DANTES Testing

by Judy Salazar

What Does DANTES Stand For?

DANTES stands for Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support

What is DANTES Testing?

DSST is the current name for DANTES Subject Standardized Tests. This is a program that entails an extensive series of 37 exams in college subject areas that are equivalent to the end-of-course or final exam in an undergraduate course. In other words, DANTES testing allows you to earn college credit without having to attend a class. Real-life education is used to award a college degree, through Credit-by-Exam programs such as DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSSTs).

Why Should You Seek DANTES Testing?

DANTES offers information for various standardized tests such as the SAT and the Excelsior College Exams (ECE), while it also maintains its own set of exams tailored for military personnel. These DANTES tests award college credits through testing and not through traditional class time. This means that if your life experience can prove that you’re familiar with the material, you’ll earn credit for having taken that particular class. DSSTs basically serve as replacement college courses and are normally worth 3 credit hours respectively. ACE (American Council for Education), which apparently hosts majority of the military-related educational programs, is responsible for setting the credit hours each year and the grades examinations.

DANTES Testing Exams

DSSTs examinations are offered at over 500 military installations, and are administered by a DANTES Test Control Officer who is normally your Education Services Officer. DSSTs examinations can also be taken at various civilian testing centers and through the Internet-Based Test (IBT). IBT is currently the best as it provides instantaneous scores and speedy data transmission to involved institutions.

Benefits of DANTES Testing

  • First off, education has become a very expensive venture, leaving many to wonder whether it’s really an ‘investment’ or a ‘cost’. But with DANTES Testing, you can earn low-cost college credits ad save a substantial amount of money.
  • Secondly, you get to save on time. This is because the DANTES tests last only as long as the session of the test lasts. Thus, you can literally pass a college course on a single afternoon. DANTES testing provides a terrific chance to accelerate your progress towards earning a degree.