If you want to pass your CLEP exam on your first try, with the least amount of time, energy, and stress, then InstantCert Academy is one of the best resources we have found to help you do this.
You study by answering fill-in-the-blank study questions from InstantCert’s bank of flash cards (which contains over 300 questions per subject). These questions tell you not only whether you got an answer right or wrong, but also the reason why a particular answer is correct. It gives you a chance to test your knowledge, find out where and how you went wrong, and learn from your mistakes right away.
One of InstantCert’s unique and particularly useful features is that it provides access to discussion board content from both current and past CLEP exam takers. You can ask for advice and tips from other, more experienced CLEP test takers, and also learn from responses to questions you might not have thought to ask by following past threads.
We recommend taking advantage of InstantCert’s 30 day money-back guarantee to test out its services. Paying $20 will give you a month of access to ALL of the site’s CLEP content, so you can both study the material for a particular subject and preview the materials you can use to study for exams you plan to take in the future.
Because you can get your CLEP results for most subjects immediately after you take the exams, you will be able gauge the usefulness of InstantCert’s resources as soon as you take your first exam. If you fail your exam or are dissatisfied for any reason, you can cancel your payment before the month is over to get your $20 back.
InstantCert is a worthwhile investment if you are serious about doing well on your exams and have a number of subjects you are thinking of CLEPing.
As a disclaimer the way we make money is the ads we show on the site and also if you click through and buy the guides we mention here. However, we do not delete reviews(except spam) and we also do not add positive reviews. So as you can see InstantCert has the best reputation on the net.
I have taken five exams using this study guide only. ..passed all five. Iam taking my sixth exam this week. I have been taking one a week. Be careful and read all the info they list along with the fill-in the blank answer format!!!
Great, I wish I would have found these guys first before wasting money on others. I have passed my last 4 Cleps and 2 dantes in about a month using these guys.
I thought it was very good, I got a 62 on the Mangement and a 50 on the Marketing. I would have done better on the Marketing if I studied a bit longer.
Very thorough!
This site uses the Flash card or Q&A method. Drilling with detailed explainations...
Very well done CLEP and DSST/DANTES examinations
5.5 of 5
I have been a subscriber to the InstantCert website for a little over 2 months and have passed 5 CLEP exams so far using only their material. This is a great site!!
Posted by: ann
Pros: Easy to use
Cons: Not that helpful
I used them to study for the american government test and did not find it to be at all helpful.
Posted by: Ada ramirez
Pros: Study for many exams
Cons: monthly charge of $20
This is the best and I have tried them all. I recieve very high scores on 6 of the clep exams I took.
Posted by: clepMaster
Pros:
Cons:
Have to say this site is a great way to study for your exams. I used this site for a month before writing a humanities CLEP and had no troubles passing it.
Posted by: jenn
Pros:
Cons:
I used this study guide for american government and didn't pass. I have the feeling that amer gov is not one to use from this site. I studied sociology from here and passed with no problems. I did study alot though
Posted by: Joey
Pros:
Cons: Different Questions Then Exam
I paid for this site when taking the Western Civ. 2 test, and even though the study questions were great, the actual test was far more specific than the study guide and questions. I was let down.
Posted by: Ada ramirez
Pros:
Cons:
This is the best and I have tried them all. I recieve very high scores on 6 of the clep exams I took.
Posted by: mwansap
Pros:
Cons:
I have tried many sources before, IC is by far the best, it helps simplify hard concepts, so far I have passed all the exam 6 exams using IC.
Great site, very great forum too
Posted by: Basket Weaver
Pros: Well laid out and concise
Cons: Take the time to properly study or they won't work, not a con, it's a fact
I knocked out 67 credits (30 of which were upper level) in 7 months using IC. The guides are spot on and the way the information is taught really helped me to apply it towards the test. You will have to study the material and put forth the effort to retain it; it will not take the test for you. If you use the information in these guides, you will pass the tests, I am living proof that they work.
Posted by: AGS
Pros: the best
Cons: no cons /
instacert had given me a good motivation to complete my CLEP exams ..
Posted by: LuBee
Pros: Supportive forum
Cons:
US History 1,
Social Sciences & History,
US History 2,
American Government,
Humanities,
Educational Psychology,
Human Growth & Development,
Intro Psychology,
Intro to Sociology,
College Math. These are all of the CLEPs that I passed using Instant Cert. I passed them in seven months. That's a total of 39 credits. I don't think that I would have understand just what I was capable of if I didn't have Instant Cert and the great forum of supportive people that had similar goals.
Posted by: librevore
Pros: Very effective study aid, reasonable price, and great forum!
Cons: none
I've now studied for and passed close to 20 Clep, Dsst, and ECE exams all with the help of Instantcert. With their help I will complete over three years of college in eighteen months. That's while working full-time and taking care of family obligations at the same time.
Posted by: studyhard
Pros: Very useful--invaluable resource
Cons:
I have used this for 7-8 CLEP tests and found it EXTREMELY helpful (including for American Gov't exam and Westen Civ., that others users have posted disappointed comments about).
While I have found that a few topics need additonal "background" supplementation from a textbook, I can tell you that the textbook alone would not have enabled me to pass some of these tests. Instantcert has made a huge impact on my knowledge, ability, and confidence. I don't even attempt a CLEP without it now. I have scored a 64 or higher on all my CLEPs and am convinced that this due to Instantcert. For just $20 a month, this is definitely well-worth your investment. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Posted by: Matymus
Pros: wonderful content, informative forums
Cons: Can't learn by osmosis.
I love this site...it's absolutely invaluable on my journey. The flashcards are a great prep tool. In so many cases, they're all you need to pass an exam. For others, InstantCert works well to reinforce what one may have studied from another source.
Posted by: Blonco
Pros: Great Content...Excellent Source of Topic Information
Cons: None
I have used IC to pass several DANTES, CLEPS, and Excelsior exams. IC flashcards provide the knowledge necessary to pass your exam. For those expecting IC to have the exact exam questions, you are wrong. IC gives you the knowledge and the background after studying the questions and the answers to select the correct solution on the exam. I have learned more from IC flashcards than I have by taking online courses. Best source on the net!
Posted by: AlmostThere
Pros: Method really works + don't miss the forum!
Cons: none
Normally not a reviewer, I almost feel an obligation to InstantCert to stand up here, as I owe most of my exam results to it. The name is a bit misleading, this is in no way a short cut in terms of learning, you truly pick up a great deal of knowledge here. I see it more as an interactive work book with built-in rehearsal, a way of stuffing you without the effort of endless reading. It's like a game but when you're done you suddenly grasp it. The biggest benefit is for the people who find it hard to concentrate when reading dire textbooks, which I would assume applies to most of us. In fact, when I'm considering a new exam, I now start by looking if it's available on IC.
Posted by: ktaylor
Pros: Best Bang for the Buck
Cons:
I started using I.C. in January 2007. I spent $20 per month for the past five months = $100 Here's my results:
30 credits (CLEP)
6 credits (DSST)
(That's only $2.78 per credit hour)
The Forum is an invaluable tool to get additional help for study methods and test taking skills.
Posted by: Trex54
Pros: easy to use
Cons: Not helpful at all!
I used instantcert for the American Government clep exam and did not pass, do not use them for American Government.
Posted by: degreeby2009
Pros: Start Studying Immediately
Cons: Incorrect Material
I used instantcert to prepare for the DSST Statistics exam. The material contradicted itself within the course. In addition, there were quite a few incorrect formulas.
Posted by: Lyanne
Pros: Community, study for multiple exams
Cons: None
I was hesitant to sign up for a paid site, but I have found InstantCert to be invaluable. I have used it to take (and pass) American Literature, Analyzing & Interpreting Literature, US History I, US History II, and American Government. I am currently studying for Western Civilization I. The flash cards are a great tool for learning new material as well as reinforcing learned material.
I see some people expected the flashcards alone to be sufficient to pass. While this may be true with some subjects that are familiar, I usually use the flashcards as a supplement to other resources such as library books on the subject. An additional benefit of InstantCert is access to a forum of members who provide support, encouragement, and information.
Posted by: NavyGuy
Pros: Identifies Study Topics
Cons: None
I used InstantCert for American Govenment and scored a 64. Most people assume they live in America and the test will be easy...but it's a very difficult exam with a high failure rate. Without InstantCert, I would not have passed regardless of study time. Research each of the Supreme Court Cases...write them down...Know the bill of rights and other Constitutional Ammendments! With Wiki and InstantCert you will pass with just a LITTLE further reading. If InstantCert brings up the topic of Shays Rebellion, wiki it and quickly figure out what it was about and when and where it happened. They (IC) brought my attention to nearly every single topic on the exam I took last week. Again, American Government CLEP is not a gimmie exam just because you live here...although I was hoping it would be.
Posted by: Mary B.
Pros: Great Price
Cons: Nothing
Instacert is definiatly the best way to prepare for CLEP exams. I used instacert for three days and passed 2 CLEP exams (Micro and Macro). Plus if you use code 70663 you can get $5 off! Try it - you'll love it!
Posted by: Mberst
Pros: simple to use
Cons: none
nstantcert is awesome! It has helped me get 93 college credits in 6 month! It is soo helpful. It is more than worth the $20 plus you can get $5 off with coupon code "63245"
Posted by: Lyanne
Pros: Community, study for multiple exams
Cons: None
I was hesitant to sign up for a paid site, but I have found InstantCert to be invaluable. I have used it to take (and pass) American Literature, Analyzing & Interpreting Literature, US History I, US History II, and American Government. I am currently studying for Western Civilization I. The flash cards are a great tool for learning new material as well as reinforcing learned material.
I see some people expected the flashcards alone to be sufficient to pass. While this may be true with some subjects that are familiar, I usually use the flashcards as a supplement to other resources such as library books on the subject. An additional benefit of InstantCert is access to a forum of members who provide support, encouragement, and information.
Posted by: burbuja0512
Pros: Cheap and comes with community of support
Cons: You have to study... AND learn
I went from 24 credits to 121 in about 9 months and Instant Cert was my primary study guide. No single study tool is for everyone, but I was a bit upset by some of the negative comments because I know that it works. Here's the problem: IC is a guide that will show you the path to knowing most of the material on the CLEP/DSST, but it's not a magical tool. Many people hear of IC and want to get their BA in four weeks as they've seen on the web. The reality? CLEP/DSST's can be TOUGH, especially when you are teaching yourself a subject from the ground up. The reasons that so many colleges accept CLEP credit is because not just anyone can walk in and easily test out of a subject. You really have to know the material.
People that have failed tests using IC need to use the resources that come with their subscription to the fullest. They should log on to the forum and use the support groups and feedback that are there. People also need to know that IC will help you know what you need to learn, but you may have to *gasp* take a lot of time to really understand difficult topics. For example, I am not a math person, IC cards were enough to show me the types of problems I needed to know in order to pass the College Math CLEP, but I still had to go to youtube to find lectures on some of the topics I didn't know.
So, do I recommend IC? YES 150%, but don't think that IC or anything else can make a topic that's tough for you seem easy. It won't. IC will help you study for the test, but you need to take the time and memorize the cards. You may ask for help with something that you don't understand on the forums, and you may have to use an additional resource. In my experience, I rarely had to pay for anything else. IC plus Google plus youtube for the occasional lecture was enough, but yes you DO have to put in the study time. Just because you pay 20 bucks a month doesn't mean that you will learn effortlessly. You still have to put in the work.
Posted by: Elinor
Pros: Memory assistants (flashcards) for many tests, best community of testers ever! Cost comparable to one new study book, but has info. for lots of tests!
Cons: Flashcards don't always recognize synonyms, but that's really not a big deal.
I tested out of 114 of the 120 credits for my History BA from TESC. Through it all I used InstantCert. The flashcards were an amazing help! I was able to use just the IC flashcards on some of the tests, but most of the time I supplemented with another study guide and often free lectures from iTunes U and Learner.org.
Really, my only "gripe" with InstantCert is that the flashcards don't always recognize synonyms. If I was going through the card set the first time to rate where I was with NO studying, this could get rather frustrating. However, it's a very little thing, and can be dealt with pretty easily. If you know you got the blank right, but the word you used was a synonym or incorrectly spelled, just press the back arrow once or twice and fill in the blank correctly. This probably isn't even an issue for most people, but when I studied, I really did like to check the percentages. :D
To me, the best part of signing up for InstantCert was the access to members-only areas of the forum. Interacting with folks on the forum enabled me to feel confident enough to chart out my degree plan without the help of other businesses (CollegePlus! and the like.). Those services are wonderful, I'm sure, but they were a bit too expensive for me. InstantCert and the associated forums were a HUGE blessing to me!
If you haven't already, sign up for InstantCert NOW! It's amazing; the price is right, and you won't regret it! Look to the forum and previous test-takers for advice, and, if the test you're preparing for is something you're not very familiar with, supplement IC with REA guides or the like. InstantCert is meant to be a HELP, not the test word for word, or even enable you to take the test without actually applying yourself to really learning the material.
Posted by: Lindagerr
Pros: Al the info you need to pass
Cons: You will get addicted to testing :)
Before I found Instantcert I studied months for exams and still wasn't sure I knew the right info. Now I know what I need to study, the specific exam feedback is tops. If you use the flashcard as suggested you will always pass. I have taken 19 exams and not failed once.
