Credit By Exam | Distance Learning Systems (DLSI)

Saving Money through the Dantes Exam

Distance learning works under the supposition that you do not have to sit in a classroom in order to learn. You can study anywhere, at any time and then test your knowledge using consistent assessments. If you score well enough, you “pass” and generate credit. Some learners may want to finish their whole degree through distance learning. However, you do not have to take an all-or-nothing strategy. Many institutions allow you to test out of at least some programs and have credit used.

CLEP examinations are the most popular way to test out of entry-level higher education courses. For a 90 minute test that costs just $77, you can earn between 3 and 12 credit hours! Nearly 3000 approved institutions nation-wide award credit score for at least some CLEP examinations. CLEP examinations cover 33 topics including biology, Spanish, calculus and American literary works. Excluding language and structure CLEP examinations, the examinations are made up of multiple choice questions.

There is also the Dantes Exam or Dantes Subject Standardized Tests (DSST). These assessments were initially designed for the army, but citizens can now take them. Like CLEPs, Dantes exams cost a portion of earning credit typically. Dantes exams are $80* for a 3 credit-hour examination and many of the test are even granted upper-level credit! Nearly 2000 institutions across the country accept some Dantes exams for credit. Dantes exams cover 38 topics such as “Human Resource management,” “Principle of Statistics,” and “The Rise and Fall of Soviet Russia.” These examinations are more challenging than CLEPs, but are in multiple choice forms. Though Dantes need studious planning, you can research at your own speed with the components you choose.

Dantes Exam

Earning a degree while finishing army service can be extremely challenging. Military responsibilities can make it increasingly difficult to study regularly and experts can also struggle to finish their undergrad degrees while attempting to handle work, family and educational responsibilities simultaneously. Fortunately, there is a widely used option that allows learners to finish their degree in a timelier manner. DANTES exams grant credit-by-examination, allowing learners to earn transferable credit by passing an examination in topics that they’ve already perfected, rather than having to join long, time intensive and repetitive courses. DANTES exams (now known as DSST exams), and the colleges that support them, can save army personnel a lot of money.

The DANTES evaluation was the unique name of a type of credit-by-examination that permitted learners to generate credit for subjects they could confirm they already completed via qualified testing. DANTES examinations are now known as DSST examinations and are just like AP examinations taken in secondary school. Moving a DSST / DANTE evaluation allows the student to generate higher education credit without having to take an excellent course in the same subject. Earning attributes via DANTES or DSST examining can cut out the time required to complete a degree, enabling learners to graduate a term or in some cases even years earlier than expected, saving lots of money in educational costs.

There are also two other, quite identical types of credit-by-examination frequently used by Active Duty army members and experts called CLEP and ECE.

Credit by Exam in Military College

One technique of higher education credit that is used and not known by many service members is credit by exam. Credit by exam is very easy, you organize to take a test, and then depending on the pass/fail of test, you will either have credit granted to you or not. The best part is that any expenses that are normally billed for credit by exam programs are often handled by the army. So you are able to take examinations, have the army pay for the exam charges, and then any examinations that you generate a passing grade will provide you higher education credit toward your academic objectives. Taking CLEP examinations are easy. You simply organize with your control or platform knowledge workplace for the time frame and date of the examination. On the day of the exam, you have to carry with you a main image ID (your Military ID card or state released license) and a secondary ID with you to the examination grounds or test area. Many people have the training and learning or experience to be able to complete some of the examinations that are available, but because it is not a well-known program or they are uninformed that such applications are available, then, they do not take benefits of credit by exam possibilities.

The exams are often administered by DANTES, or the Defense Activity for Non Traditional Education team. They assist and are one of the major sponsors for the exams, and help organize a time and place for army service members to take them. College evaluation applications, or CLEP examining, are exams that are available for any employees in the army who desire to take them. It is an excellent way to monetize upon your experience and data, and to obtain and generate college credit by successfully passing the test.

DANTES Credit By Exam

The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support or DANTES has credit by exam tests known as DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST). They were initially produced to ensure that the U.S. Military’s enlisted soldiers, mariners, airmen and Marine Corps could earn college credit while serving on active duty in locations with no traditional schools. Prior to the internet, service people needed to depend on limited on-base educational possibilities. Frequent alterations in duty stations managed to be tricky to establish residency. The DSSTs assisted to fix this issue by enabling military students to accelerate their degree programs by generating college credit by showing their understanding via testing.

After DANTES sub-contracted the DSST program to Prometric, the DSST grew to become open to non-military personnel. These exams are pretty similar to the College Level Examination Program or CLEP and they’re recognized by many schools for credit provided the minimum cutoff score is accomplished. Like the CLEP program, the majority of the exams cover courses normally trained in the newcomer and sophomore level. This allows students to try out of huge sections of their first couple of years of college.

Students desiring to make use of the DSST program should consult the Prometric web site to find the position of the nearest testing site. The price for every DSST is $80.00. However, many schools and native testing sites frequently charge a nearby fee of $15 to $25. Each examination provides the examinee the chance to earn three credit hours at traditional schools and colleges provided the examinee has accomplished an appropriate score. Each test includes a score, established with a formal validating procedure that fits to some passing grade. One part of the DSST that’s not the same as the CLEP examination is the fact that DSST scores happen to be scaled. Scores over the passing score are qualified for letter grades of B along with A when the college or university takes part for that manner. One prominent distance education college, Excelsior College, does participate and enables students to build up a GPA through testing.

Ways to Save Time and Tuition Fees

You will find several kinds of Credit by Exam options. Listed here are five of the very popular:

College Level Examination Program (CLEP). CLEP is easily the most popular option and it has exams in liberal arts, languages, business, science and math. The completed exams are transferable to just about all colleges for either 3 or 6 units. The CLEP website offers practice tests, study guides and locations of test centers. Costs for CLEP and all sorts of other Credit by Exam choices are usually under $100/test.
DSST Exams. DSST Exams formerly were known as DANTES Exams and were just for military personnel. Today, DSST Exams in liberal arts, business, education and criminal justice can be found to the student, traditional or adult student. Test prep and test locations are online.
Excelsior College Exams or UExcel Exams have numerous tests in areas not included in CLEP or DSST, including Nursing and upper division (junior and senior year) business exams.
Thomas Edison College Examination Program (TECEP) is another method to earn credit for formerly learned understanding. You will find Upper Division exams in Network Technology and business, in addition to exams in PR (public relations), Nutrition and Technical Writing.
Challenge exams originate from the local college or university. If you’re already enrolled in a college and wish to “test out”, your college may offer this other option. Often, a student will go ahead and take the challenge exam, get a listing of study materials and go ahead and take the final exam. The minimum score for that challenge exam is generally 75% or 80% to become counted as credit.

Accelerating Your Degree Plan

Wish you can go back to college but think this is an impossible dream? Using the arrival of learning online and growing versatility, you will find now a lot more possibilities to students. Included in this are credit by exam and advanced positioning, getting credit for military, corporate, or professional training, and receiving credit for life experience through portfolio evaluation. These options generally cost under a conventional class education and may assist saving a significant amount of money and time toward a university degree.

Are you aware that you are able to “skip” many core courses and receive credit on their behalf through college credit exams and advanced positioning? College credit by exam is broadly recognized by schools and colleges. By passing these exams, people can earn one-third or a lot of credits needed for any degree. These exams can be found in a lot more than 150 subject matter and act like final exams provided by schools and colleges. Credit by exam is really a relatively fast, inexpensive method to receive college credit. There’s a little fee involved for these exams.

Here is an example of a credit by exam program. The College Board offers exams particularly for college students who would like to earn college credit when preparing for college entrance. Exams in 13 subject matters can be found. Based on the Board, almost one-fifth of scholars entering four-year schools are qualified for credit through Advanced Positioning. The AP (Advanced Positioning) Program provides testing in arts and languages, computer science, history, mathematics, natural sciences, and social sciences. Most exams are multiple choice or essay questions and may take 2 to 3 hrs to accomplish. Each exam costs $87 however; you will find state and school district subsidies that could cover the costs. AP exams are specifically useful for the adult student who’s going to or has completed a GED (General Education Diploma) and will also be entering college.

Credit by Exam – Explained

Credit by Exam give learners credits that go toward earning an associate’s level, bachelor’s level or higher education and trade or vocational certification. Students take the examinations needed in their chosen field of study, which evaluates their knowledge in the subject. Testing sites throughout the US bring in The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and Advanced Placement (AP) examinations at various times during the year. Most institutions consider the credits gained by the Credit by Exam program as transfer credits, so the school policies determine the gained credits for the degree. ACE or the American Council on Education grants other examinations acknowledged for higher education credit, such as the Excelsior College Exams and Dante’s Subject Standardized assessments, among others.

Most mature learners have experience in the labor force that can go for a degree program, saving them the time it takes to receive a four-year degree. Many mature learners generate up to 40 credits toward a degree program through testing. Another advantage of the Credit by Exam system is the money stored on expenses. Older students have families to provide for and spending under 100 dollars for an exam, help them to save thousands for higher education courses. These exams also help older learners who have already earned a degree but have been in the workplace for a period of time. They can generate training credits using their work experience and specific skills.

Many adults are not confident enough to take these examinations because they taken any exams for a while. This is especially true of those searching for healthcare occupations, such as nursing because of the specialized and healthcare information required to complete the examinations. Programs are available to help get ready for the examinations in particular higher education areas if individual preparation is difficult or if students feel anxious on textbook learning.

Guide to Credit By Exam

When you are learning new material, college courses could be exciting, even fun. However when you have a listing of needed courses to accomplish your degree and a number of them cover understanding you’ve already learned at work, from reading during your free time, as well as subjects taught in high school, then it may be frustrating to need to cover exactly the same ground, particularly when having to pay for that privilege! This is exactly why credit by exam is a great option for all students. You will find a variety of programs that permit students who already have a strong command of the particular concept to pass a standardized test in it, and treat that credit like transfer credit.

It’s not entirely picture perfect, obviously. While credit by exam is definitely an excellent shortcut, not all school accepts it. Schools that do frequently place a restriction on how much credit could be gained by doing this, and students who wish to make the most of it have to remain conscious of possible overlap between the exams that interest them and also the training they may take or be prepared to take later on. You will find an unexpected quantity of credit by exam programs. An example of a popular program is the College Level Examination Program or CLEP. Another one is the Foreign Language Achievement Testing Service or FLATS. Another is known as DANTES.

Keep in mind that while credit by exam could be a great way to save time, not every school and college accepts it. If haven’t signed up for a college but intend to do this, make certain you speak at length with prospective schools to make sure you will not be disappointed. And when you are already signed up for a college, talk to your academic consultant or counselor to make certain that any tests you need to take will affect your degree program. There are also educational publishing companies that can provide specific study guides for these particular courses that you can test out of with ease and confidence by investing a little in your test preparation to guarantee your success. Best of luck and happy test taking!

Credit By Exam is the Answer to Lessen Educational Expenses

If you’re a twenty-first century student, you might be facing concerns within the rising price of a university degree and the possibilities of future college debt. You might be wondering, can one achieve my education goals but still try to contain costs? Meanwhile, President Obama is lobbying for increased degree completion as part of labor force development.

For a lot of university students, one solution might be a sleeping giant: credit by exam, a legitimate and price-effective way of generating credit for college-level learning. For several years, the military has marketed credit by exam programs among service people going after greater education. For vibrant students taking advanced courses, related exams might help them obtain a jump on college credit. But college-level exams are broadly readily available for any ambitious university student – not only for advanced highschoolers and military people.

Like a student consumer, it’s vital that you make certain a test program you select continues to be examined through the American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT), which supplies course equivalency information to facilitate college credit award choices. ACE CREDIT is a vital stamp of approval for exams and training taken outdoors of traditional degree programs. Additionally, you may even wish to understand the variations among test programs: ECEs, for example, would be the only exams developed and given by a certified college, and ECE answers are reported like a letter grade on the college transcript.

Credit by exam programs may benefit schools and colleges too. Traditional institutions facing overcrowding or faculty shortages may use credit by examination like a tool to retain students and help them in degree completion. Ultimately, such out-of-the-box solutions may benefit you, a student, and also the institutions dedicated to your ability to succeed. Now more than ever before, credit by exam programs is progressively important alongside traditional and internet-based course act as a legitimate way of showing your college-level understanding.

Who Benefits from Credit by Exam Programs

Most students who are older than 25, possess some previous college experience, and work full-time. And also the common denominator in distance students is motivation. The course completion rate of these students surpasses those of students signed up for traditional campus courses.

Consequently, the Federal Government and companies have to pay special attention to the educational needs of working individuals. The government has reduced educational funding rules to supply more funds for distance students. Meanwhile, wise companies help employees with the amount through tuition compensation. A company will keep its employees on-site and generate goodwill by getting the class towards the worker, instead of forcing the worker to make use of personal or vacation time for you to attend class in a campus on company time.

These are the common benefactors of Credit By Exam Programs:

Working Adults – Since most American university students are older than 25 and hold jobs, these students have dedication to spending so much time, and supporting their own families.
Licensed Medical Personnel-The normal on/off change time for Licensed Medical Personnel excludes them from traditional class agendas. Many health-care-related programs happen to be designed to meet their arranging needs.
Companies – Companies have discovered that credit by examination programs can enhance worker retention without getting a substantial effect on educational budgets.
Students – Students be capable of supplement senior high school choices with credit by examination programs. While high schools attempt to accommodate probably the most advanced students, they can’t always offer college level courses or an array of Advanced Positioning courses.
University Students – With proficiency tests created by collegiate students in designated fields, colleges feel safe in giving credit for passing scores in credit by examination programs.
Military Personnel – Realizing that lots of enlistees have getting instruction like a primary goal, the Department of Defense makes credit by examination tests on most military bases totally free.