DSST | Distance Learning Systems (DLSI)

DSST Credit by Exam

While the DSST program offers a total of 37 examinations in unique subject matter, the 10 examination titles releasing with new material are: Substance Abuse, Introduction to Computing, Ethics in America, Criminal Justice, Personal Finance, Management Information Systems, Here’s to Your Health, Fundamentals of College Algebra, Principles of Statistics and Introduction to World Religions. A rejuvenated practice examination is also available for each title.

Regular material up-dates keep the DSST examinations certified with the extensive requirements of the American Council on Education (ACE), which suggests the examinations for credit, as well as appropriate to applicants and arranged university classes. It also increases the security and reliability of the examinations through protection of item overexposure.

“The universities that agree to DSST credits do so based on the capability of the examinations to coordinate up with certain course specifications, and this positioning is crucial to the success of the DSST program,” said Jean Steinke, DSST Senior Product Planner at Prometric. “College directors, giving programs and learners should be confident that the topic and material of all DSST examinations are indicative of course material and representative of a progressed level of information in any of the topic.”

Almost any adult who has gone back to school is familiar with credit by exam programs that allow them to earn college credit for life experience. The DSST program is Prometric’s exclusive program of 37 examinations while attending college subject matter such as Social Sciences, Math, Applied Technology, Business, Physical Sciences and Humanities. Learners who take and pass a DSST examination are given college credit applied toward their degree. DSST examinations are applied by more than 1,200 universities, colleges and military facilities globally and are recommended for school credit by the American Council on Education (ACE). Close to 2000 universities offer course credit for a passing grade on the DSSTs. Providing a simple and fast way for current or future students of any age to “short cut” their degree program by saving them the time of having to sit in a class and the money of having to pay for it by taking the credit by exam route.

The Focus on Credit by Examination

Too many students are targeted on the classes they need to take. English, Psychology, Chemistry, Accounting etc. It’s simple to see why. Choose 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, credits are the real foundations of degrees, not classes.

Take a closer look at your college’s course book. What you will see is that you actually need a certain variety 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 credit, you can begin researching 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 public 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 full potential. Credit by examination represents college-level subject assessments like CLEP and DSST. With this strategy, you take a large test covering an entire subject (say, English) rather than a semester-long course. Successfully pass the examination and you get 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 graduating by replacing as many of these examinations for classes as your college will allow. Unfortunately, many colleges and universities have tight “residency requirements” restricting how many attributes you can get this way.

Why High Schools Should Focus on Credit by Exam

What is “credit by exam,” such as CLEP, DSST, and AP? It represents a test one can take and earn college credits at participating universities. Some examinations can be taken at any age, while others have some age limitations. Here’s why credit by exam should be the focus on a high school?

Reduce College debt – This is the #1 reason we are concentrating on getting college credit without taking college classes! If we can pay $100 per examination, each being worth either three or six credits, it significantly reduces down the cost of a university education.

Pose a challenge – Since an honor student generally has done quite well in school, she is used to placing in 50% effort. This is a risky habit to pick up and giving her the task of passing a college level examination helps her step up her game.

Reduce the period of time in college – The earlier he or she can get started in “real life,” the more experience he or she can have as he or she gets to her primary adulthood. As a 30 year old, he or she could have ten years experience in a given field rather than six or eight. Decreasing the period of time in college also decreases some of the contact with the insane college lifestyle, in which many teenagers leave their principles for what seems fun and interesting in the moment.

Take a course once – There are many programs that a student would rather not do, such as Literature. Some students dislike literature with a passion and it’s definitely the topic in which they nag the most about things getting done. Now, does the student want to do literature once in high school, or have to do it again in college? If the student passes the examination, then he or she will not have to finish that same course in college. It’s a win-win situation!

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.

DANTES Exams and Civilians

A way of prior learning evaluation, DANTES offer learners an affordable, time preserving way to use their information obtained outside of the class room (perhaps from studying, on-the-job training, or separate study) to achieve their academic objectives. If you are like me, you look for methods to reduce costs while attending higher education. Although most of us know to shop for used books and test out of programs with CLEP examinations, those of us with no army qualifications may have little, if any, information of DANTES exam or otherwise known as DSST examinations. Until lately, DANTES exam (now known as DSST exam) was only for army employees. Fortunate for us citizens, now we get to take advantage of these examinations too! Why is this a good thing? More options, of course!

Here’s a list of DANTES Exam subjects:

Fundamentals of College Algebra
Principles of Statistics
Art of the Western World
Western Europe Since 1945
Introduction to the Modern Middle East
Human/Cultural Geography
Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union
A History of the Vietnam War
The Civil War and Reconstruction
Foundations of Education
Lifespan Developmental Psychology
General Anthropology
Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Introduction to Law Enforcement
Criminal Justice
Fundamentals of Counseling
Principles of Finance
Principles of Financial Accounting
Human Resource Management
Organizational Behavior
Principles of Supervision
Business Law II
Introduction to Computing
Introduction to Business
Money and Banking
Personal Finance
Management Information Systems
Business Mathematics
Astronomy
Here’s to Your Health
Environment and Humanity: The Race to Save the Planet
Principles of Physical Science I
Physical Geology
Technical Writing
Ethics in America
Introduction to World Religions
Principles of Public Speaking

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 Exam 101

Imagine this, it’s a shiny, warm day and things are going fairly well with school! You have gained several semesters’ worth of credit through CLEP assessments, and your feel very assured with the College Board’s technique of making credit. Actually, your assurance with the several option examinations is so great that you are considering changing your middle name to CLEP. Then, instantly, you see a threatening reasoning growing above. As you view your higher education design, something grabs your eye. Among the rest, helpful CLEP examinations, you see the characters DSST. Your heart stops. “What is this?” Before you have an anxiety attack, there’s something you should know. DSST, or DANTES exams, are no cause for alert. On the opposite, they are very just like CLEP assessments, and side-effects may consist of complications, throwing up, and stomach discomfort.

In all severity, DANTES exams are very much like CLEP examinations. I like to think of the distinction between CLEP and DANTES exams as being just like the distinction between Pepsi and Coke. While the appearance is a bit different and individuals have choices between the two manufacturers, they are incredibly identical and there are few real variations between the two drinks. Like CLEP examinations, DANTES exams are timed, multiple choice examinations and credit are granted on a pass/fail basis. As with CLEP assessments, there is no penalty for incorrect answers (they only check the right answers) and DANTES exams are usually available in a computer-based format. Containing between 80-120 questions, the duration of a DANTES examination is much like CLEP as well.

When you see DANTES test looming above, do not panic! Keep in mind, overall, the experience will be just like the CLEP examining encounter, and most make it out of the testing center unscathed. If you have any concerns or worry regarding DANTES exams, be sure to discuss with your trainer. They can rest your worries and walk you through the procedure and even provide recommendations to make the procedure simpler.

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.