DSST proctoring

[Mian]

Question: did any of you have to travel for DSST exams? There is a community college here in my town that proctors CLEPs and can proctor any TESC exams I might take, but they don't proctor DSST exams. I'm trying to find out why and maybe get them to proctor them, but if they don't the next closest place that proctors them is a 3-4 hour drive!

Is there something about the DSSTs that a community college wouldn't want to proctor them? I'm still hoping I can get them to be a proctoring site for them, but so far what I've been told is I'm the only one asking for them so there's not enough demand. Does it cost the school to be a proctor for DSST or something like that?

[SRT12]

Some testing sites dont offer certain exams. I ran into this issue already, a testing center didn't offer certain DSST exams so I had to go another testing center.

[DutchMom]

I live in the Columbia, SC area. I'm with the University of Phoenix (UOP) trying to get 3 credis to finish the elective credits for my Bach. in Bus. Admin. The Columbia, SC campus does not offer the DSST or the CLEP, they accept those credits being UOP as an entire school, but this campus does not offer those tests. I've had to go to Augusta, GA, which is 100 miles one way, and I've recently started going to the Charlotte, NC campus which is a little bit easier trip at 70 miles one way. With UOP if you are a student with them and you take one of these tests at a UOP campus, they will not charge you for the testing fee. Of course you'd still have to pay the $80.00 testing fee with Prometric (the DSST testing company), but you won't be out any extra money for the administrative or proctoring fee with the school. I think it does cost the school something to proctor the exams, but to what extent I'm not sure. I don't know your situation, but I would check around. Yes, there are other testing facilities in my area that offer the DSST and the CLEP, but I would still have to pay them a testing fee. I would rather put that toward gas money and go to a campus of my school in case I or they have any other problems with my transcript or there is any other way they can help me. I was at the Charlotte, NC campus this past weekend and they were wonderful! The main CLEP website (forgot what it is) and the DSST site (I think it's http://www.get college credit.com/) would be a good place to start. Each of those sites have a section that lets you find out if there is a testing facility near you. If I remember correctly there are drop down icons and they are listed by state. You may have to dig, but it's worth it. I had been traveling to Augusta, GA for almost a year now, and I happend to check the DSST website to if there was another UOP campus close to me that maybe adminstered those tests. Lo and behold, the Charlotte, NC campus just recently started offering the tests. Anyway, do some digging. It might get you where you need to go! Good Luck!

[Mian]

I did use the website to find testing centers, problem is I live in a rural area. What's around here is mostly forest and it's a lot of driving to get to any major city so there aren't a lot of options I can check into that don't require traveling.

According to the website the closest place that offers exams is about 150 miles away, on roads that are not expressways so it takes at least 3 hours to get there.

The next closest would be 300 miles away if it turns out they don't proctor the tests I need and I have to go elsewhere. I think it kinda sucks when there is a school right here in walking distance from my house that could be proctoring them!

[P00057870]

Yes the schools do pay DSST (or CLEP) a fee to be a testing center. That is why they charge a testing fee, in addition to the testing fee. My center charges $15 a test. They have enough interest in the test, they not only recoup the expense but have a small profit - and it helps their students, if they accept them.

We have a lot of locations here in this area, and one place charged $20 for a testing fee but that was not why I changed to this one. It was because the one with the $20 fee was at a local community college with a HUGE testing center and there were probably 50 - 100 people in the room. The one I go to now can only seat about 6 people in the room, maximum, at any one time and most of the time there are 3 or fewer people in the room.

Hope this helps.