An Alternative To College Classes

Knowledge is power. Those with knowledge have power over those who do not have it. That simple truth is the core reason for the high cost of college. The institution of the college is seen as the best way to gain knowledge of history, science, art, and the rest of the world we live in. It is seen that way by employers, employees, and future employees. This perception fuels the rising costs of college in our day.

The logic is simple. With a low supply of knowledge (colleges have a limited capacity to train students), demand goes up. With an increase in demand comes an increase in price. This leads to a higher cost for a college degree. With a higher cost of a college degree, more and more students obtain student loans, going into tens (sometimes hundreds) of thousands of dollars into debt. This happens without even considering inflation, which causes the price to go up even higher!

But is knowledge really in short supply? Do colleges really have a monopoly on knowledge? In our world, with the rise of the internet, the answer to both of these questions is a resounding and obvious (but nonetheless ignored) no. The problem lies in the common perception that colleges are the kings of knowledge. These kings are enthroned by the public imagination, which places them on thrones and grants them the power to approve or reject an individual’s intelligence or level of learning. Altering this perception, will allow us to find ways to graduate at a much lower cost and without a student loan.

You may be thinking that it sounds impossible to graduate college without ever getting a student loan. With all the money that needs to be shelled out for classes, enrollment, etc, it does seem impossible at first. So, let’s think about the main issue; our perception. If the problem is that we think college is the only way to learn, we have to choose to think differently. We have to learn how to teach ourselves and not to rely on college alone for knowledge of the world we live in. We need to figure out a way to learn on our own. Many people agree that one can learn a lot independent of college. The issue often is being recognized for that knowledge. In other words, people don’t just want to know things. They want to be recognized and credited for that knowledge.

This article introduces the standardized test as the way to earn college credit on your own time and at your own pace. This allows us to teach ourselves the subject matter that a normal college class would teach, and be recognized and credited for that knowledge. In this article, we will outline the two main types of credit-earning tests and explain how they are different.

Before defining each test individually, let’s look at the common elements to all three so that the differences will make more sense.

1. A standardized test is a test that allows someone to prove that he or she knows a subject at a college level.
2. A person who passes a standardized test gets an official transcript with a score on it.
3. When that person decides to get a degree from a college, he can take his test transcript to the college and they will decide how much credit to give to that person based on his test score.

In other words, a standardized, college  level exam, is a way for a student to skip actual college classes on subjects they already know well, by paying a much lower cost to be tested on that subject.

Now that we understand what standardized tests are, let’s explain the two different types in more detail.

CLEP – College Level Examination Program

The College Level Examination Program (CLEP), is operated and organized by CollegeBoard. The CollegeBoard organization has a section on their website dedicated to CLEP for Test Takers. It can be accessed at this URL: https://clep.collegeboard.org/

This program is a collection of college level, multiple choice tests on a variety of subjects from math, to english, to spanish, to history, to science, and much more. Depending on the test, there could also be a required essay. The tests are available for anyone to take for a flat fee of $80, paid to CollegeBoard. That’s right – only $80!

When someone takes a CLEP test, they are given a score based on how many questions they answered correctly. If an essay is required, someone will review the essay and the points from that are factored in (the formula is not available at this time). If the final score is high enough, the test taker will pass the test, potentially earning college credit. As we saw above, once the student decides to get his or her degree, the transcript from this test can be shown to the college and credit will be awarded based on what that particular college decides. Most colleges award credit for CLEP tests based on the American Council on Education’s (ACE) recommendations.

Here is a list of the available CLEP tests, passing scores, and credits offered. The source of this list is an actual college – Thomas Edison State College – that awards CLEP tests with credit. Be warned, the list is long. As a side note, this chart also shows which college classes are fulfilled by each CLEP test. For example, the very last test listed in the chart is Social Sciences and History (General). This exam covers the college-offered classes of SOS-101 and SOS-102 for 6 credits total.

As shown above, Thomas Edison State College (TESC) offers credit for all of the CLEP tests that are available. Let’s do the math. If one passes every single one of these tests, earning the highest number of credits, that would amount to 157 college hours (credits, units). Since there are 33 possible tests to take, and since CollegeBoard charges $80 per test, you are looking at somewhere in the ballpark of $3000 (including fees and other expenses covered later) for 157 college credits. To say that this is a good deal is like calling Mount Everest a tall mountain. Consider the fact that many colleges charge $500 or more for each credit. For a 3 unit class, that is $1500. That is half of the estimated total cost for 157 credits taken through CLEP!

DSST (DANTES) – Defense Activity for Nontraditional Educational Support Subject Standardized Tests

DSST tests are very much like CLEP tests. The price of each test ranges from $80 to $90 depending on where the tests are taken. Also like CLEP tests, the American Council of Education recommends credit for a passing score, that most colleges abide by.

Here is Thomas Edison State College’s chart of accepted DSST tests, the passing score, the college course they fulfill, and the number of credits per test.

The main difference between DSST and CLEP, is that DSST tests are more specialized, and CLEP tests are more general. For example, compare the DSST test Substance Abuse to a CLEP test Algebra. This means that, as a general rule with some exceptions, CLEP tests can be used to fulfill general education requirements while DSST test can be used for degree specific ones.
There are 37 DSST tests which are all recommended to earn 3 credits each. Do the math. That is 111 credits for $3500 for all 37. Again, this is an enormous discount when comparing it to the sky-high price of normal college tuition.

With the right research and planning, anyone can use these tests to accrue college credit for a fraction of the normal cost!

Your turn: Would you be interested in learning more about these tests and how to use them? Have you had experience with CLEP or DSST tests? What is your opinion on college debt? Is it worth it? Why or why not?

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