Clep Chemistry
In order to clep chemistry, you will need to pass, with a score of 50 or higher, the chemistry clep test consisting of 75 total questions. The score ranges from 20 to 80, anything above 50 will earn you fill credit hours and save you a tremendous amount of money instead of paying full tuition as well as save you a lot of time since you don’t have to take the class over an entire semester.
The chemistry clep test cost $77, the is an additional fee that is charged by the testing center, the testing center charged a sitting fee but this rarely exceed $20.
The chemistry clep test is one of the most difficult clep tests. It covers material that is typically taught over an entire years worth of college, whereas, most other clep tests only test you on a semester worth of course material. For this reason alone, I would not recommend taking the chemistry clep test unless you have a very splid background in chemistry.
Another key difference in the chemistry clep test is that you are allowed to bring with you, a calculator as well as a periodic table. This is a rare exception is the clep exam as most subjects do not let you use ancillary sources during the test. In fact, when I took my clep tests, I had to even check my cell phone at the front desk of the testing center, along with my car keys and wallet. I literally had to empty my pockets!
There is one more vital aspect of the chemistry clep test that you need to be aware of, if you are planning on pursuing a degree in chemistry, you need to check with your schools counselor before you take the test. Many colleges required additional credit hours in a science lab and this test will not count towards fulfilling those needed credit. It becomes awkward when you need to take a lab without taking the actual class that often goes with it.
If you are considering taking clep test, I would start with the subjects that you have previous knowledge or experience in, then, I would take the clep tests that are known to be easy. I found by focusing on what you have knowledge in and what you have an understanding of, as well as taking those tests that are relatively easier, compared to the other subjects that you will fulfill most all of your credit hours.
If you are still determined to take the chemistry clep test, then here are the areas you will need to be familiar with:
20% Structure of Matter
19% States of Matter
14% Descriptive Chemistry
12% Reaction Types
10% Equations and Stoichiometry
09% Experimental Chemistry (Lab Questions)
07% Equilibrium 05%Thermodynamics
04% Kinetics
Here is a more detailed break down of the subject and testing material:
Structure of Matter
you will need to know:
Mass Spectroscopy
Isotopes
Mass Number
Atomic number
Determination of atomic masses by physical means
Determination of atomic masses by chemical means
Atomic masses
Atomic weight
Evidence for the atomic theory
Atomic theory and atomic structure
States of Matter
Laws of ideal gases
Gases
Equations of State for an Ideal Gas
Avogadro’s number
Kinetic-Molecular Theory
Boltzmann distribution
Liquids and solids
Deviations from ideal gas laws
Liquids and solids from the kinetic-molecular viewpoint
Changes of state
Phase diagrams of one-component systems
Critical Phenomena
Crystal structure
More on Solutions and Solubility
Solutions
Methods of expressing concentration
Raoult’s law
Effect of interionic attraction on colligative properties and solubility
Colligative properties
Descriptive Chemistry
Isomerism
Organic chemistry
Functional groups
Diagonal
Reaction Types
Effect of concentration changes
Prediction of the direction of redox reactions
Standard half-cell potentials
Electrolytic cells
Electrochemistry
The role of the electron in oxidation-reduction
Oxidation number
Oxidation-reduction reactions
Precipitation reactions
Reactions involving coordination complexes
Amphoterism
Lewis
Acid-base reactions
Cleavage
Formation
Covalent bonds
Equations and Stoichiometry
Balancing of equations, including those for redox reactions
Mass and volume relations with emphasis on the mole concept
Stoichiometry
Net ionic equations
Equilibrium
Equilibrium constants
LeChâtelier’s principle
Chemical dynamic equilibrium
Physical dynamic equilibrium
Thermodynamics
Fusion
Heats of vaporization
Heat capacity
Hess’s law
Heat of reaction
Heat of formation
Change in enthalpy
Free energy of formation
Dependence of change in free energy on enthalpy and entropy changes
Free energy of reaction
Relationship of change in free energy to equilibrium constants and electrode potentials
Kinetics
The role of catalysts
Effect of temperature change on rates
Order of reaction
Rate of reaction
Rate constant
Energy of activation
The relationship between the rate- determining step and a mechanism