College Credit by Examination (DSST)

Graduate sooner and save tuition assistance with DSST exams.

DSST exams are college subject tests that you can take to earn college credit for knowledge you have already learned outside of a traditional classroom saving you both tuition assistance (TA) funds and time towards your college degree*. DSST exams are managed by Prometric; there are more than 37 subject exams to choose from in a variety of subject areas. Military members can use these exams to further their educational goals – no matter where you are stationed.

For more than 30 years, DANTES has offered and supported voluntary educational programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of War; and because the exams are funded by DANTES, you simply must give the program a try. We just ask that you speak with a Services' education counselor to make sure the exam is accepted towards your degree program and, of course, please study before taking an exam. DANTES does not pay for a retest, if you do not pass.

*College credit recommendations for these exams are made through the American Council on Education (ACE) and are subject to the acceptance of individual academic institutions.

Program Eligibility

 

Service Members: All "actively-serving" members of the U.S. Military Services, including the National Guard, Reserve components, Coast Guard, and Coast Guard Reserve members must have and maintain a valid government-issued Common Access Card (CAC) to be eligible for DANTES funding.

U.S. Coast Guard Spouses: Spouses of active duty and Coast Guard Reserve members must have and maintain the Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card, DD Form 1173 to be eligible for DANTES funding.

Air Force Civil Service Employees: Non-contract Air Force civilian employees are eligible for DANTES-sponsored CLEP testing, but must test at on-base or at fully-funded test centers.

Personnel not funded by DANTES include the following:

  • Inactive Guard, Inactive Reserve, and Coast Guard Auxiliary
  • Military Retirees
  • Separated/Discharged Veterans
  • DoW Acquisition Workforce Personnel
  • Spouses, Dependents, and Civil Service employees of active duty Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force
  • Spouses, Dependents, and Civil Service employees of National Guard and Reserve components
  • Employees of the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Reserve

Student Benefits

 
  • Earn college credit for your prior knowledge and training
  • Reduce course completion time; the average exam takes only a few hours vs. 8-15 weeks in-classroom or online
  • Decrease time to complete your degree; reduces the number of courses taken to complete your degree
  • Save money; DANTES funds one attempt per exam title for eligible examinees
  • Avoid tuition assistance (TA) costs for courses replaced by credit earned through testing
  • Find your exam scores on your military transcript, also known as the Joint Services Transcript (JST) or Community College of the Air Force (CCAF)
  • Get FREE test prep and study materials provided online, via mobile apps, and at installation libraries and education centers
  • Know your score instantly for most exams

Prep for Your Exam

 

Speak with an Education Counselor

Your first step when considering a CLEP exam is to contact a Services' Education Counselor to determine if the exam you want to take will meet your degree requirements and if your college will accept this type of credit.

Prometric DSST Study Resources

Gain insight into what's on your test with Free DSST exam fact sheets. These tools provide an overview of the exam subject, references to use, and practice questions to answer.

You can also get study material and try one of DSST's Free online practice exams from the Prometric website.

DoD MWR Libraries

Veterans, military service members and their families can access free test preparation materials through the DoD MWR Digital Library. EBSCO Learning Express specifically offers DoD Test Prep materials.

Fees & Retesting

 

Exam Fees

For eligible test examinees, DANTES provides upfront funding of DSST test fees for the first attempt on all exam titles.

Retesting Policy

Retests are not funded by DANTES. If military test takers want to retake an exam, previously funded by DANTES, a three-month wait and self-payment of the current exam fee and administrative fees are required of the examinee by the test center. Those members who retest should use the "public/civilian" test registration procedures to pay for their test costs.

Find a Test Center

 

There are two types of test centers:

  • Fully-Funded: Test centers may be located on or off base. DANTES funds the administration and test fees for service members.
  • Test Fee Only: Test centers are off-base colleges and universities that provide testing. DANTES funds the test fee. Service members are responsible for paying the administration fee. Fees vary by institution.

Find a national or international test center.

Exam Subjects

Watch & Learn

 
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Score News

 

Attention U.S. Air Force and Space Force Service Members:

1. If your CLEP or DSST exam is missing from your CCAF record or you need help locating your test scores, please contact your base education center's CCAF Advisor. They can check for your test scores in the Air Force Virtual Education Center (AFVEC) system.

2. If the scores are not found in AFVEC, your advisor should submit a Student Action Request (SAR) in the Air Force Education Management System (AFEMS) under the "Missing CLEP/DSST" category.

3. If your scores can't be located in AFVEC or AFEMS, email: dodhra.cpl-dantes@mail.mil for additional assistance.

MyCAA for Spouses

 

Military eligible spouses are able to take DSST exams under the My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Scholarship program. MyCAA provides up to $4,000 for college, certificates, certifications, and credit-by-examinations. Are you eligible? Visit MyCAA to learn more.

MyCAA flyer for spouses

Remote Testing

 

Did you know that Prometric offers test takers the option to take a DSST exam remotely with remote proctoring? Each DSST exam taken with remote proctoring has the same timing, content, format, and on-screen experience as the test you would take at a DSST test center. You will be proctored remotely by a human proctor. Basically, all you need are three things: a computer (no tablets, please), an approved testing environment, and a reliable internet connection.

The only exam not available remotely is Principles of Public Speaking.

Learn more!

Your Transcripts

 

Scores for all DANTES-funded DSST exams are automatically reported to the Joint Services Transcript (JST). Air Force scores are also reported to the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF), AFAEMS, and the Air Force Virtual Education Center (AFVEC) website.

A no-cost score report is delivered to two institutions of choice, if designated during online registration using the institution(s)' four-digit institution code(s).

Service members can also pay for a consolidated transcript that includes CLEP and DSST exams using the Parchment online transcript ordering service.

Need Help?

 

Create a DSST Account

Login – DSST (getcollegecredit.com)

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions and answers – DSST (getcollegecredit.com)

Prometric Support

Phone: 877-471-9860
Email: getcollegecredit@prometric.com

DANTES Support

Email dodhra.dantes-cpl@mail.mil and we will respond promptly.