Ancient Near East to 1648
Do you wonder whether Western Civilization I CLEP Exam would be suitable for your high schooler to take? If your student is following a dual-credit path and earning college credits while still in high school, this may be one of the earlier exams for them to take.
Is Western Civilization I CLEP Exam Hard?
This exam is officially given point three difficulty on a scale of 1-5 (one being the easiest and five being the hardest). Even if history is not your student’s favorite subject, with some decent preparation, they will be able to pass this CLEP.
What Is the Passing Rate for Western Civilization I CLEP Exam?
The exam answers are transferred to a scaled score. In order to pass the exam, the score of 50 must be achieved, which is equivalent of receiving C in a similar college course. (The maximum score is 80.)
In 2017 (the latest possible statistics available at the time of writing this article) 68% of civilian students taking this CLEP test achieved a passing score.
However, in order to better understand the actual difficulty of the exam, we have to examine the military passing rate. As military personnel get an opportunity to take CLEP exams for free, not all of them prepare for the tests properly thus altering the overall military passing rates. Therefore, looking at the military passing rate of 45% in 2019 gives us a clearer idea of the difficulty of the exam.
What Does This Exam Include?
Following are a few particulars:
- This exam covers the material one would find in the first semester of a two semester college course in Western Civilization.
- This exam’s questions deal with the civilizations of Ancient Greece, Rome and the Near East; the Middle Ages; the Renaissance and the Reformation; and Early Modern Europe.
How Long Does Western Civilization I CLEP Exam Take?
This exam consists of 120 multiple-choice questions which have to be answered within 90 minutes. You will receive 3 college credits for this exam and 0.5 credits for a high school course.
How to Prepare for Western Civilization I CLEP Exam?
There are many ways to study for this exam and the best option for you personally will depend on both your student’s learning style and your budget. However, let me share with you how my son studied for this CLEP at the age of 15. Following are the steps he took:
- He studied World History Detective by The Critical Thinking Co. in the first semester of his 10th This ensured that his world history knowledge was not learned only for an exam purposes but more deeply absorbed, which was our aim in high school.
- He took an online course at Modern States and received the following:
- FREE video and test preparation.
- FREE online test questions similar to those in the actual test but different from the REA’s study book (see below).
- FREE CLEP exam voucher.
- REIMBURSEMENT for the college test center fee.
Please note that Modern States have very specific conditions under which you can receive their FREE voucher:
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- You must watch their training videos and read their study materials.
- You must pass all their practice tests.
- We purchased one month of InstantCert membership in order to get more practice, which proved to be invaluable.
- We purchased REA’s official CLEP Western Civilization I study book. It is easily available online for as little as $4. We found it to be invaluable for the following reasons:
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- It includes 2 full-length practice exams accompanied by detailed explanation of why the particular answer is correct while the other ones are not.
- The practice exams give the student an excellent pre-official test experience of how it “feels” to take the actual test. They also provide specific information about the areas the student still needs to focus on.
Please note that we used REA’s study book for the test purposes ONLY. Because of our experience with other CLEP exams, my son didn’t need to review more study material. However, if you read How to Take History of the United States I CLEP Exam for FREE, you will notice that we did read through that particular REA’s book in preparation for the exam. The more experience with taking the CLEP exams your student acquires, the easier the preparation becomes.
Which Materials Should I Use to Prepare for Western Civilization I CLEP Exam?
The actual preparation for the exam and the resources used depend on your overall goal. When having your high schooler take CLEP exams (as opposed to a college student), you always have to ask yourself a few questions:
- What is my primary goal with regards to this exam?
- Is my goal to ensure that my student achieves as many college credits as possible during their high school years in order to give them a head start in the work force?
- Is my goal to ensure that my student has a solid foundation of the subject for life?
Please note that both of these options are very viable. We are learning that not all subjects are a must for life but certainly helpful when added to the number of college credits.
- How much practice does my child need for this particular exam?
- Will I pay for the exam myself or will I opt for free Modern States voucher?
After considering your goals, you will be able to determine which study materials to use in preparation for Western Civilization I CLEP Exam.
How Much Does It Cost to Take Western Civilization I CLEP Exam?
Depending on how you decide to sign up for the exam, your expenses may look similar to the following two scenarios:
Option 1: You choose to pay for the exam yourself:
- CLEP exam registration fee: $89
- College testing center fee: $25 to $40 (Depending on which college you choose to take the exam at.)
Option 2: You choose to enroll in Modern States: $0 (Modern States reimburses you even for the testing center fee.)
I trust the information in this article has helped you to make your own decisions concerning Western Civilization I CLEP Exam. Whatever means of study you choose to follow, rest assured that the exam is very doable when diligent preparation is applied.
