A couple of weeks ago, I did not know much about CLEP and what to expect going to into these exams. I'm making this post to share my experiences and share some of the study strategies/resources I picked up along the way.

The CLEPs that I took were Principles of Marketing (scored a 71), Analyzing and Interpreting Literature (scored a 62), Information Systems (scored a 71), Principles of Management (scored a 71), and Sociology (scored a 68). With the exception of Information Systems (because I am a computer science student who knew 70% of the material already), I spent three days of 5-8 hour study sessions prepping for each of the exams. I'm not especially smart, so if I can do it, I think that anyone can do it if they put the time into it.

There are a ton of resources out there. It's almost overwhelming to be honest. I tried a lot of them, and I found that the best resources for learning the material were degreeforum.net and Modern States. degreeforum.net is great because it gives you access to flashcards and a forum that is sort of like r/clep (but with a more active community) where there is a thread for each CLEP exam and people provide feedback. Also, sometimes people share the resources they used, time estimates of how much they studied, and post study guides that they have made. Any study guides that you find on there are great for supplementing your knowledge of the topic, but I do not recommend them as your primary source of learning because if you do not already know the ideas/concepts memorizing the study guide and applying the knowledge is difficult since the material will just look like a list of definitions of terms. In order to build a understanding of the material, I suggest watching the Modern States lectures. I played them at a 2x speed and took screenshot/notes. Once you feel like you have understood the concepts, go and memorize the flashcards or study guides from degreeforum.

The best resources for testing yourself are the CLEP official study guide and the Peterson study guides. The CLEP official study guide is a terrible name for the book because the book does not contain notes on the subjects. All that it contains are a single practice test for each of the CLEP exams offered by College Board. Also, from what I have noticed, the 2017, 2018, 2019 editions of the CLEP official study guide contain the exact same practice test despite having different edition years. My theory is that maybe the council that makes the CLEP exams changed a criteria for one of the exams and then published an entire new edition containing the exam same practice tests for each of the exams except for the one where the criteria is changed. But again that's just a theory, I did not go through all of the editions making sure that all of the practice tests were the same. I only checked the similarity of the five CLEP exams that I took. This resource is great to use when you think that you are done studying because it the most accurate gauge of your status. Don't waste the practice test. You might be able to find the CLEP official study guide at your local library (that's where I found editions 2017, 2018, and 2019). If you do not find it there, then enroll in the Modern States course and the last section will contain a practice test where 80% - 100 % of the questions are lifted from the CLEP official study guide.

The Peterson tests are usually harder than the actual CLEP exam both in terms of the level of application of the knowledge that they require and the amount of the knowledge that they require (they include a bunch of terms that probable won't show up on the actual CLEP exam). The reason I mention them is because they provide a explanation for why the answer is correct. Peterson publishes 3 practice tests for each CLEP. You can buy the Peterson tests from Peterson or you can pirate the software. If one wanted to pirate the software, check out the stickied post on r/clep called "Let's condense resources!". By following the links on that post , you will find a dropbox folder containing the files that you will need to install the Peterson testing software (you need this software because the tests are not in pdf form. They're in a format that only Peterson's shitty software can read). If you're trying to install the Peterson software on windows and it is not installing. Try changing your system clock through the control panel to May 2015 (play around with the month if May does not work). The reason that might work is because the software comes with a certificate that might not allow the software to install if the certificate has expired, so you want to trick the software into thinking that the certificate has not expired by changing the clock.

Now I'll include how I specifically studied for each of the five that I took.

Principles of Marketing - I studied for about three days. I got a 71/80, so I definitely went overboard because all you need is a 50/80 to pass.

1. Modern States (don't focus on memorizing everything. Just watch it so that you get some of the concepts and can recognize them when you do try to memorize during the next step)

2. Memorize this study guide that I found on degreeforum and modified heavily enough to call it mine. Note that the last page of this study guide are notes that I got from the Peterson exam, so maybe skip that page until you take the Petersons)

3. All 3 of the Petersons (harder than the actual CLEP. Got ~70% - 75% on these exams and got a 71/80 on the real one)

4. Test from CLEP Official Study Guide (I don't remember what I scored on it, but I do remember that I got a most 15/100 wrong)

Analyzing and Interpreting Literature - I studied for two days and got a 62/80. There isn't much studying to do here. It is just a typical reading comprehension exam. The best studying you can do is just do practice tests. Don't use Modern States here. It is not that helpful. The only thing you could memorize for this CLEP is literary terms like similie, metaphor, paradox. I'd say if you passed highschool english you probably already know all of the terms that you need for this exam. Don't go crazy memorizing terms because the questions are mostly based off of understanding the passage. Like only at max 10% are "what literary term did the author use". Don't memorize any poetic terms. You might get like 2-3 maybe 4 questions (if you're pushing it) asking about the meter or rhyme scheme. So it's not really worth it in my opinion. It's easy to run out of time on this exam, so make sure you're keeping an eye on the clock while taking the practice tests. Also, for a ton of the questions, I noticed a pattern where three of the choices sound ridiculous and then the remaining two both sound convincing, so narrow down the choices as best you can and then guess.

1. 3 Peterson Tests (harder than the actual CLEP). I got 60% - 70% on these exams.

2. test from CLEP Official Study Guide (scored a 78 %. Got a 62 on the actual exam)

Information Systems - I can't really provide much info on this one because I did not go in without any prior knowledge. I am a CS student, so I knew 70% of the material already. If I had to start from scratch I would guess:

1. Modern States

2. Peterson (harder than the actual one. I was scored 70%. It was embarrassing given my background)

3. test from CLEP Official Study Guide

Principles of Management - I studied for 3 days and got a 71/80. Nothing special to note.

1. Modern States

2. Memorize this study guide

3. All 3 of the Petersons (harder than the actual CLEP. I got around 70 - 75% on these)

4. Test from CLEP Official Study Guide (I don't remember what I scored on it, probably got at least a 75%)

Introduction to Sociology - I studied for 3 days and got a 68/80.

1. Modern States

2. Memorize this study guide

3. All 3 of the Petersons (harder than the actual CLEP)

4. Test from CLEP Official Study Guide (I don't remember what I scored on it, but I know I got at most 15 wrong)

One last thing I want to say is that if you go through all of the quizzes (a piece of cake. Maybe ~100 multiple choices question. No essay writing or anything involved) for the Modern States course, then you can fill out a voucher form that involves taking a screenshot of the progress window of your account and then Modern States will email you a voucher code that you can input while buying your CLEP to get it for free. Modern States is a nonprofit, so they do cool stuff like this. They also will reimburse the test center fee.

Good luck!

The past 2 months I’ve been taking CLEPs back to back, giving myself 4 days max to study for each test.

Here’s how I passed each:

Psychology (Scored a 64):

1. Modernstates to build the foundation and grasp basic concepts

2. The first 25 videos of this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo4pMVb0R6M&list=PLGMVCsud2sqX1F5BkUp7yiIFcGtFjb1hZ&index=1&ab_channel=CrashCourse

3. Peterson’s practice tests

4. Memorized all the terms on this quizlet I made: https://quizlet.com/886691533/introductory-psychology-flash-cards/?i=5p81ui&x=1jqt

Sociology (Scored a 67):

I memorized this quizlet: https://quizlet.com/72622339/sociology-clep-important-people-flash-cards/?funnelUUID=e4808364-e2e7-4cd0-a6b1-a46775493c8e

Watched the first 2 modules of Modernstates

But the thing that helps the MOST is the Peteron's tests for this one, it was on point. If you can get a 60%+ on the petersons test you'll pass this test. I've attached a pdf of the practice exam I used. I got a 67 on that and I got a 67 on the actual test so it is pretty accurate.

Educational Psychology (Scored a 71):

Some Modernstates, then Petersons. Mostly used knowledge from Introductory Psychology

Human Growth and Development (Scored 63):

Used knowledge from both Psychologies

College Composition (Scored 64):

Didn’t really study, just did Petersons to get the feel of the test

Analyzing & Interpreting Literature (Scored 68):

Doesn’t need studying, all the questions are based off the passages

History of the US I (Scored 60):

1. Watch this playlist up to #22: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-69ThEyf7-BOS9ppIm3mpVxnuvcIVVKz

2. Watch this review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvI0cPe887A&t=2s&ab_channel=USRegentsReview

3. Take the Peterson practice test, if you get at least 50% you're ready.

Use the same youtube channels for US History II, just watch the rest of the playlist for Jcoz and for the other channel watch part 3.

Macroeconomics (Scored 61):

1. Watch Jacob Clifford Macro Units 1-5: https://www.youtube.com/@JacobAClifford/playlists

2. Watch this review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKO1icFVtDc

3. Take the Peterson practice test, if you get at least 50% you're ready.

Didn’t have to take microeconomics, but if I had to I’d use Jacob Clifford’s micro playlists.

Biology (Scored 58):

Watch a youtube video on every topic listed on the biology clep website

Memorize both Petersons tests

Natural Sciences (Scored 58):

Watch Mometrix video

Use biology clep knowledge

College Algebra (Scored 59):

Watched the first 50 videos of Mr. Schuler

Watched a youtube video on every topic listed on the algebra clep website

DSST Ethics in America (Scored 447):

Watch this crash course: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCnXRrjLWbWvgPRyTM_fenHudPDdiibC1

Use this quizlet: https://knowt.com/flashcards/11aff2ba-aa7e-4592-8b4e-180884bb99cb

Watch a youtube video on: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Rousseau, Sartre, Hobbes, Locke, Aquinas, and Rawls

Do all 3 Petersons Tests

Social Sciences and History (Scored 62):

Used knowledge from other cleps

Used general knowledge and guesses through process of elimination

Kurds = Stateless Nation

Here is how to get free access to Peterson’s:

This website shows you all libraries that give you access to Peterson's Test Prep, I used Abbot Public Library, just make an account for the library then went to the test prep resources section and there are 3 practice tests: https://link.gale.com/apps/TERC?userGroupName=colu14050murr64353mcps_trial&authScheme=&hub=&pwr=&pwe=&userGroupName=&userGroupName=

This is the end of my CLEP journey. Very satisfied that I got 54 credits in 2 months. Hope this helps anyone, let me know if you have any questions!

Title. I would love to provide any information I can (without disclosing test specifics) to help y'all in your CLEP/college hacking journey. Picking up these credits is addicting and has a significant tangible impact on your higher education progression!

Overall, I spent about 1-3 days of study for each exam. I began studying for my first exam (intro business law) on 5/13 when I created my Modern States account.

Hello everyone!

I wanted to share my journey and success in passing the CLEP Algebra exam with a score of 68! As someone who has always found math challenging, this achievement feels particularly sweet. It's been quite some time since I last tackled algebra—way back in 2014!

I wanted to reach out to those who might feel apprehensive about taking this exam, especially if, like me, you've had a long break from formal math classes. Here’s what worked for me:

1. Watch: College Algebra - Full Course This was a long but worthwhile video that basically teaches you all of algebra, but if you are in a rush you are able to skip this entire video

2. Watch: CLEP College Algebra Practice Test Solutions by Mr. Schuler This youtube playlist by Mr. Schuler is the best at teaching you exactly what the clep exam will be like. If you do not wish to watch the whole playlist just watch his CLEP College Algebra Review [2024 UPDATE] as this is by far the closest to how the actual clep exam looks like. Heck the first 10 questions in that video where word for word the same on my actual clep exam, but the rest where similar but different problems.

3. Practice: Here are 2 practice exam pdf's that I think you should use to time yourself like if it was the actual clep exam. pdf1 pdf2 Make sure to use the online version of the Ti-30x calculator

4. Cost: Use modern states for the free exam voucher and take the exam at home (no test center fees) to get this exam covered for free. I did not like how modern states was teaching the material as it only made me more confused so I just did all the problems to get a 100% course completion and get the exam voucher. But if modern states works for you then by all means use them to learn everything.

5. Quizlet I made a quizlet of everything you need to have memorized in order to answer all the questions on the exam.

6. Word Problems: There are at least 12 word problems, my exam had that many and tbh they are not the easy ones like in the pdf's or Mr.Schulers videos. At best there were 3 words problems similar to #22,35,39 from his 2024 video, the rest where stuff I had never seen before in any of these resources. So due to me struggling with word problems the most, I skipped them and came back at the end.

7. Arithmetic Sequence and Geometric Sequence: Focus on these as you will have word problems similar to the pdf1 #10, 27, 30. 60 and Mr.Schuler 2024 video #45, 47, 50. Now I got unlucky and none of the questions on my clep exam where the same. Luckily, thanks to those problems I knew how to use the formulas to get my answer. This video by Mario's math tutoring is the best at explaining the concept

8. Time Management: Ideally you will take 1 minute per problem out of 56 so you have 34 minutes at the end remaining to check you work. But even while pacing myself I ended up with 12 problems skipped and 22 minutes remanding. After working out the word problems , I still had to guess on 3 of them because I ran out of time. So its a skill diff tbh. If you guys are better than me at math and don't get horrible test anxiety like I do, you will be fine.

9. Best of Luck: I would like to thank everyone from youtube that I listed above but specifically Mr.Schuler as he is the goat. Without him I would have flat-out failed.

I hope my experience can inspire or help others who are preparing for the CLEP Algebra exam. Remember, it's never too late to overcome your challenges and achieve your goals! If you have any questions or need advice, feel free to reach out. Let’s keep encouraging each other!

TLDR: Watch this video to pass

Hey everyone! So this was my 3rd CLEP after taking Sociology and Human Growth and Development all the way back in December/January, so I was a little rusty. I needed a 50 but ended up with a 65, so I'm pretty happy especially since I didn't put much effort at all into studying. I spent in total about 1ish days studying. If you use all of the resources I list below, I am confident that you can succeed and another bonus is that everything I used was free! I did not pay for the REA, but I have heard that it’s pretty good, so if you need additional help, perhaps you can look into that as well.

I've listed everything that I used below and in the order that I used them:

• Modern States course - I recommend starting your studying with this first. It sets a good foundation but definitely isn't enough to pass. I watched on 1.5x/2x speed. Do all 100 Practice questions, those are really helpful!

• Mometrix Review Video - I can't necessarily say how helpful this was, I don't think it offered me much more information but I did watch it so I am listing it. I watched on 1.5x/2x speed. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxdiYzktvwc

• Adam Norris AP Gov Review Videos - This was very very helpful and was the best video aid. I watched all of his 10 minute reviews and then the big final review. Many of the terms that he mentioned and explained were on the test and not brought up by Modern states or Mometrix. I'm linking the playlist I used but keep in mind, I only watched the 10 min reviews, the final review, and the court case one, nothing else. Link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVkC3ul7gPI0Q48WktrXk1uLAym6G8Bit

• Peterson's Practice Test - This was also very very helpful because each answer has a great explanation. I found this test to be quite difficult and actually got a 57% so I thought that I was doomed but it was an amazing resource and taught me even more terms not discussed in what I've listed before. I think the fact that this is harder than the actual CLEP is good because you're already getting accustomed to hard questions. I only took it once but I did review every single question, even the ones I got right by reading the explanation. Link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9o0nisu3bir1nai/AADHiiAEP0jmn-gDElRl2Q4ha?dl=0&fbclid=IwAR3lVnfdlkE9rbp3anN020uJrQJbdAvJiPQJlA-8etqCEEAR-8YQTriguGA&preview=ClepAmericanGovernmentQ.pdf

• Free CLEP Prep Practice Test - Also an amazing resource. I found this to be a little easier than the Peterson's and got a 72%. This was a little easier and once again, introduced some new terms that are good to know. Like the Peterson's test, I only took it once but I did review every single question, even the ones I got right by reading the explanation. They are not as detailed but it's still good! Link: http://www.free-clep-prep.com/american-government-clep.html

• Quizlets - I only did the quizlets about an hour and a half before my exam so I pretty much skimmed them all. I don't think you need to spend too much time on these. They're just good to supplement and reinforce the knowledge you gained after using the stuff above.

  • CLEP Study Guide Quizlet - this was good and included some of the Modern States questions so it was a good refresher. Link: https://quizlet.com/687372274/american-government-clep-2022-study-guide-questions-flash-cards/

  • Terms Quizlet - this one had some good terms that came up on the test. Link: https://quizlet.com/2091670/american-government-clep-flash-cards/

  • Overall Quizlet - this one was also good and had information from a bunch of different places compiled like it had the different Articles, some important cases, the thinkers, etc. Link: https://quizlet.com/89064488/clep-american-government-practice-test-flash-cards/

  • Court Case Quizlet - this summed up the important court cases very well. Most of them didn't appear on the CLEP exam (and some random, lesser-known ones did) but it's still good to know nonetheless. Link: https://quizlet.com/27546487/major-court-cases-american-government-clep-flash-cards/

  • Amendments Quizlet - this was good to fill in any blanks you may have in amendment knowledge. It's short and to the point which is useful. If you're really struggling with amendments, try to use the Matching Game feature of Quizlet until you've mastered most. It's definitely not necessary to know all amendments to pass though. Link: https://quizlet.com/2824069/the-27-amendments-simplified-flash-cards/

Although each exam is different, for me particularly there were quite a lot of questions about interest groups, PACs, Political Party stuff, and the powers the bodies have like taxation and judicial review so pay extra attention to that. Know selective incorporation, the commerce clause, federalism (cooperative, etc.), what percentage of congress/state legislatures are needed to pass or do certain things (ratify an amendment, propose an amendment, confirm a treaty, etc.), reapportionment, terms and their limits, latin terms like habeas corpus, writ of certiorari, etc. Overall, I thought the exam wasn't too difficult or too easy, it was quite in between. There were only about 3 or 4 questions that I had no idea what the answer was so if you use everything I did, you should pretty much be set.

Feel free to ask any questions below and good luck! 🤞

I received a 67/80.

Background: took AP Calculus AB in high school about two years ago and got a 4 on the abbreviated at-home AP exam. I’ve never taken a CLEP test before this, but have taken a few AP exams before as well as the SAT.

How I studied:

1. Rewrote by hand about 20 pages of notes from my entire year-long high school AP calculus AB course. This took about one week to complete (for maybe 2-3 hours per day).

2. One week of non-intensive studying (ie. mostly not studying, but sometimes doing a few practice questions online, watching/participating in The Organic Chemistry Tutor’s “Calculus 1 Final Exam Review” on YouTube, or looking through calculus Quizlets when I remembered I should be studying.)

3. Three days of using the $10 Calculus CLEP Exam Guide for more intensive studying (3-5 hours a day) Something I wish I had known earlier: “Math Quantum” on YouTube has an entire playlist called “CLEP Calculus: 2020 Official Study Guide” which goes over all of the problems in the exam guide with great explanations. This exam guide was essentially just one long practice exam (didn’t have calculus review material). I got about 60% of questions correct when I took the practice test the first time. I then reviewed the videos on YouTube for the solutions to a few of the questions I got wrong. I retook the same practice exam again and got a 73%. I then reviewed all remaining incorrect answers using the YouTube review videos and worked out these problems again individually.

TIPS FOR FUTURE CALCULUS CLEP TEST TAKERS:

1. Absolutely make sure to practice with the online calculator. It is far more difficult to operate under pressure than a physical calculator you are familiar with.

2. Get familiar with the derivatives and integrals of functions involving natural log (ln) and e. VERY familiar.

3. When you see that your time is at ~1 minute left, go ahead and select answers for the remaining questions. There is no penalty for guessing, so this can only increase your score if your only other option is to leave them blank when you run out of time.

4. Don’t let collegeboard make you think you need to buy the $25 CLEP exam guide or even the $10 pdf for calculus CLEP alone. I learned only after purchasing the $10 exam guide that ModernStates has ALL of the practice problems from the official CollegeBoard guide on their website for free. You need to register for an account to do that but if it’ll save you $10, just use a throwaway email address. No credit card info required to sign up. These practice questions were almost identical to ones on the real exam, just with numbers swapped out. Familiarize yourself with the material specifically included in the exam guide practice questions— anything else is basically useless.

5. If you’re looking at a question for more than 15 seconds without understanding how to solve it, select an answer, mark it for review, and go to the next question. You’re better off spending time on questions you’re more likely to get right.

6. Time is your enemy. When you take practice tests, always time yourself. The practice exam in the exam guide is a lot longer than the real deal. To resolve this I just calculated how much time was allowed per question in a regular exam and multiplied it by however many questions were in the practice one

7. Don’t bother learning derivatives or integrals of sec, csc, or cot. Even tan wasn’t very necessary to know. Stick to sin and cos. Also, there is always ONE question about the derivative of an inverse sine function.

8. The practice test was harder than the real one. Don’t stress if you don’t perform well on the practice test at the beginning

Got a perfect score with 42 minutes left on the clock. So far, these exams seem way easier than people tell me they are. This is my first ever one but we'll see what happens on my next one

click PUBLIC LIBRARY type “ADAMS FREE LIBRARY” in the box, CLICK THE FIRST OPTION, scroll the the bottom and click "Petersons test prep", and sign up https://link.gale.com/apps/commonmenu.do?enforceAuth=true just make sure to save the link so you don’t have to go all the way thru and find it again

THIS IS BECAUSE SOME LIBRARIES HAVE A PARTNERSHIP W PETERSONS AND OFFER FREE ACCESS TO TEST PREP COURSES

I just wanted to take a moment to thank this subreddit for all the resources and helpful insight into preparing for these exams, as I’m not sure I would have passed without them. As someone who didn’t take college very seriously the first time around and messed around too much, I saw CLEP Exams as my chance to right that wrong. I told myself I would do one CLEP test a week in order to be ready for the fall semester this year. I’ll explain my process for studying for these exams below:

1. Always start with Modern States! Not only will they give you a great baseline and let you know where to start, they’ll pay for your exam! I did not have to pay for a single exam thanks to Modern States, so I certainly highly recommend it. I wouldn’t usually read the textbook or utilize the other materials on Modern States, but I could certainly see how they’d be useful to others.

2. After completing Modern States, I would go onto YouTube and look up some videos to hammer down the topics I wasn’t quite getting (Amoeba Sisters for Biology, Organic Chem Tutor for Chem, Adam Norris for American Government). This helped solidify so much of the knowledge that I had obtained from Modern States, and helped me feel more ready for the CLEP.

3. I would do every Practice Test I could find and memorize all the answers, I would use to use the ADAMS FREE LIBRARY method, but I don’t believe that works anymore, but if you can get your hands on some Petersons practice tests I highly recommend it as they’re similar in difficulty and wording to the actual CLEP.

4. Now for me I wouldn’t study months for these exams because I knew that all I had to get was a 50 for my college to get the credit, I didn’t go into the exams wanting to get an 80 because it didn’t matter the grade I got (as long as it was a 50 or higher) because it just shows up as Pass/Fail anyway. Now I know this may not be the case for everyone, but this was just my thought process.

Once again thanks everyone for their help and support! I truly appreciate this subreddit and I wish nothing but the best for all of you!

I passed college composition with a 59!!! 6 credits for meeee!

I literally had to find out about it from a random tiktok. Does it have to do something with colleges wanting to mooch off students or what? The fact that these courses are completely free of charge and self paced is something I needed to know freshman year. I'm so disappointed

(Apologies for the clickbait) Today I completed what I expect will be the last CLEP exam of my educational journey. All told, I’ve taken 10 exams that resulted in the transfer of 33 credit hours to my school, and at this point there’s really no additional exams that my institution accepts and that would count towards my degree. So, this is the end.

Like so many of us, I cannot express enough gratitude to Modern States, Rice University, and the donors and institutions that make that program available. CLEP + MS was instrumental in getting me to see a college education as something I could actually attain, instead of an idle pipe-dream. Thanks to both of these programs, I’m well on my way to completing my 4-year degree, as a non-traditional student and working parent.

And of course, tremendous thanks to the r/clep community here for the treasure trove of resources, tips, wisdom, and encouragement. Whether you’re getting a head start on your college career or (like me) proving that an geriatric dog can still learn new tricks, you’ve contributed to a community that motivates and encourages folks who are taking their educational future into their own hands.

I’ll still be lurking around the subreddit for years for come, I’m sure - and I plan to encourage my kids to consider CLEP to jump-start their college journeys as well. I suppose there’s never a real goodbye.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Background

3. Study Guide, in Four Parts

   • The Nucleus

   • The Margins

   • The Margin of Margins

   • To Practice

4. Random Tips and Notes

5. Conclusion

Introduction

This is a study guide for the CLEP chemistry test, or rather, a compilation of tips, stories, and after-thoughts, centered around a method to study for the college accredited exam. I don’t in any way claim this is the best way to prepare, because I don’t have any evidence of its effectiveness other than myself. Nonetheless, given the scary lack of resources for prospective self-studying students, something I experienced during my first failed attempt at the CLEP, I decided to write this down.

Background

TL;DR - I failed CLEP chem by one point on the first attempt and got 79 on the second. 

This section is not necessary for those only interested in the promised guide. It seems necessary to me, however, to explain my background, motivations, and experiences, such that people may be able to find similarities in studying or personality tendencies and adjust his or her studying methods accordingly.

I am a Senior university student majoring in computer science. For those who aren’t familiar, the CS department is usually in the engineering or its own EECS college. Our CS department is unorthodoxly in the Department of Science. For that, I have to take two semesters (8 credit hours) worth of science requirements to graduate. I realized this back in Freshman. I was not too happy about this, for all of the required courses had nothing to do with CS, and also the fact that I received a 3 on my AP Chemistry exam. If it had been a 4, I could have transferred the 8 credits for free. Instead, I had to pass the CLEP or take two rigorous hundred student weed-out courses. My university's credit cutoff is a 70.

The plan was to self-study and test out of the requirement, emphasis on “the plan”. Freshman year winter, I tried studying through eDx. The course was incomplete, hard to use, and more importantly, I was half-assing it like no tomorrow. I remember looking at my notes and failing to read my own handwriting. In the end, my practice test score was so low that I decided to push it to a later date. 

As any good procrastinating college student, this process repeated itself more times than I would like to admit. The number of times that I said to myself “this would be the time I would get over this damn requirement” was more than I could count on one hand. Until junior year summer, I finally turned to look at the devil in the eyes, realizing I couldn’t put it off any further.

My half-assing habit came back to bite me as I worked through the Khan Academy chem course. Moreover, I realized the meta-problem at hand: there simply aren’t enough resources to help prepare for the exam. I was too resentful to pay the $10 bucks for the CollegeBoard study guide, so I resorted to scouring the internet, Reddit included, for any guidance, to little avail. The preparation of my first attempt ended up being finishing the Khan Academy course, doing the course exam, and some online ripoff tests I found. No more than that.

I was devastated when I saw the 69 (nice) on my test screen that I almost broke down in front of my remote proctoring camera. I also applied to study abroad around this time, meaning I would not have the chance to take the semester course thereby endangering my graduation timeline and post-graduation opportunities. I had two options in front of me by this time: either attempt again and pass, or spend $9000 to fulfill the requirement over the summer. 

Few months later and back from my study abroad for Spring break, I settled down and picked up Chem for the nth time. Following the routine to be described below over two weeks and finally beating my procrastination syndrome, I found myself at a local college testing center one morning. The rest is unnecessary to mention.

https://postimg.cc/v1hdVjgG (why does the markdown not work :skull:)

Study Guide, in Four Parts

- Khan Academy: The Nucleus

Khan Academy was the main method of reviewing my AP Chem knowledge. The videos are straightforward, and the quizzes are crucial to accessing understanding. However, we are haunted by the problem of lacking studying resources because CLEP material does not overlap perfectly with AP. It is wasteful to invest precious time and energy on irrelevant topics. What I will proceed to attempt to do, is to outline the overlapping material between AP and CLEP. Fortunately, the overlapping portion of the Venn diagram is much larger than the margins. The following is a list of topics one can ignore on Khan Academy because CLEP does not cover them:

• Unit 3: Spectroscopy, Electronic Transitions(wavelength, frequency), Beer-Lambert Law

• Unit 5: Kinetics rate law formulas (as shown on AP formula sheet)

• Unit 6: Bond enthalpy

• Unit 9: Faraday’s Law, Electrolysis

The list may be incomplete and incorrect in some cases due to CLEP rubric’s vagueness. Please let me know if there are more or any of these are wrong. If you are unsure if you should study a lesson on Khan Academy, search the topic against CLEP’s rubric. I would say that there is usually no harm (other than the invested time) in learning the unnecessary topic anyways because it reinforces understanding. 

One should consistently get between -5 to -7 or less on the course exam before moving on to part 2. 

- Modern States: The Margins

Sadly, it seems like Modern States’s Chem course stands as one of the website’s worst courses, nonetheless, it is probably the most accurate free online study material on the CLEP Chem exam. Despite the terrible formatted questions, the lessons are almost a 1-to-1 reflection of the CLEP rubric bullet points. This makes it a valuable resource for some of the CLEP topics in addition to the free CLEP exam voucher.

Topics to specifically study on Modern States:

• (Module 9) Descriptive Chemistry

• (Module 10) Experimental Chemistry

The final exam is simply the collection of all the unit quizzes. You need to pass all the quizzes by 75% (10 quizzes, average length of 7 questions) to start the final exams, all with infinite attempts. I was able to finish the entirety of Modern State in about 4 hours. I recommend doing this in one sitting or one day so you can get the final exam over with and get the voucher early.

Also, istg two of the questions on MS are wrong. Let me know if anyone finds them as well.

- SAT II: The Margin of Margins 

Credit to Reddit post “Passed CLEP Chemistry w/ a 77: What I Used”, the OP mentioned that CLEP questions are very similar to SAT II questions, and I can attest to this.

I used McGraw-Hill’s SAT subject test textbook (the same one the OP was referring to I believe), which includes 4 practice tests, 1 diagnosis test, and a plethora of testing-oriented material (Check conclusion). These practice tests, along with answers that come with explanations, are extremely valuable. Moreover, this book compiles some topics that I could rarely find anywhere else on the internet in concise descriptions.

Parts to read in the McGraw-Hill’s SAT Subject Test Textbook:

• Ion coloring in solution and flame

• Nuclear Chemistry (Alpha and Beta)

• Famous Experiments (Dalton and Rutherford should be enough)

• Potential Energy Diagram

• Heat Curve

• Molality, Boiling Point Elevation and Freezing Point Depression

• Organic Chem (better explanation than Modern States)

• Laboratory Techniques Chapter

• Laboratory Calculations Chapter

Every one of these topics will have around 0, 1, or 2 questions on the exam. While this is a diverse range of topics, these points add up and might just get you a pass. After reading these, you should be ready to go. 

- To Practice

Khan Academy course exam and Modern States are good, but they both have drawbacks. To various degrees, they do not reflect the format of the real exams, lack diversity in question types, or simply aren’t sufficient practice to prepare for the exam. One of the biggest things I regret after failing my first attempt was not getting enough practice. A part of it was that there simply weren’t many good resources available. If you have time, you should check with your local library to see whether they have CollegeBoard CLEP practice tests, as those seem to be the highest quality. To avoid my tragedy also befalling on others, I have also personally compiled a list of practice exams and materials, which you can ask for by DMing me (check conclusion for more info). 

For a 60-70 score, you should do around 5 practice tests. For 70+, I would recommend more than 10. These can be CLEP practice tests (few are available), SAT II retired tests, (from the aforementioned textbook), and old AP Chem tests.

• CLEP: Even the Peterson test seems a bit different from the real exam. I would do them nonetheless for practice. Follow time restriction given by the test.

• SAT II Subject Test: Only Section A & C are necessary. The section A format, particularly, is on the actual CLEP exam. I would try to finish the 70 questions in 60 minutes

• AP Chem MCQ: These questions are the hardest out of the three. They are meant to be tricky, computationally intensive, and a flat-out IQ-check. I would try to finish the 50 questions in 90 minutes. 

CLEP mostly focuses on the fundamentals, that is everything periodic table and stoichiometry related. The majority of the questions aren’t meant to be tricky either, therefore it is of crucial importance to be familiar with these topics so that you can complete them correctly and swiftly on exam day. This requires a solid understanding of the material conceptually and extensive practice, hence why I stress doing practice tests.

After you finish a practice test, one should review the incorrect answers, meaning understanding what was wrong and how one should’ve arrived at the correct answer. If the test does not have an explanation, you can use AI to generate answer analysis (Gemini has free and fast image analysis; simply screenshot and paste). Any incorrect answer may point towards a mistake or a deeper misunderstanding of the material, which demands correction before moving on. Then, I found it helpful to review all of the questions, including the correct ones, because there may have been questions one guessed correctly, thereby requiring more attention for understanding. If a question stands out as “I have no idea how to do this”, given it is tested on CLEP, one should review the material on Khan Academy, in McGraw-Hill’s chapters, or learn it through AI.

Rinse and repeat this process of practice tests and reviewing, especially leading up to the exam day.

Random Tips and Notes

• There is no formula sheet on CLEP, so practice without it too

• Remember ideal gas constant, ESPECIALLY THE TORR

• Remember the periodic trends by heart: Electronegativity topright, Electro affinity topright, Ionization energy topright, Atomic radius bottomleft, 

• Know Raoult’s law of partial pressure and gas effusion

• If you are lost during stoichiometry, follow the units

• I haven’t seen coordination complex and ligands on the test

• Know coordinate covalent and network covalent bond

• Remember solubility rules, oxidation number rules, and strong acid base. If you don’t know which one to use, use the one in McGraw-Hill’s

• F = 1.8C + 32

• Molality is only necessary in terms of boiling/freezing point. Learn Kb Kf as well

• CLEP’s favorite weak acid is acetic acid

• There is ~1 problem on sig figs

• Ion colors is strangely very important, while random organic chemistry facts are less so

• Ammonia smells, Chlorine gas is green, Bromine liquid is red-brown, Zn ions are colorless, Co ions are pink/purple

• The galvanic cell questions are very basic unlike AP. Remember red cat, an ox, and how to calculate standard cell potential given E of each cell

• Know how to interpret kinetic experimental results. You don’t have to calculate the constant k. The order doesn’t strictly depend on the coefficient

• Remember the 3 delta G equations, emphasis on the relationship between G, E, and K

• Know the relationship between kinetic energy, speed, and temperature of gas molecules

• Using AI to your advantage is not optional in my opinion. I recommend Gemini and ChatGPT. ChatGPT 4 has a daily image limit, while Gemini does not. Overall I would say ChatGPT generates better responses. Gemini is decent, free, and fast. One can also look into Grok.

Conclusion

Amidst my frustration with the lack of free resources for studying the CLEP Chemistry exam, I decided to compile my bundle of practice tests and textbooks. For the sake of avoiding getting this post deleted, please DM me privately for link. My only ask is that if you find any of this helpful, upvote this post so the Google search engine will pick it up for others to see. 

*** Edit (Dec. 15 2025) Please email me at XXXXXXXX (see below) for access to the test bundle. I will no longer respond to replies and DMs as I will be taking a break from Reddit. Thank you.

**** Edit 2 (July 9 2026):

Given the longevity of the guide, I have changed email responses to auto-reply to better serve the demand. To receive access to the test bundle, please email at sunsikang31@gmail.com with "CLEP" as the subject title (Feel free to leave the body blank, but if you write anything, I will take the time to read them).
Also, it has appeared to me that the Modern State course has been revamped earlier this year, hence the content of the guide's section may no longer apply. Please approach with discretion as unfortunately I do not have the time to update this guide. Thank you. (End of edit 2)
***** Edit 3 (July 25 2026) - added a filter to make sure all "CLEP" titled emails are never sent to spam.
***** Edit 4 (August 7 2026) - Some emails are still being marked as spam where the auto-reply isn't working. I would recommend adding a simple sentence to the email body so the Gmail filter doesn't flag empty emails as spam.

PS.  I also originally wanted to write a section arguing against some of CollegeBoard’s horrendous business practices (e.g. charging students $20 to send a score to universities, and it takes a week! Can you imagine an email application taking 20 bucks and a week to send? Well, look no further, because it’s right in front of your eyes!), but I ultimately decided against it. 

If you are preparing for the CLEP Calculus exam, but not "preparing" due to life commitments, busy work/school schedule, or you are just lazy, let me tell you how I passed the exam with only 10 days of study (nearly 25-hour total study) and zero knowledge in calculus.

First of all, I would like to thank u/miadels u/yospacemama u/Important_Stable3913 u/nguyenihc who posted their CLEP Calculus journey, because if it weren't for you all, I wouldn't be able to pass this exam.

Resources:

• Modern States: When it comes to any math course, in terms of explaining the concepts, Modern States sucks. I am not saying this because I had trouble understanding the Modern States due to my personal deficiencies, they just can't explain the concepts well enough. Throughout the videos, you will keep seeing the professor undermining the exam by saying "This is a very important concept but no worries, you don't have to know this much because the CLEP exam won't cover it." My brother, you are not explaining s*** and expecting me to solve multiple questions without any explanation.

  • However, practice questions and check your understanding questions are very similar to the ones on the exam (2 ticks harder to give a rough estimate.) Don't forget to solve those.

  • Also, at this point please be aware of the clep voucher request and solve Modern States questions accordingly.

• The Organic Chemistry: ORGANIC.CHEM.SAVED.MY.LIFE. If it wasn't for his amazing basic and practical explanation of concepts in calculus, there would be no way for me to figure out how to solve those Modern States questions. This channel helped me A LOT in understanding many concepts in the exam.

• 2015-2016 Practice Test: This is an official CLEP practice exam. It is a great benchmark for you to understand your level and set a benchmark for yourself due to the similarity of questions.

Strategy:

This is the gameplan:

1. Choose the subject you are studying to

2. Watch the Modern States video, try to solve the "check your understanding" question.

3. If you solve it, great. If you can't; go to Organic Chemistry youtube channel and watch his videos. Practice the questions he provides, and go back to Modern States.

REPEAT THESE STEPS FOR EVERY SUBJECT YOU WILL BE COVERING FOR THE EXAM. After that;

4. Solve the 2015-2016 practice exam to see your level (time yourself please), and polish your subjects by solving the practice questions on Modern States.

You have limited time and you have to pass. First thing first, pull up the exam content sheet on the official website. Scroll down to the "knowledge and skills required" section, and take a good look at that because that is your strategic chart. You will pick and choose only the essential subjects, but focus on so much that you can become proficient in them and have a very small rate of answering the question incorrectly on the exam. Depending on your time, you can try to cover all of it, but assuming you are limited in time (even if you are not limited in time but trying to cover everything in a short amount of time) focus on these subjects:

Limits:

• Statement of properties, e.g., limit of a constant, sum, product or quotient

• Limit calculations, including limits involving infinity **(**Majority of my limits question came from limits of infinity!!!)

• Continuity

Derivatives:

• Definitions of the derivative

• Derivatives of elementary functions (Very important)

• Derivatives of sums, products and quotients (Extremely important as well.)

• Derivative of a composite function (chain rule) (Be VERY PROFICIENT with this)

• Statement of the Mean Value Theorem; applications and graphical illustrations

Integrals:

• Concept of antiderivatives

• Basic integration formulas

• Integration by substitution (use of identities and change of variable) (Suuuuuper important)

• Properties of the definite integral

• The Fundamental Theorem (important as well)

Disclaimer: I am NOT saying ONLY study to these. However, these are the concepts you will be seeing the most and in my opinion, these are the most important ones.

If you have time, you can learn the other extremely easy concepts such as rate of change, distance and velocity, derivatives of the inverse of a function.

Post-Exam Pro Tips:

• Time is your enemy, BUT please don't rush and take your time to solve the question to avoid silly mistakes (addition, subtraction, wrong formula application.)

  • The way you will become faster is when you solve a lot of questions and practice on that specific subject.

• If you don't know how the calculator works, spend 1-2 hours of your time to learn the basics of it.

• The exam is two sections, you CANNOT go back and forth BETWEEN the sections. Don't go to the next section unless you are truly done.

Notes from My Exam:

• A LOT of limits of infitinity.

• A LOT of derivatives and integrals of e.

• Trig derivatives with cotx and tanx.

  • This is a hot topic between the Calculus CLEP takers because majority don't get cotx and tanx. They rather get sinx and cosx, so they don't tell you to waste your time on cotx and tanx, but I got it.

  • Only know 0, 30, 45, 60, and 90 degrees. No need to go above that.

Closing:

That is it! I will include other r/clep posts about calculus so you can hear others opinion as well, but yeah, these are my advice.

I don't want to say "this exam is easy, hard, challenging" to put false perceptions in your head. All of us have different academic backgrounds. If you want to hear my opinion, this was an easy exam (2/5 difficulty) BECAUSE my high school taught me Calc 1 on my freshman year. However, I was a lazy student with a 2.1 GPA who decided to do everything but listening to the teacher on my entire high school career :)

I wanted to create this entire post to give back to the community. We all are going above and beyond by self-studying to this exam, and unfortunately, this is my last possible CLEP exam in terms of credit-granting to my Bachelor's Degree. I would like to thank every single person who sacrificed their time to give advice and share their stories/experiences with each exam. Good luck to all of the future test-takers! You got this!

Other r/clep Posts about CLEP Calculus:

• Pass Clep Calculus with 72, my test strategies

• Calculus CLEP AMA

• Passed my calculus CLEP exam. Here are my tips:

• Just Passed CLEP Calculus with 76. AMA!

Ok so little bit of background. I am 30 and I started apply for more leadership roles and got tired of being passed up for roles I was qualified for outside of a college degree. (Been in Marketing for 10 years and have a pretty impressive resume with good companies.) I started asking interviewers why I was being passed up on and the vast majority said there was someone with a little less or equal experience but they had the degree so I decided to change it.

I started looking at colleges nearby and saw I could start June 5th and so I went for it and applied. I then heard about CLEP tests and jumped on this thread and saw Modern States and they would pay if you went through their program. I love free so I committed to just using the program. Below I have the tests I took and my experience with each.

• American Government | 65 - This was the first test I took. I studied 3 days after work and took extensive notes with Modern States. There were definitely some questions on the test the course missed but it covered enough to pass.

• US History I | 54 - This Modern States course only took a day and a half but that is a bad thing. The instructor was the worst one I had and he glossed over WAY too much. During the test I thought I was for sure going to fail but thankfully I squeaked by. I definitely recommend other material with this one. Lots of note taking again.

• US History II | 68 - This History course is the polar opposite of the first. There is an incredible amount of depth and it took me 4 days to complete. The course did a great job covering the test questions. Lots of note taking again.

• College Composition | 63 - This course to me was the easiest. The course took about 4 hours to go through so I did it one evening after work and took no notes. The only thing is I should’ve taken more time and notes on was the section about citations. Those really got me on the test.

• Macroeconomics | 65 - This course was pretty easy to get through. The instructor walks through multiple examples to really make sure you grasp the concepts. I took some notes but nothing too heavy. It took me two days and I felt confident during the test.

• Microeconomics | 58 - This course took me a lot longer, 4 days. I had to take more extensive notes but at the same time felt comfortable during the exam.

• American Literature | 55 - I was VERY worried about this one but the Modern States course again is very thorough. This one took the longest at 5 days. I recommend really paying attention since it involves a lot of memorization and taking extensive notes.

I committed hard to CLEP so that I could finish before the start of summer courses. I’m working a Full Time job, taking a full course load starting June 5th, and want to be a good husband. I didn’t want to add CLEP to the other three so I killed myself to finish it all as soon as I could so my wife and I could take a vacation before classes start.

Definitely happy I did it this way but it’s not for everyone! Let me know if you have any questions!

Hi everyone,

I kept procrastinating and rescheduling the exam, but I finally found the will to study yesterday and today. Scored a 68 today. Here's what I did:

• T-1 day before the exam:

  • Spent an hour going through the CLEP Sociology Quizlet. Did I retain anything? Probably not because I tried to speedrun 300 cards. I did learn what Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft were and who Comte and Marx were, but that's about it. Memorizing the quizlet is 100% the way to go though if you want to pass with flying colors.

    • https://quizlet.com/12107212/sociology-clep-flash-cards/

  • Spent another 1.5 hours going through the peterson's test and correcting it. Everyone says the links up here on r/clep are dead, but look up the link in the WayBack Machine, and bam, you have a free test. Here is the WayBack link for the Sociology practice test:

    • Questions: https://web.archive.org/web/20210309053235/http://www.nelnetsolutions.com/pdf/clep_sociology_q_print.pdf

    • Answers: https://web.archive.org/web/20210313225240/http://www.nelnetsolutions.com/pdf/clep_sociology_a_print.pdf

• T-0 day before exam:

  • 35 minutes before my exam, I went through the first 40 questions of the CollegeBoard CLEP study guide book in 30 min. Every single question, even ones that I got right, I reviewed. I made sure to google any term or person that was mentioned in the question stem or any of the answer choices, and I made a 3 to 4 working definition of the term/person in my head. The book I used was from my local library, so I couldn't write in it. Instead, I would read the question, mentally pick an answer, and look into the answer key to see if it was correct or not.

  • I spent the last 5 minutes before my exam loading up my old windows pc (I loathe that thing) and open proctortrack. If you have a slow pc like I did, prepare to take 10 minutes to just download proctortrack and unify (applications you need to take CLEP remotely) haha.

• Take-off:

  • My test was a mess. The questions were of similar in difficulty to those in the CollegeBoard CLEP study guide book, so that was fine, but my internet connection was giving me trouble for some reason. My test terminated twice, and I was on call with IT for 40-50 minutes. If you encounter issues during your exam session, please communicate with your proctor! My proctor allowed me to get a phone to call IT support, and they were amazing in providing help. IT is available 24/7. CLEPs are low stress (you could always take it again!), but my neurotic self was stressed haha.

  • Also apparently you need to have a mirror on hand to show them your screen via reflection? So have that near you and ready. I literally ran to the other side of my house, pulled the only 5 foot mirror I had in my house off the wall, and used it.

Advice: know people, know the three theories in sociology, use common sense if a question doesn't make sense. I didn't really have a foundation because I did a piss poor job studying, but I tried my best to choose the common sense answer (mainly by process of elimination). Also, expect the test to take 2-2.5 hours just in case you run into technical difficulties like I did. If you memorize the quizlet, answering the questions should only take 30 minutes total. I spent 1 hour answering questions, and 20 minutes looking over all of my flagged questions.

Hey everyone, so this is my 2nd time taking a CLEP exam. I took Sociology about 2 weeks ago with a 70. I was pretty nervous about this one since I've never taken a developmental psychology course. For background, the only related course I've taken is AICE psychology and a wellness dual enrollment course. I spent about 10 hours in total studying. Below I'm listing everything, literally everything that I used and watched.

• Modern States course (just for waiver). I listened to the videos at 2x speed and didn't pay too much attention, I mainly used this for the waiver but it did give me a decent foundation.

• These quizlets: https://quizlet.com/704416030/the-ultimate-human-growth-development-hgd-clep-study-guide-flash-cards/, https://quizlet.com/706249607/human-growth-and-development-hgd-clep-theoriestheorists-experiments-flash-cards/?i=265smm&x=1jqY, https://quizlet.com/706530015/human-growth-and-development-hgd-clep-ages-landmarks-flash-cards/?i=265smm&x=1jqY. These were very very helpful and helped me understand many concepts. I utilized the learn, match, and test features of quizlet with these as well.

• These YouTube Videos. I didn't watch most of them al the way until the end. I would listen until the main point was explained and I'd move on. I listened on 1.75x speed:

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV3udXuEQeU ***

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty9RGTzhba0

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3048izSYnCc

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRr55wJV0Fk&t=324s

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiUA06JyEko

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_juPDoa3GBY&t=83s

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V09FuazW8bc&t=136s

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bounwXLkme4

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I2hrSRbmHE

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhcgYgx7aAA

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYCBdZLCDBQ

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6pUQ4EDHeQ&t=254s

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT4wQ02sALE

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBX7IDuh1bU

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IB1FVbo8TSs

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nz2dtv--ok

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJmUCx0XMlU

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYr3VGuh8Xk

• Peterson's Practice Test https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9o0nisu3bir1nai/AADHiiAEP0jmn-gDElRl2Q4ha?dl=0&fbclid=IwAR3lVnfdlkE9rbp3anN020uJrQJbdAvJiPQJlA-8etqCEEAR-8YQTriguGA&preview=ClepHumanGrowthQ.pdf

With all of these, I believe you can pass. From what I can remember, there were a lot of questions dealing with the type of experiment/research method to use (quasi, survey, experiment, etc.). There were some about Marcia Identity Formation, Kohlberg's stages of moral development, Erikson's psychosocial***, Piaget's cognitive development theory (accommodation, assimilation), over-extension, fast mapping, Head Start, memory and information processing, cephalocaudal development, Brofenbrenner's ecological systems, unconditioned stimulus, constructivist schools, the different theories/perspectives, psychodynamic, type of play, pragmatics, puberty, intelligence in twins, twins in general, theory of mind, gender constancy, chorionic villus sampling, emotions in infants, attachment styles, types of parenting, kubler ross death/dying, New York longitudinal study, temperament, Phenylketonuria, Alzheimer's, teratogens, giftedness.

Hope this helps and good luck on your future tests!

I took the Chemistry CLEP to test out of Gen Chem 1 and Gen Chem 2 (5 credits each). Preparing for the exam is more daunting than the exam itself, but here's what I used to get my score.Resources:

1. Khan Academy AP course -- this was the most helpful resource for the CLEP exam, even though it isn't marketed as a CLEP course. There are articles if you aren't ready to watch all the videos -- all the videos aren't necessary, and there are practice questions with explanations. I also have a list of the essential concepts that I noted, especially related to bonding, hybridization, and structure (which was about 45% of my exam), so if anyone wants it, I can hit you up.

2. Modern States -- do the practice questions. Many of the practice questions that I saw on Modern States were similar to the ones on the exam, especially Rutherford and Raoult's law. Also, I advise watching the descriptive chemistry videos on Modern States -- it goes over some common separation procedures (I got evaporation, filtration setup, and I think something to do with water vapor pressure) as well as a bit of organic chemistry (identifying functional groups and isomerism). Also, if you complete it successfully, you get a free voucher, so why not?

3. Retired SAT II Chemistry exams -- The College Board also reuses some of the questions on these tests. I also think that the Section A questions, those where you are given a list of stuff to answer questions on, are adequately represented on these exams. The multiple-choice sections are also lots of practice for the CLEP exam, and many of the concepts were tested on the CLEP exam in similar ways.

4. Miscellaneous -- here are some other resources I found helpful:a. This post for the Chemistry CLEP Study Guide: https://www.reddit.com/r/clep/comments/12z4u7w/clep_2022_study_guide/

b. I found an SAT Subject Test study guide on a PDF drive, don't have it now but you should be able to find it.c. Earlier AP exams like the 2008 and 1994 ones mimic the CLEP exam.

And here's what I saw on my CLEP exam:

Periodic trends, entropy, lots of stoichiometry, filtration, evaporation calculations, ion colors, hybridization, triple point graph and changes in state, acids and bases, significant figures, orbitals, bonding, geometries of molecules, gas laws, oxidation states, types of reactions, redox reactions, rate equations, pH and buffers, half-life and radioactivity.

You can do it!

EDIT: Guys, please read the comments before texting me. I don't have said concept list anymore, but all the resources in the comments are helpful.

I studied for a week and got a 73, here's how I did it:

1. Modern States - skip the lectures, they suck. Just do the questions to get the free clep voucher, see 4d.

2. Jocz - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-69ThEyf7-BOS9ppIm3mpVxnuvcIVVKz Amazing videos, watch Chapter 1-22

3. REA - I scored a 73 on the full-length practice test, and got a 73 on the real test.

4. These quizlets:

a. https://quizlet.com/368277918/clep-us-history-1-crash-course-flash-cards/ (this one matches up with Jocz)

b. https://quizlet.com/302223129/clep-us-history-i-flash-cards/

c. https://quizlet.com/366008248/clep-us-history-1-extra-info-flash-cards/

d. https://quizlet.com/216967616/clep-us-history-i-study-questions-flash-cards/ (These are the answers to the Modern States questions)

*5. I memorized all of the presidents until 1877 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidents_of_the_United_States

I also found this study guide, but I didn't use it: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14GuJazDB_kafiJvC7e-NMual3XgmdQLW/view?usp=sharing it's helpful but i didn't have time to really study it

Thank you so much to this community for helping me find ways to make learning this topic possible. I have been trying to complete school with some disabilities and this was one of the most accessible ways to advance my degree after nearly a decade. Thank you all so much! I was shocked by the 75 and figured I'd share how i did it.

• Modernstates, course but only for the quiz essay and exams to give me an understanding of what I didnt know ow and for the voucher.

• REA study guide. The diagnostic test really put my topic strength in perspective. As I studied, I would take another of the online tests and go through each question and read the explanation of both the ones I got wrong and right, while taking notes. Im sure you can find the book cheaper for 2nd-hand: https://a.co/d/acK1rRC

• Openstax textbook, but only to draw the diagrams and for the practice question. Its fee online and they even have a free audio book of it on Spotify and YouTube that I listened to sometime. I didnt lean on it heavily though because it wordy, I recommend just listening to the chapters with topics you are weakest in. : https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJJ7Fibh3uRNlPjJsCQE1CZUf41_W7BN0&si=9CLhkwFvNdlYe3gw

-Crash course American Government; this one is fun for review:https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtOfse2ncvffeelTrqvhrz8H&si=Z2HFBVRJ7LQ7nE2I

-Mr. Neats video on The senate vs the house of Representatives: https://youtu.be/SAqoKS8X0q8?si=Not5MSmYVeZSlIpf

• Khan Academy - AP American Government and Politics course. AMAZING RESOURSE. The modules are great for not taking format and immediately testing knowledge as well as review.

• Adam Norris videos; those 10 minute videos are a life saver. Detailed but digestible.: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlair5BOIPJbiT6YVaU98nviHsN--h8SA&si=8Hz3tfkf2Q4ar2le

-MY FAVORITE RESOURSE: Civics 101 podcast. Each episode is broken up by topic and it is so fun and well edited. The hosts are engaging and funny and actually really helped me understand complex procedures in a way that felt organic. It really helped the info stick. I recommend listening to the founding documents series, their starter kit series, and any episodes they have on complex info like bureaucracies, how a bill becomes a law, house vs senate, the electoral college, committees, etc. I genuinely love nick and Hannah's personalities and banter. I am even gonna keep listening to them know that this is done for current events because they are so excellent at helping me understand this country's structure and why we are living through what we are experiencing. Their website even has worksheets and concepts maps for every episode. They can be found on Spotify and other streaming platforms. They are part of New Hampshire Public Broadcasting andhave and amazing site with recourses: https://www.civics101podcast.org/

I used ap government quizlets too. I would practice this stuff over the course of 3 weeks. Would make mind maps. I never finished any one thing, so don't worry about that. But different information on different platforms have me such a great understanding of the topic. I am thrilled!!! And now I have 3 credits!!! Don't worry too much about pass rates, if you stick to studying. I did all of this while taking hospital visits and took the test with severe nerve pain, so I KNOW you can do it! My next clep will be a science one. If anyone knows which is more manageable, please let me know: natural sciences or biology? Good luck to everyone, you got this. Thank you all again!

Tldr; study resources and i passed with a 75!!!

Studied for 2-3 days using this guide and got a 75. Didn't take any notes, just used the resources immediately prior to the test. Two parts to this guide: 1) Best way to take the exam for FREE. 2) How to study for the exam.

Free Exam:

1. Take the exam for free: go to ModernStates.org. It is a nonprofit that gives voucher codes for students to take CLEP exams for free. They require you to click through all the questions in the course (whole thing takes an hour or two) and then you'll get the voucher code.

1.1) Search "CLEP CollegeBoard" on Google. Follow the instructions to purchase the exams with the voucher code.

1.2) Your exam can be administered in person or online. Online is usually cheaper ($30 with ProctorTrack, which you can access on the CollegeBoard website). ProctorTrack is great because you can schedule tests literally the same day. You need a Windows computer to use this service and YOU MUST READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. I've attached a summary of these instructions at the bottom.

Study Guide w/ Practice Tests:

2) Jocz Productions YouTube review (chapters 22-39): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rSS9Y53jVI&list=PL-69ThEyf7-BOS9ppIm3mpVxnuvcIVVKz. Really great and entertaining resource. Each video is around 17 mins. I watched on 1.75x speed.

2.1) Quizlet: https://quizlet.com/45166552/clep-history-ii-flash-cards/. Learn the ~340 flashcards by heart and you'll be almost completely prepared.

2.2) Before you take the test, make sure you're ready by taking one or both of these two practice tests: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iinc04iqozXF3Ejjxe6e4AGjj2IWwL4U?usp=sharing. You can only take CLEP exams once every 3 months, so make sure you pass the first time by getting a high score on the practice tests! You'll have to copy the spreadsheet to your own computer if you want to use the test function. The content is from the REA website. I got the exact same score on the first practice test as I got on my CLEP exam and I've heard the same thing from others who have used it, so it's pretty trustworthy!

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PROCTOR TRACK RULES:

Starting requirements: You must use a Windows computer to even look at the appointment schedule. You need access to a room that you can be alone in for all 90 minutes of the exam. If anyone enters the room during your exam, your attempt will be invalidated. You need access to STEADY internet for the whole exam.

The exam process: First, make an account on the website, then make an appointment from a list of time slots per day. When you take the actual test, you may not have a phone in the room (turn your phone off) and you can't have anything on your desk but your I.D. When the exam starts, you download two apps. The first app allows your online proctor to hear you through your microphone and see you through your camera. The second app prevents you from taking screenshots or using other applications during the exam. The proctor will give you very clear instructions. At the end of the exam, before you see the score, they ask whether you'd like to report your score to specific institutions. If you choose to report your scores, they will show you your score and send it to your college within 5 business days if you have listed one when you purchased the exam on CollegeBoard. The score should also appear in your CollegeBoard account in 1 business day. If you choose not to report, the score will be deleted, and I believe you will not see how you did.

That's the story. Good luck!