PRACTICE CLEP TESTS
The most reliable indicator to determine if my students are ready for a CLEP exam has been the score on practice tests.
WHERE TO FIND PRACTICE TESTS
CLEP and AP study guides have practice tests. REA CLEP study guides usually have three practice tests. They provide an online option which makes it more like the actual exam. The College Board publishes a book entitled the Official CLEP Study Guide with one practice test for each CLEP subject. This book is usually available at public libraries. The exams in this resource do not change from year to year.
FIRST PRACTICE TEST
To begin a practice test, I set a timer at 90 minutes as a reference point only because that is how much time is provided for a CLEP exam. When 90 minutes are up, I have them mark the number they are on but have them complete the test.
REVIEW THE TEST
When the test is complete, I go through it with them question by question. We look at all the options for each question and determine why they might be right or wrong. I feel this is a way to teach testing skills. It’s a great way to learn new facts too. If a new fact appears within a question, I write it down on a legal pad for later study. If a question is missed, it is written down too.
TARGET SCORE
The score on practice tests that seems to reliably indicate when my student is ready for a CLEP exam is when they get 60% or higher on the first take of a test. I feel more comfortable when the scores are 65% or higher. But sometimes we take the exam with scores closer to 60% when we are tired from a long study journey and want to get it over with. When my kids are scoring closer to 60% on practice tests, their CLEP scores are very close to 50 which is the pass/fail point. That’s why I feel more confident when their first take scores are a bit higher than 60%. The College Board recommends that scores of 50 or higher on most CLEP exams are equivalent to college credit. Most colleges will use that standard as well.
Note: The score I’m talking about on practice tests is the score the first time you take a particular practice test. If you retake the same test, the score will not be indicative of a student’s success on an official CLEP exam.
A practice test score of 60 – 65% has proven to be a reliable predictive score for passing the CLEP exam for my students.
IF A HIGHER IS SCORE NEEDED
If the score on the first practice test is lower than desired (which is not unusual for us), extra review is called for and new facts need to be included in the study notes. In the case of a low score, I usually subscribe to one month of online Instantcert. This website provides hundreds of extra questions for each subject in an easy-to-use multiple-choice format at a low price. These questions help dig up topics that our textbook did not cover. CLEP exams cover a broad range of topics so increasing the number of resources increases the odds of passing.
www.instantcert.com is a helpful study resource for CLEP prep.
SECOND, THIRD, AND FOURTH PRACTICE TESTS
After reviewing Instantcert facts, a second practice exam is given. The scores always seem to increase with each test. But sometimes there is a rogue test that is extra challenging for some reason. It’s easy to lose heart and want to give up. Don’t do that! I try to administer at least 3 practice tests and endeavor to write down new facts found on the tests. When it’s time to take the final practice test, I use the exam in the Official CLEP Study Guide since this study guide is written by the College Board – the company that manages the actual CLEP exams.
ORDER THE EXAM AND RESERVE A SPOT AT A LOCAL TESTING CENTER
When three to four practice tests have been taken and the later scores are in that acceptable range mentioned above, I have my student order the exam on the CLEP website and print off the ticket. Students, not mom, have to create an account with College Board. Then I reserve a testing spot at our local testing center. During the final hours before the exam, I have my student review the challenging facts on their cheat sheets. It helps to have facts on paper for the car ride to the center. After the exam on the car ride home, my kids like to look at their notes and talk about what was on the exam. For more information about what is needed on exam day read CLEP Q & A.
My experience with CLEP testing. I have coached my kids and their friends through 16 different CLEP exams over a period of 9 years. Collectively, they have passed 38 CLEP exams and earned over 156 college credits. I’m still coaching my younger son through his CLEP journey. My high school graduates have received full-ride merit scholarships.
Musing: a period of reflection or thought. As such this post reflects my thoughts, opinions, and experiences on the topic. The choice to home school and the methods you choose are yours to determine.
The practice tests are critical to determine readiness for test day. We call them “learning tests”. I have found the above guidelines accurately predict test results.