Save Time

DSST Exams can help students achieve their educational goals even faster. Prior-learning credits earned by successfully passing a DSST exam affords students the opportunity to earn their degree in substantially less time than if they were to pursue their degree with only traditional and online classes. Each exam takes less than 90 minutes to complete, compared to classes that require a semester-long attendance. And, for those learners who aren’t sure if they have the right knowledge level to pass the test, exam outlines are available for every DSST title. All of the tests are offered online and scored in real time, so students know immediately if they passed, freeing them up to address other educational requirements.

Save Money

Many learners, whether returning to school after a long break or starting for the first time, struggle with the financial implications of going back to school. Reducing the number of courses a student takes lowers the cost of their education. In the U.S., the average cost for a college course starts at around $750. DSST exams are reasonably priced at $100 per exam, significantly less costly than taking a semester long course in the subject.

Credit by Exam Programs

Offering prior-learning exams like DSST and CLEP to your students gives them a broader path toward degree completion. While both DSST and CLEP exams award college credit, the subject areas little overlap which provides students with more options.

DSST Exams closely correlate with many course titles at most colleges and universities. For example:

  • The Personal Finance exam can be taken by students seeking to earn a business degree.
  • Most college or university Social Science programs offer courses that closely mirror content from the Fundamentals of Counseling exam.
  • Seniors who have elective credits to fill in order to graduate could take an Introduction to World Religions or Ethics in America exam to get the credit instead.

Whether your students are new to school, late in returning or eager to graduate, DSST offers a flexible alternative to earning credit.

Give Them Credit

Any advantage you can give your students, as their advisor, would be valued and appreciated. They’re trusting you to guide them through the degree process to the end. With the DSST credit by exam program, you can get them there more quickly and more cost-effectively.

Leverage Skills They Already Have

DSST exams don’t require additional learning; credit is awarded for pre-existing knowledge gained through experience. Many adult learners have been in the workforce for years. Similarly, many college seniors have held internships or other jobs. Since DSST exams are offered in more than 30 subjects, it is likely that any type of learner has enough life experience or on-the-job knowledge to identify with at least one topic area — and get college credit for passing that exam.

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Benefits for Students

The low cost ($100/exam) of the DSST makes it easier for financially challenged students to return to school and to complete their degree programs.

Students who receive credit for passing a DSST exam are free to:

  • Move to higher level coursework
  • Focus on their major
  • Take a wider array of elective thus broadening their educational experience.

Benefits for Your
Institution

  • The DSST program helps fight student attrition by keeping the goal of graduation within financial reach
  • Adult students are more likely to enroll—and more likely to complete their degree programs—when academic institutions provide time-sensitive programs
  • By graduating more students, your institution builds its alumni base
  • DSST exams can assist in placing students into appropriate-level studies
  • When students “test out” of lower level courses based on prior learning, faculty are freed to focus on the remaining students, who need their help

A Prior Learning Assessment Program that Benefits Adult Learners AND Your Institution

In today’s competitive college environment, adult learners make up a large and growing segment of the population. Many of these students have special needs, including time constraints, limited budgets, and often demanding professional workloads. The DSST Credit by Exam Program gives institutions like yours an academically valid means to appeal to this influential group of students while upholding your high academic standards.

Recognized by The Council For Adult & Experiential Learning (CAEL – www.cael.org) as a source of prior learning assessment, DSST exams evaluate the knowledge of college-academic subjects through proctored exams that provide a score equivalent to a C grade (B-grade equivalents are also available).

Attract More Adult Learners

Today’s students are attracted by options that provide them with flexibility and alternative ways to do “traditional” things. Just look at the rise in popularity and growth of “online” courses. Increasingly, adult learners rely on prior learning assessment as an accelerated path to college degrees—and as a result are attracted to those institutions that provide them with flexibility and options. Institutions that use the DSST program to offer academic credit for prior learning are more likely to attract adult learners.

Attract Students. Control Attrition. Build Loyalty.

By offering academic credit for passing grades on DSST exams, your college gains an upper hand in recruiting and retaining adult students. And since many adult learners struggle to overcome financial or time constraints, DSST exams are perceived as real value-add for students. Institutions that honor credit by examination are perceived as being flexible and willing to work with students. This can be a substantial differentiator for your institution, because—given the choice—adult learners will choose the option that offers them flexibility, every time. Whether your students are new to school, or late in returning, or eager to graduate, DSST provides the flexibility they will appreciate.

Exams Aligned with Course Content

The DSST program is simple to understand. The 30+ exam titles are organized by discipline, so advisors and learners can easily map exams to equivalent college courses. The DSST exam series covers six college subject areas, including Social Sciences, Math, Applied Technology, Business, Physical Sciences and Humanities. Each exam is comparable to the final or end-of-course examinations in similar undergraduate courses.

Exam Delivery

The DSST program is easy for institutions to administer and readily accessible for students. Exams may be delivered on paper or through a user-friendly internet technology. Students who take their tests online receive their scores immediately, for instant reinforcement and personal validation. The program is simple for students, easy to administer, and available at hundreds of test centers, worldwide.

Exams Aligned with
Course Content

The DSST program is simple to understand. The 30+ exam titles are organized by discipline, so advisors and learners can easily map exams to equivalent college courses. The DSST exam series covers six college subject areas, including Social Sciences, Math, Applied Technology, Business, Physical Sciences and Humanities. Each exam is comparable to the final or end-of-course examinations in similar undergraduate courses.

Exam Delivery

The DSST program is easy for institutions to administer and readily accessible for students. Exams may be delivered on paper or through a user-friendly internet technology. Students who take their tests online receive their scores immediately, for instant reinforcement and personal validation. The program is simple for students, easy to administer, and available at hundreds of test centers, worldwide.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Order through Parchment, our online transcript ordering service:

  1. Register for or login to an existing account.
  2. Select your documents.
  3. Input your order details.
  4. Submit/pay for your transcript.
  5. Track your order.

Contact the DSST Exam Team to order a score report if:

  • You did not provide a school code when you registered your exam.
  • You would like a copy of your score report for your personal records.
  • You would like the scores of an exam that you had previously taken forwarded to another institution.

How to Contact the DSST Exam Team:
Email: getcollegecredit@prometric.com
Phone: 1.877.471.9860

DSST exams are internet or paper-based, multiple choice formats. Test takers are given two hours to take the 100 question exam. DSST exams must be taken at authorized testing centers, mostly on college campuses. Click here to find an institution that accepts and/or administers DSST exams.

The test fee is $100 per exam. This fee does not include any administrative costs the testing site may require.

Prior to the test administration, all test takers must present current and valid picture identification such as a driver’s license, passport, or picture student identification. DANTES funded eligible military test takers must provide a valid Common Access Card (CAC). Only test takers should be permitted into the testing room. Unauthorized visitors are not permitted in the testing room at any time.

Registration and payment is completed at the testing center within the testing platform on the day of the exam.

No, the registration process is completed at the testing center on your scheduled day and time.

You can locate an authorized DSST testing center by clicking the link below. You should contact the selected testing center prior to taking the exam to understand their policies. Some locations do not allow walk-ins and require exams to be scheduled.

If your exam requires the use of a calculator, you may bring a calculator that meets the specifications (refer to the Auxiliary Testing Materials section of this publication). For paper-based exams, you may also bring No. 2 pencils with an eraser and black ballpoint pens. Regardless of the exam methodology, you are NOT allowed to bring reference or study materials, scratch paper, electronics such as cell phones, personal handheld devices, cameras, alarm wrist watches, or tape recorders to the testing center.

You can search the list of schools accepting DSST exams by clicking the link below. Make sure to consult with your advisor to be sure the exam you want to take fits your curriculum needs and will be accepted. If you can’t find the school of your choice, contact your academic advisor or the admissions officer at your school.

You can locate your institution’s DSST code by searching for your institution. The code is located on the left corner of the institution’s name. Click here to search for your institution.

Please contact the DSST phone team to provide your schools demographic information prior to testing. If not done, you will be subject to follow the Transcript / Score Report request process. No exceptions. ( To obtain a copy of your score report, please visit our website https://ibt.prometric.com/dsst)

If no school code is applied upon testing, you will be subject to follow the Transcript / Score Report request process. No exceptions. ( To obtain a copy of your score report, please visit our website https://ibt.prometric.com/dsst

For Military: Please have the military members enter the code for their branch’s Transcript / Score Report service if they are not having the score report also sent to another school.

  • CCAF: 7992
  • AARTS (Now JST): 7965
  • SMARTS (Now JST): 7964
  • Coast Guard (Now JST): 7968

Exam results are available to the test taker immediately after Internet-based exams are taken. Test takers may login to the testing platform at any time to review and reprint their score report. For students who take paper-based exams, scores will be mailed.

No. The score will be sent through e-mail communication to the e-mail address listed during exam registration

Yes. Please contact us over the phone at 1.877.471.9860 to request a re-evaluation. It will take 3-4 weeks for the speech to be re-evaluated. (Additional fee applies)

For official scores to be mailed to the institution of your choice, you must provide the institution’s 4-digit DSST code at the time of your examination. Note that some schools require a student to be enrolled before the institution will accept the score report. Due to privacy and security requirements, scores will not be reported over the phone under any circumstance. Check with your school 4-6 weeks after testing to verify your scores have been received. If for some reason your school has not received them, please contact the DSST Team at 877-471-9860.Students have the option to expedite score reports to the school by calling over the phone to request expedited shipping (Additional fee applies).

Score reports are sent to the school/institution you designated on test day. Your school/institution should receive your score report within 90 days of your test date. A delayed score may be the result of an incorrect institution code. If your score report is delayed, contact your school directly.

Testing irregularities that affect the test taker can occasionally occur, such as administrative errors, defective materials, availability of test content and other disruptions of test administrations. In the event of these occurrences, Prometric will investigate, and appropriate actions will be taken based on the findings. Contact our candidate care team for assistance, 1-800-853-6769.

Test centers and Prometric will provide reasonable testing accommodations set forth under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to allow test takers with documented disabilities to participate in taking DSST exams. If you have a disability and require special arrangements, please call 1-800-967-1139.

DSST is an approved VA National Testing Program under the Post 9/11 GI Bill. The VA will reimburse the DSST exam fee ($100) and the testing center administrative fee (amount varies per location). Visit the VA Website for more information.

Please visit the Prometric appeals website and fill out the online request form. Click here to request an appeal. Click here to request a refund

All test takers are eligible to retest after a 30 day wait period. NOTE: For eligible military students, DANTES only funds the first attempt to pass an exam; any subsequent attempts to pass a failed exam will be the test-takers responsibility.

Should you have more questions or need more information, you can contact us through one of the following:DSST’s website: https://www.getcollegecredit.com/contact

Customer Service Line (toll free): 1-877-471-9860Email: getcollegecredit@prometric.com