DANTES' DSST Exams for Soldiers
Posted : Thursday January 1, 1970
DSST Quick Facts
What is it?
DANTES Subject Standardized TestsCredit-by-Exam
Who qualifies?
Anyone, but designed with military personnel in mindCredit toward?
College Courses, DegreesCost?
About $70Subjects (Broad)
MathScience
Business
Technology
Humanities
Accepted?
Thousands of schools nationallyEarn College Credit Without Classes
Whatever your MOS, you've earned valuable skills and career training in the Army that could lead to military advancement and a solid civilian career after your separation. Earning a college degree will validate your skills, prove that you have the dedication and drive to succeed and improve career opportunities (not to mention salary potential). Fortunately, many soldiers are able to earn at least some of this college credit without ever enrolling in classes. Through DANTES and its DSST Credit by Exam program, you can get credit for your military experience faster and easier than through traditional college courses.
How DSST Exams Work
While DANTES offers resources and soldier funding for a variety of standardized tests-such as the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), the GMAT, and more-it created and maintains its own line of tests geared toward students. These tests were designed to award soldiers with college credit through testing rather than traditional classes, meaning you can get a head start on your degree without setting foot in a classroom. Through DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSSTs), military personnel can earn credit in 37 different college subjects.
DSST exams are worth 3 college semester credit hours and essentially replace their equivalent courses. In other words, participating colleges and career schools will likely accept a passing score on the Principles of Financial Accounting exam in lieu of an introductory accounting course. Credit and grades are determined annually by the American Council for Education (ACE), which hosts a number of military-friendly education programs.
DSST exams are worth 3 college semester credit hours and essentially replace their equivalent courses. In other words, participating colleges and career schools will likely accept a passing score on the Principles of Financial Accounting exam in lieu of an introductory accounting course. Credit and grades are determined annually by the American Council for Education (ACE), which hosts a number of military-friendly education programs.
DSST Testing Options for Active-Duty Soldiers
The DSST exams are administered on more than 500 military installations and are supervised by a DANTES Test Control Officer (TCO)- typically your Education Services Officer. There are a number of college-based and national testing centers that offer DSST testing as well, though DANTES may not cover the registration or exam fees for tests taken in civilian facilities. While some locations offer paper-based testing, DANTES recently introduced Internet-Based Test (IBT) at others, allowing for instant test scores and faster data transfer to colleges and universities.
Start Earning College Credit for Your Military Experience
If you'd like to begin earning college credit for your military experience through DANTE's DSST testing program, contact your Education Services Officer to determine your eligibility and to find a testing center near you. Many bases offer study and test preparation materials as well.
Complete List of DANTES-Funded DSST Exams
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
