Post: #1

I'm looking into taking one or two CLEP tests so I can finish my degree requirements for as little money as possible. My university will let me skip two of the useless, mind numbing liberal arts core classes I owe if I show language proficiency, so I'm planning on taking the Spanish CLEP in a few months.

I took 5 years of Spanish in middle/high school, and I've been using duolingo and other methods to brush up on it. It's coming back very fast, but I want to make sure I'm as prepared as possible for the test.

For those that don't know, CLEP (College Level Examination Program) tests are basically a way to test out of courses covering basic material you already know, or can learn on your own. Lots of colleges offer credit for CLEP tests. The tests are $80 + tech/admin fee, which is a lot cheaper than most college courses. Here, at least, they're walk-in computerized tests, no need for an appointment. The foreign language CLEP tests (Spanish, French, German) can yield up to 12 college credits depending on how well you do, which is obviously an excellent deal for ~$100.

Has anyone taken a foreign language CLEP? I'm curious what they're like, beyond what I can read on the internet.

Post: #2

Yeah I've taken some CLEP tests.

The German foreign language test was pretty easy. I only did "Level 1", as it was in high school.

It was all done on this ghetto ass windows DOS looking interface. There were four or five sections that I recall, basically a reading portion, a listen and respond portion (sometimes multiple choice or respond with typing), some general vocabulary, and another where you listen to long segments of dialogue and select whatever has happened or will happen.

Try to bring your own set of badass headphones or figure out immediately how to turn up the volume on the computer (ask your proctor), as the tests are timed and you'll be screwed on the dialogue sections if you can't hear the guy trying to make an appointment at a barber shop over the sound of thirty windows XP desktops humming in the background.

They may have since upgraded their testing, however.

Other than that, Google is your friend.

Sample questions - -
http://clep.collegeboard.org/exam/spanis.../questions

Resources to study --
http://clep.collegeboard.org/exam/spanis.../resources

Post: #3

Good AARs I found earlier describing in detail what the Spanish CLEP is like:

http://livingwatersspanish.weebly.com/bl...pe-to-edit

http://livingwatersspanish.weebly.com/bl...rom-josh-h

I'm the sort of person who reads everything he can about tests like this before going into them. I really started the thread more to raise awareness of this option in younger guys on the board than for me. Nobody told me a damn thing about CLEP in high school or college, it was all AP, AP, AP.

Post: #4

I took one years ago in 1999 Spanish level 1 & 2 I got 12 SH it wasn't too bad easy actually I took it on the base I was stationed at in the Army. I also took the DLPT (Defense Language Proficiency Test) for Spanish that one was an ass kicker of course it was supposed to cover all the basics to test for fluency. The CLEP wasn't bad try to get as many as you can it's too easy. There's also a placement exam many universities give from a company called WebCAPE http://webcape.byuhtrsc.org/nwcregister.php
you may want to see if your university offers this as it was easy to place out with this company's exams and it may get you further than CLEPs.[/code]