Study Materials

One of the most important variables in testing out of college is using the right study material for your CLEP, DSST, and ECE exams. One of the most surprising pieces of advice I give is "Don't use college text books". They are too expensive, too boring and drown you in too much information.

You don't want to spend a lot of money and time studying the wrong material.  Most test preparation material can be found very inexpensively and even free if you know where to look. Before we look at your alternatives do yourself a favor an visit your local public library. I know mine has quite a bit of reference material and even CLEP specific exam guides. Sometimes it may be all you need but at the very least the library can supplement your other study resources.

The two categories of study material you need are Review and Practice. Review materials are books, guides and flashcard type products that reinforce and supplement the knowledge already have in a subject. These do not need to be 400 page text books. They could be 20-60 page e-books that specifically cover the exam objectives or condensed info packs such as Spark Charts or Cliffs Notes. You really need to use concentrated study materials that hit the main points of the exams.

Practice materials on the other hand are just questions. You must have these. The more the better. I recommend using the official guides from the testing organizations, which can be found in our Book Stop or your local library. They usually have a hand full or more practice questions. Take a practice test before you do any studying. If you score 50% or better you are well on your way to passing the test with a little review.

Free Resources - Well the price is right! Here are some of the best resources on the web to help you study. Some of them may not be the prettiest web sites but hey, it's free.