The Dantes Subject Standardized Test program was designed to provide individuals with the opportunity to achieve college credits for experience that they have gained outside of the classroom. The DSST exams are essentially subject based examinations that test students on their knowledge of particular subject areas.

DSST tests are developed and administered by Prometric and registration is typically around $70. All of the examinations offered are the equivalent of three credit hours at traditional colleges and universities.

For example, DSSTs in Mathematics are offered for students hoping to gain college credit towards their Math or General Eduation requirements. The titles included are Fundamentals of College Algebra and Principles of Statistics.

Social Science DSSTs cover Art of the Western World, Western Europe since 1945, An Introduction to the Modern Middle East, Human/Cultural Geography, the Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union, a History of the Vietnam War, The Civil War and Reconstruction, Foundations of Education, Lifespan Developmental Psychology, General Anthropology, Dug and Alcohol Abuse, Introduction to Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice, and the Fundamentals of Counseling.

Business related DSSTs are also available. These tests cover Principles of Finance, Principles of Financial Accounting, Human Resource Management, Organizational Behavior, Principles of Supervision, Business Law II, Introduction to Computing, Introduction to Business, Money and Banking, Personal Finance, Management Information Systems, and Business Mathematics.

Physical Science tests can provide college credit also, including Astronomy, Environment and Humanity, Principles of Physical Science I, and Physical Geology.

Students can also benefit from Humanities-related subject tests. Among these tests are titles such as Ethics in America, Introduction to World Religions, and the Principles of Public Speaking. A Technical Writing DSST is also available under the Applied Technology subject heading.

DSST tests are approved by the American Council on Education (ACE); therefore, test scores can be accepted and used for credit at over 1,500 colleges and universities nationwide. To find out if your university of choice accepts DSST credits, contact the school's admissions office.

Overall, the DSST program is a great way for students and working adults to enrich their educations and earn college credit for the knowledge they have and the experience they have gained outside of the traditional classroom. I would strongly encourage anyone looking to advance their college career, or finish an unfinished degree, to contact the admissions office of his or her university or college of choice in order to gain more information on the school's particular policies regarding DSSTs. If your educational institution does accept these tests, register today to begin advancing your academic career as soon as possible!

Learn more about this author, Krystle Hernandez.
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