nervous, clueless, and less than two weeks time :(

[blaczkowitz]

Hi, since I said less than two weeks time i'll jump to the point.

I NEED to get 6 credits of CLEP by about Dec 13th or i'm in trouble.  Due to quirks of financial aid, once accepted by my school it kicks me from freshman to sophomore status, letting me borrow an extra $1000 this spring that literally could be the difference of being fed or not/making my rent or not.  (not due to any financial foolishness on my part - uncovered medical bills ate up money needed for basic living)

Short version i'm planning to take the Marketing and Management ones - one of the sites suggested those were the easiest two to learn really quickly.

I subscribed to InstantCert and... well i'm getting like less than 10% of the terms of something I thought i'd have more familiarity with so I feel like an idiot and wondering if this is beyond me.  Trying to calm down.  Trying to figure it out.  Was a little confused when I saw 300 questions in a test and didn't notice obvious study materials... I guess it's only a virtual test more than a whole study package..?

I'm also having to work at other jobs so I can't just spend two weeks nonstop grilling - any hour spent studying is an hour not spent working which is also needed for keeping up with my bills.  I'm not against paying for something else that saves time, as long as it really does or has guarantees or whatever.


Can someone give me a bit of handholding and tell me the best way to do this?  I'm in almost a panic after finding the two sample tests harder than I thought.  :( I STILL have to work and balance hours spent doing that (which pay bills for sure) with what i'm doing to learn/pass the exams.

Do I JUST 'memorize' every flashcard in the 300+ questions (I think the official tests only have 100? so this tries to overteach you anything which might be on there?), like if I learn most of that is there anything NOT in the cards likely to fail me out or should I be able to reliably pass provided I memorize (x) percentage of the instantcert tests?

I looked at 'free study resources' which seem to want to show me alot MORE than i assume is in the questions...  dozens and dozens of multipage material with dozens of other terms I don't recognize, argh!  I want to say "just the facts, ma'am..." just the minimum I need to pass these tests since once they do my stress level drops 1000%.  Whats the minimum I need to learn, whats the fastest way to learn it just for the test, and how can I reasonably assess/know I will pass?  Maybe in the future i'll have some love of learning for the topic but right now i'm trying to get out of a financial trap.

[vickyg973]

Hi, since I said less than two weeks time i'll jump to the point.

I NEED to get 6 credits of CLEP by about Dec 13th or i'm in trouble.  Due to quirks of financial aid, once accepted by my school it kicks me from freshman to sophomore status, letting me borrow an extra $1000 this spring that literally could be the difference of being fed or not/making my rent or not.  (not due to any financial foolishness on my part - uncovered medical bills ate up money needed for basic living)

Short version i'm planning to take the Marketing and Management ones - one of the sites suggested those were the easiest two to learn really quickly.

I subscribed to InstantCert and... well i'm getting like less than 10% of the terms of something I thought i'd have more familiarity with so I feel like an idiot and wondering if this is beyond me.  Trying to calm down.  Trying to figure it out.  Was a little confused when I saw 300 questions in a test and didn't notice obvious study materials... I guess it's only a virtual test more than a whole study package..?

I'm also having to work at other jobs so I can't just spend two weeks nonstop grilling - any hour spent studying is an hour not spent working which is also needed for keeping up with my bills.  I'm not against paying for something else that saves time, as long as it really does or has guarantees or whatever.


Can someone give me a bit of handholding and tell me the best way to do this?  I'm in almost a panic after finding the two sample tests harder than I thought.  I STILL have to work and balance hours spent doing that (which pay bills for sure) with what i'm doing to learn/pass the exams.

Do I JUST 'memorize' every flashcard in the 300+ questions (I think the official tests only have 100? so this tries to overteach you anything which might be on there?), like if I learn most of that is there anything NOT in the cards likely to fail me out or should I be able to reliably pass provided I memorize (x) percentage of the instantcert tests?

I looked at 'free study resources' which seem to want to show me alot MORE than i assume is in the questions...  dozens and dozens of multipage material with dozens of other terms I don't recognize, argh!  I want to say "just the facts, ma'am..." just the minimum I need to pass these tests since once they do my stress level drops 1000%.  Whats the minimum I need to learn, whats the fastest way to learn it just for the test, and how can I reasonably assess/know I will pass?  Maybe in the future i'll have some love of learning for the topic but right now i'm trying to get out of a financial trap.

---

I took Principles of Management and a couple of others using only InstantCert...my way of getting through is copying each question, paste in document, click check answer...then copy that answer below the question...I do this for each area so that way I can read both question and answer at the same time, fill in the blanks on paper then go through again and highlight each answer...then I do the flashcards after.  I usually devote 2 to 4 days in each area...I know you don't have that much time so you'll have to condense...but as I said, I found that a better way for me to retain the answers.

I passed too...I wish you the best!

[ness2991]

Hey there! Don't fret! I think with a bit of focused study you can do it! I just finished both of these last month. There's some overlap, and there's free and low-cost tools to get the job done! Here's what I did to study and prepare for the test:

1.) First, I took the Modern States Courses on the subjects. Modern States is a non-profit organization that provides students with quality courses on CLEP tests, and the site even provides voucher codes to get the tests for free (as long as you finish their course)! They reimburse you for the sitting fee, too, though that takes some time. It may sound too good to be true, but it's totally legit - I've taken 4 CLEPS through them, and they've all been free. Check it out!

     To study, I watched the course videos at 1.5 - 2X speed and took notes, then answered the questions at the end. I highly recommend going through these, cause it gives you an overview of the course in a relatively short amount of time. I probably finished both courses in under 14 hours, and it can probably be done in under 10 or so... which is a lot of time but will really help. Don't let their 4 week estimated course time scare you away!

2.) Next you can use Instantcert... I did, and they are easier after getting the big picture. However, there are a ton of them, and if you're willing to pay a little bit of money, a far better use of your time would be Free-Clep-Prep's study guides...

3.) Last, I used Free-Clep-Prep's study guides. These are guides that condense what you need to know for your test into an easy-to-use study aid. They also come with practice tests and an audio version of the guide. They cost under 20 bucks each, and are invaluable for cramming quickly. If you used these alone, you could probably pass. I use the audio to listen while I drive or take a walk/bike, and they have really helped out a ton. 

     With these tools and a bit of determination, you can totally do it! Studying for Principles of Management took a bit of time, but studying for Principles of Marketing took me 3 days from starting to passing the test! 

Register for your Modern States Courses: https://modernstates.org/course/
Order your Free-Clep-Prep Study Guides: http://www.free-clep-prep.com/FCP-Quick-...heets.html

Take a deep breath and get studying!

[vickyg973]

Hey there! Don't fret! I think with a bit of focused study you can do it! I just finished both of these last month. There's some overlap, and there's free and low-cost tools to get the job done! Here's what I did to study and prepare for the test:

1.) First, I took the Modern States Courses on the subjects. Modern States is a non-profit organization that provides students with quality courses on CLEP tests, and the site even provides voucher codes to get the tests for free (as long as you finish their course)! They reimburse you for the sitting fee, too, though that takes some time. It may sound too good to be true, but it's totally legit - I've taken 4 CLEPS through them, and they've all been free. Check it out!

     To study, I watched the course videos at 1.5 - 2X speed and took notes, then answered the questions at the end. I highly recommend going through these, cause it gives you an overview of the course in a relatively short amount of time. I probably finished both courses in under 14 hours, and it can probably be done in under 10 or so... which is a lot of time but will really help. Don't let their 6 week estimated course time scare you away!

2.) Next you can use Instantcert... I did, and they are easier after getting the big picture. However, there are a ton of them, and if you're willing to pay a little bit of money, a far better use of your time would be Free-Clep-Prep's study guides...

3.) Last, I used Free-Clep-Prep's study guides. These are guides that condense what you need to know for your test into an easy-to-use study aid. They also come with practice tests and an audio version of the guide. They cost under 20 bucks each, and are invaluable for cramming quickly. If you used these alone, you could probably pass. I use the audio to listen while I drive or take a walk/bike, and they have really helped out a ton. 

     With these tools and a bit of determination, you can totally do it! Studying for Principles of Management took a bit of time, but studying for Principles of Marketing took me 3 days from starting to passing the test! 

Register for your Modern States Courses: https://modernstates.org/course/
Order your Free-Clep-Prep Study Guides: http://www.free-clep-prep.com/FCP-Quick-...heets.html

Take a deep breath and get studying!

Hi just a question because I have to take Principles of Marketing too and was aware of Modern States for the Principles of Management but I didn't use it at that time because I was taking the Principles of Management 3 weeks after another exam...and I thought I had to spend 4 weeks in Modern States...so my question is can I spend less than 4 weeks in Modern States?

[ness2991]

Hi just a question because I have to take Principles of Marketing too and was aware of Modern States for the Principles of Management but I didn't use it at that time because I was taking the Principles of Management 3 weeks after another exam...and I thought I had to spend 4 weeks in Modern States...so my question is can I spend less than 4 weeks in Modern States?

I started the Marketing course on a Monday and took the test Wednesday that same week. It's short, simple and you can take as little or as much time as you need. After I had watched all the videos and answered all the questions, I made a request and they sent me the voucher for the Principles of Marketing CLEP. Easy-Peasey.

[quigongene]

I've wrapped up a Modern States class before in a weekend. You can definitely spend less than 4 weeks.

[Ideas]

Did you look at every possible CLEP? I would say take A&I Lit if you're someone who is above average at reading comprehension. If you already took that or can't use it, English Lit. Each of those exams is usually 6 credits.

Or, of course science, math, or foreign language if someone is good at those. Or history if someone already has knowledge or feels like that's easier to learn. The Social Sciences and History exam is often worth 6 credits, and language exams are often 6-12 credits if you do well enough.

Then, I would say Intro Psychology and Intro Educational Psychology since they will have overlap.

[cookderosa]

May I ask what classes you've already taken as part of your freshman credits? Also, do you have a link to your school's list of accepted CLEPs?
There might be an easier way to skin this cat- especially if you can do ONE 6-credit CLEP exam instead of 2.

[blaczkowitz]

Hey there! Don't fret! I think with a bit of focused study you can do it! I just finished both of these last month. There's some overlap, and there's free and low-cost tools to get the job done! Here's what I did to study and prepare for the test:

1.) First, I took the Modern States Courses on the subjects. Modern States is a non-profit organization that provides students with quality courses on CLEP tests, and the site even provides voucher codes to get the tests for free (as long as you finish their course)! They reimburse you for the sitting fee, too, though that takes some time. It may sound too good to be true, but it's totally legit - I've taken 4 CLEPS through them, and they've all been free. Check it out!

3.) Last, I used Free-Clep-Prep's study guides. These are guides that condense what you need to know for your test into an easy-to-use study aid. They also come with practice tests and an audio version of the guide. They cost under 20 bucks each, and are invaluable for cramming quickly. If you used these alone, you could probably pass. I use the audio to listen while I drive or take a walk/bike, and they have really helped out a ton. 

Glancing at the modern states thing it said something like 6 weeks to finish...  do i learn 'more than I need to' or does it mostly focus on just what i need to pass the test?  It's not that I have zero interest in the topic, it's just not convenient to learn "all about" "right now" - I just need my credits to get my loan to pay my bills.  >_<
I was considering the free clep prep study guides for marketing and management - how long is the audio version of the guide?  How long does it take to go thru vs the 25-30hrs it sounds like the other thing takes?

---

Did you look at every possible CLEP? I would say take A&I Lit if you're someone who is above average at reading comprehension. If you already took that or can't use it, English Lit. Each of those exams is usually 6 credits.

Or, of course science, math, or foreign language if someone is good at those. Or history if someone already has knowledge or feels like that's easier to learn. The Social Sciences and History exam is often worth 6 credits, and language exams are often 6-12 credits if you do well enough.

Then, I would say Intro Psychology and Intro Educational Psychology since they will have overlap.

No, but I was going by semi general consensus that i'd read elsewhere...  I can't do foreign language, I suck at math, and i'm way out of practice on any relevant science.  My high school experience was kind of... a wash.  (bad school, bad environment, learned nothing)  I didn't see anything else that seemed likely to be super-easy though I could try the other Instant Cert test topics... maybe psych or something, i'm not sure yet.  It just sounded like marketing was a 'for sure' easiest to learn class to begin with though.

To a previous (didnt quote/wasnt sure how to multiquote) how does that modern states thing work with the free reimbursement?  Like what do you get out of it?  Seems like there must be a catch...  is it in reference to this? https://modernstates.org/freshman-year-free/  So basically I take the modern states version of the course and as long as I finish the study for it, they give me a voucher which I use to sign up??  O_o

[quigongene]

So basically I take the modern states version of the course and as long as I finish the study for it, they give me a voucher which I use to sign up??  O_o

That has been my experience.