Credit by Examination | Distance Learning Systems (DLSI)

Credit by Examination Options

While attending college is now standard. In the past, you were privileged to attend a university. Today, however, most kids are expected to at least study at a community college. Even grownups are feeling the pressure to acquire higher education and return to college. Unfortunately, traditional college isn’t an option for everyone. High tuition, work schedules and family life often make it hard to begin or resume college. Thankfully, there are alternatives! Credit by examination is one alternative that many teens and grownups are starting to take seriously. Here are your credit by exam options.

You are probably acquainted with some CBEs already, like the AP analyze or CLEP examinations. But now, there are more than 30 new credit-bearing tests, as well as additional choices like the PLA, and non-credit keeping tests that can help you land a job.

Excelsior College Exams have been around for more than 40 years. And compared with CLEP and DSST tests, your ECE ranking comes from a domestically approved college, Excelsior College. Even better, more than 2500 universities agree to Excelsior College Exams for credit ranking.
You’ve obtained abilities and information in your life and on the job. Why not generate credit for what you already know? The PLA allows you to convert the information you’ve obtained in the real world through tasks, social and military involvement, helping out, separate research and even interests into college credit. A Prior Learning Assessment is more than just a test. It’s a process that universities use to assess what you’ve discovered outside the class room for the objective of giving educational credit. And there is not just one type of PLA. You can choose different kinds of PLA to fit your style and your price range.
Are you looking for a way to show prospective companies that you’ve got what it takes to succeed? Then we think you will be enthusiastic about the CLA+. It’s a computer-administered, open-ended examination developed to confirm how powerful your critical thinking, systematic reasoning, problem-solving, studying and ability as a copywriter are.

Tuition Assistance and DANTES Credit By Examination

Members of the National Guard are qualified to get Higher education tuition assistance (TA) for educational purposes, such as up to 100 percent coverage for college programs taken during off-duty time. The National Guard provides guardsmen several programs to support their education and learning goals such as up to 100% TA for college programs taken during off-duty time. According to location, members may get state funded rewards for education and learning based on individual state guidelines and eligibility (i.e. TA, waivers, exceptions, education loan repayment, DANTES Credit By Examination). The following is a brief summary of National Guard tuition advantages for each service.

State College tuition assistance – While some states don’t provide TA transaction, many have additional tuition rewards with varied quantities of funds available. To find out what advantages are offered in your state, visit the Air National Guard ANG Benefits web site.
Go Army Ed (Activated Guard and Reserve) – If triggered, you will be qualified to get Military Higher education tuition assistance for Active Duty and Activated Reserve/Guard. The program provides 100% tuition and fees up to $250 per Term Credit Time and $166 for each Quarter Credit Time, with an annual cap of $4,500.
Air National Guard (ANG) – The ANG provides to its members access to all DANTES credit-by-examination programs, Community College of the Air Forces Associate Degree programs, FTA for online applications and state education and learning advantages.
State college tuition assistance – The same as the ARNG, not all states provide transaction of TA for ANG, although many provide extra rewards in varying quantities.
Air Force College tuition assistance (Activated Guard and Reserve) – If triggered, you will become qualified for Air Force TA for Active Duty and Activated Reserve/Guard. The same hats apply as described above under Go Army Ed TA.

The Credit by Examination Approach

Too many students are targeted on the classes they need to take – English, Psychology, Chemistry and Accounting. It’s simple to see why. Pick up a college course book and you will see that degree programs are set out as series of classes to take. Successfully pass them all and you graduate with the degree you desired. Yet, this is actually a superficial way to look at higher education. As it turns out, classes are not the real foundations of degrees – credits are.

Take a closer look at your college’s course book. What you will see is that you actually need a certain number of credits to graduate, usually 60 for an associate degree and 120 for a bachelor’s. This is a key understanding, because once you move your focus from classes to credits, you can begin studying methods to buy them for less. The costly classes your university provides are just one way of getting those credits, even though most learners thoughtlessly believe it’s the only way.

In reality, there are three methods to generate higher education credit:

Classes at four year colleges/private universities
Classes at community colleges
Credit by examination

Most students are acquainted with the first two choices. But hardly anyone knows about credit by examination and even less understand its complete prospective.

Credit by examination represents college-level topic assessments like CLEP and DSST. With this strategy, you take a large test covering a whole topic rather than a semester-long course. Successfully pass the examination and you generate credit just as if you had taken the class. What this implies is that you can possibly cut lots of money off the price of finishing by replacing as many of these examinations for classes as your higher education will allow. Unfortunately, many colleges and universities have tight “residency requirements” restricting how many credits you can get this way.

Military Benefits and Dantes Credit by Examination

While going to college is now standard, in the past, you were blessed to be able to go to a university. Today, however, most kids are expected to at least study at a college or university. Even grownups are feeling the pressure to acquire higher education and return to college. Unfortunately, traditional college is not an option for everyone, especially for the military servicemen. Great college tuition, work plans, and family lifestyle often make it hard to start or continue college. Fortunately, there are alternatives! Dantes Credit by examination is one alternative that many teenagers and grownups are starting to take seriously.

Credit by examination means that you can get credit for some of the things you already know. Adult scholars, especially, have obtained knowledge outside of the academic setting from the office and life experience. For example, if you show that you already understand college arithmetic, you can test out of that class and claim three credits. This method of earning college credit has been around for the last three decades and is becoming more extensive. Although credit by examination assessments like College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) were initially designed toward army employees, both are now open to civilians.

Nearly 3,000 schools accept credits earned from the assessments, but not all schools do. To be prepared, check your college’s policy to make sure credits will transfer. College credit exams are widely approved by institutions. By passing these exams, you may earn one-third or more of the attributes required for a degree. These exams are available in more than 150 subjects and are similar to end-of-course assessments offered by colleges. The American Council on Education (ACE) suggests college credit for the following credit-by-examination programs. In most cases your examination results are sent to the appropriate army academic records system (i.e., SMART, CCAF, AARTS, Coast Guard Institute). This will make simpler the transcript request procedure when you start the college registration process.

Students in the Military and Credit by Exam

The recent Federal Fund Sequester has resulted in price range deductions across many government-run programs. And for a while, it was threatening college tuition assistance for active military members and veterans. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Early in April, both the Army and Marine Corps revoked their Tuition Assistance (TA) programs, preventing active-duty military employees from submitting new requests for assistance. The Air Force then followed suit, suspending their own assistance. The Navy considered the revocation, but has not as of yet acted.

2. Only two weeks later, Congress elected to require military branches to provide college tuition assistance to all active-duty employees, thus preserving the system for those serving in the U.S. Air Force, Army and Marine Corps. The restoration of Tuition Assistance for active-duty members is a sign of the military’s commitment to education and improving minds among their ranks.

3. While both houses of Congress decided to reinstate Tuition Assistance across the board, no funds have been set aside to back up the move, so the three military branches that initially revoked assistance will have to figure out ways to implement sequestration price range deductions without touching Tuition Assistance.

The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), an organization dedicated to supporting military and veteran education, never stopped funding DSST examinations as an alternative to generate college credit. Their program remained a choice for soldiers looking for education cost assistance and quickly receive a degree.

Students in the military, as well as their partners, have the choice to generate credits up to 38 subjects through the DSST credit by exam program. And because this college credit opportunity is conveniently located at more than 500 military installations across the nation, thousands of military employees have already experienced the power of DSST tests. Over 1,900 higher-education institutions grant higher education credit to those who take and pass their credit by exam programs, helping to drive those who fight for our nation toward their degree, learning and career goals.

Taking Advantage of Dantes Exam

Does it seem like you have a lot of classes remaining to take? One way to reduce your load to your degree is to take a CLEP or a DANTES exam. You test for a class and get credit for that class. For example, if you need a social science elective or a history class, by taking the CLEP Social Science/History examination, you will get optional credit for HIST and SOCI, as long as you successfully pass the exam. Some people are confused at having to take 2 history classes, so they take a CLEP examination and test out of one of the history needed classes.

CLEP examinations are taken on the computer. The test time is 90 minutes. The cost is $65 for the test and there is an administration fee of $25. You may schedule a CLEP test two days before your preferred test time period. All you need to do is to call into the workplace and set the time and date. CLEP examinations are given Thursday thru Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. These time frames leave an estimated 2 hours to get you finalized in and authorized on the computer and then you have the 90 minutes for the exam. When the exam is finished, you will get a duplicate of your score; so you know if you have passed before you leave.

DANTES is a little different. A Dantes exam must be requested at least 2 weeks before your preferred test time period. The administration fee is due at the time you pay for your exam. That fee is $25. When your exam is already available, they will contact you to let you know it is ready and schedule enough the time and date you wish to take the examination. Dantes is an untimed exam, but most learners complete it within 90 moments. The day of your Dantes exam, you will pay $70.00 to Dantes by means of cashier’s check, credit card or money order. Dantes does not agree to private examinations. Again, you get credit for the class you successfully pass in the examination. It could take up to four weeks to get the results, so plan accordingly.

Advanced Credit by Exam

For learners who are studying individually, credit-by-exam programs like CLEP and DSST are popular ways to obtain college credit for their study. As they are provided in a wide range of topics, it’s possible to get the whole primary program of a bachelor’s degree done through these examinations, or to generate an associate’s degree this way. These examinations can save countless numbers in educational costs. However, one drawback to the CLEP examinations is that they are only provided for lower-degree college programs, as are most of the DSST examinations, although 11 of the DSSTs are for upper-degree credit. Anybody who wants to test entirely out of a bachelor’s degree is not out of luck. There are a variety of other options for getting upper-degree college credit by exam.

There are several Excelsior College Exams (ECEs) through which you can generate credit for upper-degree programs. At $240 for a 3-credit examination, they are more expensive than the CLEPs. However, they are provided in a variety of specific topics. Excelsior’s website details examinations which range from Anatomy and Physiology to World Conflicts Since 1900. A variety of medical examinations are provided.

Another choice for getting upper-degree credit-by-exam is the GRE tests. The General Test is mainly for business learners and the wide range of topic assessments contains Biochemistry, Chemistry, Biology and Computer Science. A variety of institutions offer undergraduate credit for these examinations, such as Excelsior, which provides 30 undergrad credits if you pass in the Eightieth percentile and Charter Oak State College, which provides 24 credits if you pass in the Fortieth percentile. The examinations are provided in Oct, Nov, and Apr. If you live outside of the US, they seem to be provided at a broader wide range of places than the CLEPs. This choice is also cost-effective at $140 in the US and $160 in other nations. How much money in college tuition would 30 credits cost at a brick-and-mortar university?

Dantes Credit by Examination 101

Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support or DANTES is an off-duty support program for the voluntary educational programs. DANTES credit by examination primary tasks includes providing the military employees all the necessary tools to help them achieve their personal education goals.

Programs and Services

Facilitate distribution of various exams, such as secondary university equivalency, college acceptance, and college credit to military employees.

Troops to instructors is a referral program to assist military employees interested in becoming public school instructors.

Computer Assisted Guidance Information System or DISCOVER provided to education center therapists who assist Service members with degree planning/career guidance.

Department of Defense contact to state Advisory Councils on Military Education and learning.

Conduct CONUS coaching classes.

Acquire and spread reference guides, coaching materials and other resources.

Manage the DoD Voluntary Education Management System, producing data for policy and budget reviews and knowledge for an annual voluntary education fact sheet

Handle higher education agreements with the American Council on Education and Service members Opportunity Colleges

Maintain contact between the active responsibility and Reserve elements through the Special Special Enlisted Advisor and Reserve Component Advisor

Organize preparing and performance of the DoD Worldwide Education Symposium

Provide distance learning catalogs listing programs and courses offered by educational institutions properly approved to receive military tuition assistance

In general, although subject to specific Assistance guidelines, specified boundaries, yearly caps, and accessibility to financing, learners will be provided either up-front or reimbursable educational costs support which may cover 100% of their educational costs and charges. Contact your Service education counselors for current educational costs support guidelines and specifications, as these frequently change. And the liability to know and understand the policy falls on you. You should be aware that you may be required to make an individual payment to the university book store for guides and materials, this is not standard, but some educational institutions make a requisite of it. Although educational institutions accept to inform DANTES credit by examination before changing educational costs and generally attempt to avoid modifying charges during a college year, prices can change before they are joined into the distance learning catalogs. Remember to always check with the university to figure out the correct price before applying.

Earning Credits thru Credit by Examination

It is expected that applicants will be able to learn through experience and self-study, not offer a substitute for studying. There are web-based planning assistance programs that allow learners with no program and it allows learners to generate college credit when they have obtained an excellent quantity of studying on a particular topic. On the internet credit by examination prep programs can help you with credit by examination preparation. Before reattempting an exam of the identical subject, learners should consider the purpose of the prep program to know how to best prepare for the next exam.

Pace yourself over the course of your credit by examination study; avoid cramming the evening before, appear well-rested with their appropriate course and confirm their significant details. Custom-tailor study programs understand that what you need with the sample assessments is to allow you to know that they offer a realistic look at what each evaluation is. Many learners would like to take benefits of credit by examination due to the financial benefits of this, so check with your educational consultant to see what your university views as a passing grade.

The individuals who run these programs remain up to date on credit by examinations. Use the procedure of elimination to find out solutions on all questions, all the details on study guides is found that way. Getting ready before you choose on taking a credit by examination test can help obtain useful college credits and not waste cash in the process! It really is essential to suit your needs to keep the right systematic and assessment abilities and be able to apply information of the subjects to various circumstances and problems.

Dantes Credit by Examination

Members of the army have the opportunity to earn one-third or more of the credit needed for a college degree through the “Credit-by-Exam” system provided through DANTES. Dantes Credit by Examination, commonly approved by schools, can save your funds as you engage in your academic objectives. Available in more than 150 subjects, they are much like assessments given at the end of any college course. Before getting any of these assessments, it’s sensible to check with the school or higher education you plan to be present at to make sure the credit will meet your stage specifications.

Here are six benefits of getting these exams:

Helps you to save Cash – While a typical college course can cost over $100 per credit, DANTES Credit-by-Exam assessments are free.
Helps you to save Time – The common course contains between three and six hours per week over the course of three or more months. Based on your detail of knowledge, planning time for each exam could be less than a month.
Allows You to Skip Forward – Instead of buying boring freshman-level classes, you can leap right ahead to more interesting innovative ones.
Study Groups – Search for people in your unit with similar objectives and meet together on lunchtime breaks.
Doesn’t Require College Enrollment – It is not necessary to be registered in a college to take these assessments.
Versatility – You can choose your own study materials and set your own work deadlines.

There are three types of exams:

CLEP – There are 14 CLEP exams, which are available as paper-based assessments at participating DANTES Test Facilities.
DSST – These are a comprehensive sequence of examinations in topics that are much like finals in undergrad programs.
ECE – While most are objective multiple-choice questions, some ECE examinations are completely essay based. In addition to information and terminology, these assessments analyze use of essential ideas and abilities.