CLEP General Exams w/ CD-ROM (CLEP Test Preparation)
About Research & Education AssociationResearch & Education Association (REA) is an organization of educators, scientists, and engineers specializing in various academic fields. Founded in 1959 with the purpose of disseminating the most recently developed scientific information to groups in industry, government, high schools, and universities, REA has since become a successful and highly respected publisher of study aids, test preps, handbooks, and reference works.REA's Test Preparation series includes study guides for all academic levels in almost all disciplines. Research & Education Association publishes test preps for students who have not yet completed high school, as well as high school students preparing to enter college. Students from countries around the world seeking to attend college in the United States will find the assistance they need in REA's publications. 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They are well-known in their respective disciplines and serve on the faculties of prestigious high schools, colleges, and universities throughout the United States and Canada.CHAPTER 1 - PASSING THE CLEP GENERAL CBTsABOUT THIS BOOKThis book, part of REA's two-volume set for the most extensive preparation for the CLEP General Examinations available, affords you an accurate and complete representation of the five CLEP General Computer-Based Tests, or CBTs, in printed form. Inside you will find a total of 17 full-length REA practice tests covering the material you should know to do well on this CLEP General Exam lineup:- English Composition (two versions: with and without Essay)- Humanities- College Mathematics- Natural Sciences- Social Sciences and HistoryAll of our practice-test items are based on official CLEP questions released by the College Entrance Examination Board. REA's practice tests contain every type of question that you can expect to encounter on the actual exams. And our detailed explanations of every answer allow you to pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses - a surefire confidence booster!Practice Tests 1 and 2 for each subject exam (English Composition without Essay, English Composition with Essay, Humanities, College Mathematics, etc.) in this book and software package are included in two formats. They are in printed form in this book, and in TESTware format on the enclosed CD. We recommend that you begin your preparation by first taking the practice exams on your computer. The software provides timed conditions, automatic scoring, and scoring information, all of which makes it easier to pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses.This volume provides full-length practice exams. For targeted subject reviews of the material covered on the exams, consult the companion volume, REA'sThe Best Review for the CLEP General Exams.ABOUT THE CLEP GENERAL CBTSWho takes the CLEP General CBTs and what are they used for?CLEP examinations are usually taken by people who have acquired knowledge outside the classroom and wish to bypass certain college courses and earn college credit. The College-Level Examination Program is designed to reward students for learning - no matter where or how that knowledge was acquired. More than 2,900 colleges grant credit and/or advanced standing for CLEP exams. This makes CLEP the most widely accepted credit-by-examination program in the country.Although most CLEP examinees are adults returning to college, many graduating high school seniors, enrolled college students, and international students also take the exams to earn college credit or to demonstrate their ability to perform at the college level. There are no prerequisites, such as age or educational status, for taking CLEP examinations. However, you must meet specific requirements of the particular institution from which you wish to receive CLEP credit.Most CLEP examinations include material usually covered in an undergraduate course with a similar title to that of the exam (e. g., History of the United States I). However, the five exams covered in this book do not deal with subject matter covered in any particular course but rather with material taken as general requirements during the first two years of college. These general exams are English Composition (with or without essay), Humanities, College Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences and History.Who administers the exams?The CLEP is developed by the College Board, administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS), and involves the assistance of educators throughout the country. The test development process is designed and implemented to ensure that the content and difficulty level of the test are appropriate.When and where are the exams given?The CLEP General Examinations are offered year-round at some 1,400 test centers in the United States and abroad. To find the test center nearest you and to register for the exam, you should obtain a copy of the free booklets CLEP Colleges and CLEP Information for Candidates and Registration Form, which are available at most colleges where CLEP credit is granted, or by contacting:CLEP ServicesP.O. Box 6600Princeton, NJ 08541-6600Phone: (609) 771-7865Website: http://www.collegeboard.comHOW TO USE THIS BOOKWhat do I study first?Read over this introduction and our suggestions for test-taking, take the first practice test in your subject to determine your area(s) of weakness, and then go back and focus your studying on those specific problems. Make copies of the appropriate answer sheets each time you take a practice test (answer sheets are located at the back of this book). Studying each subject thoroughly will reinforce the basic skills you will need to do well on the exam. Be sure to take the practice tests to become familiar with the format and procedures involved with taking the actual exam - and, of course, to make yourself completely comfortable with the material.To best utilize your study time, follow our CLEP General Examinations Independent Study Schedule located in the front of this book. This schedule is designed to guide you through one General Examination at a time. You should repeat the schedule for each exam for which you're preparing. The schedule is based on a six-week program but can be condensed to three weeks, if necessary, by collapsing each two-week session into one week.When should I start studying?It is never too early to start studying for the CLEP General Examinations. The earlier you begin, the more time you will have to sharpen your skills. Do not procrastinate! Cramming is not an effective way to study, since it does not allow you the time needed to learn the test material. The sooner you learn the format of the exam, the more time you will have to familiarize yourself with it.FORMAT OF THE CLEP GENERAL CBTsThe five computer-based CLEP General Examinations cover material taught in classes that most students take as requirements in the first two years of college.The General CBT in English Composition gauges the skills you would need to complete most first-year college composition courses. There are two versions of the English Composition exam - with essay and without essay. (Credit-granting policies differ among colleges. Check with your prospective school to find out which version is accepted.) The first version has approximately 90 multiple-choice questions, each with five possible answer choices, to be answered in 90 minutes. The second version has one section with approximately 50 multiple-choice questions, each with five answer choices, and a second section with one essay. The student has 45 minutes to complete each of the two sections.The approximate breakdown of topics is as follows:All-Multiple-Choice VersionSkills at the Sentence Level (55%)- Sentence boundaries- Economy and clarity of expression- Concord/Agreement: subject-verb; verb tense; pronoun reference, shift, number- Active/passive voice- Diction and idiom- Syntax: parallelism, coordination, subordination, dangling modifiers- Sentence varietyTypes of Questions Associated with These Skills:* Identifying Sentence Errors: Candidate pinpoints violations of standard conventions of expository writing.* Improving Sentences: Candidate chooses the phrase, clause, or sentence that best conveys a sentence's intended meaning.* Restructuring Sentences: Candidate chooses the phrase that, because it most effectively shifts a sentence's emphasis or improves its clarity, would most likely appear in the new sentence created by the revision.Skills in Context (45%)- Main idea, thesis- Organization of ideas in paragraph or essay form- Relevance of evidence, sufficiency of detail, levels of specificity- Audience and purpose (effect of style, tone, language, or argument)- Logic of argument (inductive, deductive reasoning)- Coherence within and between paragraphs- Rhetorica...