DSST Math for Liberal Arts

It is a multiple-choice exam offered in internet-based and paper-based formats. The test contains 100 questions, and test takers are given two hours to complete it. DSST exams must be taken at authorized testing centers, most of which are on college campuses.

The minimum score is 400. Passing does not automatically guarantee credit, though: your college decides whether it accepts the exam and how it applies toward your degree. Check with your advisor and registrar before testing.

The test fee is $100 per exam. That fee does not include any administrative costs the testing site may require, so ask your chosen test center about additional charges when you schedule. Eligible veterans may seek reimbursement through the VA National Testing Program.

The content is college-level liberal arts mathematics, not calculus. Candidates most often lose points on multi-step word problems: percentage change, unit conversions, compound interest, and probability counting rules. Timing is the other common issue, since 100 questions in two hours leaves roughly 72 seconds each.

Yes. All test takers are eligible to retest after a 30 day wait period. Note that for eligible military students, DANTES only funds the first attempt to pass an exam; any subsequent attempts to pass a failed exam are the test taker's responsibility.

Registration and payment are completed at the testing center within the testing platform on the day of the exam. You cannot register online in advance. Contact your chosen testing center beforehand, because some locations do not allow walk-ins and require scheduled appointments.

Bring current, valid picture identification such as a driver's license, passport, or picture student ID. DANTES-funded eligible military test takers must provide a valid Common Access Card. Reference materials, scratch paper, and electronics such as cell phones are not permitted. For paper-based exams, bring No. 2 pencils with an eraser and black ballpoint pens.

Results are available to the test taker immediately after internet-based exams. You can log in to the testing platform at any time to review and reprint your score report. For paper-based exams, scores are mailed. Official reports go to the institution whose 4-digit DSST code you provide on test day.

Start with the areas that build on each other: real number systems, then algebra and functions, then linear systems and inequalities, then exponents and logarithms. Sets and logic, geometry and conversions, counting, and probability can be studied in parallel. Finish with full-length timed practice.

No. They are separate DSST titles with different content. Math for Liberal Arts covers real number systems, sets and logic, metric conversions and geometry, applied algebra and graphs, linear systems and inequalities, exponents and logarithms including financial literacy, counting, and probability and statistics.