RootAnn Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 DD hopes to CLEP College Algebra & American Government next year. She'll have a class in each plus Modern States (maybe) but prefers a book to computer for studying. Best study book for each? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookwormTo2 Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 My DD passed both the College Algebra and American Government CLEP tests. She used these for American Gov't CLEP: the REA American Government text, SparkNotes 101 American Government, and AP US Government and Politics Power Pack. She also watched some videos on Modern States. With REA CLEP texts, there is a diagnostic tool at the beginning that is very good to do; it will show weaknesses and strengths in knowledge for the subject. Also be sure to know about important Supreme Court decisions for that test. For College Algebra, I got her the Shormann College Algebra CLEP prep and she also used Khan Academy and the REA text for practice. She practiced after doing the diagnostic test in the REA College Algebra text. There are 2 practice tests in the REA CLEP books. The practice tests are good to take when you think you're ready for the CLEP test. Generally, you want a score 10 points higher on a practice test than you need for the CLEP test. College Algebra CLEP you usually need a score of 50 or higher to pass, so a practice test you'd want to score 60 or above. Check what scores she needs to get on the CLEP tests at the universities she's interested in. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted March 11, 2020 Author Share Posted March 11, 2020 She checked yesterday and just needs a 50 on each. [She's pretty much 99% set on one college.] Thanks for the book recommendations. I'll likely be teaching [her] the Government class in the fall, so I'll include necessary info but she'll still need to do the prep. She will need to study for CA mostly on her own. She only needs to take Stats after college algebra so she's really hoping to pass the CA CLEP & be almost done w/math when she starts college. [My first kid is a math major. Different kids!] 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourisenough Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 1 hour ago, RootAnn said: She checked yesterday and just needs a 50 on each. [She's pretty much 99% set on one college.] Thanks for the book recommendations. I'll likely be teaching [her] the Government class in the fall, so I'll include necessary info but she'll still need to do the prep. She will need to study for CA mostly on her own. She only needs to take Stats after college algebra so she's really hoping to pass the CA CLEP & be almost done w/math when she starts college. [My first kid is a math major. Different kids!] May I ask a dumb question: what is College Algebra? Algebra 2? Algebra 2 + Trig? Pre-Calc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted March 11, 2020 Author Share Posted March 11, 2020 1 hour ago, fourisenough said: May I ask a dumb question: what is College Algebra? Algebra 2? Algebra 2 + Trig? Pre-Calc? Well, in terms of college classes, it differs. The CLEP website says, "The test includes questions on basic algebraic operations; linear and quadratic equations, inequalities, and graphs; algebraic, exponential, and logarithmic functions; and miscellaneous other topics." So, Alg 2? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookwormTo2 Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 I am not a math person, and DD studied for the College Algebra CLEP on her own using the resources I listed. As far as what the College Algebra CLEP covers, I think it depends on your Algebra 2 text; my DD didn't feel prepared to take the College Algebra CLEP until she had finished Pre-Calculus. But now that she's doing AP Calculus, she wonders why she even did (Saxon) Pre-Calculus, as she said it doesn't seem useful now. I did ask Derek Owens about College Algebra when DD was taking his Algebra 2 Honors, and he thought a typical College Algebra college course covers some Pre-Calculus. But I recall seeing some posts last year that some students were able to CLEP College Algebra after completing Algebra 2. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 oldest did college alg clep after finishing saxon alg 1, jacobs geometry, saxon alg 2. Then did the clep prep on the DIVE cd (by Shorrmann). added some practice tests. Those were probably from REA, but could have been Peterson's. I don't remember now. Remember that you can practice with calculator software. look on clep site for info, and/or here's link to the ETS calculator and you just select the test https://ibt2calc.ets.org/ I don't know how it compares to being ready at end of alg 2 vs end of pre calc class. But she did need the clep prep from DIVE which covered 20 specific lessons from saxon advanced book (pre calc). So I'm one of those with older posts that said after alg 2, but in context make sure y'all know the prep included 20 lessons in pre calc. Middle gal did the clep pre-calc (because her community college wouldn't take the algebra one) after finishing saxon advanced and modern states pre calc and lots of practice. she passed. I know pre calc wasn't asked about, but maybe that info point will help someone. American Gov't: middle gal did that clep a year or so after she had used bju US history and a basic gov't course that mfw offers (I can't remember titles. it's on their site). did the us 1 and us 2 clep and then a little later after the modern states class did the gov't clep. that was 1.5 years ago. we used practice tests from Petersons because they were free at our library online reference. I have a feeling that she did the gov't clep prep so quickly and easily was because of the overlap with history study. well that and it was her 8th clep test so she was getting good at it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 Govt - very similar if not identical to BookWormTo2 Math -Much like cbollin: After doing Saxon math (my dc hated it but it sure was good to them!) mine passed a few math CLEPs. Yeah, some was overkill, but we used it to fortify mommy grades and to go towards whatever college reqs might be needed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 We’ve used the REA books for some CLEPS and SATII subject tests. You can get extra practice tests through REA online and through Peterson’s. For the college algebra, I’d actually have her start with a practice test once she’s finished whatever program she’s going to use. She might be ready to just take the test or at least close to it if she did well with the program she used. My ds took the college algebra CLEP and he started with the REA diagnostic exam. He did well enough that he just took a few more practice tests to build his confidence and refresh his skills before taking the actual test. We didn’t approach other CLEP tests that way, but it worked well for him for that test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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