CLEP vs DSST: which exam, and when a course is better

No. DSST's own site says “Many confuse DSST with DANTES (Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support), which is a division of the Department of Defense that provides educational support to military members.” DANTES can fund an attempt at a CLEP or a DSST exam for eligible military test takers; the DSST exams themselves are owned and administered by Prometric.

Neither publishes a difficulty ranking, so compare formats instead. DSST gives two hours for 100 questions and sets a minimum score per exam (400 for Fundamentals of College Algebra); CLEP College Algebra is about 60 questions in 90 minutes. Every CLEP exam is scored 20 to 80, and ACE recommends credit at 50.

Each college decides, exam by exam. College Board has a CLEP policy search, and DSST has a list of credit-awarding schools. Ask your registrar which exams count, the score needed, and which requirement each one meets.

Every CLEP exam can be taken with remote proctoring, for $30 on top of the exam fee. DSST's FAQ says its exams are taken at authorized testing centers, mostly on college campuses; check DSST's site for current options.

CLEP: $97 an exam, plus a test center's fee or $30 for remote proctoring. DSST: $100 an exam, plus any administration fee the test site charges; DSST says the VA reimburses that $100 for eligible veterans.

CLEP: you may not retake an exam of the same title within three months. DSST: you can retest after a 30-day wait. For military test takers, DANTES funds one attempt at each title; later attempts are paid by the test taker.

DSST has one: Principles of Statistics, 3 semester hours at a score of 400. CLEP has no statistics exam. UPI Study's Principles of Statistics (Statistics 101) is a self-paced course that carries both ACE and NCCRS recommendations for 3 semester hours.

Some overlap. Both have college algebra and introductory psychology exams (CLEP Introductory Psychology, DSST Introduction to Psychology). Only CLEP has Calculus, Precalculus and Chemistry; only DSST has Principles of Statistics, Criminal Justice and Personal Finance.

CLEP: pick up to 2 institutions free when you register; after the exam, sending a score costs a fee. DSST: give your college's 4-digit DSST code at the exam; later transcripts are ordered through Parchment.

ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities. Search your school in Find My College and ask your registrar whether it takes NCCRS or ACE recommendations for your requirement.