Test programs
facilitate quick
course credit
A partial solution to the high
cost of college is to challenge
courses offered by the University.
Of course, it is necessary to get
a passing score before receiving
credit for a course, but Evelyn
Rowe, head of the testing pro
gram from the College Level
Placement Examination Program
(CLEP) and University Credit by
Exam, agrees it’s a “pretty good
bargain for students.”
Some students have chal
lenged as many as 45 credit hours
by examination, Rowe said, which
amounts to an entire year of col
lege Students who have taken
tests in the program advocate
them as a good way to take care of
general requirements in a short
time.
Even though testing attempts
don t always produce successful
results, Rowe says about three
out of four people pass. The
courses most often challenged
are general examinations which
measure factual information and
understanding of material in broad
areas of social sciences, natural
sciences and humanities.
Of the two types of college test
ing available, CLEP is a national
testing program that is given the
third week of every month at the
University Counseling Center,
Room 150 Susan Campbell Hall.
Registration must be completed
one month before the testing date.
Fees are $20 for one test, $30 for
two tests and $40 for three to five
tests.
CLEP subject examinations are
supposedly comparable to the
final exams in undergraduate
courses and are designed to
cover the content of a typical
course in that subject.
The exams are available to
anyone, even persons who are
not enrolled, but the University
grants passing credit only after the
candidate is registered at the Uni
versity.
University Credit by Exam gives
students a choice of receiving a
grade or pass on their records
after successfully challenging a
course. If a student fails any
exam, it doesn’t show on any
transcript or records.
These exams can be taken on
the third floor of Susan Campbell
for $15 per course.
Students are restricted from tak
ing an exam if it is more elemen
tary than courses for which credit
has already been awarded if they
have attempted the test before, if
they aren’t registered as students
or if they are currency enrolled in a
higher level course.
Donald Leon Taylor, an ac
counting major, passed 36 hours
of CLEP and gained 15 hours of
English by advanced placement
while at South Eugene High
School.
Taylor says he wouldn’t con
sider himself a particularly good
student, but adds he didn’t have
trouble with the tests. He cites
good test taking ability as the big
gest help in these exams.
‘ Anybody who takes multiple
choice tests well should have no
problem,” Taylor says. ‘ Some
can do it; some can’t.”
Students may petition to chal
lenge courses that aren't stan
dardized by the testing center.
Petitions are available at the peti
tions window of the registrar’s of
fice in Oregon Hall.
The petition should then be
taken to a faculty member who
specializes in the topic. Arrange
ments to take the exam are made
by the particular department and
test results are sent to the regis
trar.
Most student course challen
gers agree that CLEP tests are
difficult to study for. University
student Dan McGinnis says he re
lied on his high school training and
prior reading to pass his 27 hours
by CLEP. But "you have to think”
in taking the exams, he says.
Another student commented
that the testing concepts were
very general and no preparation
was needed before challenging
exams. However, some students
valued the sample questions and
study guidelines for standardized
exams available at the testing
center.
A descriptive CLEP brochure
says candidates often perform
successfully on the general ex
aminations with no formal course
work in the subject if they use
background sources in basic read
ing, films and educational televi
sion.
Taylor suggests having a basic
knowledge of current events and a
‘‘sense of what’s going on.” He
says some study was helpful to
him especially in the American
history test. Taylor studied a
college-level text one month be
fore taking the test and strongly
encourages others to do the same
before challenging history
courses.
Taylor says the exams are simi
lar in design to the American Col
lege Testing and Scholastic Ap
titude Tests taken before admis
sion to the University.
Weekend garage sale set
A large, group garage sale for the University community will be held
Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 23 and 24, in the Edison Community
School cafeteria, 22nd Avenue and Onyx Street.
The sale is sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Central
Lane County as a source of support for its citizen information and study
programs, as well as its non-partisan lobbying activities.
“We planned the date and University-area site of the sale to attract
returning students,” says Ann Morsello, sale chairer.
Large items for consignment and donations for the sale will be
accepted from anyone.
Sale hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. For more information,
call the League of Women Voters, 343-7917.
Oregon Daily Emerald/Fall Orientation Issue
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