History CLEPs
There are several history exams available across both the CLEP and DSST test banks. Since most students study both U.S. and World History as part of their high school education, there is plenty of opportunity to use CLEP/DSST as a final exam to the courses your student might already be studying.
Start by reviewing the exam content as provided by CollegeBoard or Prometric. Note the time periods and percentage of the test dedicated to each topic to determine if the exam seems like a good fit with the content your student is already studying.
5 INSIDER TIPS
1. There are several history CLEP exams to choose from. U.S. History I CLEP is a good choice because it is fact-based and students have often studied the content multiple times. (Columbus sailed the ocean blue through the Civil War and Reconstruction).
2. Make it easier for your student by choosing material that teaches US History and World History as separate subjects. Interwoven or classical literature-based studies are more difficult to align with the content of the CLEP exams.
3. Weave test-specific or test-prep materials in your students’ curriculum. For example, design a syllabus that pairs the REA CLEP Study Guide with the table of contents in your chosen history curriculum.
4. Homeschool parents, consider selecting your students’ literature readers, speech topics, and essay writings with the history periods they are studying. Choose family movies that support their studies. Your student may not even know you were this intentional, but your efforts will help them dive deeper by building this cross-curricula method.
5. Teach study skills as you go along, such as how to “read a textbook“, outline a chapter, make a timeline, create flash cards.
LEAPFROG MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Avoid the repeat! Consider jumping over middle-school curricula and have your students study US History and World History when they are ready to tackle it at a high school-level. Many students have the comprehension and vocab skills for this level in grades 7-9. The high school-level curriculum provides the depth needed for CLEP-prep and more importantly, it frees up time in their schedules for other topics including economics, psychology, personal finance, and business writing.
OVERLAP SUBJECTS
There is quite a bit of overlap in content in some subjects. Others provide a foundational springboard. Use these to your advantage by teaching like-subjects in the same year. Help your student work smarter, not harder!
- Year 1: US History and American Government
- Year 2: World History and World Religions
If your student is a history buff: My oldest really enjoyed history, so he took all nine history-related exams! By “stacking” or ordering the exams based on content, learning flows easily from one exam to the next. Here is the exam order he chose:
- US History I – Early Colonization to 1877
- American Government
- The Civil War and Reconstruction DSST (or move to after US II if this is where your studies are for The Reconstruction)
- US History II – 1865 to the Present
- A History of the Vietnam War DSST
- Western Civilization I – Ancient Near East to 1648
- Western Civilization II – 1648 to the Present
- History of the Soviet Union DSST
- Social Science and History CLEP
CURRICULUM IDEAS
The exam content does not have to drive your choice of curriculum. If you homeschool, choose the curriculum that meets your students’ learning study and you enjoy teaching. Though I’ve included what we used as a help, there are so many great choices and you should select what works best for your students.
US History CLEP: My favorite history curriculum is from Ray Notgrass. He writes in a chronological narrative style from a Christian worldview. My second choice of curriculum demonstrates that it really is not about the curriculum. Choose what works best for your student! This curriculum was free and available on upon request (note, this service has been discontinued). PASS curriculum developed by the Florida Dept. of Education. American History Teacher-Part I, American History Student-Part I, American Teacher History-Part II, American History Student-Part II (my original Syllabus) I choose this curriculum for one of my students to help him learn a specific study skill … how to read a text and draw out answers. If you are searching for a video-based curriculum, try Dave Raymond’s American History videos from Compass Classroom.
As with all History courses, select movies and literature to supplement your students’ studies. Pair it with the content of the CLEP exam and choose time periods that are weighted most heavily on the exam.
American Government CLEP: This is considered one of the more difficult social science exams. Study alongside US History since there is so much overlap. Curriculum suggestions: Notgrass or PASS (free, developed by the Florida Dept. of Education) American Government, American Government Teacher. From the teacher guide, choose projects that will help enforce US History CLEP must-knows like memorizing the amendments. Pair CLEP-specific material with this text. Cliff’s Quick Review for American Government is recommended.
Western Civilization CLEP: We enjoyed the World History curriculum from Ray Notgrass. I changed up the readers from those assigned in the curriculum. To study for Western Civ II, we used Spielvogel’s Human Odyssey. Other students have used this text for both exams and were well prepared for both I and II. Over lunch, we also watched a very engaging DVD series with Professor Linwood Thompson presented by The Great Courses World History: The Fertile Crescent to the American Revolution. PASS curriculum developed by the Florida Dept. of Education: World History I Student, World History I Teacher, World History II Student, World History II Teacher.
The Civil War and Reconstruction DSST: Have your student prepare for this exam during his study of US I. Mine read A Short History of the Civil War and watched Ken Burns Civil War Series. If time, watch Gods and Generals, and Gettysburg. If you want more resources for this and other DSST exams, Free-CLEP-Prep is a helpful website.
A History of the Vietnam War DSST: If interested in history, take this exam during study of US II. My son wrote a research paper on this topic for National History Day so didn’t need to do additional studying.
Social Science and History CLEP: For history buffs who have taken Western Civ and a few other history courses, my oldest studied the REA for this exam along with completing practice exams.
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