Take a Clep Test and Spend More Time On The Classes That Matter To You

Let's face it--if you have life or work experience and are returning to college, there is no good reason to sit through a score of undergraduate required basic classes simply because you need the credits for graduation. Now there is an easier way, and that is by sitting for a clep exam; you can pass the test and earn college credit for these courses instead. Instead of whiling away three to four months or more of your time just to get the credits, you can spend you time more productively and enjoyably by pursuing electives of your choosing, or upper level courses in your degree area instead.

CLEP stands for College Level Examination Program. CLEP exams are a series of tests offered over a variety of subject areas by the College Board. You will want to check in with your college academic guidance counselor to find out which CLEP exams your particular school offers, and how many credits can be earned through testing. Thirty four CLEP exams are offered by the College Board, but your school may not offer every exam, so it makes sense to plan ahead and determine this well in advance.

You will want to head over to the College Board's website, where you will learn a great deal about the CLEP test you wish to take. Their informative website will describe each test in detail, and will also offer tips for what topics you will want to study and be familiar with before you take the CLEP exam.

Once you learn the topics that will be covered by the CLEP, you can also work through some of the CLEP testing aids available. If you are studying for a topic with which you have great familiarity, such as a foreign language CLEP when you are bilingual, you will likely only need a brief review before you take the exam. This is easily accommodated by an online study aid such as those offered by InstantCert and others. InstantCert offers a series of online flash cards that ask you questions similar to those you may see on the CLEP, and then you are given the correct answers immediately, as an instantaneous aid to your memory.

Peterson's is another educational CLEP study aid company that offers students thick study guides. These contain practice exams, which you can take in a timed format, thus simulating the timed nature of an actual test. It is a great idea to see how you fare in a timed test situation before you must face it during a real test, so you can plan ahead a CLEP test-taking strategy that will work best for you.

Susan Slobac counsels students preparing for CLEP exams and writes extensively regarding CLEP testing.