances are that it provided you with a lot of good practice for CLEP testing.

You'll find that a clep exam is very similar to all those standardized tests that you were forced to take over the years and that some of the test-taking strategies your teachers tried to expose you to will serve you well. Be aware however that a CLEP exam differs from those standardized tests in that it is actually meant to measure your knowledge of the subject in question ' not simply how well you take tests. Advance Planning Clep testing covers most of the subjects taught at a two-year college or are typically taken during the freshman and sophomore years at a four-year university. The best time to begin CLEP study is before you enroll in college if you are attempting to complete your lower division coursework this way. It's also important to understand that you will not find every CLEP exam offered at every testing site.

If you live in a major metropolitan area such as Denver or Portland, Oregon, this shouldn't be a problem as such communities have several colleges. It may make it difficult to obtain the CLEP testing you need or want if you live in a small town however. Putting Your Back Into It The other issue that surrounds CLEP testing is the fact that there is no immediate extrinsic reward involved ' you either pass or you don't, and there is no teacher to stand over you forcing you to study. Consider however that the program can save you up to two years and several thousand dollars in tuition and fees. Healthy Body, Healthy Mind Getting back to the topic of test-taking strategies and CLEP study, make sure that you are well rested and have eaten a high-protein breakfast the day of the test. All the CLEP study in the world will be of little use if you have 'crammed' the night before and are operating on only a few hours' sleep.

About the Author:

Wayne Hemrick is dedicated to higher education. In this article he writes about clep testing.