Raider's Digest
College Credit by ExamWednesday, April 04, 2012 By Quinn Rawson
Did you know that many of the courses you complete in high school will have to be completed again in your first two years of college? But it doesn’t have to be that way. If you work hard in those classes the first time, the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) can save students the repetition. The tests have been administered by the College Board, the creators of Advanced Placement (AP) and SAT since the late 1960s. College Board offer 33 exams and the Department of Defense offers 38. The best way to prepare for CLEP is to take notes all semester and regularly review those notes, according to Mr. William Clark, adviser to a new CLUB Club. “Remembering requires regular review,” Mr. Clark said. On some CLEP tests, 50 percent correct earns college credit. For classes not taken in high school, students can order CLEP study guides. The Web site, www.Clepstudyguides.com, has 11 guides on sale for $33 and claim a 98 percent passing rate among its purchasers. CLEP exams cost $77, with a $20 on site testing fee. Before students take CLEP exams, they should check with their chosen college to see what exams the college accepts and how many hours it allows. Tarrant County College accepts 20 of the exams and up to 18 credit hours. According to Mr. Clark, good reasons to “CLEP out” are to save time and money. Students can conceivably CLEP out of two years of college for $2,000 while still in high school. That’s a savings of thousands of dollars over taking the courses in college. Another reason to take CLEP tests, he said, is to gain vital note-taking skills that will serve students through college. Student who can’t take notes well in college will struggle to pass all their classes, Mr. Clark said. Students interested in CLEP Club can meet with Mr. Clark in room 508. |