Thomas Edison State University to Pilot Free CLEP Prep Program

On Feb 16, 2017

Thomas Edison State University is part of a new pilot program designed to provide guidance for students who are preparing for a College-Level Examination Program (CLEP®) exam. CLEP, which is produced by the College Board, allows students from a wide range of ages and education levels, to demonstrate their proficiency of introductory college-level material through credit-by-examinations and, in turn, earn college credit at more than 2,900 institutions, including Thomas Edison State University.

The University has partnered with Modern States Education Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to affordable, high-quality college education, to offer free, eight-week prep courses for two CLEP® examinations that can be transferred to degree programs offered by the University. These courses are:

• Principles of Macroeconomics, which can satisfy a general education requirement (Knowledge of Human Cultures/ECO-111: Macroeconomics) to the University’s undergraduate degree programs.

• Introductory Business Law, which can satisfy a management core requirement (LAW-201: Business Law) of the University’s Associate in Science in Business Administration degree or a business core requirement (LAW-201: Business Law) of the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree.

The pilot program is open to students and applicants at the University as well as the general public. The course content is based on pre-existing courses in each subject established by Modern States and developed by professors from leading universities. The content mirrors that of top quality online college courses, with free textbooks, readings, quizzes and simulations included.

“The goal of Modern States is to give access to a top quality education to anyone who seeks one and we are very proud to team with Thomas Edison State University in this effort,” said Steve Klinsky, founder and chairman of Modern States.

Once the eight-week course is complete, participants will be able to register for their CLEP® examination. The test registration fee will be waived for the first 60 participants who complete the course.

“The overarching goal of this pilot program is to determine if additional preparation from Modern States, facilitated by a Thomas Edison State University subject matter expert, will assist participants in successfully completing their CLEP® exams and, in turn, allow them to earn college credit that can be transferred to TESU or to more than 2,900 institutions,” said Marc Singer, vice provost, Center for the Assessment of Learning at the University. “There are other CLEP® prep programs out there, but this one has the benefit of an expert who will guide students through the material and answer any questions they might have as well as the benefit of top quality courses from Modern States.”

The prep course will include direct interaction with a subject matter expert (SME) through discussion board posts and weekly live sessions that will reinforce the concepts participants can expect to be tested on in the examination hosted through a Moodlerooms platform. The results of the pilot program will assist the University in evaluating its own Thomas Edison Credit-by-Examination Program (TECEP®) and the need for SME-led prep courses for this examination option.

As with CLEP®, the University’s TECEP® exams are equivalent to comprehensive final exams for college courses. They are graded on a pass/fail basis and, by passing, students can receive college credit toward a degree at the University. All TECEP® exams are structured differently in that most have multiple-choice questions, but some include short-answer or essay questions.

“Thomas Edison State University is a leader in expanding access to education,” said David Vise, executive director of Modern States. “We strongly support their efforts.”

Related Articles: