tips for taking the Biology CLEP - Help!

[apreciada]

Hi,

I've been stuyding for the Biology CLEP and I am due to take it on Thursday. Has anyone taken it, or knows enough about it that they can share what I should focus on to get the highest score?

Thanks!

[LuBee]

Originally Posted by apreciada

Hi,

I've been stuyding for the Biology CLEP and I am due to take it on Thursday. Has anyone taken it, or knows enough about it that they can share what I should focus on to get the highest score?

Thanks!

I just took and passed it today. This is a test that I studied a lot for. I waited to take it until I knew that I had enough of the concepts and information under my belt.

I used the search function here on the forum and looked at all of the recommended sites. I mainly used my daughter's high school bio book and Sat II study guide for bio. In my case, IC didn't work as well for congealing the information in my head. But then again, I did say to someone else on this forum that I have been suffering from senioritis, because it was the last requirement for my BA.

My version of the test had hardly any questions on cell division. I had a lot of graphs and charts to interpret. Only one question about phyla. Several about dominant and recessive alleles, so knowing how to use a Punnett square was important. One question about heavy oxygen, functions of organelles, functions of enzymes, not a whole lot on plants, quite a few on embriotic development. Few evolution.

If you look at other posts though you will find that others have had lots of cell division questions. Depends on the version of the test you get.

[apreciada]

There are different versions? I didn't know that, but it makes sense. Argh.

What other types of charts and graphs did you have to interpret? I will take the test on Thursday; I've been reviewing/studying almost daily for three weeks. I have a deadline so I have no choice but to take it on Thursday, ready or not.

[Alina]

Hey Lubee,
Did you take the Petersons practice tests, and if you did how well did you score before you took the test?

[LuBee]

Originally Posted by Alina

Hey Lubee,
Did you take the Petersons practice tests, and if you did how well did you score before you took the test?

Hi ALina,
Yes I did take the Peterson's. I scored around 60% so I knew I was ready. I ending up getting a more than sufficient 67 on the actual Bio test so I think that 60% on the Peterson's is more than you may need to pass the Bio.

[LuBee]

Originally Posted by apreciada

There are different versions? I didn't know that, but it makes sense. Argh.

What other types of charts and graphs did you have to interpret? I will take the test on Thursday; I've been reviewing/studying almost daily for three weeks. I have a deadline so I have no choice but to take it on Thursday, ready or not.

There were questions about a graph that showed when mass extinctions of species occurred.

Also, there were questions about a bag of water and solute that was placed in a beaker of water and solute.

Unfortunately, I am drawing a blank about the others. When I saw the graphs, I passed over and then answered them once I had gone through the test once. Then I went back to those questions when I felt more relaxed about getting through the bulk of the test. When I read the questions, they were not that hard, just wordy. I had to carefully read all of the explanations and then usually the right one (or the one that I thought was right) became more apparent.

This is the stategy of how I make the most of my test-taking. Take some time and look it over.

When I used the Comex book to study for Math there were guidelines on how to answer CLEP questions. I have used the guidelines on all of my multiple choice tests.

1.If you know the correct answer, answer and do not give it a check mark.

2.If you are deciding between two answers, answer it and give it a check mark.

3.If you are deciding between 3 answers, check mark it and do not answer it.

4.If you are clueless, do not give it a check mark or answer it.

Then once you have gone through the test in this manner, review your answers in this way:

5.Go to the unanswered questions with checkmarks and answer those and uncheck them.

6.Then go to the unanswered, unchecked questions and answer those and uncheck them.

7.At this point all questions should be answered and you are left with the checkmarked questions that were between 2 answers. Now go back and look at them to see if you are satified with the choice that you made. I rarely change my answers on those, unless as I took the test more clarity came for that answer.


The first few times that I used this system I wrote the process down on test center scrap paper so that I could refer to it.

It's worked very well for me.

Let us know how it goes . I have a feeling that you will do fine.

[apreciada]

Hi, just wanted to send an update.

I did not take the test, I was going to today but I took the third Peterson's test and got my worst score ever, so I'm scared away for now!

I will take another week. I'm concerned I did not use enough supplements; this third test had some terms I would swear I've never heard of.

Back to the drawing board...

[Erdos]

I will take it soon also. I have been mainly studying using the REA book. I find the test bank on this site not so good. I have found a lot of errors or ambiguous questions, which is a shame. You can tell the person who made the test bank knows very little about biology and was simply reading and misinterpreting the real factual information.

I have not tried the petersons yet, but I will!

Good luck on your test next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Alina]

Originally Posted by apreciada

Hi, just wanted to send an update.

I did not take the test, I was going to today but I took the third Peterson's test and got my worst score ever, so I'm scared away for now!

I will take another week. I'm concerned I did not use enough supplements; this third test had some terms I would swear I've never heard of.

Back to the drawing board...

I took all 3 Petersons tests and scored 52% on the third test (which was 8% less than my first score of 60%) That third test was a doozy. I still went for the CLEP though and I think I scored well.

Check out exam resources in the main forum for some great information and read my feedback in the specific exam forum if you haven't. I think you will find it very helpful. Get the Biolgy Smart book! It really helps get those concepts down. The IC flashcards help with the vocabulary and how things are connected too.

[Erdos]

Does anyone know the link to the 50 free college board biology questions???

Thanks