A Georgetown University report estimated that by 2020, 65% of all U.S. jobs will require some college education. Yet, the rising cost of a college education is daunting. Students are looking for strategies to reduce the time and money spent. Two strategies for actually testing out of college are gaining wide acceptance - standardized exams (CLEP and similar credit-by-exam options) and competency-based education.  

Though similar, each of these accelerated learning options has its benefits and drawbacks. Let’s take a closer look at these two methods for testing out of college to see which might be best for you.

What Is Competency-Based Education?

Rather than measure how many hours a student has been in class to receive credit as the traditional method does, competency-based learning is concerned with the mastery of a subject, as demonstrated by exam results.

The idea is not new. However, recently the idea of competency-based education (CBE) has exploded. Last year, an estimated 52 colleges and universities had, or were considering, CBE. In 2015, approximately 600 colleges are in the development stage, or already have CBE in place.

CBE Pros

• Most CBE programs have a flat price, similar to the cost of community college, so the savings can be in the thousands, if not tens of thousands.
• Typically, a bachelor’s degree can be gained in less than two years. Some have gotten their degree in 6 months.
• Rather than being based on courses, CBE providers can build modular competencies, stacked towards building particular skills.
• By testing out of competencies they may already have, students only have to learn what they don’t know, rather than wasting time on unnecessary or redundant courses.  

CBE Cons

• Most colleges are in the test phase and enrollment is severely limited.
• Educators are concerned that there is not enough student-instructor interaction, and feel that faculty and staff are more like coaches or tutors rather than teachers.
• There are often restrictions placed on CBE programs, such as requiring a student to be full-time. Some colleges only allow credit for a student enrolled in that school with no transfers of credit permitted. Some colleges only offer CBE programs to employees of companies that partner with the college.
• Federal aid and scholarship options are limited with many college aid departments being reluctant to give aid to such non-traditional programs.

What Are Standardized Exams?

Though there are other standardized exams, such as Excelsior and DSST, the one you probably think of first is the College Level Examination Program, or CLEP.  Leveraging knowledge you already have or can acquire, you take one exam to receive the same credit as if in a traditional semester course.

Credit-by-Exam Pros

• CLEP is widely accepted with over 2,900 colleges and universities accepting credit-by-exam.
• Obtain a degree in as little as 11 to 18 months.
• CLEP exams cost $80 each, so it saves thousands of dollars as well as time.
• No extra term papers, homework, or quizzes - one exam for a semester of credit.
• Time is not wasted sitting in a classroom for subjects you already know.
• Anyone can take credit-by-exam, regardless of financial status or GPA.

Credit-by-Exam Cons

• Colleges don’t all accept the same amount of credits, nor apply credits in the same way.
• Not all students take tests well. Many students find prep courses necessary.
• CLEP gained credits in some fields may not count towards license requirements after graduation.

Achieve Test Prep Guarantees Success

Research and preparation are keys to success taking the credit-by-exam route. At Achieve, we help you with both. We evaluate your specific situation to discover which school best fits your needs, and then determine which classes will benefit you for credit by examination. To help you prep, Achieve has the flexibility you need with classes on campus and live online virtual classes where you receive the same material from qualified instructors. In a few short weeks, you can receive the same credit you would in a semester of traditional classes.

Contact Achieve today for more information on how you can save time and money in getting your degree.

Contact Achieve Test Prep today for more information or visit http://www.achievetestprep.com/bloggd.