Saylor Academy
Overview
Saylor Academy is a free resource to study various subjects. Some of these courses are ACE or NCCRS recommended for credit. In order to receive college credit, you need only pay the $5 SmarterProctoring proctoring fee to take the exam. Courses are self-paced and largely consist of various readings. These may be in PDF form or links to another site. If you like to study on the go, there is an app you can use. However, you must use a computer to take the actual exam or any quizzes that are part of the course itself. The quizzes do not impact your ability to pass the course and are there only as an additional study resource.
Controversy
Several of these courses, especially the business ones, are reported as being disjointed and poorly organized with missing links. The course content doesn't always align very well with the exam. Because of this, Saylor is often recommended as a "last resort" credit option. If you have other options, it's suggested you try those before attempting a Saylor course/exam. If you don't have other options, it's suggested that you put in additional time studying and/or use multiple resources to study from before attempting the exam.
Study Suggestions
Review the table of contents from the Saylor course and skim through lengthy material. Grab a textbook from the library and review the same details as well as an extra resource.
Enter your own Coles Notes version of the details you're studying for review and helping you remember info. One thing I do is, create a second Saylor account for practice final exam, to see how I do. This is because, if you fail the practice exam, you have to wait 14 days for the proctored final, it hinders your speed. And the second reason is, it will tell you what you need work on, you're familiar with possible questions for the final.
Note: The practice final questions are not going to be identical to the proctored final. Having a second account isn't cheating and it's giving you an extra practice set to "gauge" where you're at. Hope this helps, more practice testing is where it's all at to pass any proctored exam. Example: TECEP for Network Technology actually uses the Saylor Course as a free resource. I'll use the Saylor course for review, but will use a Network+ study guide for good measure.
Equivalencies
| Saylor Course | Credits | TESU Equivalency | Excelsior Equivalency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art Appreciation | |||
| BUS105: Managerial Accounting | |||
| Business Ethics | |||
| Business Law | |||
| Business Statistics | |||
| C++ Programming | |||
| Calculus I | |||
| College Success | |||
| Computer Communications and Networks | |||
| Corporate Communication | 3 | COM-202 Intro to Business Communications | |
| Critical Thinking | |||
| CS302: Software Engineering | 3 | CIS-351 Software Engineering | |
| Customer Service | 3 | APS-299 Special Topics in Applied Science and Technology | |
| Environmental Ethics, Justice, and World Views | |||
| Introduction to Business | |||
| Introduction to Comparative Politics | |||
| Introduction to Computer Science I | |||
| Introduction to Computer Science II | |||
| Introduction to Electromagnetism | |||
| Introduction to Financial Accounting | |||
| Introduction to Mechanics | |||
| Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology | |||
| Introduction to Political Science | |||
| Introduction to Psychology | |||
| Introduction to Python | |||
| Introduction to Sociology | |||
| Introduction to Statistics | |||
| Introduction to Western Political Thought | |||
| Management Information Systems | 3 | CIS-201 Management Information Systems | |
| Moral and Political Philosophy | |||
| Operations Management | 3 | OPM-301 Operations Management Course was preplanned but not taken, actual transfer equivalency could vary. |
|
| Organizational Behavior | 3 | MAN-212 Organizational Behavior | |
| Principles of Finance | |||
| Principles of Human Communication | |||
| Principles of Macroeconomics | |||
| Principles of Management | 3 | MAN-210 Principles of Management | |
| Principles of Marketing | |||
| Principles of Microeconomics | |||
| Project Management | 3 | MAN-435 Project Management | |
| Public Relations | |||
| Small Business Management | |||
| Strategic Information Technology | |||
| World Regional Geography |