CLEP, DSST exams make college degre more attainable for enlisted Airmen

  • Published
  • By Ingrid Callahan
  • 341st Mission Support Squadron
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Taking College Level Examination Program tests and Dantes Subject Standardized Tests can help Airmen shorten their paths to a college degree by letting them earn college credit for what they already know. 

Meeting the demands of today's fast-paced world has created the need for changes in education and assessment. Today, there are many alternatives to the traditional classroom. People learn in a variety of ways whether it's through on-the-job training, independent self-study, correspondence courses or through general life experiences. 
CLEP and DSST exams provide the opportunity for people to earn college credit for what they have learned outside of the traditional classroom, enabling them to use this knowledge to accomplish their educational and professional goals. 

Save time and money 
They certainly save money when compared to the rising cost of tuition; they make college more interesting by being able to move right into advanced courses; and they satisfy a proficiency requirement for a degree. They can even help students to the finish line if they are a dual-degree candidate or are just a few credits shy of graduating.
Malmstrom has approximately 70 different exams for various majors, such as social science, humanities, natural science, mathematics, management, English composition, public speaking and technical. 

Community College of the Air Force degrees or even higher level degrees can be earned more quickly without having to sit in a classroom or in front of a computer. However, these exams require preparation and test results generally take four to six weeks, or six to eight weeks for Principles of Public Speaking. Failure of an exam requires a six-month waiting period to re-test that same exam. Furthermore, some people simply perform better in a traditional classroom. 

Where to begin
An education counselor can assist students in determining the best fit for them and their needs and goals. Study and fact guides, as well as practice exams are available at www.collegeboard.com and www.petersons.com/airforce for CLEP tests, and www.getcollegecredit.com for DSST. 

The activation code for the Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., Web site is FL-4626. These practice exams have questions designed to simulate actual test questions, with material that reflects realistic content and difficulty. There are multiple full-length practice exams for each subject, tips and hints to boost performance on test day, and timed exams to help students develop a sense of pacing. 

What is available for study
This Web site can prepare students for college entrance exams with SAT, ACT, PSAT, AP, SAT subject tests and GED practice tests, and the site also has a Military Test Prep Center to prepare students to score well so they can advance their military career. Some of these tools include ASVAB Diagnostic, practice tests and online book; AFOQT practice tests; Military Flight Aptitude Test online book; and Officer Candidate Test online book. Resource material is also available at the Education and Training Center, the base library and on the Air Force Portal under the Air Force Virtual Education Center. 

CLEP and DSST exams are free of charge to military members and are given Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1 p.m. and Wednesdays at 8 a.m. at the Base Education and Training Center building 1240. For details, call 731-3531 three duty days in advance to schedule a test.