How do I learn math for CLEP?
May 15, 2011 5:22 AM Subscribe
Help me learn math for my CLEP test, please.
Last time I took math classes was in 1985, so I don't remember anything. Now I'm going back to college but want to CLEP College Math (for cost and time reasons). I have been studying math through tutorials on the internet and books I borrowed from the library and seems like I understand the concepts and do well on exercises; the problem comes when I go to the practice tests for CLEP, there I'm totally lost. MY question: What is the smartest way to get ready for this particular test? Is it crazy to try to re-learn all this by myself? How do you re-teach yourself math? Help me, please. I think I can do it, just don't know how.
Last time I took math classes was in 1985, so I don't remember anything. Now I'm going back to college but want to CLEP College Math (for cost and time reasons). I have been studying math through tutorials on the internet and books I borrowed from the library and seems like I understand the concepts and do well on exercises; the problem comes when I go to the practice tests for CLEP, there I'm totally lost. MY question: What is the smartest way to get ready for this particular test? Is it crazy to try to re-learn all this by myself? How do you re-teach yourself math? Help me, please. I think I can do it, just don't know how.
Maybe you need to also brush up on general test-taking strategies? I found a few resources after searching for "clep test-taking strategies".
Test Taking Tips
Preparing for CLEP
You may also want to read about test anxiety, and learn strategies for coping with it.
Call the guidance center at your local high school, and ask about what their students do to prepare. Maybe they have a particular review book that everyone favors, or some knowledge of the typical kinds of questions. Maybe they even offer a review workshop for students - you can ask if it would be open to community members too. I bet they wouldn't mind.
Good luck! You can do this!!
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:04 AM on May 15, 2011
Test Taking Tips
Preparing for CLEP
You may also want to read about test anxiety, and learn strategies for coping with it.
Call the guidance center at your local high school, and ask about what their students do to prepare. Maybe they have a particular review book that everyone favors, or some knowledge of the typical kinds of questions. Maybe they even offer a review workshop for students - you can ask if it would be open to community members too. I bet they wouldn't mind.
Good luck! You can do this!!
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:04 AM on May 15, 2011
I have been studying math through tutorials on the internet and books I borrowed from the library and seems like I understand the concepts and do well on exercises; the problem comes when I go to the practice tests for CLEP, there I'm totally lost.
That's because when someone is holding your hand and guiding you, it is easy, because this level of math is not hard. It's doing it on your own that you find difficult.
I'll tell you the same thing I tell my students who come to me with the same complaints ("I get the concepts, I do all the homework, but I fail the tests"). You need to start training yourself for what the testing environment is like. On the test, all you have is your pen/pencil, and your brain. When you do the the homework, that's all you should have too. Sure, do a couple of problems with the tutorial so that you know how they are done, but after that, it's closed book and closed notes.
Yes, this will take you a lot, lot longer to get through the exercises. However, as long as you keep looking things up and following tutorials, you're not learning anything anyway.
The olympic track star doesn't spend all his time training for a deadlift competition. You need to train yourself the right way; that means doing homework with no notes, no book, no help.
Lastly, let me just say that at this level, a lot of it is just knowing definitions. You just have to know what they're talking about to get the "right answer". I'd start there. Looking at the topics on the test, you need to be able to define each of the terms I'm seeing there off the top of your head without looking something up. The good thing about mathematics (most of the time) is the words we use for objects make sense; for instance a "rational number" is a quotient (or indeed, a "ratio") of two integers. Try to make connections like these, and it will be easier for you to remember what all those words mean.
posted by King Bee at 7:18 AM on May 15, 2011
That's because when someone is holding your hand and guiding you, it is easy, because this level of math is not hard. It's doing it on your own that you find difficult.
I'll tell you the same thing I tell my students who come to me with the same complaints ("I get the concepts, I do all the homework, but I fail the tests"). You need to start training yourself for what the testing environment is like. On the test, all you have is your pen/pencil, and your brain. When you do the the homework, that's all you should have too. Sure, do a couple of problems with the tutorial so that you know how they are done, but after that, it's closed book and closed notes.
Yes, this will take you a lot, lot longer to get through the exercises. However, as long as you keep looking things up and following tutorials, you're not learning anything anyway.
The olympic track star doesn't spend all his time training for a deadlift competition. You need to train yourself the right way; that means doing homework with no notes, no book, no help.
Lastly, let me just say that at this level, a lot of it is just knowing definitions. You just have to know what they're talking about to get the "right answer". I'd start there. Looking at the topics on the test, you need to be able to define each of the terms I'm seeing there off the top of your head without looking something up. The good thing about mathematics (most of the time) is the words we use for objects make sense; for instance a "rational number" is a quotient (or indeed, a "ratio") of two integers. Try to make connections like these, and it will be easier for you to remember what all those words mean.
posted by King Bee at 7:18 AM on May 15, 2011
OK, I'm back, sorry. I was looking at this, and if this is an example of what you're looking at to help you, I don't blame you that you're lost on the exam. The "answers" they give are pretty terrible; for number 8, I don't even know what they're talking about.
The proper way to think about number 8 is thusly: you want the inverse function (that's the "undoing function"; it undoes what that original function hath done). The original function takes a number "x", multiplies it by -3/4, then adds 2. To undo this, you do the opposite of those operations but in the reverse order (just like unwrapping a present). That is, take a number, subtract 2, then multiply by -4/3. The answer is "C", but I don't know why they're suddenly using a's and b's all over the place as variables.
So, I guess this is really my last piece of advice. Consider the sources you're getting help from, and if they're really reliable.
posted by King Bee at 7:27 AM on May 15, 2011
The proper way to think about number 8 is thusly: you want the inverse function (that's the "undoing function"; it undoes what that original function hath done). The original function takes a number "x", multiplies it by -3/4, then adds 2. To undo this, you do the opposite of those operations but in the reverse order (just like unwrapping a present). That is, take a number, subtract 2, then multiply by -4/3. The answer is "C", but I don't know why they're suddenly using a's and b's all over the place as variables.
So, I guess this is really my last piece of advice. Consider the sources you're getting help from, and if they're really reliable.
posted by King Bee at 7:27 AM on May 15, 2011
Take the Khan Academy courses for the math topics which may come up. The nice thing about Khan is that if you find you've chosen a starting point too high you can just jump back a couple of spots on the map.
posted by dgeiser13 at 7:38 AM on May 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by dgeiser13 at 7:38 AM on May 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
King Bee's advice is good, especially the part about working without a net. Take the practice tests as he advises.
Also, just do a LOT of exercises. My high school math teacher would make us do sometimes literally a hundred factorizations a night for homework. It was soul-crushing, but it got results.
(Some languages have two two different words for "know". One is the knowledge of a fact- I know the sky is blue- and the other is a more innate knowledge: I know Kevin. Interestingly, one "knows" a language like they know a person, rather than as a collection of facts. Think of math that way, as a language. The way to know something in that case is to interact with it a lot.)
Also, while money and time is a concern, remember that the CLEP tests are meant to give a pass to students who already know the material. It is not a failure to be unable to pass them; it is simply an indicator that you'd benefit from taking the class. If you can only squeak by in the Math-101 test, you may not remember everything you will need to be successful in the Math-102 class.
posted by gjc at 7:45 AM on May 15, 2011 [2 favorites]
Also, just do a LOT of exercises. My high school math teacher would make us do sometimes literally a hundred factorizations a night for homework. It was soul-crushing, but it got results.
(Some languages have two two different words for "know". One is the knowledge of a fact- I know the sky is blue- and the other is a more innate knowledge: I know Kevin. Interestingly, one "knows" a language like they know a person, rather than as a collection of facts. Think of math that way, as a language. The way to know something in that case is to interact with it a lot.)
Also, while money and time is a concern, remember that the CLEP tests are meant to give a pass to students who already know the material. It is not a failure to be unable to pass them; it is simply an indicator that you'd benefit from taking the class. If you can only squeak by in the Math-101 test, you may not remember everything you will need to be successful in the Math-102 class.
posted by gjc at 7:45 AM on May 15, 2011 [2 favorites]
Is it possible one of the things you're having trouble with is "recognition"? When you work through the exercises in the "Rates and Distance" section, you know every problem needs to be hit with the "distance = rate * time" formula. But when you encounter a problem on the test, in the wild, how do you know what formulas or concepts to apply? So you need to practice this.
One idea is to list the concepts and formulas (I bet there's almost 100). Then make up a bunch of flash cards: problem on front, concept + explicit formula on the back. Making the list of concepts and writing up the cards are good study methods in and of themselves, and then getting the flash cards down cold is good too.
Learning to do math is a lot more like learning a foreign language than more people realize.
Good Luck!
posted by benito.strauss at 8:06 AM on May 15, 2011
One idea is to list the concepts and formulas (I bet there's almost 100). Then make up a bunch of flash cards: problem on front, concept + explicit formula on the back. Making the list of concepts and writing up the cards are good study methods in and of themselves, and then getting the flash cards down cold is good too.
Learning to do math is a lot more like learning a foreign language than more people realize.
Good Luck!
posted by benito.strauss at 8:06 AM on May 15, 2011
I have never taken a CLEP test but I have proctored a number of them. The most common thing that I have heard is that you should just buy the study materials from Collegeboard. The extra $10 dollars for College Credit is totally worth it in the long run, and it does make sense to buy the book from the people who wrote the test.
Good luck, on a personal note I may visit the test site before the test just to get comfortable and so you know where it is. I did that for the GRE and I think that it made me feel better.
posted by ibakecake at 1:32 PM on May 15, 2011
Good luck, on a personal note I may visit the test site before the test just to get comfortable and so you know where it is. I did that for the GRE and I think that it made me feel better.
posted by ibakecake at 1:32 PM on May 15, 2011
I was in the same boat not too long ago. Three days ago I finished my second Physics course!
I couldn't remember how to add or multiply fractions, much less perform algebraic equations but after I went through two little books I was able to hop into college algebra and get an A. There are plenty of CLEP books out there and I think more than a few great suggestions here in this thread, but if you're needing a suggestion on a good cheap book then I highly recommend Math Smart & Math Smart II.
posted by MansRiot at 3:33 PM on May 15, 2011
I couldn't remember how to add or multiply fractions, much less perform algebraic equations but after I went through two little books I was able to hop into college algebra and get an A. There are plenty of CLEP books out there and I think more than a few great suggestions here in this thread, but if you're needing a suggestion on a good cheap book then I highly recommend Math Smart & Math Smart II.
posted by MansRiot at 3:33 PM on May 15, 2011
I took and passed CLEP college math and the Khan Academy was the best resource for getting me all caught up after years out of high school.
posted by Danila at 6:21 PM on May 15, 2011
posted by Danila at 6:21 PM on May 15, 2011
« Older How to apply green makeup on a temporarily red... | My faith in humanity continues to dwindle. Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
Do the CLEP practice tests explain the answers? Can you work back somehow from the correct answers to see how they got there? It sounds like you're on the verge of a breakthrough and I think if you keep at it you'll get past some invisible hurdle and it will come together.
Do you have any young friends who are good at math? People who have recently learned something can be really good at teaching it to others. If you can't pay someone to help you maybe you could barter something.
There are lots of people on mefi who have strong math skills. Maybe a few of them could offer to help you with specific areas of the test.
posted by mareli at 6:17 AM on May 15, 2011