The DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST) exams are a way for learners to quickly gain college level credit for experienced and knowledge already gained. The learner can take an exam which may be computer based or paper based, depending on the test and the testing center.

Colleges have their own acceptance policy for accepting DSST exams. Some colleges only accept a certain amount of credits from examinations; some will only accept examinations that were taken while the learner was enrolled in the college.

There are some colleges that have no limits on the amount of credit received through examinations. For instance Excelsior University in Albany New York and Thomas Edison State College of Trenton New Jersey are no residency colleges that accept 100% credits from examinations. These are fully regionally accredited colleges that will get you into graduate school. 

There are many reasons learners want to take DSST exams:

1.It saves time! Learners can take these exams with knowledge they might have learned elsewhere, for instance in High School.

2.It saves money! DSST exams only cost $70. That is much cheaper than most courses, even at many community colleges.

3.Satisfy a proficiency requirement! How many learners have questioned the need to take a course that they don’t believe fits into their college goals?

Here is a brief list of subjects available through DSST examinations:

Business

• Business Law II
• Business Mathematics
• Human Resource Management
• Introduction to Business
• Introduction to Computing
• Management Information Systems
• Money and Banking
• Organizational Behavior
• Personal Finance
• Principles of Finance
• Principles of Financial Accounting
• Principles of Supervision

Humanities

• Ethics in America
• Introduction to World Religions
• Principles of Public Speaking

Applied Technology

• Technical Writing

Mathematics

• Fundamentals of College Algebra

Physical Science

• Astronomy
• Environment and Humanity: The Race to Save the Planet
• Here's to Your Health
• Physical Geology
• Principles of Physical Science I
• Principles of Statistics

Social Sciences

• A History of the Vietnam War
• An Introduction to the Modern Middle East
• Art of the Western World
• Western Europe: Since 1945
• Criminal Justice
• Drug and Alcohol Abuse
• Foundations of Education
• Fundamentals of Counseling
• General Anthropology
• Human Cultural Geography
• Introduction to Law Enforcement
• Lifespan Developmental Psychology
• Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union
• The Civil War and Reconstruction

There are enough DSST when combined with CLEP exams for a learner to earn a Bachelor’s degree. Some of the DSST exams offer upper level under graduate credit!

Taking DSST exams require discipline. It requires learners to practice adult learning principles and self-study. Study aids are available for free at many different sites. There are also books available at many book stores that contain practice exams.

For more information visit:

http://www.getcollegecredit.com/materials.htm (many free sample exams and study aids)

http://www.tesc.edu

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