Chemistry CLEP: I'm looking for guidance, info, advice on this test, etc.

[Genecks]

This might seem like a pointless thread, but I like to seek the wise council and hope they could give some insight, input, and/or advice.

 

For those of you who aren't American, there is a test in America that allows people to earn college credit for passing a test. It's a nice way of flying out of courses if a person has previous experience. However, if a person screws up the first time, then he or she can only take the test again after 6 months has passed from the previous testing date.

 

So, if any of you are in America and think you've got some decent experience, you might be interested in taking it. (Each test costs about $60 USD. An affordable way to get college credit.) The examination contains 75 questions to be answered in 90 minutes.

 

But back to the topic:

 

I've noticed that I'm coming to my sophomore year of college, and I'm getting really sick of taking liberal arts courses. I want to take human anatomy and physiology, but I'm unable to because a chemistry prerequisite is required. I wanted to take chemistry during the summer, but my college administration changed this year. They changed the way courses work, and I was unable to take a certain math course if I were to take chemistry instead. I was pissed. I wasn't the only one pissed. Also, the admins took out the college library for a year to remodel it. It still exists, but there's no quiet place to study. *end rant*

 

My knowledge in chemistry is lacking and needs to be refreshed, but I learned I could take this CLEP test; and this test would serve as a prerequisite. Yet I don't know how long it's going to take for me to refresh my knowledge of chemistry. My knowledge of chemistry will be of the utmost importance in order to pass this test with a minimum score.

 

Therefore, I've decided to ask some the mad scientists here what they think about the topics covered in this test:

Link for more information about the Chemistry CLEP.

 

 

Structure of Matter

 

I'd have to say I'm lacking on the structure of matter: Geometry of molecules, ions, and coordination complexes; structural isomerism; dipole moments of molecules; relation of properties to structure.

 

I've never been able to understand the 3D structure of an atom. I figure it'd be necessary. It's all theoretical, of course. So, I'll keep that in mind while studying it.

 

However, the main reason for creating this thread comes to what you think about these topics. Would you consider many of these topics to be intermediate or beginner?

 

Let's say you were to start all over again to learn chemistry. How long would it take you to learn those topics? How would you go about learning them again?

 

I figure I'll check out a few college texts from the make-shift 40x40 foot library, study them, and do the problems in the books. If I needed any help, I'd diversify the topics on the web to different forums. It's a technique I use sparingly.

 

I don't know much about nuclear chemistry of physics. I suppose post-WWII ethics stopped people from teaching it in public high school. Some of my knowledge about physics and chemistry comes from engineering and electronics, so I'm not going to have a large problem with those topics. Math and balancing equations isn't going to be too difficult.

 

It seems, however, that there may be more to this test than meets the eye. I had communicated with the director of science at my college. He said that throughout the four years the test has been available, only four people have taken the test. Only one person has passed.

 

I figure that's quite a low statistics and not representative of the majority of people who have taken the test, but still interesting.

 

Experimental Chemistry

 

About the largest problem I might have would be the lab equipment. I have no idea as to what range of lab equipment the test will quiz me on. I have no idea as to how much chemistry equipment there can be. I assume there are certain amounts, and I could go around the college and create an inventory; but I don't know if knowing what the college has is enough information. I figure the test will be biased toward some type of equipment.

 

- What kind of equipment is typical for any beginner?

- Are there certain pieces of equipment people work up to?

 

Has anyone here taken this test. If you were to look at the website and pick up certain topics, which do you think would be the most difficult to do? Why would you consider them to be the most difficult?

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

[woelen]

This test looks quite hefty to me, at least for people who have to study it all over again. I have acquired my knowledge slowly over the years, so it is hard for me to estimate the time needed to study this, but a book, covering all these subjects will be a thick one with 1000+ pages. That will give you an indication of the time needed to study it all. It will be quite some effort.

 

The list of things you need to study, however, is quite detailed. So, if you have a textbook (or a few textbooks), which cover all these things and you have studied them well, and understand them, then you could step into the test with confidence. The only part of the test-description which is not sufficiently detailed is the experimental chemistry part. Common apparatus, used in basic chemistry are the following:

 

- test tubes, beakers, erlenmeyers, drippers, etc. for mixing and observing reactants

- heating apparatus (bunsen burner, sand bath, oil bath)

- distillation equipment for separation and purification of chemicals, used mainly in syntheses.

 

Quantitative equipment: burettes for titration. You definitely have to understand how titrations work and how stoichiometry of reactions can be determined by means of titration, or how titration for known reactions can be used to measure concentration. Some examples: iodometric titration, acid/base indicator used in titration.

 

Read something about volumetric glassware and how it is used.

Read about measurement of heat of reactions: calorimetry. Also read about the problems in this and how systematic errors easily creep into measurements with this, e.g. by capacity of heat of the apparatus itself.

 

Then of course there are the more advanced things, such as gas chromatography, resonance spectra, UV-VIS measurements, absorption spectra. These, however, require costly and large equipment, which the average mad scientist doesn't have in his basement ;-).

 

I hope this explanation helped a little. But be prepared, if you have to start from scratch without significant chemistry knowledge, then a lot of effort is needed.