College Credits by Exam – Save Time and Money

By Valarie R. Austin, September 21st, 2021, 12:00 PM EDT

(Previously Published on LinkedIn)

EducationData.org lists the United States’ total student loan debt at $1.73 trillion as of August 17, 2021 (https://bit.ly/edcuationaldata_studentloans). Despite this student loan debt statistic, high school graduates can still afford to attend college. Many people attend college within their means through grants, scholarships, graduating on time, or attending a community college to complete general education courses before transferring to a four-year university. There is another option to save time and money by obtaining college credits by exam. The College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP®) or the DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) allow high school students, adult-learners and military personnel to earn college credit without attending the equivalent college classes.

The CLEP and DSST are similar to Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams. These exams cover a variety of college-level subjects. A passing score can lead to college credits toward degree requirements or eliminate the requirement for some introductory college courses. The CLEP and DSST test specific information that individuals have gained from outside of the traditional classroom such as on-the-job-training. Unlike AP and IB exams that target high school students, CLEP and DSST exams are open to everyone, including high school students, college students, adult learners, home school students and military personnel. However, it is always best to check with an education counselor, academic advisor, or the college’s admissions office to verify a college’s policy about granting credit for CLEP/DSST benchmark scores, the college’s equivalent courses and the amount of potential credits.

The CLEP and DSST are two distinct programs. Those interested should become familiar with the programs before taking on the task to study. The exams’ official websites have more information about registration, test dates and locations. Listed below are details about each exam:

a. The CLEP exams cover 34 academic subject areas, including World Languages, Math and Business. The cost is $89 per exam. The CollegeBoard.org administers the CLEP. The College Board’s 2021-2022 Test-Taker Bulletin asserts “nearly 3,000 colleges and universities will award credit for successful scores (https://bit.ly/CLEPguide_testtakers).” The same bulletin also states “there are over 2,000 test centers worldwide.” Individuals can also take CLEP exams via remote proctoring. Other information of note is:

o CLEP scores range from 20 to 80 for each CLEP exam according to the CollegeBoard.org website (https://bit.ly/CLEP_scores). The recommended credit-granting score is 50, which is equivalent to a “C” grade.
o Test centers may charge a separate administration fee that is not included in the CLEP exam fee.
o Collegefinance.com states designated academic institutions will receive official results “within 10-14 days” from the test center (https://bit.ly/CLEPexam_info). Typically, the test center can also provide an unofficial score upon exam completion to the exam taker.
o The College Board offers an Official Study Guide for $25 for all 34 exams or $10 for individual exam guides.
o Modern States, a non-profit dedicated to college access for all, provides free online CLEP prep courses (https://modernstates.org/faq/).
o CLEP contact information - 1-800-257-9558 or email clep@info.collegeboard.org.

b. Since 2004, Prometric LLC, a testing and assessment service, has owned and administered the DSST exams. The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), a division of the Department of Defense (DoD), previously operated the DSST program for military members. Under Prometric, the DSST exams have been open to all test-takers since 2006 according to the DSST website (https://getcollegecredit.com/about/). DSST exams cost $100 per exam and cover 30+ college-level subject areas such as Business and Math.

o A DSST exam’s minimum score is 200 and the maximum score is 600. A passing score of 400 is equivalent to earning a “C” letter grade.
o Over 1900 colleges and universities recognize the DSST program and grant credit.
o There are over 1,200 DSST test centers across the country. A test center may charge a separate administration fee from a DSST exam’s cost.
o Testing sites will send DSST scores to the test taker and identified schools.
o Individuals can find study guides, fact sheets that describe each exam and practice exams on the DSST website.
o Many military installations offer on-base DSST exam sites.
o DSST contact information - 1-877-471-9860 or email getcollegecredit@prometric.com.

c. DANTES may provide fee waivers or discounted rates for active duty, Reserve and Guard military members, spouses (dependent on the military branch) and some DoD civilian employees who are first-time CLEP or DSST test-takers. Military veterans may be eligible for a test fee waiver through the GI bill. Eligible individuals should check with their respective military installation’s Education Center, the Veterans Administration, or their college’s Veterans Center for details.

The CLEP and DSST exams are worth the effort. Those who pass one or more exams can save time and money towards their college degrees. If interested in pursuing these exams, individuals should verify the college/university’s CLEP and DSST policies because the academic institution makes the final decision to accept an exam’s results and grant college credit. Educationdata.org reports a three credit hour college course on average at a public 4-year university costs $935, and at a private 4-year university costs $1092 (https://bit.ly/Educationdata_collegecost). To obtain credit for a course, the cost of the CLEP exam is $89 and the cost for the DSST exam is $100. It is quite a bargain in comparison to the cost of a college credit hour. There are many inexpensive or free education-based organizations, such as public libraries and ModernStates.org; study guides; and other resources available to help in exam preparation. Explore the CLEP and DSST exams to determine if they are viable options in your college plans. The benefits far outweigh the undertaking to study. Have a great semester!

Valarie R. Austin is the author of The Student’s Comprehensive Guide for College & Other Life Lessons. She has a wealth of knowledge on the subjects of career and college preparation. She also conducts career and college readiness workshops for high school students and parents. Check out her author’s pages on https://www.linkedin/in/valarie-r-austin, https://www.goodreads.com/valarie_r_austin and https://www.amazon.com/author/valarie_r_austin. A Youtube.com review of her book can found at https://youtu.be/xy_GSHlJsa0. This article was edited by Raffie Johnson. Copyright 2021, Vauboix Publishing LLC. (Article 2 of 5, fall 2021)

The Student's Comprehensive Guide For College & Other Life Lessons
La Guía Comprensiva del Estudiante para la Universidad & Otras Lecciones de Vida