10th grade is a great time to plan a first CLEP if you have a teen who studies well and retains information. While I consider 11th and 12th grades to be the “sweet spot” to homeschool for the most college credit, CLEP exams can be taken in any grade and at any age – and these two exams fit perfectly in almost every homeschool in 10th grade.
Which exams?
(1) U.S. History 1
(2) U.S. History 2
Why? By the end of 10th grade, most high school students have studied United States History. Since the content is fresh, it’s a natural choice! A solid college prep high school history course covers the content tested in these two exams.
About The U.S. History 1 CLEP
Covers the first “half” of United States History- colonization through the Civil War.
It’s worth 3 college credits in introductory history / social science.
Since this is a liberal arts credit, the likelihood of it filling a general education requirement is very high.
The exam contains 120 multiple choice questions to be answered on a computer in 90 minutes. CLEP tests offer 5 choices per question.
Cost: Normally $87, but currently for free when you earn a Modern States voucher.
About The U.S. History 2 CLEP
Covers the second “half” of United States History- the Civil War to present day.
It’s worth 3 college credits in introductory history / social science.
Since this is a liberal arts credit, the likelihood of it filling a general education requirement is very high.
The exam contains 120 multiple choice questions to be answered on a computer in 90 minutes. CLEP tests offer 5 choices per question.
Cost: Normally $87, but currently for free when you earn a Modern States voucher.
Test Strategies
- If your teen is still learning U.S. History, it’s a good idea to take the U.S. History 1 CLEP test after studying about the Civil War. This allows a mental “break” in content and checks the box before proceeding into the U.S. History 2 content.
- If you’ve already studied U.S. History, pick up a CLEP guide (REA U.S.History 1 or 2 from your library / amazon are my favorites by far) REA Guides will refresh your teen’s memory and focus their studying on the exam content. REA Guides also include practice tests!
- If your teen qualifies for testing accommodations, be sure to submit a request as soon as possible. Extended testing time is commonly allowed accommodation.
- After learning the “content” of a subject, dedicate a couple weeks for exam prep.
- Practice tests are a great way to assess readiness for an exam. Peterson’s are considered by most people to be the “best” practice test for CLEP exams. I recommend taking no less than 3 practice tests before sitting the real exam.
Sample Questions
These sample questions are copied from the Official Free Exam Guides (linked above) and representative of the types of questions you’ll encounter – not the actual questions.
SAMPLE QUESTION US History 1) Which of the following most characterized the First Great
Awakening?
A. The spread of religious evangelicalism
B. An emphasis on Christian humanism
C. The revival of the Calvinist concept of predestination
D. A stress on strengthening the authority of traditional churches
E. A rising secularization of American society
SAMPLE QUESTION US History 1) The United States Supreme Court made which of the following rulings in Dred Scott v. Sandford?
A. African Americans had the right to sue in federal courts.
B. Public facilities could be segregated by race if equality of service was maintained.
C. African Americans were not citizens of the United States.
D. Newly admitted states should vote on the legality of slavery.
E. Local governments had to provide schools for African American students.
SAMPLE QUESTION US History 2) A genre of popular entertainment that frequently provided an outlet for expressing fears about the Cold War in the 1950s was
A. the Western
B. science fiction
C. rock and roll
D. the variety show
E. musical theater
SAMPLE QUESTION US History 2) Populists in the nineteenth century opposed railroad companies’ practice of
A. charging higher rates for farmers than for grain elevator owners
B. lobbying Congress to nationalize the telegraph network
C. purchasing equipment and raw materials overseas
D. employing African American porters on railcars
E. hiring rural workers to maintain the railroads
Save Big Money
Choosing a college that accepts CLEP exams for college credit is an important way to save a lot of money, and resourceful parents can beat any scholarship by maxing out on CLEP exams! These two exams are worth 6 college credits, and carry big savings!
At a college where tuition costs $100/credit, these two exams save you $600
At a college where tuition costs $350/credit, these two exams save you $2,100
At a college where tuition costs $750/credit, these two exams save you $4,500
How much can you save? Calculate your college’s rate per tuition x 6 to find out.
You might also like to read these posts about Homeschooling for College Credit using CLEP:
Our main CLEP resource page: College Level Exam Program (CLEP)
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