DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST)

The DSST started as an exam offering military members college credit. It’s now administered by Prometric and offered to anyone. DSST exam-takers include adults just entering or returning to school, military service members, and traditional college students.

DSST exams test mastery of college-level material acquired in a variety of ways such as general academic instructions, significant independent study, or extracurricular work. Visit the DSST website for more information about the exams, including descriptions of test content and sample examination questions.

Credits awarded by passing scores on DSST tests may be used in combination with other acceleration methods for a maximum of 45 hours of credit (for example, credits earned through options such as AP and IB count toward the 45 credit maximum).

DSST exams are given at Eastern Florida, or students may provide transcripts from exams taken at other testing sites. View information on taking a DSST at EFSC.

Earning DSST Credit

• DSST scores must be submitted on an official score report or transcript from the organization administering the examination.
• A maximum of 45 semester hours of combined credit from accelerated mechanisms and/or prior learning assessment can be applied toward a degree.
• Duplicate credit cannot be awarded, i.e. if student has already received a grade of “C” or higher for a course, student will not be awarded credit for the course again.
• Courses may be used for grade forgiveness purposes if student did not previously pass the course.
• The grade of “S” is given for each course, and will not calculate into student’s GPA.
• Students must be aware of initial testing and retake policies for each exam. Some exams require students to wait a specific amount of time before they can retake the exam.
• For graduation purposes, DSST exams must be taken and successfully passed prior to the last date of the month in which graduation is sought.
• Students will not be assessed any tuition or fees for credits awarded. Students are responsible for costs associated with taking the exam and any documentation needed.

Request DSST Scores