Customer Reviews

CLEP Western Civilization I w/ CD-ROM (CLEP Test Preparation)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Such a relief. The test was long, 120 questions 90 mins, I wasn't sure whether I was going to pass or not, I felt that I would get unlucky and make a 47 or something. But my 66 saved me. I used this book as a primary resource and 2 old college texts from my college library. I needed the other two books to look up for stuff that I couldn't picture or understand. I realized that I needed to write a review as a contribution. Before the test I read stuff about people saying that they used this book as their only resource and it was hard to believe but now I have no doubts about that. I studied for 2 crazy weeks. It is important to get the chronology right from the beginning, as trying to do so later is difficult. I'm a math/science person but I did well. So I guess this book helps. If I didn't pass today I wouldn't have graduated. So it is a good idea to start asap bcos of the 6mths thing. Good Luck.

This CLEP guide hasn't been used very many times to pass the CLEP it didn't even come out until December 5, 2005. This REA review and study guide is far and away the only accurate and in depth review of this CLEP test but don't be fooled into thinking that this CLEP test is easy. It's not. In order to pass the Western Civ I CLEP you will need to take both sample tests over the period of at least month until you have memorized every single question and answer. Then on any question that you're not absolutely sure about you will need to read the detailed explanation of that question over and over until you have memorized it. You will need to read the history lesson in the front of the book until you have a good understanding of it. You can do all of this and it still may not be enough. Some of the questions on the actual test ask you what exactly did a certain humanist or philosopher write and what did it mean. To prepare for these examination questions you will need to read up on your own about every humanist and philosopher found in the study guide. What would really be a good idea would be to take the text book over to a copy store then using an 11 X 17 copier copy every single page of both sample tests and then circle the correct answers in the photo copies and start studing the photocopied sample tests with the correct answers circled. After you think you have memorized the material in both sample tests from studing the photocopies take both CBT sample tests on your home computer and then grade yourself using the CBT program. From there type up a list of questions you missed and then type up 3 or 4 copies of the numbers of the questions you missed followed by blanks. Lastly using your blank answer sheets test yourself out of the book over and over again testing yourself in only the questions you missed in the CBT sample tests until you think you have totally mastered the materiel that you got wrong in the CBT sample tests. A couple of days later test yourself again using both CBT sample tests and you should notice a substantial improvement in your overall score! I memorized every single word of this study guide but I was sure that I had flunked the actual test when it turned out that I had recived a score 61 which is 11 points over the passing grade of 50. Plus the actual test has 119-122 questions on it not 120 as this study guide suggests.

If you choose to CLEP this go right ahead but you should combine memorizing this text with another text such as the College Board Official Study Guide which only contains a handful of questions but it helps and you should take the time to on your own read up on the internet on every humanist and philosopher found in this study guide. The bottom line is yes you can pass this CLEP test but this is not one of those easy ones that you hear about in those other Amazon reviews. If you will devote at least a month to studying for Western Civ I you can pass with a good score but if you have never taken a CLEP test before I strongly suggest you try an easier CLEP test first.

Thats right, I passed the test. In order to do this I read the entire REA book in two days. After I finished reading, I took the tests included on the CD-Rom. I reviewed all of the questions that I missed and also read all of the explanations of the answers. Then I read 14 chapters of our college text book in two days. The REA book helped me to prepare and pass the CLEP test in 4 days. Our school requires a 57 and that is the exact score that I received! Talk about luck, it is a difficult test.

My HIGH SCHOOL Freshman and I just returned from her Western Civ CLEP exam. She scored a 67! No, we can't give REA all the credit she did follow the College Board's recommendation and studied a college text on Western Civ, but REA deserves a lot of credit still. The practice tests helped her focus on what she was weak in and the review sections she said were very helpful. My daughters have taken 6 CLEP exams using REA guides as an aid and have passed every one. It's worth the money!

Literally 2 months before college graduation I realized I was a credit short. I signed up to take the test, studied my butt off for 72 hours and scored a 67 on the test with a minimum of 59 to pass.

This CLEP book was the only resource, other than the sample test from Collegeboard, that I used. If you truly memorize everything in there, names, eras, dynasties, art, and maps YOU WILL PASS.

I cannot describe how great this is. Ideally, over the space of two weeks, everything in here is very manageable to learn. If you like history, then this test will be a breeze.

The CD rom was nice too, since the test is computerized. the format is a little different, but the questions in general on the REA tests are slightly harder than the actual CLEP exam so dont freak if you are just skirting by the 50 score mark.

I passed the Clep Western Civilization with this book and Wikipedia as my ONLY resources. Unlike others, I recommend you follow the book verbatim. Take the sample test first to find out your weaknesses and then read the entire book for a summary of Western Civilization history. For anything you are not familiar with or want more details, hit up WikiPedia to read more in depth.

I only spent 4 days prepping for my test. 1 day to do the test and review the answers after I took the test, 2 days to read the whole book and look up additional information via wikipedia and 1 day to take the final practice test and review the explanations.

Although the actual test questions are much different then the ones in the book, the explanations from the CD-ROM help you understand how to conclude a good answer. I scored a scaled score of 61, good enough for a "A" according to the book. There will be some gaps as this book will not substitute for a entire semester class but good thing is Wikipedia filled in most if not all the gaps. The only thing I don't think I did well on is the questions about artwork but then again, you don't need to get every question right, just a score of 50 will do.
Good luck. I recommend this book to give you the foundation. I am purchasing other REA books for the other 4 CLEP tests I am taking.

This was a pretty good review of the general material for each era covered on the exam, but the content within each era didn't seem to match the focus of the actual exam. Although I did pass this CLEP using primarily this as a resource, I would highly recommend that you utilize other resources as well. This book didn't quite cover the depth of the material and the practice exams didn't really seem that representative of the actual exam.

Also, the CD software is buggy win Windows 2000, possibly on other OS's as well.. Seems to peg the CPU at 100% during the practice test.

The test is not the easiest; the details are important and an understanding of how it all fits together. You can pass if you memorize enough, and this book covers what you need to know. However, I have also taken other social science tests as well as an art history class, so that helped as well. If this is your first C.L.E.P. test and you have no prior knowledge, try something easier instead.

I purchased this study guide a while ago, and I have to say the money was well worth it. The content is fairly organized and easy to follow. As with any CLEP, it is always best to use several resources. Personally, I have been using [...] for months, and have been really happy with it so far. I've passed 5 CLEPs, and it has been my primary source for study information. It's definitely worth checking out. They even have a money back guarantee in case you aren't satisfied with it!
As soon as you're registered, I would also highly recommend to use the forums for exam-specific feedback. Oh yeah, and you can use the coupon code "66026" to get [...] off your first month's access fee. Good luck to all my fellow CLEPsters out there!

I got the best from tthe best. Its a completely detailed and well designed book that meets your needs as they should be met. Look no further and you shall not regret your decision!