US History II CLEP?

[spazz]

Has anyone taken the US History II CLEP? I am beginning to study for this CLEP and was hoping for some tips and pointers on how to study and if the test was hard or not. Thanks!

[yutzyj]

Has anyone taken the US History II CLEP? I am beginning to study for this CLEP and was hoping for some tips and pointers on how to study and if the test was hard or not. Thanks!

i took this clep may 24th and scorede a 71. i found it to be much less concept based than us hist 1. it seemed to be more about the facts. my primary study guide was instantcert and when i was bored i looked up a few things with wikipedia. i didn't think this test was too hard and i'm not good at history. i did have the advantage of my father talking about alot of this stuff about ww2 at the dinner table and that helped me. good luck with your test.

[spazz]

Thanks! Does anyone else have some advice? Is instantcert enough alone to pass this test?

[ChristaKB]

Both History I and II were doable but not without quite a bit of studying. This is not Intro to Sociologyhilarious.

As an addendum to Instantcert I would recommend http://www.historyteacher.net. Practice the quizzes and you'll do great. There is a lot of material there, but some of the questions I think actually showed up in the test. You master the quizes (especially the mix and match ones) and you should be pretty good to go.

Good luck!

Christa

[ShotoJuku]

Has anyone taken the US History II CLEP? I am beginning to study for this CLEP and was hoping for some tips and pointers on how to study and if the test was hard or not. Thanks!

[SIZE="5"]Get the REA book!!![/SIZE]

[spazz]

I got the REA book for sociology last time and I felt like I got ripped off because Instantcert and the REA book are basically exactly the same. It is almost as if the guy who created these tested copied the questions from the REA book. So you're saying that Instantcert is not enough then? . You got me worried now, the first guys post seemed very optimistic.

[snazzlefrag]

I got the REA book for sociology last time and I felt like I got ripped off because Instantcert and the REA book are basically exactly the same. It is almost as if the guy who created these tested copied the questions from the REA book. So you're saying that Instantcert is not enough then? . You got me worried now, the first guys post seemed very optimistic.

Hi Spazz,

Study guides like REA, COMEX etc., simply present the information for you to study. Instantcert presents the information in a way that will help you LEARN it.

They are two different (but related) animals!

You have to remember that what works for one person might not work for another. One person may be able to pass an exam using only Instantcert, but another person may require additional resources.

The bottom line is: If you are in ANY WAY concerned that Instantcert may not be sufficient for YOU to pass the exam, then you would be well advised to seek out additional resources. Many people here choose to use multiple resources simply because it's better to be safe than sorry.

Members of this board can provide you with some helpful advice and feedback, but when it comes down to actually passing or failing your exam....it's all up to you.

Ask questions and read everyone's responses. Evaluate the entirety of the feedback your receive, but then make your OWN decisions based on what you know about yourself (your study habits, your test-taking skills, your ability to retain information, etc.).

If you are not happy with REA....don't use it!
If you are not happy with Instantcert....don't use it!

The key is to find out what works for YOU.

Good luck,
Snazzlefrag

[beckysharp]

I remember a lot of questions about the Progressive Era. Also treaties, pacts etc. It was more than a year ago, so I'm a little fuzzy on the details from the exam. I got an "A" using a Study Guide called "America-A Narrative History" by George Tindall Brown which had key items of chronology, terms to master, vocab list and practice questions both multiple choice and essay. I would recommend that you get something like that (mine was $5.00) and use it as a baseline and add Instacert and CLEP materials. Also, you can get Dummies and Idiots books from your local Library. I always start with a good library and web search for cheap materials.

Good luck! ( preparation meeting opportunity)

[zippy99]

I took this one yesterday and scored 71 after minimal study.
I used the REA book (one quick read through, and the sample tests on the train one morning)
The Emphasis on this test seemed a little odd to me, but is well represented in the study guide.
Lots of questions about the period between the end of the Civil war and ~1900. Make sure to know about populism, and progressivism. Know the presidents from this period and what they did (or didn't do).
Know the basics about the American indians of this time (just the laws regarding them, like the Dawes Act)

There is an emphasis in all eras on laws and treaties.

There is suprisingly little (but some) coverage of WorldWar I. Know what got the US involved, and the treaties that came from it.
Know the policies of the presidents of that time, and the basic facts about the League of Nations.

A fair amount of coverage about the depression era. Make sure you know the facts about the new deal, and the various agencies it involved.

Surprisingly little coverage again of World War II, but know the major battles and treaties.

A fair amount of coverage of the ColdWar... Know the presidents from Eisenhower to the president and what their platforms were.

And the big one.. BLACK HISTORY.. This is covered in some depth on this exam, although it is not specifically presented as such.
Know about reconstruction, the amendments 13-16 that involve freed slaves, voting rights, etc. Know the major figures, DuBois, Douglass, Carver etc
Know the major figures of the civil rights era, especially King, Malcom X and the black panthers, but I'd make sure you have at least a little depth in this area.


If you feel comfortable with what I have above you should ace this test.
It isn't especially difficult, and the questions are very straightforward.
Additionally on many of the questions, some of the choices were very clearly wrong, like you'd get a question on reconstruction and 2 of the answers would be names of astronauts or something, so a little thought and a little process of elimination goes a long way on this one as it does on most clep exams.

[kitanis]

I passed this clep with the REA book alone and a week of study.. very easy.