What Is DSST / DANTES?
DSST and DANTES are essentially the same thing. DANTES is the name the government uses for the funding it provides to military personnel to take the exams. DSST is the name of the actual test. If you are not in the military, you will probably only know it as DSST. You can pretty much use the terms interchangeably, so if you've been searching for "DANTES study guides" or "DSST study guides," you're looking for the same thing.
DSST exams work very similarly to CLEP exams. You write a test and, if you pass, you receive credit for that subject. You'll need to check each school's eligibility, but more than 1,500 colleges accept the credits.
How DSST Exams Work
The format is pretty much the same for all DSST exams: 100 questions, 2 hours, all multiple choice. What changes from subject to subject is the passing score. Unlike CLEP, which uses a flat 50-point cutoff across the board, DSST assigns a different ACE-recommended cutoff to each exam. Most land in the 400–450 range on a 200–500 scale.
Your school may require a higher score than ACE recommends, so look up your policy first. DSST exams are only available at Prometric testing centers, and most military education offices can administer them too. You cannot take them at a college testing center the way you can with CLEP exams.
DSST for Military Personnel
Whether you are in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard, or a reservist, active duty service members get their first attempt free for each DSST subject. This is made possible through the DANTES funding program, which provides financial support for service members taking standardized tests. Veterans and military spouses are also eligible for certain testing benefits, depending on their status and branch.
Many service members know about financial assistance for college but few take advantage of the DSST or CLEP exams. If you test out of 10 DSST subjects, that can get you through a significant part of your degree. The exams are administered at military education centers and Prometric testing locations worldwide.
Keep in mind that "free" applies to the first attempt only. If you don't pass, you can retake the exam, but it will cost you money. A solid study guide is a much cheaper insurance policy than paying for a second sitting.
DSST Study Guides by Subject
InstantCert offers study guides and practice tests for 31 of the 38 DSST exams. Click any subject to see prep materials, pass rates, and study tips from past test-takers.
- A History of the Vietnam War
- An Introduction to the Modern Middle East
- Art of the Western World
- Astronomy
- Business Ethics and Society
- Computing and Information Technology
- Criminal Justice
- Environmental Science (Environment and Humanity: The Race to Save the Planet)
- Ethics in America
- Ethics in Technology
- Foundations of Education
- Fundamentals of Counseling
- Fundamentals of Cybersecurity
- General Anthropology
- Health and Human Development
- History of the Soviet Union
- Human Resource Management
- Introduction to Business
- Introduction to Law Enforcement
- Introduction to World Religions
- Management Information Systems
- Money and Banking
- Organizational Behavior
- Personal Finance
- Principles of Finance
- Principles of Physical Science I
- Principles of Statistics
- Principles of Supervision
- Substance Abuse
- The Civil War and Reconstruction
- Western Europe since 1945
What Are the Most Popular DSST Exams?
The exams we see people taking the most at InstantCert are Principles of Supervision, Health and Human Development (widely known as "Here's to Your Health"), Introduction to World Religions, Principles of Statistics, and Ethics in America. These are the most popular for now, but it changes all the time.
If you've been searching "here's to your health DSST" or "here's to your health DANTES," that's the same exam — it's officially called Health and Human Development, and both search terms point to the same study guide.
InstantCert pass rates for DSST
Students who use InstantCert pass at an average rate of 93%. The difference isn't more study time — it's using material designed around what the exam actually tests, not the entire textbook. A few subjects where our students do exceptionally well:
- Principles of Supervision: 98%
- Introduction to World Religions: 97%
- Ethics in America: 95%
- Principles of Statistics: 93%
- Criminal Justice: 92%
These numbers come from results voluntarily submitted by InstantCert students. They reflect real performance, but they are not a guarantee. For military students especially, take that free first attempt seriously — a failed free try means paying for the retake yourself, and focused flashcard prep is the smart move beforehand.
One subscription covers all 31 DSST study guides and practice tests, all 27 CLEP guides, and TECEP materials. That includes access to the Specific Exam Feedback section on DegreeForum.net, where past test-takers post what they saw on their specific exam and what they used to prepare. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee. Happy studying!