If your high school student has already finished Algebra 1, there are some college credits you might want to pick up for very low cost- one of them is even free. Later, when your teen goes to college, if they participate in credit by exam, they’ll have saved thousands of dollars and freed up valuable space for other classes.
A quick definition- testing OUT is different from testing IN. Typically, when a high school student plans to attend college, the student might be asked to take an admissions test (SAT, ACT, CLT) or a placement test (Accuplacer, Compass, TSI, Asset, Pert, etc.). In both cases, those tests are used to validate that your teen is ready to TAKE a class. Another form of testing IN is when a college awards “Advanced Standing” for a prerequisite. As an example, the student may qualify to start college with Spanish II or Calculus 2. In both of those cases, their degree requirements aren’t lessened; the student just gets to start at a higher level. There is no time or cost savings in either case.
The tests below allow your teen to avoid taking a class entirely- saving that time and money to use elsewhere. When you test OUT of a class, the college checks the box and counts the credit as a degree requirement. Your degree requirement is met without paying tuition, doing homework, sitting in class, or laboring through an entire semester. If a student needs 3 college credits in math, and a student tests out, they receive the credit by passing the test. This is a huge time and cost savings.
What parents may not know is that some high school classes already do a great job preparing students to test OUT of a college class. When successful, this strategy can help bring that goal post (college degree) closer and help use your valuable time and money resources for something else.
| Do First: Homeschool Classes | Then Take This Test | College Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1 | CLEP College Mathematics or DSST Math for Liberal Arts | 3 credits, 100-level math for non STEM majors |
| Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Precalculus | CLEP College Algebra or DSST Fundamentals of College Algebra | 3 credits, College Algebra |
| Precalculus | CLEP Precalculus or AP Precalculus | 3 credits, Precalculus |
| Calculus | CLEP Calculus or AP Calculus AB | 4 credits, Calculus 1 |
| Advanced Calculus | AP Calculus BC | 8 credits, Calculus 1 & 2 |
PRO TIP: Even if, even when, and even though your teen may not “need” lower maths, always pick up the credit! Your student can have this credit sitting in the bank- ready and waiting for any one of a dozen things that can happen between today and college graduation that may give them an opportunity to use that credit. There is no reason to leave this low-hanging fruit on the vine!
Extra Math Credits
| Do First: Homeschool Classes | Then Take This Test | College Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Statistics | DSST Principles of Statistics or AP Statistics | 3 credits, Statistics |
How to Make Sure Your Homeschool Class Will Work
Parents always want to know which curriculum is the “best” for test prep, but I promise you that there is no “best” curriculum. There are, however, best practices. The best practice for designing your curriculum is to use a layered approach. Layer in test prep as you go, so that the process is seamless. You can use this approach with CLEP, DSST, or AP. In this example below I’ll use CLEP, but adopt to suit the brand you’re using. I’m using CLEP below because it’s currently free with a Modern States voucher, making it the only option for earning free, unlimited college credit. Your teen can accumulate unlimited credit this way- it doesn’t matter whether or not their future college “guarantees” acceptance, because you’re building it into your homeschool without extra time or cost. There is no downside to accumulating CLEP credit.
This method awards high school credit regardless of whether or not they pass the CLEP.
Layer 1
- For the PARENT: The official guide is the lowest cost way to get an outline of each exam and an official practice test for EVERY exam. You don’t need the newest version. Official Exam Guide
- For the TEEN: The Official CLEP APP Official College Board CLEP study guide app! *FYI these questions are the same you’ll find in the paperback.
Layer 2
- For the PARENTS: Use your favorite high school curriculum brand. Where available, choose a company’s “college prep” version of the high school text. You can also add a college text for enrichment reading, but it is more important that they complete the whole course than the brand.
- For the TEEN: Use an REA Guide alongside your text to capture the most important points of each topic. REA Guides are specifically aligned to CLEP. If you buy your REA Guide new, it will include an online access code with extra resources. You can also find REA Guides at your library.
Layer 3
- For the PARENTS: video resources can round out their understanding in a way that adds a rich understanding of a subject. Look for documentaries on Netflix, Great Courses, YouTube or other sites.
- For the TEEN: Crash Course, Totally free video-based mini-courses that teach you the minimum you have to know in a subject. Perfect for visual learners, but fast-paced. I suggest taking notes
Layer 4
- For the PARENTS: The Modern States course combines CLEP prep and a voucher that pays for your CLEP exam and proctoring fee. This is not a curriculum, it’s more of a summary-prep-style course. There are videos and reading assignments, but the only thing the teen has to do to get the voucher is pass the quizzes. When you create your teen’s account, each teen will need their own account. Be CAREFUL! Your teen’s name and email address must appear exactly as they will on their CLEP registration.
- For the TEEN: As you take a quiz, reflect on your understanding. If you do not understand the topic, use the reading or video offered in the course. Retake the quiz until you score 100%.
Layer 5
- For the PARENTS: Practice tests are really helpful in determining your teen’s readiness. Since the pool of test questions is huge, you can’t get a good idea of their readiness using only 1 test. I recommend 2-3 GOOD practice tests (with scores of 60% or better) before attempting any exam. Never reuse a test!
- CLEP Official Guide: Will include 1 practice test (not reliable if your teen is using the app because they will have already seen the questions)
- REA GUIDE: Will include 2-3 practice tests
- Peterson’s CLEP: 3 full-length timed exams and prep. (Subscribe for 1 month when they are very close to testing)
Now go take that test!
