Biology CLEP

WHAT’S ON IT

The Biology examination covers material that is usually taught in a one-year college general biology course. The subject matter tested covers the broad field of the biological sciences, organized into three major areas: molecular and cellular biology, organismal biology, and population biology.

NUMBER OF QUESTIONS

There are approximately 115 questions to be answered in 90 minutes.

NUMBER OF CREDITS

This exam is equivalent to 6 credits (two semesters) of college. One of the colleges that my daughter applied to granted her 8 credits for this exam, so the credits can vary depending on scores and schools. See Locating College CLEP Lists and College CLEP Policy to help you learn about the CLEP exams your target college may accept.

PASSING SCORE

This exam is pass/fail. A passing score is 50. Read CLEP Exam Scoring.

DIFFICULTY RATING.

This exam is rated as a high 3 out of 5 with 5 being the most difficult. See CLEP Difficulty Ranking based on our experiences as middle and high school test takers.

SCHOOL YEAR TAKEN

All five students I worked with studied and completed this exam in the 9th grade. See Which CLEP When: How We Tracked from Middle School to Graduation.

MAKING BIOLOGY A HIGH SCHOOL COURSE

Biology is great subject to formalize into a one-year high school course. Distribute the chapters of a college textbook over 32 – 36 weeks. Create a flashcard set of the important facts on Quizlet each week. If you have no time or interest in making flashcards, sets can be found on Quizlet (mine listed below). Boxed AP flashcards can be helpful too. Consult a CLEP study guide to help you determine which facts are important. Create weekly tests using the flashcard facts or facts from the textbook. Include some multiple-choice questions so your student can get more savvy with them. These tests can be a source of graded material. Reinforce learning using YouTube videos for main topics. For extra enrichment, assign a project that fits the interests of your child. For lab experience, my students took 30-hours of biology labs in a lab intensive class I host for the community.

PLACING CLEP CREDIT ON THE HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT

Read Determining Grades for CLEP Courses and CLEP on the High School Transcript. If you need help on how to calculate a credit read Transcripts: How to Determine Course Credits.

STUDY PLANS WE USED

My first child took a high school biology course and supplemented with additional materials afterwards. She used Apologia’s Exploring Creation with Biology 2nd edition at a co-op. This curriculum is missing some topics that are on the CLEP exam. The human body and developmental biology are not covered. Furthermore, evolution is not presented in the viewpoint of evolutionist biologists which is the viewpoint on the CLEP exam. To remedy these shortcomings, I picked up an older copy (2002) of a college biology textbook and had my daughter study the extra chapters. We also used several study guides listed in Resources.

My second daughter, son, and their two friends studied this college textbook over one school-year. The one-year plan is my preferred plan for this 6 credit course. See Sample CLEP Year and CLEP Prep: Different Study Plans

RESOURCES WE USED

I prefer using a college textbook and spreading it out over one schoolyear. The textbook we used was Biology A Guide to the Natural World 2nd edition by David Krogh which I found at a thrift store for fifty cents. The illustrations, graphs, and charts are excellent. The author is a journalist by trade, so the writing style is enjoyable. The book is 20 years old, but it produced successful results for four students at a price I appreciate. Below is a complete list of resources I used.

• College Biology textbook (provides reading material, charts, graphs, drawings) (Campbell Biology is the most popular college text at this time but it’s hefty)
• REA CLEP Study Guide for Biology (provides three practice tests, review material, facts for Quizlet flashcards)
• Instantcert online review questions (provides final review questions and additional facts)
• CLEP Official Study Guide (provides 1 practice test)
• Quizlet flashcards (see my 1600+ flashcards under creator DocPaula)
• Cliff’s and Barron’s AP study guides (provide extra practice questions and review) (opt)
• Various YouTube videos to demonstrate physical processes like mitosis and lab techniques like gel electrophoresis.

A recently published high school biology curriculum that I am using is really impressing me. Discovering Design with Biology by Berean Builders covers all the topics found on a CLEP exam. Yup, the authors cover everything you need to know about evolution too. I particularly like the way the authors carefully and thoroughly cover the shortcomings of each argument for evolution. I think this book could be a primary resource for preparing for the Biology CLEP exam. But you should still pull extra facts from a CLEP study guide and secondary resources as you would with a college textbook.

FINAL PREPARATION

We went through all the Quizlet cards and then took a practice test. Then we went through online Instantcert questions for review and to gather new facts. Afterwards, two more practice tests were taken. Review of challenging concepts continued until the actual exam. See my posts on Determining CLEP Exam Readiness and CLEP Prep Boot Camp: The Final Weeks.

OUR RESULTS

All five students I worked with passed this exam. The students who worked the hardest ended up with scores in the high 50’s which colleges often reward with higher credits.

USING THESE CREDITS AT COLLEGE

These six credits seem to be useful at most colleges we checked out. One college granted 8 credits for this exam based on a score of 58. These credits technically serve as 2 high school credits (2 years). A college may require an actual lab course depending on the major. If a student applies these credits, he or she may have to take chemistry or geology to fulfill a lab requirement. If a student obtains an associate degree at a community college, it may be possible to transfer CLEP credits into a four-year state school and avoid a lab class if your state has an articulation agreement like North Carolina. For more information, read CLEP and NC’s Articulation Agreement.

PLACING CREDIT ON THE HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT

After studying for and taking this exam, a student can confidently place one credit on the high school transcript. Technically, this 6-college credit course could serve as 2 high school credits based on credit conversion. I chose to record the course as honor’s Biology for 1 credit. You may wish to include a high school biology class that offers labs.

EVOLUTIONIST VIEWPOINT

People with a creationist worldview are hesitant to have their children study a college biology textbook with an evolutionist worldview like this one. I approached the subject objectively – as a true scientist should. Every “theory” has shortcomings. The authors of these books should discuss the shortcomings of their arguments, but they do not which, unfortunately, can mislead readers. The authors present supposition as proven fact rather than incomplete data prone to experimental error collected by fallible human beings. I find this supposition contradictory to the practice of science.

In teaching biology, I took the time to research the shortcomings of the seven platforms that are used to support the evolutionist view. In doing so, I encouraged my students to carefully evaluate the shortcomings of each platform of “evidence” presented in the book. Think like a scientist. With my science students, the goal is to provide them the tools they need to judge where they will stand regarding abstract concepts like the origin of life and macroevolution. The experience was very enlightening, and I am grateful that we studied the theory of evolution together before college.

Because my daughters passed the Biology CLEP, they did not have to take biology at college much to their delight. So, if you are concerned about your children going through biology at college, or you want them to have a balanced view before taking the course at college, the Biology CLEP may be your answer.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

If your child is oriented toward the life sciences or entering a competitive medical program, I would recommend taking an actual biology course at college in addition to or instead of the Biology CLEP. CLEP exams are best for subjects your child will not be pursuing in his or her major. Read my post Which CLEPs Not to Take.

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 39 CLEP exams and earned over 159 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.