WHAT’S ON IT
This exam covers material that is usually taught in the second semester of what is often a two-semester course in United States history. The exam covers the period of United States history from the end of the Civil War to the present, with the majority of the questions being on the 20th century.
NUMBER OF QUESTIONS
There are 120 multiple choice questions to be answered in 90 minutes.
PASSING SCORE
This exam is pass/fail. A passing score is 50. Read CLEP Exam Scoring.
NUMBER OF CREDITS
Passing this exam can provide 3 college credits and 1 high school credit. Read CLEP Credits on the High School Transcript.
SCHOOL YEAR TAKEN
My son read a U.S. History II college textbook in the 9th grade and took the exam in the 10th grade.
DIFFICULTY RATING
This exam is rated as a lower 3 out of 5 with 5 being the most difficult by websites that rank CLEP exams. When I looked at websites that provide pass-rate statistics for CLEP exams, the pass-rate for this exam was significantly lower than that for US History I CLEP. Be careful, pass-rate stats can dissuade students from attempting this exam, but I think other factors come into play for the lower pass-rate, and it has very little to do with difficulty.
In saying that , my son received one point less on this exam than the History of the United States I CLEP exam. He spent the same amount of time studying and used similar resources. For these reasons, I’m assigning a similar difficulty ranking to the two exams. Find the listing at CLEP Exam Difficulty Ranking.
CREATING A ONE-YEAR US HISTORY II COURSE
You can create a one-year high school US History II course using a college textbook. Divide the chapters 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. Consider studying parallel American literature works at the same time to enrich the learning experience and prepare for the American Literature CLEP too.
USING THIS CREDIT ON A HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT
After studying for and taking this exam, a student can confidently place one credit on the high school transcript. The credit can serve as a valuable honors history credit. Preparing for this exam takes a great amount of effort, so the honors designation is earned. Read How to Calculate Course Credits.
Read CLEP on the High School Transcript for ideas on how to record these credits. For ideas on how to determine a letter grade for the material studied read Determining Grades for CLEP Courses.
SUMMARY OF THE STUDY PATHWAY WE USED
We read through the Give Me Liberty! Volume 2, Brief Edition by Eric Foner. I created over 1700 Quizlet flashcards that closely follow the book’s content.
When my son was comfortable with the Quizlet cards, he took the diagnostic test from the REA CLEP Study Guide. His score on this diagnostic test was lower than our benchmark of 60%. That scared us a lot!
So I personally took the remaining tests in the REA guide as well as the practice test in the CLEP Official Study Guide to determine if this diagnostic test was just extra challenging. Was it a rogue test?
The other practice tests were much more representative of the material we learned in the Give Me Liberty! book, and that made me feel much better. After taking those tests, I added new facts to a cheat sheet. I also compiled a variety of topical cheat sheets which I share below as PDF documents.
We went through the cheat sheets together marking the facts that needed more work. I also purchased a month of online Instantcert for some extra practice and more facts. After my son ran through the Instantcert review, he took the remaining practice tests and scored between 70% – 80%, which is well above my targeted range for exam readiness. I felt confident that he was ready for the actual exam.
He took the CLEP exam using an online proctor and passed with a 64.
Read Determining CLEP Readiness and CLEP Prep Bootcamp: The Final Weeks.
LIST OF RESOURCES WE USED
- Give Me Liberty! Volume 2, Brief Edition by Eric Foner
- Quizlet (find under creator DocPaula)
- REA CLEP Study Guide for History of the United States II
- CLEP Official Study Guide (find at public libraries)
- Instantcert Review Online
- Modern States online (120 practice questions only)
ADDITIONAL COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW MATERIAL
- John Green Crash Course YouTube videos offer an excellent and entertaining review of U.S. History II.
- Cliff’s Notes provides a helpful summary of US History II material. (Highly recommended)
HELPFUL ONLINE TIMELINES
Immigration Trends and Legislation
Civil Rights Movement Timeline and Jim Crow Laws
Native American History Timeline
Landmark United States Supreme Court Cases
Women’s History Milestones Timeline
U.S. Economic History Timeline
Political Cartoons from the Last 100 years
Study Cheat Sheets
HOW TO USE THESE CREDITS AT COLLEGE
History credit by exam seems to be well received by colleges. Our big state school, that accepts only a handful of CLEP credit, accepts US History I and II CLEPs as well as Western Civilization I and II CLEPs. So this exam has a lot of value for us. I should mention that some schools, like my daughters’ school, will honor history credits once a history course is taken at their school. In other words, the CLEP credits can’t be “unlocked” until a history course is taken at their school.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
History was not of interest to me until recently. Boy, am I glad that I learned it! I’m especially thankful that my son knows the history of our wonderful country so he can’t be snowed over by people representing alternative views of American history. It may seem tedious and painful to walk a child through this history, but the payoffs may be immeasurable.
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.