Not sure where to start...

[dfrecore]

So I don't have to enroll first? I can just start passing tests? I know its probably a dumb question, but is there an actual list of courses that all degrees need? Also, how would I know the exact courses a certain bachelors degree requires? Is it a published curriculum?

You can start taking courses/exam, and enroll whenever you want.

I'm not sure which school in particular you're asking about, so here is info pertaining to TESU.

Here is TESU's list of degrees, click on one and see what the requirements are:Online Degree Programs | Thomas Edison State University

And here's the list of what counts in each area: Thomas Edison State University | General Education - 2016 or After - although there are plenty of other courses that will work in most areas, this is just their list of their own courses that will work. For instance, in Ethical Leadership, they list 7 courses that they teach. But if you took an ethics course at another college, they will take that one even if it's not exactly the same as the ones on their list.

If you want to start researching credit-by-exam degrees, here's a good place to start:http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...llege.html

Then, start reading through this forum a couple of times a day, and read the posts all the way through starting from the beginning. After a while, it will start to make sense. Then, you can start to lay out a plan for your exams/courses you want to take, and begin.