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CLEP and DANTES E-testing Comes to Fairchild

  • Published
  • By Rosanne Pruitt
  • Senior Guidance Counselor/CCAF Advisor
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  The college credit examination program has taken a giant leap toward convenience for our military and civilian Fairchild community. Gone are the days of waiting for mailed scores from paper-based tests. Military personnel test for free and civilians test for $90, a dramatic reduction compared to college tuition rates.

Earning college credit has never been more efficient and convenient. However, examinees must ensure the exams meet their program requirements based upon the transfer policies of each school. Call 247-2348 or stop by Customer Service at the Education Center to schedule for any of the five weekly testing sessions.

The e-CLEP (College Level Examination Program) and e-DANTES (Defense Activity for Non-traditional Education Support) exams provide more than 60 subject titles through our new National Testing Center on base with Park University. Examinees now leave the testing room with scores in hand. Excelsior College tests and DANTES Public Speaking exams remain paper-based without immediate scoring.

Advance preparation is a must for most people. Efforts to encourage preparation have resulted in higher pass rates at Fairchild as compared to both Air Mobility Command and Air Force wide. But E-testing further enables tracking individual and unit pass rates. Airmen without minimum pass scores will now be required to provide practice test results in advance of taking subsequent exams. We must strive toward a "Test to Pass!" mentality and promote accountability and integrity. These exams are given at a cost to the government if not to the individual military member.

Enhancing and updating preparation sources remains a priority at Education Services. Examinees will find the "1-2-3-4 Steps to Success!" process at http://snipurl.com/1mpnm under the 'testing' link. These online steps include test descriptions, practice tests, instructor lectures and other multi-media sources - all are available 24/7. A more traditional approach includes study guides with practice tests, refresher courses on DVD, college text books, and study aids such as Cliffs Quick Review and "Dummies" guides at the Fairchild Library. Trained library staff will help with finding the best mix of materials. Library hours are: Monday - Thursday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.; and closed Saturdays and holidays. Additional information can be found by going to the Air Force Portal at http://snipurl.com/1mpnm.