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12
December
2016

DANTES Exams Program Proves More User-Friendly in 2016

A variety of examination programs help Service members achieve their education and professional development goals.

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DoD's Voluntary Education (VolEd) Program and the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) offer and fund a variety of examination programs to help Service members achieve their education and professional development goals.

In 2016, more than 90,990 exams were administered for college entrance and recommended college credit. Here are four highlights of the past year that show how the Examinations program has helped Service members improve their pass rates through no-cost test preparation materials and exam promotions, expanded access to select credit-by-examination tests, and provided quicker reimbursement of test fees:

  1. FREE CLEP STUDY GUIDES
  2. DSST TESTING PROMOTIONS
  3. TESTING LOCATIONS INCREASED
  4. FASTER REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS

FREE CLEP STUDY GUIDES - Credit-by-Examinations continues to remain one of the most sought-after DANTES-sponsored programs. This past year, DANTES partnered with College Board to offer free CLEP eGuides to Service members to help them better prepare for CLEP exams. When a DANTES-funded candidate registers for a CLEP exam, the eGuide is added to a candidate’s cart automatically prior to the checkout process. After completing the checkout, the candidate will receive an email with instructions for downloading the eGuide. All standard eGuide terms and conditions will apply.

DANTES-funded candidates can also order free eGuides separately, even if they have not yet registered for an exam. To order an eGuide without registering for an exam, a candidate should add only the eGuide to his or her cart and then proceed through the standard checkout process. As long as the candidate has self-identified as DANTES-funded, the cost of the eGuide will appear as $0, and no payment will be required.

Visit these websites for details on the Credit-by-Examination programs and CLEP exams:

DSST TESTING PROMOTIONS - During the spring of 2016, DANTES partnered with Prometric to offer a "second chance" for Service members to obtain college credit when taking and passing DSST exams. Those who did not receive a passing score on their first attempt received a voucher code for a FREE retake of the exam. By temporarily eliminating a student's cost for retesting, this initiative increased DSST testing volumes by nearly 20%.

Be sure to take advantage of the DSST exam test preparation resources available from Peterson's DoD MWR Libraries. This is an online resource for Service members and their families to help them plan and prepare for taking examinations. The site contains online, printable and portable practice tests, ebooks, full length online courses, school searches, and more. Find everything you need for military, college, and career success!

Check out these websites for more details on DSST and Credit-by-Examination programs:

TESTING LCOATIONS INCREASED - The Examinations program staff worked with Prometric to stand up new Domestic and International DSST testing locations worldwide. This effort increased Service members’ access to these academic exams in remote locations by adding more than 700 test centers around the world.

At these new locations, DANTES-funded eligible military members now have the opportunity to sit for the top 10 most popular DSST exams free of charge, eliminating out-of-pocket expenses for both the test and sitting/administration fees. The ten exams available include:

  • Principles of Supervision
  • Computing and Information Technology
  • Human Resource Management
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Ethics in America
  • Health and Human Development
  • Introduction to Business
  • Introduction to World Religions
  • Substance Abuse
  • Business Ethics and Society

For details, see http://getcollegecredit.com/assets/pdf/DSST-APC-Digital-Flyer-v2.pdf

NEW REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS - DANTES fully automated the exam reimbursement process, making it easier and faster for members to apply online and receive repayment for test fees of select exams. The online Electronic Reimbursement Request is now the only option available for Service members to submit a reimbursement for the cost of test fees incurred when approved exams are taken at National or International Test Centers. Paper-based reimbursement request forms were retired in 2016 and are no longer accepted.

On the DANTES website, members should select Examinations and Reimbursement Eligibility to get started. Access to the DANTES Exams Reimbursement Center is only available to active duty, Guard and Reserve members with a valid common access card (CAC). Additionally, both a score report and payment receipt are required. These documents are only released to examinees after they’ve completed testing and must be uploaded through the Electronic Reimbursement Request for approval and processing.

The DANTES Exams Reimbursement Program includes reimbursement of test fees for the following exams:

  • GED (beginning October 2016)
  • GMAT
  • GRE General and GRE Subject
  • Praxis Core and Praxis Subject Assessment
  • ACT and SAT

For more information on the reimbursement process, go to our reimbursement page.

Find out about other DANTES Examination Program resources by going to these websites and social media pages:

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