Open-book vs Regular Exam courses

[thecontrarian]

Could I get the forum's thoughts on one thing ...

Assuming we have matched subjects (e.g. Financial Accounting 1) ...

Are the open book courses (e.g. Sophia) easier to complete than the equivalent regular exams via Modern States (CLEPS)?

I've gone heavily down the CLEP route, but a lot of the courses look like they have 1:1 equivalents at Sophia too.

It sounds too good to be true that the Sophia exams are easy to pass due to being open book, but I do wonder sometimes about it.

[rachel83az]

I would definitely give Sophia a try. You can definitely move quickly through their courses. Depending on the course, open book doesn't necessarily mean "easier" but it will almost certainly be faster once you count how long it takes to complete ModernStates courses.

[dfrecore]

Some CLEP exams are easier than others; so I think the answer is "it depends." Financial Accounting is listed as a 4/5 difficulty - meaning on the harder end of things. So for that, I'm probably going to do the Sophia course.

[bjcheung77]

The course materials and structure are different between the two, there may be variable overlap as well. It all depends if you're into Exams through CLEP/MS or going through alternative credit courses quickly. If you prefer exams/study, then the CLEP/MS option is recommended, for those who like to speed through a course as preview/review, then Sophia.org is my suggestion.

And of course, for those classes that aren't available at either, such as upper level ones, then Study.com would be another option... Some people who have difficulty with learning/retaining information may take overlapping courses with similar course content but with different course numbers when they transfer in, this way, it doesn't duplicate and gives you extra course credit...