Its useless to use InstantCredit

[elazzeh]

I just took the Astronomy DSSt test. I have been studying for almost two weeks and I memorized all 250 questions, sadly only 5 questions appeared on the actual test. So my question is why InstantCredit still exist?

[craftkc10]

Did you use the specific exam feedback section to guide your study? There are several posters who suggest that this exams requires more than IC. Many offer very specific guidelines/suggestions. I believe most IC members would say that overall the specific feedback forum is just as valuble as the IC flashcards if not more so.

[studyhard]

I assume you mean InstantCERT?

There is material all over this site that explains that the flashcards are simply a means to help you study. They are NOT the actual questions on the test. And if the exam is covering something new to you and is a difficult exam, many times InstantCert is not enough by itself to help you pass. It is a great supplement and can give you a decided edge, but many, many people use additional supplemental resources.

I'm sorry that you were confused about it how it works. Better luck next time!

[ShotoJuku]

[COLOR="Navy"]Studying all 250 FLASHCARDS on IC is one thing, passing an exam is another, and also using multiple resources is still another and that is precisely what many students do. There are of course many other students that can pass with just one source such as IC.

So in retrospect, I would not be so quick to blame IC for your failure but as to how you study and from what sources you use as well.[/COLOR]

[cookderosa]

I just took the Astronomy DSSt test. I have been studying for almost two weeks and I memorized all 250 questions, sadly only 5 questions appeared on the actual test. So my question is why InstantCredit still exist?

>>


No one has THE test questions, these are flash cards.

[Professor_Adam]

I took this DSST in August. I used IC, Dummies guide to Astronomy, and the Princeton review book for Astronomy. I used all those materials and still barely received a 52.

I personally found this to be a very difficult DSST to score highly on. The easy parts were very easy (moon phases, planet questions) but there were also enough "out of left field" questions to make the exam very difficult. I had several bizarre questions on my exam that covered material that I didn't see in any of the three resources I used. Maybe you had the same version I did. In any event, I always supplement IC as a rule.

[lwmcc]

I took this test last month and scored a 72, but it was a very broad test that covered a lot of ground. As 'Prof Adam' stated, there were a few 'easy' questions, but the majority required a deeper understanding of the material than just IC flashcards, SparkCharts, etc. would provide. I used the Wiley Self-Teaching Guide 6th Ed. Astronomy by Dinah L. Moche. This text, supplemented by reviewing the latest info regading various recent/current missions on the NASA JPL site, covered most of what was on my test. There were also a few basic Physics items on the test, which I'd also recently studied in prep for the CLEP NatSci test. If anyone's taking the test soon, I recommend the Wiley text - well organized, well written and appropriately balanced in subject matter for the DSST test.

Incidentally, I've never taken a test with just studying via IC. Actually, I very rarely use the IC flashcards, they just don't present info in my preferred learing style, which is not an indication they aren't useful, just that my learning style is more oriented towards large amounts of coherently structured data (i.e., books) than to a broad range of snippets of data (i.e., flashcards). I've taken a few tests without any study, but those were tests on subjects that I already had a lot of practical experience/knowledge to apply.

For me, the rule of thumb is 'if the test subject is one in which I'm not already expert, get a book, read it, highlight all pertinent parts, and then re-read the highlighted sections at least twice.' YMMV, of course, based on your own learning style, but it's worked pretty well for me....
Lia

[brothermike]

IC is not magic, it is simply a study aid (an extremely valuable one at that).

I haven't tried the test you speak of but if I had ONLY used IC for the one CLEP I have taken so far I surely would have failed.

That being said, if I had NOT used IC for the one CLEP I have taken so far...I surely would have failed.

[hallegirl4]

I also made the same mistake you probably made. When I studied for my first clep (American History II) I failed with a 48. I realized after that just studying and knowing the answers to the IC cards weren't enough, you need to understand them as well... and since then, I have taken three cleps and did pretty decently on them, using IC and REA books together.

Good Luck!

[hornj]

You can't just memorize the questions. I took computer applications CLEP using InstantCert and passed. You have to know why the answers are correct.