Free College Credit Prep Classes - FAQ
Are these classes really free?
Yes! I'm offering for free to ANY HOMESCHOOLED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT who fills out an enrollment form on this web site (it's under "Enroll/Pay" at the top right) my CLEP for college credit classes to help students pass college-credit-earning tests, because I really believe in the CLEP program. (More about CLEP below.)
By "free," I mean that my Home School Partners CLEP prep classes themselves are free for all homeschooled students, including, of course, the ones taking one of my high school classes. You'll need to purchase the study materials used to study for the CLEP tests—books, charts, practice tests, and so on—as well as the actual CLEP tests themselves through the College Board (the school where your student goes to take the test also charges a fee).
Right now, the CLEP study materials (books, practice tests, etc.) run about $40-60, and the CLEP test itself is $89, plus $20-40 to the school where the test is taken. This is much cheaper than a typical college class, with other various expenses:
Yes! I'm offering for free to ANY HOMESCHOOLED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT who fills out an enrollment form on this web site (it's under "Enroll/Pay" at the top right) my CLEP for college credit classes to help students pass college-credit-earning tests, because I really believe in the CLEP program. (More about CLEP below.)
By "free," I mean that my Home School Partners CLEP prep classes themselves are free for all homeschooled students, including, of course, the ones taking one of my high school classes. You'll need to purchase the study materials used to study for the CLEP tests—books, charts, practice tests, and so on—as well as the actual CLEP tests themselves through the College Board (the school where your student goes to take the test also charges a fee).
Right now, the CLEP study materials (books, practice tests, etc.) run about $40-60, and the CLEP test itself is $89, plus $20-40 to the school where the test is taken. This is much cheaper than a typical college class, with other various expenses:
- pricey books
- student fees
- parking fees
- gas to go back and forth several times per week to the campus for 16 weeks
- pepper spray to ward off aggressive social justice warriors
When do the CLEP prep classes meet?
Wednesdays from 2:00 - 2:50 PM.
Analyzing & Interpreting Literature:
8 weeks, beginning October 16, 2019 and ending December 11, 2019
Principles of Marketing:
8 weeks, beginning January 8, 2020 and ending March 4, 2020
Wednesdays from 2:00 - 2:50 PM.
Analyzing & Interpreting Literature:
8 weeks, beginning October 16, 2019 and ending December 11, 2019
Principles of Marketing:
8 weeks, beginning January 8, 2020 and ending March 4, 2020
What is this "CLEP" you keep mentioning, and how does it translate into college credits?
CLEP stands for "College Level Examination Program." There are 33 different CLEP tests available (under categories like math, English, science, social studies, business, foreign language, and so on) that students may take to earn college credit. Typically, a CLEP test is worth 3 college credits, just like most college classes; some, however, are worth 4-6 credits!
A student gets ready to earn college credit through CLEP tests by...
A student earns college credit via a CLEP test by...
Almost all CLEP tests are done on a computer in the testing center, with someone supervising test takers. Most tests have 80-120 questions, depending on the subject (questions are multiple choice, A-E), and the test typically takes about 90 minutes.
Test results are immediate; that is, students will know whether they passed or not before they leave the testing center! Students who answer a certain number or more correctly on the test receive college credit for that subject.
NOTE: Yes, this really works! Three of our homeschooled children have taken and passed numerous CLEP tests for college credit:
CLEP stands for "College Level Examination Program." There are 33 different CLEP tests available (under categories like math, English, science, social studies, business, foreign language, and so on) that students may take to earn college credit. Typically, a CLEP test is worth 3 college credits, just like most college classes; some, however, are worth 4-6 credits!
A student gets ready to earn college credit through CLEP tests by...
- obtaining study materials for a particular test,
- reviewing these materials, and
- taking/reviewing practice tests.
A student earns college credit via a CLEP test by...
- registering to take the test at the College Board/CLEP web site (see "I'm ready to take the CLEP! Now what?" under the "Free College Credit Prep Classes!" link at the top of the page),
- calling a nearby CLEP center to schedule an appointment to take the test (the closest CLEP test centers in western North Carolina are at Bob Jones University, Montreat College, and Western Carolina University),
- driving to the testing center to take the test on that day, and, of course,
- taking the test and getting enough answers correct to pass!
Almost all CLEP tests are done on a computer in the testing center, with someone supervising test takers. Most tests have 80-120 questions, depending on the subject (questions are multiple choice, A-E), and the test typically takes about 90 minutes.
Test results are immediate; that is, students will know whether they passed or not before they leave the testing center! Students who answer a certain number or more correctly on the test receive college credit for that subject.
NOTE: Yes, this really works! Three of our homeschooled children have taken and passed numerous CLEP tests for college credit:
- One of our children earned 15 credits (1 semester's worth) toward her degree
- Another one of our children earned 30 credits (1 full year) during his senior year in high school
- Another one of our children earned 90 credits (3 years' worth!) via CLEP and only had to take 10 "normal" college courses (which he did online) to earn his Bachelor's degree in Finance!
How does an HSP student earn college credits?
Tenth grade and above students—or ninth graders whose parents are confident they can do it—may take free CLEP test preparation classes during the class year. These CLEP test prep classes are designed to help students pass CLEP tests for a number of different subjects that are often required for college degrees.
Many local colleges and universities--AB Tech, Appalachian State, Blue Ridge Community College, Bob Jones, North Greenville, UNC Asheville, Western Carolina—accept passing CLEP tests as credits toward a degree. (AB Tech and Blue Ridge, as a matter of fact, take 45 out of 60 credits—75 percent—via CLEP tests if your student wants to earn an associate's degree there.) There are about 2,900 colleges and universities across the U. S. who accept CLEPs for college credit. (See "Which Colleges Accept CLEPs?" under the "Free College Credit Prep Classes!" link at the top of the page.)
The eight-week CLEP classes at Home School Partners will combine test-taking tips, study of the subject material, and practice tests. Students will be given a four-day-per-week prep schedule for each CLEP test offered, which will be done at home. We will use class time to review the material that was completed at home and take practice test sections.
Tenth grade and above students—or ninth graders whose parents are confident they can do it—may take free CLEP test preparation classes during the class year. These CLEP test prep classes are designed to help students pass CLEP tests for a number of different subjects that are often required for college degrees.
Many local colleges and universities--AB Tech, Appalachian State, Blue Ridge Community College, Bob Jones, North Greenville, UNC Asheville, Western Carolina—accept passing CLEP tests as credits toward a degree. (AB Tech and Blue Ridge, as a matter of fact, take 45 out of 60 credits—75 percent—via CLEP tests if your student wants to earn an associate's degree there.) There are about 2,900 colleges and universities across the U. S. who accept CLEPs for college credit. (See "Which Colleges Accept CLEPs?" under the "Free College Credit Prep Classes!" link at the top of the page.)
The eight-week CLEP classes at Home School Partners will combine test-taking tips, study of the subject material, and practice tests. Students will be given a four-day-per-week prep schedule for each CLEP test offered, which will be done at home. We will use class time to review the material that was completed at home and take practice test sections.
How many college credits do the Home School Partners classes cover?
During a student's 10th, 11th, and 12th grade years at Home School Partners, we'll cover many different CLEP tests (see the chart below). The total possible credits earned, if all tests are passed, is 27-40 credits (the difference in 27 to 40 is because some colleges/universities award more credits for certain passed CLEP tests; see the chart below and the "Which Colleges Accept CLEPs?" page). This is roughly a year or more of college classes! Here's how the CLEP prep schedule is spread out at Home School Partners:
During a student's 10th, 11th, and 12th grade years at Home School Partners, we'll cover many different CLEP tests (see the chart below). The total possible credits earned, if all tests are passed, is 27-40 credits (the difference in 27 to 40 is because some colleges/universities award more credits for certain passed CLEP tests; see the chart below and the "Which Colleges Accept CLEPs?" page). This is roughly a year or more of college classes! Here's how the CLEP prep schedule is spread out at Home School Partners:
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9TH GRADE:
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10TH GRADE:
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11TH/12TH GRADE 2B CLASS (BEGINS 2020-21):
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11TH/12TH GRADE 2A CLASS (BEGINS 2021-22):
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Does a student have to take CLEP classes if signed up for a high school class?
The CLEP classes are optional! They're designed to be a bonus in helping students study for and pass tests that allow them to get credits for those subjects in college. So your student doesn't have to take any of the CLEP classes offered with that year of high school classes. In fact, if you'd like your student to take just one or a few of the CLEP classes in a year, that's fine, too!
The CLEP classes are optional! They're designed to be a bonus in helping students study for and pass tests that allow them to get credits for those subjects in college. So your student doesn't have to take any of the CLEP classes offered with that year of high school classes. In fact, if you'd like your student to take just one or a few of the CLEP classes in a year, that's fine, too!
If students aren't taking one of your class sets, can they take CLEP classes for free?
Yes! You'll need to enroll by clicking on "Enroll/Pay" at the top of the page, choosing "Enrollment Form," and filling out the form.
Yes! You'll need to enroll by clicking on "Enroll/Pay" at the top of the page, choosing "Enrollment Form," and filling out the form.
Is this a 100% guarantee every student will pass every CLEP?
No. Like everything else in life, it depends upon a student's abilities, work ethic, and knowledge recall to pass CLEP tests for college credit. But if students do work hard, faithfully taking the practice tests and completing the practice assignments and readings, their chances of passing CLEP tests will improve greatly! And if students don't pass every single CLEP, it's not the end of the world. Our kids didn't pass every one they took, and they didn't get gum disease or shingles or anything like that as a result (as far as I know).
No. Like everything else in life, it depends upon a student's abilities, work ethic, and knowledge recall to pass CLEP tests for college credit. But if students do work hard, faithfully taking the practice tests and completing the practice assignments and readings, their chances of passing CLEP tests will improve greatly! And if students don't pass every single CLEP, it's not the end of the world. Our kids didn't pass every one they took, and they didn't get gum disease or shingles or anything like that as a result (as far as I know).
What does a CLEP class student at HSP need?
See the "What Students Need" link under the "Enroll/Pay" heading at the top of this page.
See the "What Students Need" link under the "Enroll/Pay" heading at the top of this page.