DSST Technical Writing

[xn85turbo]

There is nothing (study guides, except Jacks out of print book) for this exam. Has anyone taking this in the last few years and what did you use? I searched the site and very few posts about this exam. Yes it is a requirement for me to take.

[studyhard]

I didn't have any trouble finding and ordering the Rudman's guide...I have to do this exam too pretty soon. Check out this link:

Amazon.com: DSST Technical Writing (DANTES series) (Dantes Series : No. 43): Books: Jack Rudman

Looks like it was updated in 2004.

[originalbigjim]

i took it last year, very easy exam. I went in there cold, no studying at all. I bought the book listed on the fact sheet, and compared the contents page to the practice test and they didnt even match up. so i didnt read it. If you have ever read a technical publication or know what they are for you should do fine. if not you might want to find that out. oh yeah know the different types of media, journal, book, magazine and tech pub. besides that it was pretty easy.

[cookderosa]

There is nothing (study guides, except Jacks out of print book) for this exam. Has anyone taking this in the last few years and what did you use? I searched the site and very few posts about this exam. Yes it is a requirement for me to take.

>>

I took it last month. I printed off the practice test and outline from the DSST website The DSST Program
You can google a few terms to be sure you understand them. Do you have any experience writing in the workplace? Memos, formal letters, instructions for others to follow? I have done those at work, as well as writing recipes for students- which is the essence of technical writing. Specific and concise directions for others to follow. If you have done anything like that, you are probably already prepared. If you don't do those things already, you can google "technical writing" and you'll get a few documents that you can read. It wasn't a difficult exam in my opinion. I found the other 2 DSST exams I took to both be much more difficult (Drugs/Alcohol and Civil War)
You will want to look up the basics of a technical manual. Specifically, what the trade names for various sections are called. There were questions about which sections would contain various items. (table of contents, index, tables, etc.)
The exam will in essence be asking you "what is your roll as the writer" as opposed to English comp where you are the reader/learner interpreting the material.

[Southron Boy]

Thanks, y'all, for the great posts! Its hard to find info on the Tech Writing exam. Has anyone taken the paid practice exam on the DANTES site?


I'm taking this one Thursday at 10am. I have been studying out of Technical Writing Basics by Brian Holloway (sm pb), Handbook of Technical Writing by Charles Beusaw and Walter Olin and Schaum's Quick Guide to Great Business Writing. Bought Tech Writing for Dummies but I find some of the Dummies books aggravating because of their jokes and frills; Needless to say, I read it only briefly. My approach is: give me the principles and the basics and some examples so I can apply them .

Now, back to studying.

[Southron Boy]

This test wasn't near what I was bracing myself for. Focuses heavily on Memos, Reports, Proposals. Also many questions on editing technical and business sentences for diction and grammar.

Needed a 46, as you know. Passed with a 62. Thanks again for the great feedback y'all!

[ShotoJuku]

Needed a 46, as you know. Passed with a 62. Thanks again for the great feedback y'all!

[SIZE="3"]Great Job - Congrats!![/SIZE]

[Kiwi Lover]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I have now set up a thread for this exam in the Specific Exam Feedback section, so if anyone else takes this exam, please feel free to add your own input to that section. Thanks!

JoAnne

[cookderosa]

This test wasn't near what I was bracing myself for. Focuses heavily on Memos, Reports, Proposals. Also many questions on editing technical and business sentences for diction and grammar.

Needed a 46, as you know. Passed with a 62. Thanks again for the great feedback y'all!

>>

Yeah! Good Job! I felt a little guilty letting you spend all that money on prep books

[Southron Boy]

Thanks everyone!


Cook,

Now I feel guilty buying the books ...