The Introduction to World Religions DSST was a breeze. It’s a popular one to take, one I was interested in too, so I overstudied. Scored a 477, my best score on a DSST.
How I overstudied was by reading the Idiot’s Guide to Religion. It’s a good book, it just contains way more than you need to know to pass. There are many religions, and to try to cover all of them in great detail is not the best use of your time if you’re only looking for a passing score: especially if you’re in a hurry to move onto the next exam.
Here’s a large breakdown of the exam so you know what religions to most prepare for.
Christianity covers 18%, Islam 16%, and Judaism 16%. Those are the big three, so at least make sure you make them a big part of your focus. If you have a background in any of those, it will be to your advantage.
Hinduism and Buddhism both cover 10%, Confucianism 6% and Taoism 4%. The first two are significant, but no need to read about the last two in great detail.
As for the other areas: Religious Movements 8%, Indigenous Religions 6%, Definition and Origins of Religion 6%.
Using the Instant Cert cards only is enough to pass. Looking back, I would have done just that and skipped the Idiot’s Guide, using the time saved to study for another exam.
For a list of everything you should know, check out Snazzlefrag’s notes on free-clep-prep.com. I think someone could pass knowing everything on that list alone; maybe not enough for a high score, but enough to earn 3 credits.
Also on free-clep-prep you can take a practice test if you sign up for free.
And if your’e looking for more practices tests, there’s always Peterson’s.
In closing, don’t be intimidated by this one. I’d not only fit it into your degree plan because it’s easy, but because it’s interesting and relevant.
Cheers
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