CLEP: Analyizing and Interpreting Literature, studying advice/tips ?

[clep3705]

Every college student I know who has taken A&I passed it without any preparation. Time is valuable, why waste it studying when you don't need to? If you aren't in a hurry to get a pass on the A&I exam, just go ahead and take it. If you pass, think how much time you saved by not studying. If you fail, study and take it again in 6 months.

[seanmathews]

So i have heard many times that the A&I Literature is the easiest test for the Humanities section. Alot of people say they take it cold and dont need to study. I feel i am good with reading passages and answering questions, but still i wanted to study a little for this test. Well i just finished the practice test, and i got 39 wrong, my score was 34/73. Definitely did not make me feel good. The biggest part of this practice test that really ticked me off, was the old english. Whether it was a poem or a story, the whole thou's and 'tis and horribly incorrect grammar (In my opinion) threw me off.

I feel a little heated right now because i consider myself a good student and can easily get straight A's if i applied myself, but to see i got 39 wrong, makes me dislike this CLEP subject A LOT.

I am a bit lost, any suggestions?

I did not do any studying for this practice test, i might have to try a few suggestions from Dcan and Lindagerr, but even though i know i did not study at all, this score is way lower than what i expected. I am a decent reader and got a B in my last semester of English 101. I really think it's this darn old english.. I feel like i have to study A LOT for a subject almost everyone says they didn't need to study for.

[Lindagerr]

Do not be disappointed by your first practice test. and when we do a practice test most of us look at the percent correct. So you got ~ 46 % correct. That is not bad for a first try. Where did you find the practice test you took, do you have other practice test? If you did not do any study yet that just means you are not as fresh in this area as some of the others. Do not give up do some study and try another practice test.

[seanmathews]

I did the practice test from the 2012 CLEP Official Study Guide. Got it form Amazon.

[Lindagerr]

That is a good practice test, but I usually save that for last. You should have at least a few questions in some of your other study material. Also if you search Google there are a couple of places that will give you a few practice questions.

[bo0giemonsta]

I was going to take this test today after reading how easy it was for everyone on the test specific feedback forum. I'm an avid reader so I didn't think this test would be a big deal like others have suggested. I chickened out though after taking two of the Peterson's practice tests last night. I was just managing to get over half the questions right. The poetry is really putting the knife to me.

This exam is frustrating though! I stayed at the bookstore for 4 hours going over the REA guide practice tests and the Official Clep Guide book's practice tests. I tried really hard but I couldn't manage to get any better at interpreting what I was being forced to read. Some of it seemed so subjective to me that I would get ticked for them telling me my answer is wrong.

I'm just going to go for it tomorrow.

[seanmathews]

Is the CLEP practice tests a raw or scaled score? Im pretty sure it's a raw score kuz I didn't read anything about it. I wanted to check out Petersons practice tests and study guides but I'm not military
Was the REA study guide helpful? Last I checked there was no REA book for this CLEP.

[seanmathews]

Nevermind, found the ReA book on amazon
Let me know of you found it really helpful though.

[dcan]

Dcan: if these audiobooks really are free, then this is awesome. I am not sure how it works though, i just download a chapter and start listening?

You can download each volume on a separate MP3 or download the whole thing in one M4B file (the iPod chapterized audiobook format). I didn't have my iPod hooked up to my car at the time so I just used the MP3s and burned audio CDs for my car.

The book is NOT a study guide for the test. It is a 100 year old book that discusses the history of literature in English and America. But what it did, for me at least, was give me an immersion into the whole literary, poetic, symbolic approach to writing. I find analytical reading of the type you find on these tests to generally be very easy, but I was never a very "literary" person so the test had me stressed. By listening to the audiobook (about 1/3rd of it actually) I found myself immersed in the ideas and concepts. As a result I think the test was easier because my intuition was trained a bit more.

I also learned quite a bit about literature in general and now have a huge appreciation for it. Go figure.

I also discovered this immersion approach seems to work very well for me and I've been using it ever since for anything I study. I just finished two entire courses through iTunesU on marketing and management, listening to them in my car and during runs. Next up is business law and economics.

BTW I had similar problems with the practice tests in the REA book. The study guide I found very helpful, but the tests made me want to throw the book through the wall. The REA tests are way harder than the actual CLEP. The official CLEP guide is the best predictor of what the test is like. However, as was said previously hold those until the very end because now you have taken "the most accurate" test and "only got a 39" which freaked you out. Instead, take the (admittedly sometimes not so good) tests from REA, Petersons, etc and use them only as a general guide for your own personal performance. Once you feel you have digested the material then just pull the trigger and take the CLEP practice test. If you had studied and done the other practice tests first -- even the ones you want to throw through the wall -- you may have found the official practice test to be surprisingly easier.

I had to learn that through hard experience and numerous book-shaped holes in the wall though. banghead

[bo0giemonsta]

I just got back from the exam with a score of 61! Was definitely surprised by my score as I felt the exam was pretty difficult. There where 2 passages I had to read that just made me one to shoot myself in the face. My interpretation of these was completely different than what the possible multiple choice questions where providing as possible answers! However you would start to see a general theme throughout the questions of each passage and adjust your interpretation.

I finished with 10 minutes left. Don't let yourself get stuck to long on any question. A few of them I had to choose on a whim just because time was against me. There was maybe 4 literary term questions. I studied the ones that where present on the Peterson's tests and from those alone I felt pretty confident that I was able to determine the right answer on the exam give the choices allowed.

I don't think the REA book is worth it. After my 7 hour attempt of preparation I agree with others in saying that there is really no way to study for this test. I completed the 3 Peterson's tests and sat at the bookstore and completed the practice quizzes in the official 2012 Clep Guide. At no point did I find my ability to interpret literature getting any better. I was consistently geting 50-60% of the questions right after each passage.

My percentage scores on the Peterson's = 56/64/57

As others have stated... Just do it!