newb here with some questions you havent answered 100 times!

[Ideas]

Starbucks seems too busy for a proctored exam. Straighterline and Study.com are online proctored through webcam with microphone. You have to show them the whole room so they can see you don't have any papers with notes. TECEP, Saylor, and Davar are proctored exams too.

Shmoop and ALEKS don't have proctored exams at this point.

[Ericmcdonald]

So are these just one exam for each course? I know my community college has a program for people finishing their bachelors online where id get access to the computer lab till 7 on week days. That would give me a little over an hour after work but if its just one test I'm sure I could use some of my vacation time. I'll have to look into options around town a bit more. thanks everyone!

[Ideas]

Davar and TECEP aren't courses. Many of them are just 1 exam, but for some you need to do a project. For Study.com and SL, you have to do lots of quizzes/tests before the final. Some of them have projects too, but not many. Saylor is just 1 exam.

[Ideas]

Most people spend at least 4-6 hours on SL courses, doing the tests. 4-6 hours would be for the easiest or if you had prior knowledge. Others could be 10 hours or more. Study.com has about 100 tiny quizzes to do per course.

For the finals, SL can be done very fast if you do well on the tests. Study.com finals can also be done pretty fast if you just want to pass, because you can get good scores on the quizzes. You do the quizzes multiple times sometimes.

[cookderosa]

I recently came across your forum and am very intrigued by this "degree hacking". Here's the background. I'm currently a student attending my local community college in an accelerated program. these are hybrid online/campus classes. I work full-time like all of you and don't have the luxury of choice in degrees because I have to find programs that work around my schedule. I'm a business student, currently sitting at 51 units and enrolled for 15 more this fall semester. now here where things get tricky, I'm building a new home out in the country where I am not going to have access to high speed internet without a data cap. I will have satellite connection so I can browse but with the cap I wont be able to watch a lot of videos or upload a lot. I'm interested in information systems management business degree offered by both Excelsior and Thomas Edison. So to get to the point I'm worried about the CLEP tests. I am a 4.0 student but one 80 question test seems difficult. Also, what is required in the other ways of getting credits and capstone as far as internet capability? like the courses the colleges offer themselves and straighterline, DSST, ALEKS etc?

Welcome to the forum!!
As you plan your bachelor's degree, know that all CLEP exams, Straighterline, and ALEKS will come in as 100/200 level credit - something that you already have 66 credits (51+15) of. As a result, I'd caution you against making a testing plan until you're sure that the exam will even count toward your bachelor's degree. (on an aside, the exams are multiple choice and you only need to score a little better than half, you'd be totally fine after studying - no one here is passing because they are a genius, they are passing because they are studying the right content for the exam)

So, you'll be able to get a little bit of upper level using DSST, but you'll have to look beyond those offerings to hit all the degree requirements. Dfrecore is the best TESU degree planner on the planet (you know it's true) so take her suggestion and add to the list you already provided - titles and number of credits. It will be worth it.

[High_Order1]

Get a cheap wireless plan.

There's at least one with unlimited data for $35. I have a grandfathered verizon plan, this is how I've done all non-brick and mortar schooling. (We live in the country, sorta. No real options for high speed internet, anyway)

[Ericmcdonald]

Get a cheap wireless plan.

There's at least one with unlimited data for $35. I have a grandfathered verizon plan, this is how I've done all non-brick and mortar schooling. (We live in the country, sorta. No real options for high speed internet, anyway)

The cheap wireless plans here don't get any service even AT&T doesn't get service, I'm stuck with Verizon. I know they just released the unlimited plan again Ill have to see if I can do an upgrade.

[Ericmcdonald]

This is not helpful, as we have no idea what any of these mean. You would need to put the course name on there.

here's the course names and units I've taken not including what I am registered for in fall

Business Communications / 3.00 units
Public Speaking / 3.00
Exploring the Humanities / 3.00
Principles of Economics-Micro / 3.00
College Composition / 4.00
Introduction to Business / 3.00
Computer Literacy Workshop / 3.00
College Success / 3.00
Career Planning for Admin of Justice / 3.00
Environmental Science / 3.00
Interpersonal Communication / 3.00
World Music / 3.00
History of Jazz and Rock / 3.00
Reading and Writing II / 4.00
Nutrition and Fitness / 3.00
Basic Algebra / 3.00

[dcan]

So to get to the point I'm worried about the CLEP tests. I am a 4.0 student but one 80 question test seems difficult.

I've done 14 CLEP/DSST tests. Lots of people here have done more. A few years ago there was an expat from China here who came to the states and took virtually all of them over the course of three weeks.

It is daunting at first but becomes easier the more you do it. It really just comes down to focused studying. Knowing what will be covered is key as it helps focus the studying and reduces wasted time. Assuming your school didn't just hand out grades, you have good study habits, so you can build on that.

See ShotoJuku's advice here: http://www.degreeforum.net/showthread.php?t=13721

Also for $20 a month the InstantCert flashcards are decent, but the real money's worth is that it gives you access to the test taker's forum here. People discuss exactly what they faced on the test and swap study guides. Easily pays for itself.