Homeschooling for College Credit
Your guide to resourceful high school planning
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.
Continue reading “2 CLEPs to take in 10th grade”
The Marketing exam is a great first CLEP for your teen. It is considered one of the easier CLEP tests. The content is manageable in a semester and is a great 1/2 credit elective for high school students that can yield three college credits.
Already confused? watch Jennifer Cook DeRosa’s “What is CLEP?” video
If you want simple, select a textbook and simply have your teen read it. That will cover the curriculum. I found Glencoe Marketing Essentials to cover the majority of the topics on the CLEP test. Older books are easy to obtain inexpensively. Continue reading “CLEP Marketing”
The first CLEP exam is always nerve-wracking. You just don’t know what you don’t know! Below are a few tips to help you feel more prepared. Continue reading “THE 1st CLEP”
Continue reading “Take a CLEP for free!”
So, you’ve possibly heard the news: CLEP revised 1/2 of their catalog on December 1st – leaving many of us a little shocked and asking the question, “now what?” Continue reading “CLEP Revisions: Now What?”
Big news- we just saw a MAJOR revision of half of the ENTIRE CLEP CATALOG. 16 of their exams set to expire November 30, 2018, just appeared in the ACE catalog as revised and updated!! Only after we start hearing back from parents will we have a better idea of “how” these changes impact content. Please share in your CLEP communities immediately. Continue reading “BREAKING NEWS: Half the CLEP Exams were just revised”
Passing a CLEP sounds so easy when you hear others talking about it. It seems like 
everyone else is passing their exam. Not a lot of people talking about failing, but failing is easy too. About half of those who attempt a CLEP exam will fail, you want to be sure you’re in the half that passes! Continue reading “7 Ways to Fail Your CLEP Exam”
What is the difference between the DSST Math for the Liberal Arts and CLEP College Mathematics exam?
~a question asked by MANY homeschool moms
This exam was developed to enable schools to award credit to students for knowledge equivalent to that learned by students taking the course. This exam covers topics such as real number systems; sets and logic; metric system, conversions and geometry; algebra, graphs and functions (as applied to real-life applications); linear systems and inequalities; exponents and logarithms including financial literacy and counting, probability theory and statistics. The exam contains 80 questions to be answered in 2 hours. The use of a non-programmable calculator is permitted in this exam.
Passing Score for Math for the Liberal Arts
ACE Recommended Score: 400
Semester Hours: 3
This examination covers material generally taught in a college course for nonmathematics majors and majors in fields not requiring knowledge of advanced mathematics.
The examination contains approximately 60 questions to be answered in 90 minutes. Some of these are pretest questions that will not be scored. Any time candidates spend on tutorials and providing personal information is in addition to the actual testing time.
Questions on the College Mathematics examination require candidates to demonstrate the following abilities in the approximate proportions indicated.
The subject matter of the College Mathematics examination is drawn from the following topics. The percentages next to the main topics indicate the approximate percentage of exam questions on that topic.
A scientific (nongraphing) calculator, the TI-30XS MultiView™, is integrated into the exam software and available to students during the entire testing time. Students are expected to know how and when to make appropriate use of the calculator.
Information about the scientific calculator, including opportunities to practice, is available here.
Passing Score for College Mathematics
ACE Recommended Score: 50
Semester Hours: 6
The following information is taken from the DSST Math for the Liberal Arts fact sheet and the CLEP College Mathematics information page. This was my best attempt to match up the content of each test, however, I do not guarantee 100% accuracy! If you see any errors, please leave a comment and I will update the chart.
Blue indicates content overlap between the DSST and CLEP math exams. In some instances, the overlap is assumed because it is a foundational concept.
DSST Math for the Liberal Arts |
CLEP College Math |
| REAL NUMBERS SYSTEMS – 11% | NUMBERS – 10% |
| Real numbers: Natural Numbers, Integers, Rational Numbers, Irrational Numbers, The real number line. Operations with real numbers and their properties (including the distributive properties) | Properties of numbers and their operations: integers and rational, irrational, and real numbers (including recognizing rational and irrational numbers) |
| Percentages; Fractions and reducing fractions; conversion between decimal numbers and fractions; operations with fractions (including distributive property) | |
| Prime and composite numbers; divisibility rules; prime factors of composite numbers | Elementary number theory: factors and divisibility, primes and composites, odd and even integers, and the fundamental theorem of arithmetic |
| Absolute value | |
| Systems of Numeration: Place value or positional value numeration, Base 10 expanded forms; base 2 numbers; conversion between base 10 and base 2; (Including Roman Numerals) |
| METRIC SYSTEMS, CONVERSIONS, AND GEOMETRY – 12% | |
| Introduction to metrics and U.S. customary unit systems | |
| Conversions between metric and U.S. customary unit systems, including Dimensional Analysis | Measurement: unit conversion, scientific notation, and numerical precision |
| GEOMETRY- 10% | |
| Properties of lines and angles | Parallel and perpendicular lines; Properties of circles: circumference, area, central angles, inscribed angles, and sectors; |
| Perimeter and area of 2D geometric objects; Area, Surface area and volume of 3D solid objects | Properties of triangles and quadrilaterals: perimeter, area, similarity, and the Pytharorean theorem |
| SETS AND LOGIC – 16% | LOGICS AND SETS – 15% |
| The Nature of Sets | |
| Subsets and Set Operations, (setbuilder notation; roster form, using sets to solve problems) | Set relationships, subsets, disjoint sets, equality of sets, |
| Using Venn Diagrams to Study Set Operations | and Venn diagrams |
| Infinite sets | |
| Operations on sets: union, intersection, complement, and Cartesian product | |
| Simple and compound statements; qualifiers “and” and “or” and their symbols; conjunction and disjunction; conditional and biconditional statements including Qualifiers | Logical operations and statements: conditional statements, conjunctions, disjunctions, negations, hypotheses, logical conclusions, converses, inverses, counterexamples, contrapositives, and logical equivalence |
| Truth value of a compound statement including Truth Tables | |
| Types of Statements ( Negations of Conditional Statements and De Morgan’s Laws | |
| Logical Arguments including Euler Circles |
| COUNTING, PROBABILITY THEORY, AND STATISTICS – 20% | COUNTING AND PROBABILITY – 10% |
| Fundamentals of Probability including the Counting Principle | |
| Permutations and Combinations | Counting problems: the multiplication rule, combinations, and permutations |
| Events Involving Not and Or | |
| Odds and Conditional Probability | Probability: union, intersection, independent events, mutually exclusive events, complementary events, conditional probabilities, and expected value |
| DATA ANALYSIS AND STATISTICS – 15% | |
| Mean, Median and Mode; Range | Numerical summaries of data: mean (average), median, mode, and range |
| Variance and Standard Deviation | Standard deviation and normal distribution (conceptual questions only) |
| Graphical representation (including Bar graph, pie chart, histogram, line graph, scatterplots etc.) | Data interpretation and representation: tables, bar graphs, line graphs, circle graphs, pie charts, scatterplots, and histograms |
| EXPONENTS AND LOGARITHMS INCLUDING FINANCIAL LITERACY – 22% | FINANCIAL MATHEMATICS – 20% |
| Properties of Logarithms | |
| Logarithmic and Exponential Functions | |
| Percents, percent change, markups, discounts, taxes, profit, and loss | |
| Simple Interest; Compound Interest | Interest: simple, compound, continuous interest, effective interest rate, effective annual yield or annual percentage rate (APR) |
| Present value and future value | |
| Installment Buying | |
| Student Loans and Home Buying | |
| Investing in Stocks and Bonds |
| ALGEBRA, GRAPHS, AND FUNCTIONS (AS APPLIED TO REAL LIFE APPLICATIONS) – 11% | ALGEBRA AND FUNCTIONS – 20% |
| LINEAR SYSTEMS AND INEQUALITIES – 8% | |
| Order of operations | |
| Simplifying expressions; equations with one variable; proportion problems | |
| Evaluation of formulas | |
| Solving Linear Equations including applications and systems | Solving equations, linear inequalities, and systems of linear equations by analytic and graphical methods |
| Interpretation, representation, and evaluation of functions: numerical, graphical, symbolic, and descriptive methods | |
| Graphs of linear equations in the rectangular coordinate system; Graphing and solving Linear inequalities; Graphing and solving systems of inequalities |
Graphs of functions: translations, horizontal and vertical reflections, and symmetry about the x-axis, the y-axis, and the origin |
| Linear and exponential growth | |
| Functions including polynomials (not to include rational, exponential and logarithmic Functions) | |
| The Rectangular Coordinate System and Linear Equations in Two Variables |
If you’re planning CLEP exams as part of your teen’s high school journey, you’re probably worried about selecting a first, or next, exam. Should your teen take Natural Sciences or Chemistry? Humanities or American Literature? When is the best time to take Composition? Since my goal is to help you become your child’s best guidance counselor, I’m going to give you the tools to make that call yourself!
Through my own testing journey, I’ve found that CLEP exams tend to represent one of two exam types:
How and when your teen prepares for any given exam depends first on the exam type. This is actually a really big deal- and may make the difference between success and failure!
An individual subject is one that you can approach with no pre-existing knowledge about the subject, and learn it well enough to pass an exam. A few examples of these exam types are American Literature or Sociology. In both cases, you can start learning from scratch without any kind of disadvantage.
An example of a cumulative subject is one that does require prior knowledge. Exams in this category include College Algebra or Spanish. In the case of College Algebra, you can’t begin the study of the subject without previous math preparation (ideally completion of Algebra 2) and in the case of Spanish, you’ll have to learn Spanish before taking the exam. In both cases, where you start is a significant factor in determining how fast and how easily you can learn the material.
Why should you care? Because in order to choose the best time for your teen to take a specific course/exam, you need to know where it best fits into your homeschool program.
Some exams fall neatly into categories, others can go either way. I’ve sorted them for you. Exams in the “Decide for Yourself” category are multi-disciplinary or require at least familiarity with elementary content before approaching the subject at the college level. Meaning they incorporate more than one subject. The exam titles in the list are active links, so you can click the title to explore the content decide for yourself.
Clearly Individual Subject Exams
Clearly Cumulative Subjects
Decide for Yourself
Now that you have a good understanding of if an exam will make up a subject in your homeschool, or if it will follow a year or more of study, you’re ready to make a schedule! You can read my entire original post about creating a sample here:
Sample High School CLEP Schedule
In short, only YOU can decide where CLEP exams make sense in your homeschool schedule. It’s based on what they’ve done, and what they plan to do in the coming years. In part, it also helps to know if you’re planning to use dual enrollment options, and whether or not they have zeroed in on a college major. The more information you have, the more specific you can be – but being uncertain isn’t a reason to do nothing. If you have a teen with the knowledge, a CLEP exam can be a wonderful “final exam” in the bank. The exam scores can be held for 20 years before being used, so the risk/reward ratio really supports testing while its fresh in their mind.
This is only ONE sample of how a family might inject CLEP credit into their homeschool.
| 9th Grade | |||
| Subject Area | Semester 1 | Semester 2 | CLEP Exam |
| ENGLISH | 9th Grade English | 9th Grade English | (N/A) |
| MATH | Algebra 1 | Algebra 1 | (N/A) |
| SCIENCE | Survey Science | Survey Science | (N/A) |
| HISTORY | United States History | United States History | U.S. History 1
U.S. History 2 |
| FOREIGN LANGUAGE | Spanish 1 | Spanish 1 | (N/A) |
| ELECTIVE | Typing | Photography | (N/A) |
In this sample, we are laying a foundation for future exams in English, Math, Spanish, and Science….but we’re not there yet. We are going to allow some foundational learning to happen first, and then we’ll inject college credit when our teen is better prepared. Instead, in this year, we are using a full year curriculum for United States History, and taking the U.S. History 1 exam at the half-way point, and then U.S. History 2 at the conclusion of the school year. These two exams work perfectly together!
| 10th Grade | |||
| Subject Area | Semester 1 | Semester 2 | CLEP Exam |
| ENGLISH | 10th Grade English | 10th Grade English | (N/A) |
| MATH | Algebra 2 | Algebra 2 | (N/A) |
| SCIENCE | Biology | Biology | Biology CLEP |
| HISTORY | World History | World History | (N/A) |
| FOREIGN LANGUAGE | Spanish 2 | Spanish 2 | Spanish -maybe? |
| ELECTIVE | Physical Education | Health | (N/A) |
In this year, we continue to develop English and Math skills but are attempting two very big CLEP exams. Both Biology and Spanish cover a full year of content, so we’ll play this by ear. If our teen isn’t a solid “A” student, we may wish to eliminate the exams from our 
plan or wait until later to attempt the CLEP. Spanish is a tough call because if you’re only allowing 2 years of study, it’s now or never. On the other hand, a 3rd or 4th year of Spanish would be ideal since we’re aiming for a high score (Level 2). On the other hand, if we stop now, we have time to learn a second language. As we go into 11th grade, we may have the added option of taking college courses through dual enrollment, which throws a monkey wrench into things a bit. For the purpose of this sample, we’ll assume you’re only using CLEP.
| 11th Grade | |||
| Subject Area | Semester 1 | Semester 2 | CLEP Exam |
| ENGLISH | 11th Grade English | 11th Grade English | (N/A) |
| MATH | College Algebra with PreCalculus | College Algebra with PreCalculus | College Math
College Algebra |
| SCIENCE | Chemistry | Chemistry | Natural Sciences
Chemistry |
| HISTORY | Western Civ. I | Western Civ. II | Western Civ. I
Western Civ. II |
| ELECTIVE | American Literature | American Literature | American Literature
Analyzing & Interpreting Lit. |
| ELECTIVE | Music Appreciation | Art Appreciation | Humanities |
We are experiencing major traction now. In fact, while the CLEP exams all align perfectly to the subjects on the schedule, it may be too aggressive for all but the most motivated students. I included them anyway so you could see how it fits together. If you’ll take a moment to look at the SCIENCE row, the Natural Science CLEP exam would be perfect at the close of the 1st semester because that exam is 50% biology (taken last year) and 25% chemistry – a student with solid knowledge of biology and a cursory knowledge of chemistry can pass this exam without addressing the physics segment. Chemistry, as its own exam, is difficult and should only be considered after a full year of robust chemistry study. If I could also draw your attention to Humanities, that exam requires knowledge of music and art, but also a lot of the Western Civilization knowledge intersects with this exam, making it a perfect fit for this schedule.
At this point, my advice is that you’ll select remaining courses and exams that align with a target college. College policy, awarding of credit, and accepted exams should all make their way into the conversation when selecting a college. It’s reasonable that a college might not take all your teen’s hard work, but if a college doesn’t accept most of it, you may want to reconsider! An encouragement to choose wisely comes from my friend Carol. She allowed me to share her story with you. We just saved $96,780
And by the way, were you keeping count? How many potential college credits does the 11th grader in the sample have?
Our teen also took a total of 13 exams (I included Spanish) over the course of 3 years. Since CLEP exams cost about $100 each, the total financial investment was about $1300.
Currently CLEP exams are FREE through Modern States – literally $0 no limit.
Since a family can pay as they go, it allows most people to budget and plan for a good portion of their teen’s college education well ahead of time! Not to mention the savings associated with books, meals, dorms, etc. that happen later.
Assuming the sample student attends a college that accepts all 60 credits, our sample student will have 2 years completed toward their bachelor’s degree, may have already earned an associate’s degree. (We still have 12th grade left, and can fill in courses for a degree if we want)
For those wondering about the cost savings, you may want to calculate your potential savings based on the kind of college your teen may attend. In general, if a college credit costs $325, your teen earned 60 of them for $1,300 over 3 years instead of paying (or borrowing) $19,500. Now THAT’S something to get excited about!
Parents of teens earning college credit in high school may be shocked to find that many exams require identification. For those with a driver’s license, that’s usually enough, but many of you have teens without a driver’s license. What can they do?
You’ll find some very different policies regarding the acceptable forms of ID based on the test your teen is taking. I’ve done my best to collect the most current information from the more popular exams we talk about here, but know that companies can change their requirements at any time! Please, allow yourself enough time to confirm and also obtain acceptable ID for your teen.
Identification: Your driver’s license, passport, or other government-issued identification that includes your photograph and signature. You will be asked to show this identification to be admitted to the testing area. The last name on your ID must match the name on your registration ticket. The ID you bring must meet the following criteria:
Note: AP Students taking AP exams at their high school do not need identification. More information about AP exams: AP Bulletin for Parents
Test center staff will compare the information on your Admission Ticket and your photo ID with the test center roster to confirm your registration and identity. You cannot be admitted to the test center if any of the information does not match. This includes the use of a nickname on one item but your full name on another. Source link
The staff is not required to hold your seat if you did not bring acceptable identification.
ID documents must meet all of these requirements:
Note: Not all of these requirements apply to Talent Search identification documents used by students who are in the eighth grade or below at the time of testing; however, Talent Search identification forms must bear an original student/parent signature.
Important:
Even if an ID got you into a test center before, it does not guarantee it will be acceptable in the future.
If you need to make a change to your name after registering, please contact Customer Service at least 30 days prior to your intended test date. Middle names and initials are optional on your documents; however, if provided, the middle initial must exactly match the first letter of your middle name on your ID.
You may not be allowed to enter the test center, let alone take the test, if test center staff cannot sufficiently authenticate your identification from the ID you present. Your score may even be withheld or canceled.
Admission to the test center is no guarantee that the ID you provided is valid or that your scores will be reported. All reported or suspected cases of questionable ID or test-taker identity are subject to our review and approval before, during, and after the test administration.
You should keep your ID and Admission Ticket with you at all times while at the test center, including during breaks. You may be required to show your ID and Admission Ticket and/or to sign a test center log multiple times and at various points throughout the test administration.
If it is discovered after your test administration that you used a false or invalid identification, your test scores will be canceled, and you will forfeit your registration and test fees. Your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) (if you are under 18), your high school, and the colleges and programs you have designated to receive your score reports will be notified and may be told why your scores were canceled. Law enforcement authorities may also be notified when fraud is suspected, and you may be banned from future tests.
If you fail to comply with these identification requirements and policies, you may be dismissed from the test center and your scores may be withheld or canceled. If you are dismissed from the test center prior to completing the test because of invalid or unacceptable ID, or failure to comply with these ID requirements and policies, your test fees will not be refunded.
If you do not have another form of acceptable ID you may be able to use the Student ID Form (.pdf/490KB). This form must be prepared and authenticated by the school you currently attend or by a notary if you are home-schooled. A current photo must be attached to the form in the area indicated before the form is notarized. This form is only valid as ID if you are testing in the United States and for test-takers under 21 years of age.
In countries where waitlist status is used, you must present an acceptable school- or government-issued photo ID that has been issued in the country in which you are testing. Foreign passports, foreign national IDs, or IDs from foreign schools will not be accepted.
If you will be 21 or older on test day, the only acceptable form of identification is an official government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport, that meets all of the requirements above. Student ID cards are not valid forms of identification for test-takers who are 21 or older.
The only acceptable form of identification is a valid passport with your name, photograph, and signature. There are no exceptions to this policy.
A valid passport or valid national ID card with your name, photograph, and signature are the only acceptable forms of ID. If you travel to another country to test, you must provide a passport as identification. There are no exceptions to this policy.
Q.4 What form of ID should I bring to the testing location when I take a DSST exam?
A. Prior to the test administration, all test takers must present current and valid picture identification such as a driver’s license, passport, or picture student identification. DANTES funded eligible military test takers must provide a valid Common Access Card (CAC). Only test takers should be permitted into the testing room. Unauthorized visitors are not permitted in the testing room at any time. Source link
Proctor U is the 3rd party online proctoring system currently used by Straighterline. Proctor U’s website: Always have your ID ready before connecting to a proctor. If you are unsure of what identification is needed for your exam, please reach out to your instructor for clarification. In some instances, a second ID may be required. This includes a school ID or passport. Source link
Straighterline’s Proctoring Page: Source link
Two forms of IDs, one of which must be a government-issued photo ID, as proof of identification. Valid forms of government identification are as follows:
OPTION 1 – Proctor U*
Proctor U is the 3rd party online proctoring system currently used by Saylor Academy. Proctor U’s website: Always have your ID ready before connecting to a proctor. If you are unsure of what identification is needed for your exam, please reach out to your instructor for clarification. In some instances, a second ID may be required. This includes a school ID or passport. Source link
Saylor’s website: When it is time for you to take your test, log in to ProctorU and press the blue button under the “My Exam” tab to launch your proctoring session. To verify your identity, your Proctor will ask you to use a webcam to show a form of identification, and then answer a number of questions based on public record information. If you live outside of the United States, ProctorU will not have access to public record information, and you will instead be asked to show a second form of ID. Source link
OPTION 2 – Private Proctor
Detailed information is not provided for this option. Source link While the proctoring instructions do state that the proctor must “Verify student identification prior to entering the testing area” there are no further instructions. My recommendation is to contact Saylor Academy well in advance for clarification. Saylor Academy Help Center.
Study uses Software Secure AKA Remote Proctor Now as the third party proctoring service. Study’s proctored exam instructions simply state a student must provide “a photo ID.” Source link
*Proctor U : While not disclosed on any the websites I visited, Proctor U has the ability to use a process called Acxiom-X identifiers. These identifiers could require your student to answer a number of “unique” questions that they should know about themselves. The best resource I found identified potential 115 questions in their question bank. Acxiom’s website states
“The Acxiom Identify-X Authenticate process uses unique data generated questions to identify an individual and then verifies these individuals through our high-quality database, offering greater security to the end user.
Acxiom’s identification platform utilizes demographic and geographic data in challenge questions with nearly 900 data elements for more than 300 million individuals. Identify-X Authenticate data comes from public, publicly available and non-public proprietary databases. Identify-X Authenticate data is current and regularly updated daily, weekly and monthly, depending upon the data source.”
Obviously not all of these would apply- but examples of possible Acxiom questions that could be asked during identification verification when using Proctor U include:
