<p>Eek, just found this thread, something else to worry about. Or not. </p>
<p>Like Meremom’s DD, my DS is taking AP Spanish this year, so I just want to be clear on the info here: do those in the know agree that with AP, it is sufficient to take the placement test at BB, and NOT do the CLEP? Or should he do the BB placement test AND CLEP?</p>
<p>^What’s your son’s major? Is he planning to take Spanish at UA?</p>
<p>Major will be engineering, nothing else is certain at this point.</p>
<p>Happytraveler, is your son taking the AP exam, or just the AP course? </p>
<p>Here’s an interesting thing about the foreign language credit. A 5 on the Spanish AP earns a student 10 credits (credit for SP 103, 201 and 202). A score of 56 on the Spanish CLEP earns a student 14 credits (credit for SP 101, 102, 201 and 202). This is under the current catalog; I don’t know if this will change in the catalog your son comes in under. [Credit</a> by Examination < The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://courseleaf.ua.edu/introduction/academicpolicies/creditbyexamination/]Credit”>http://courseleaf.ua.edu/introduction/academicpolicies/creditbyexamination/) This difference in the credit awarded makes no sense to me, but that’s what it is currently.</p>
<p>To get placement credit, you have to take the course you place into and pass it before you get credit for the prior courses. I can’t remember whether the credit is for SP 103 (similar to AP) or for SP 101/102 (like CLEP), but I think it’s the former.</p>
<p>happytraveller, I’d have him take the AP exam and the CLEP test. The CLEP because it gives him more credit (enough to fully satisfy FL requirement as engineer). AP as a just in case he decides to go elsewhere other than UA as a later transfer student. You’d hate for him not to have that as a “just in case”. </p>
<p>If he does plan on taking Spanish at UA, there have been threads about placement that you’ll want to read.</p>
<p>He is taking the AP exam but typically his school has not produced very high scores. DS #1 got a 2 two years ago (but went on to get a nice number of credits thanks to his placement test during orientation at his college), this DS thinks maybe he will get a 3. I will definitely look into the CLEP, thanks.</p>
<p>Agree w/ advice to take both. CLEP has sliding scale, so he might do ok.</p>
<p>My advice is to take CLEP first and if your child does well, cancel the AP exam and get a partial refund. CLEP scores are available immediately and UA does not require one to take further courses in that language to get credit like they do with the placement test.</p>
<p>^^I was just counseling DD to do that exact thing, SEA-tide! DD’s Spanish teacher has indicated that AP scores at her school were not so great the last few years (the test was changed - less multiple choice), and she expects a lot of 1’s and 2’s. The CLEP would definitely be a better way to go.</p>
<p>One other benefit to either CLEP or AP (taken before you arrive at Bama) over placement credit is that you’ll have your AP/CLEP credits in time to count for registration priority for spring of freshman year, whereas you won’t have the placement credits until after you successfully complete your language course, which at the earliest will be the end of fall semester. 10-14 credits could definitely make a difference in when you register.</p>
<p>Just bumping this thread. DD (rising freshman electrical engineering major) just took the Spanish CLEP today and scored high enough to earn 14 credits at UA. She opted not to take the AP exam after her Spanish teacher admitted that the last couple of years the kids at her school hadn’t scored very high - and she is very glad she took the path she did. </p>
<p>I guess what I am saying is that the CLEP really is definitely easier than the AP test and seems to be the way to go if you don’t plan to major or minor in Spanish.</p>
<p>CLEP is definately the way to go. More credits, immediate results and you don’t have to take any courses to get the credits. CLEP in Spanish is allowing D to minor in Spanish. Now after a year, she is considering adding it as a second major because it only requires an additional 5 classes. She has loved the instructors in Spanish and really enjoys it.</p>
<p>Okay. I am convinced.</p>
<p>Tonight I will spring the CLEP trap on poor, unsuspecting DD.</p>
<p>BWAHHHHH</p>
<p>How many years of high school foreign language do your kids have?</p>
<p>Six. Started in sixth grade. AP junior year.</p>
<p>TXA…ahaha your poor D…she is probably going to have the same reaction mine did. Not happy…lol Good luck w/ that…I promised D lunch at Chipolte afterwards and that took away some of the sting.</p>
<p>For anyone considering CLEP you have to make an appointment to take it at a test center in your area. It can take a couple of weeks to get into. We tried in early June and could not get into a testing center until Early July. So make your appointments now! Results are immediate and it takes about 10 days for them to get to UA. About 5 days after that it was in Degree Works. Pretty flawless on UA’s part.</p>
<p>D started basic Spanish in 6th, had it in 7th and 8th. In HS she was able to skip Spanish I and went right into Spanish II. Took Spanish Honors and AP thru Senior year. Took CLEP and got 14 credits! AP only gave her 6 or 7.</p>
<p>Yup. I mentioned it a couple of months ago and got “the look.”</p>
<p>But now, she is sooooo fired up about getting into “real classes” she may well feel differently:-)</p>
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<p>My D, who successfully took the Spanish CLEP exam and earned 14 credits, had Spanish through Spanish 4. Spanish 1 was taken over the middle school years, and Spanish 2-4 during freshman-junior years of high school. She did not take AP Spanish (or any Spanish during her senior year) so she had not taken a Spanish course (or done anything to keep her Spanish skills current) in over a year when she took the CLEP exam. FWIW, she was a B student in high school Spanish - foreign language was her GPA killer.</p>
<p>DD sounds like many of your kids - started Spanish in 5th grade, but there was lots of repeated material in 5th - 8th grades. Took Spanish 2-4 in HS and AP Spanish senior year. She got a strong A in AP, but really didn’t feel she had strong speaking skills. </p>
<p>DD says if anyone wants specifics about how the test is structured, go ahead and PM me with your e-mail address, and she will get back to you.</p>
<p>Also, CLEP isn’t just for foreign language, or even for courses you know anything about. Go to the UA website and search CLEP for a list of the CLEP scores needed to receive credit for classes - there are enough to not have to take any HI or SB classes. My three kids (only one at UA) CLEP’d anywhere from 9-18 hours. All of them did it for psychology and sociology just by studying the REA CLEP book - never took a class. History is a little tougher even with high school history - they also studied online clep prep flashcards for those.
This frees up time for lighter loads/doule majors, etc.</p>
<p>Great use of student time who are underemployed in the summer months. </p>
<p>Taking two in one day at the nearest college that offers them even minimizes driving</p>