Calling all Educational Service Officers (ESOs) and Counselors: DANTES needs your help! How is your on-base National Test Center (NTC) doing? Is the NTC fully staffed and testing regularly with a convenient schedule for service members? Did your NTC close its doors? Are NTC staff members teleworking instead of fully
staffing the office? Do you need help getting an NTC on your base? DANTES wants to know, so we can support you helping service members take advantage of the benefits of CLEP and DSST exams.
During FY23 DANTES provided me the opportunity to conduct presentations around the nation for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Awareness of the Credit-by-Exam (CBE) program was the primary focus of the prior fiscal year. Throughout my travel, there was one common element among testing agencies, counselors, and service members - the NTC program needs our attention.
My name is Matthew Schwantz! I spent 20 years in the Navy and retired from the Navy as a Senior Chief. Talking to service members around the world about their education is my passion! (Quick plug – let me know if you want me to visit your location and present to you, your staff, and your service members!)
During FY20, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down base access to all non-essential personnel, including NTC staff members. Throughout this time, we saw a 50% drop in test volume from the previous year. We anticipated the drastic drop in volume, but we did not expect the volume reduction to continue over the next three years. After gathering data from the testing agencies, College Board, and Prometric, we found many of the NTCs had significantly lower or no volume for FY21, 22, and 23. We contacted the bases where the NTCs had low or no volume and learned that many never reopened after the COVID restrictions were lifted. Some NTCs paused operations and never resumed testing; others went to a part-time testing schedule, allowing the NTC staff members to continue teleworking and only testing when the base ESO/Counselor could reach them.
NTCs are the primary method for service members to take CBEs. Remote testing is available but only accounts for 9% of all monthly testing. There are
select DANTES-funded off-base NTCs located at certain schools; this is an excellent option for service members who can successfully contact them. However, NTC locations are sometimes hours away from the base, further complicating the availability of taking an exam with an in-person proctor. I vividly remember being a junior sailor living onboard the ship - trying to get anywhere without a car was nearly impossible!
Do not worry; DANTES is committed to resolving these situations. We are coordinating with College Board and Prometric to identify bases without NTCs, and those with NTCs that are not testing to provide a regular testing schedule that is convenient for service members. If you have one of these scenarios, we want to know so we can help get an institution back on your base to staff the NTC or help you become your own non-traditional NTC.
My name is Jamie Henderson. I am the Credit by Examination Contracting Officer Representative (COR). I have been at DANTES for 10 years. My passion lies in working closely with service members, guiding them through the process of obtaining educational credits through examination. My commitment to supporting our service members in achieving their educational goals is unwavering, and I take great pride in being a part of their journey.
Let’s discuss how the NTC program works.
An NTC can be on or off-base and is staffed, managed, and operated by an Academic Institution (AI). On-base NTCs
may also be staffed by an Active-Duty service member, or Government Service (GS) employee. All on-base NTCs are DANTES-funded, which means the exam and proctoring fee are fully-funded. NTC staff members proctor CLEP and DSST exams, provide counseling to members on the selection of relevant degree-path exams, test preparation, and offer a testing schedule convenient for service members.
Establishing an on-base NTC program consists of the following:
• Partnership with the base Commander via a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) – copy to DANTES.
• Testing facility will be provided by the installation.
• A full-time staff to manage the NTC, designating a Primary Test Control Administrator (PTCA) and any additional Test Control Administrators (TCA).
• NTC staff will provide non-government testing computers and commercial Internet access.
• Complete mandatory certification training.
• Provide academic and educational guidance to service members.
• Identify the available resources for service members to prepare and practice for exams.
• Provide testing services at a time convenient for service members.
• Update staff changes by notifying the base ESO, testing agencies, and DANTES.
For more information and help to establish an on-base NTC, please contact the CBE Program Manager at matthew.w.schwantz.civ@mail.mil or 850-377-4160.
DANTES is working on a new NTC tracking and management initiative in the DANTES Academic Information Management Service (DAIMS). DAIMS houses all the CLEP and DSST information (e.g. student names, NTC IDs, exam scores, exam administration dates, etc.).
DAIMS also contains an NTC management function that provides location, volume, pass rates, and historical data information.
Since NTCs are vital for service members to access CBEs, DANTES supports this effort, but we need your help! We are working with the DAIMS vendor on a feature allowing the manual input of the names of the Primary Test Control Administrator (PTCA), additional Test Control Administrators (TCA), base ESO/Counselor POC, addresses, phone numbers, locations, and an option to upload documents, like the MOU. We need the NTC representatives, ESOs, Counselors, and base Education Offices to provide this information. Some of this information is already in DAIMS or with the testing agencies. However, we need your help to ensure it is accurate. For example, we may have the NTC’s institution address but not the base address it is assigned to.
DANTES also wants to help the bases without an NTC find an Academic Institution (AI) to partner with. We will help find an AI to work with your base and be able to document everything in DAIMS. This results in us helping you, the Vendor, DANTES track the NTC’s progress, changes in staffing, compliance with the MOU, and other information important for continued service member access to testing. Additionally, we want to provide DAIMS information to ESOs/Counselors NTC to DAIMS and to log into AFAEMS so they can see their data, such as pass rates, test volume, TA cost avoidance, and other valuable functions to manage their NTC program.
Service member who cannot test at an NTC have options for CLEP and DSST testing. College Board and Prometric have search functions that help locate an NTC near you. If you cannot find one nearby, contact our DANTES customer service team or the CBE Program Manager, Matthew Schwantz, for assistance.
Remote Testing is also available to all DANTES-funded members! You may elect to take your CLEP or DSST exam remotely with a live proctor through video. Taking an exam remotely is as easy as taking a mid-term or final exam remotely for your school. It would be best to have a personal computer (no Apple computers for CLEP), a WIFI or hardwired Internet connection, and a private room free of distractions.
Remote exams are scheduled at a time convenient for you and the test proctor. This means you can schedule your exam when prepared and ready to take it. If you need more preparation for the exam, you may reschedule for another date or cancel the exam without penalties. We cannot stress enough the importance of preparation before taking the exam. We recommend seeking advice from your ESO, counselor, or mentor regarding degree path-re -
levant exams to ensure you are taking exams to help you achieve your educational goals.
Taking care of counselors and service members is DANTES’ priority, and providing top-notch customer service is what we do. The DANTES website contains all the information on CLEP and DSST exams, allowing you to research the exams and testing locations. Webinars and videos are also available on preparing for and accessing the exams. The College Board and Prometric links on our website take you to the exact online location to register for an exam. There are multiple ways to contact us if you have questions about testing, exam issues, advice on your educational goals, or anything else you may need! Contact the Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) team at dodhra.pensacola.dssc.mbx.cpl-dantes@ mail.mil, and you can always contact the CBE Program Manager directly by emailing matthew.w.schwantz.civ@mail.mil or phone (850) 377-4160. Do not hesitate to contact DANTES for all your non-traditional education needs!
The Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Education (VolEd) Program, through the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), offers the Credit-by-Exam program to help service members earn college credit* for knowledge gained through previous experience, independent study, and your military training.
DANTES funds credit-by-exam tests, including:
CLEP: The College Board’s College Level Examination Program
DSST: Prometric’s College Level Credit by Exam Program
Credit by Exam Program
*College credit recommendations for these exams are made through the American Council on Education (ACE) and are subject to the acceptance of individual academic institutions.
DANTES recommends contacting your Service education counselor to verify that your exam credits meet your program requirements
Exams are funded for:
• All actively-serving members in all military Services including the, National Guard, Reserve components and U.S. Coast Guard
• U.S. Coast Guard (active and Reserve) spouses
• U.S. Air Force civilian employees (excluding contract employees)
• Military Eligible Spouses using My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Scholarship
• Take tests at National Test Centers worldwide
• Take tests remotely through an exam proctor
• Exam scores are included on the Joint Services Transcript (JST) and Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcript
• Test prep and study materials are provided at installation libraries, education centers, on-line, and via mobile apps
• Earn college credit* for prior knowledge
• Reduce course completion time; the average exam takes only a few hours versus 8 -15 weeks in class
• Save $$$; DANTES funds one attempt per exam title
• Avoid tuition assistance costs for courses replaced by credit earned
• https://clep.collegeboard.org/clep-test-center-search
• https://clep.collegeboard.org/register-for-an-exam/ military-how-to-register-under-dantes
• https://www.dodmwrlibraries.org/continuing-education
• https://www.youtube.com/@DANTESDoD
• https://clep.collegeboard.org/help-for-students
• https://getcollegecredit.com
• getcollegecredit@prometric.com
• dodhra.dantes-cpl@mail.mil
The DANTES Information Bulletin is an essential resource for education counselors dedicated to guiding service members through their educational journeys. These newsletters are rich in detailed information about various programs and initiatives aimed at aiding U.S. Armed Forces members in achieving their educational objectives.
As a pivotal resource, the DANTES Information Bulletin equips education counselors with extensive knowledge to provide comprehensive guidance and support to service members. By keeping up to date with the latest developments in DANTES programs, counselors are better positioned to deliver the most accurate and helpful advice, enabling service members to navigate their education and career paths with confidence.
We value your feedback on how we can enhance our newsletter. Please take a moment to complete our survey by clicking on the link or scanning the QR code provided below.
DIB Survey Link:
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Education (VolEd) Professional Development Institute (PDI)
Save the Date: July 16-17, 2024
Location: Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) Training Facility, Patrick SFB, Cocoa Beach, Florida
NOTE: PDI 2023 slide presentations are available for download from the DANTES milSuite account. CAC-access is required.
Event Purpose:
• To support DoD VolEd employee engagement, professional knowledge and collaboration across the DoD VolEd community, using forums, professional training, knowledge sharing, and building partnerships.
• To equip VolEd professionals to best support the Military Services’ efforts to shape, recruit, train, educate, and retain a diverse workforce
capable of successfully executing current and future missions.
• To facilitate the collaborative process, align leadership focus across functional and organizational boundaries, grow strategic alliances across the VolEd enterprise, and support organizational performance.
POC: Contact your service registration POC for further details!
Email PDI questions to: dodhra-outreach-dantes@mail.mil
Jeff