The Best Test Preparation for the CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) Introductory Sociology

About Research & Education Association\ Research & Education Association (REA) is an organization of educators, scientists, and engineers specializing in various academic fields. Founded in 1959 with the purpose of disseminating the most recently developed scientific information to groups in industry, government, high schools, and universities, REA has since become a successful and highly respected publisher of study aids, test preps, handbooks, and reference works.\ REA's Test Preparation series includes study guides for all academic levels in almost all disciplines. Research & Education Association publishes test preps for students who have not yet completed high school, as well as high school students preparing to enter college. Students from countries around the world seeking to attend college in the United States will find the assistance they need in REA's publications. 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They are well-known in their respective disciplines and serve on the faculties of prestigious high schools, colleges, and universities throughout the United States and Canada.\ Chapter 1 - PASSING THE CLEP INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY CBT\ ABOUT THIS BOOK\ This book provides you with complete preparation for the CLEP Introductory Sociology Computer-Based Test, or CBT. Inside you will find a concise review of the subject matter, as well as tips and strategies for test-taking. We also give you two practice tests, both based on the official CLEP Introductory Sociology CBT. Our practice tests contain every type of question that you can expect to encounter on the actual exam. Following each practice test you will find an answer key with detailed explanations designed to help you more completely understand the test material.\ All 34 CLEP exams are computer-based. As you can see, the practice tests in our book are presented as paper-and-pencil exams. The content and format of the actual CLEP subject exams are faithfully mirrored. We detail the format of the CLEP Introductory Sociology CBT on pages 4-5.\ ABOUT THE EXAM\ Who takes the CLEP Introductory Sociology CBT and what is it used for?\ CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) examinations are usually taken by people who have acquired knowledge outside the classroom and wish to bypass certain college courses and earn college credit. The CLEP is designed to reward students for learning - no matter where or how that knowledge was acquired. The CLEP is the most widely accepted credit-by-examination program in the country, with more than 2,900 colleges and universities granting credit for satisfactory scores on CLEP exams.\ Although most CLEP examinees are adults returning to college, many graduating high school seniors, enrolled college students, and international students also take the exams to earn college credit or to demonstrate their ability to perform at the college level. There are no prerequisites, such as age or educational status, for taking CLEP examinations. However, because policies on granting credits vary among colleges, you should contact the particular institution from which you wish to receive CLEP credit.\ Most CLEP examinations include material usually covered in an undergraduate course with a similar title to that of the exam (e.g., Introductory Sociology). However, five of the exams do not deal with subject matter covered in any particular course but rather with material taken as general requirements during the first two years of college. These general exams are English Composition (with or without essay), Humanities, College Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences and History.\ Who administers the exam?\ The CLEP CBTs are developed by the College Board, administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS), and involve the assistance of educators throughout the United States. The test development process is designed and implemented to ensure that the content and difficulty level of the test are appropriate.\ When and where is the exam given?\ The CLEP Introductory Sociology CBT is administered each month throughout the year at more than 1,400 test centers in the United States and can be arranged for candidates abroad on request. To find the test center nearest you and to register for the exam, you should obtain a copy of the free booklets CLEP Colleges and CLEP Information for Candidates and Registration Form. They are available at most colleges where CLEP credit is granted, or by contacting:\ CLEP Services P.O. Box 6600\ Princeton, NJ 08541-6600\ Phone: (609) 771-7865\ Fax: (609) 771-7088\ Website: http://www.collegeboard.com\ HOW TO USE THIS BOOK\ What do I study first?\ Read over the course review and the suggestions for test-taking, take the first practice test to determine your area(s) of weakness, and then go back and focus your study on those specific problems. Studying the reviews thoroughly will reinforce the basic skills you will need to do well on the exam. Make sure to take the practice tests to become familiar with the format and procedures involved with taking the actual exam.\ To best utilize your study time, follow our Independent Study Schedule, which you'll find in the front of this book. The schedule is based on a four-week program, but can be condensed to two weeks if necessary by collapsing each two-week period into a single week.\ When should I start studying?\ It is never too early to start studying for the CLEP Introductory Sociology. The earlier you begin, the more time you will have to sharpen your skills. Do not procrastinate! Cramming is not an effective way to study, since it does not allow you the time needed to learn the test material. The sooner you learn the format of the exam, the more time you will have to familiarize yourself with it.\ FORMAT AND CONTENT OF THE CLEP CBT\ The CLEP Introductory Sociology covers the material one would find in a college-level introductory sociology class. The exam stresses basic facts and principles, as well as general theoretical approaches used by sociologists.\ There are 100 multiple-choice questions, each with five possible answer choices, to be answered within 90 minutes.\ The approximate breakdown of topics is as follows:\ 30% Social stratification (process/structure)\ 20% Institutions\ 15% Social patterns\ 20% Social processes\ 15% The sociological perspective\ ABOUT OUR COURSE REVIEW\ The review in this book provides you with a complete background of all the pertinent theorists, principles, and concepts of sociology. It will help reinforce the facts you have already learned while better shaping your understanding of the discipline as a whole. By using the review in conjunction with the practice tests, you should be well prepared to take the CLEP Introductory Sociology.\ SCORING YOUR PRACTICE TESTS\ How do I score my practice tests?\ The CLEP Introductory Sociology CBT is scored on a scale of 20 to 80. To score your practice tests, count up the number of correct answers. This is your total raw score. Convert your raw score to a scaled score using the conversion table on the following page. (Note: The conversion table provides only an estimate of your scaled score. Scaled scores can and do vary over time, and in no case should a sample test be taken as a precise predictor of test performance. Nonetheless, our scoring table allows you to judge your level of performance within a reasonable scoring range.)\ When will I receive my score report?\ The test administrator will print out a full Candidate Score Report for you immediately upon your completion of the CBT (except for CLEP English Composition with Essay). Your scores are reported only to you, unless you ask to have them sent elsewhere. If you want your scores reported to a college or other institution, you must say so when you take the examination. Since your scores are kept on file for 20 years, you can also request transcripts from Educational Testing Service at a later date.\ STUDYING FOR THE CLEP CBT\ It is very important for you to choose the time and place for studying that works best for you. Some students may set aside a certain number of hours every morning, while others may choose to study at night before going to sleep. Other students may study during the day, while waiting on a line, or even while eating lunch. Only you can determine when and where your study time will be most effective. But be consistent and use your time wisely. Work out a study routine and stick to it!\ When you take the practice tests, try to make your testing conditions as much like the actual test as possible. Turn your television and radio off, and sit down at a quiet table free from distraction. Make sure to time yourself. Start off by setting a timer for the time that is allotted for each section, and be sure to reset the timer for the appropriate amount of time when you start a new section.\ As you complete each practice test, score your test and thoroughly review the explanations to the questions you answered incorrectly; however, do not review too much at one time. Concentrate on one problem area at a time by reviewing the question and explanation, and by studying our review until you are confident that you completely understand the material.\ Keep track of your scores and mark them on the Scoring Worksheet. By doing so, you will be able to gauge your progress and discover general weaknesses in particular sections. You should carefully study the reviews that cover your areas of difficulty, as this will build your skills in those areas.\ TEST-TAKING TIPS\ Although you may not be familiar with computer-based standardized tests such as the CLEP Introductory Sociology, there are many ways to acquaint yourself with this type of examination and to help alleviate your test-taking anxieties. Listed below are ways to help you become accustomed to the CLEP, some of which may be applied to other standardized tests as well.\ Know the format of the CBT. CLEP CBTs are not adaptive but rather fixed-length tests. In a sense, this makes them kin to the familiar paper-and-pencil exam in that you have the same flexibility to go back and review your work in each section. Moreover, the format hasn't changed a great deal from the paper-and-pencil CLEP.\ Read all of the possible answers. Just because you think you have found the correct response, do not automatically assume that it is the best answer. Read through each choice to be sure that you are not making a mistake by jumping to conclusions.\ Use the process of elimination. Go through each answer to a question and eliminate as many of the answer choices as possible. By eliminating just two answer choices, you give yourself a better chance of getting the item correct, since there will only be three choices left from which to make your guess. Remember, your score is based only on the number of questions you answer correctly.\ Work quickly and steadily. You will have only 90 minutes to work on 100 questions, so work quickly and steadily to avoid focusing on any one question too long. Taking the practice tests in this book will help you learn to budget your time.\ Acquaint yourself with the CBT screen. Familiarize yourself with the CLEP CBT screen beforehand by logging on to the College Board website. Waiting until test day to see what it looks like in the pretest tutorial risks injecting needless anxiety into your testing experience. Also, familiarizing yourself with the directions and format of the exam will save you valuable time on the day of the actual test.\ Be sure that your answer registers before you go to the next item. Look at the screen to see that your mouse-click causes the pointer to darken the proper oval. This takes less effort than darkening an oval on paper, but don't lull yourself into taking less care!\ THE DAY OF THE EXAM\ Preparing for the CLEP CBT\ On the day of the test, you should wake up early (hopefully after a decent night's rest) and have a good breakfast. Make sure to dress comfortably, so that you are not distracted by being too hot or too cold while taking the test. Also plan to arrive at the test center early. This will allow you to collect your thoughts and relax before the test, and will also spare you the anxiety that comes with being late. As an added incentive to make sure you arrive early, keep in mind that no one will be allowed into the test session after the test has begun.\ Before you leave for the test center, make sure that you have your admission form and another form of identification, which must contain a recent photograph, your name, and signature (i.e., driver's license, student identification card, or current alien registration card). You will not be admitted to the test center if you do not have proper identification.\ If you would like, you may wear a watch to the test center. However, you may not wear one that makes noise, because it may disturb the other test-takers. No dictionaries, textbooks, notebooks, briefcases, or packages will be permitted and drinking, smoking, and eating are prohibited.\ Good luck on the CLEP Introductory Sociology CBT!

TABLE OF CONTENTS INDEPENDENT STUDY SCHEDULE Chapter 1 - PASSING THE CLEP INTRODUCTORY SOCIOLOGY CBT About this Book About the Exam How to Use this Book Format and Content of the CLEP CBT About Our Course Review Scoring Your Practice Tests Practice-Test Raw Score Conversion Table Studying for the CLEP CBT Test-Taking Tips The Day of the Exam Chapter 2 - SOCIOLOGY REVIEW Introduction to Sociology The Methods of Research Socialization Culture Society Social Interaction Groups and Organizations Deviance Family and Society Economics and Society Politics and Society Religion and Society Social Stratification Collective Behavior PRACTICE TEST 1 Answer Key Detailed Explanations of Answers PRACTICE TEST 2 Answer Key Detailed Explanations of Answers PRACTICE TEST 3 Answer Key Detailed Explanations of Answers ANSWER SHEETS ABOUT RESEARCH & EDU