A free study resource for CLEP and DSST exams!

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Official CLEP and DSST Resources & Tools

This page brings together all of the official resources and tools for CLEP and DSST exams, all under one roof. Both the College Board's CLEP site and Prometric's DSST site have a ton of great info, but it isn't always easy to find what you need quickly. Below, I've gathered the key official study guides, practice tools, and reference materials for CLEP (College Level Examination Program) and DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests) in one place. The lists include both free and paid official resources (nothing third-party or unofficial) that can help you prepare with confidence in the materials.

Important: Before you buy anything, take a look at your local library for a recent copy. You don't "need" the current year's version a lot of the times.

Official CLEP Resources and Tools

  • CLEP Exam Content Guides & Free Sample Questions (College Board) – The official CLEP website provides a free PDF guide for each exam, called the "Resource Guide and Sample Questions." These PDFs (one per CLEP subject) include an outline of the exam content, details on how the exam is structured, and a set of practice questions straight from the test developers. You can find the Resource Guide and Sample Questions PDF at the bottom of each CLEP exam's page on the College Board site. It's a great first stop to get familiar with what's covered on a given test and see the style of questions you'll encounter. (Tip: There's no charge for these PDFs, so definitely take advantage of them!)
  • CLEP Official Study Guide (Book) – This is the big official CLEP study book published by College Board each year. The CLEP Official Study Guide includes practice questions for all 34 CLEP exams, along with exam descriptions, information on scoring, advice on getting credit for CLEP, and general test-taking tips. If you plan to take multiple CLEPs, this book is an excellent resource to have if you're looking for more than the free resources we offer here. Keep in mind it doesn't have exhaustive content review – its value is mainly in the official practice questions for every exam and the overview info. The book is updated annually and available for purchase (around $25–$30 new, and often cheaper for slightly older editions).
  • Individual CLEP Exam Guides (E-Guides) – If you're only prepping for one or two specific CLEP exams, you might opt for the exam-specific study guides instead of the big book. The College Board sells individual CLEP exam guides as downloadable PDFs, usually about $10 each. Each CLEP e-guide contains the official practice questions (and answers with explanations) for that single subject, along with the exam description and outline. In other words, it's basically the chapter for that exam from the big study guide, sold separately. You can purchase these PDF guides through the CLEP exam pages (look for a "Purchase Study Guide" or "Add to Cart" link) or via the College Board store. (Hint: You don't need both the book and the individual PDF for the same subject – they contain the same questions, just in different formats.)
  • CLEP Official Mobile App (ExamIam) – Prefer to practice on your phone or tablet? There's an official CLEP study app powered by ExamIam (available on iOS, Android, or via web browser). This app contains the same pool of official practice questions you'd get in the CLEP Official Study Guide or individual exam PDFs, but with the convenience of an interactive mobile app. It lets you quiz yourself on the go, track your progress, and get instant feedback. The app (sometimes called the "CLEP Official Exam Guide App") isn't free – you purchase access to the subjects you need (similar to buying the PDF guides, each subject on the app costs around $14.99). The nice thing is that it's officially from College Board and ExamIam, so you know the questions are legit and up-to-date. If you're always on your phone more than on paper, this might be a handy tool for you.
  • CLEP Practice Platform Tutorial – One of the challenges of CLEP is getting comfortable with the computer-based testing platform before you sit down for the real exam. A while back, College Board offered a downloadable program called the CLEP Sampler (a ~9 MB software demo of the testing software). I'll be honest – I never had much luck getting that old Sampler to run on my modern PC (apparently others have, but it's finicky), and College Board has since moved on to more accessible tools. Now, they provide an online tutorial and video walkthrough of the CLEP exam platform. Definitely take a few minutes to check out the official "Get Familiar with the Testing Platform" video on the CLEP site before exam day. It shows you how to use the on-screen calculators for math exams, how to navigate through questions, flag items for review, etc. There's no cost for this, and it can really help calm those test-day nerves by letting you know exactly what the interface will look like. (If you're ultra-curious, the old CLEP Sampler software is still floating around out there and might give you a tiny preview of the question format. But trust me, the new official online tutorial is a much easier and more reliable way to get comfortable with the testing system.)
  • Modern States "Freshman Year for Free" – This one isn't a College Board product, but it is offered in partnership with College Board and has become a hugely popular (and free!) prep resource, so I'd be remiss not to include it. Modern States Education Alliance is a nonprofit that teamed up with College Board to create free online courses for all the major CLEP exams. Each course, led by a college professor, covers the material you'd find in a typical college class for that subject. You get video lectures, readings, practice quizzes, and more – all for free. Their motto is "Freshman Year for Free," and the idea is that you can potentially knock out a year of college credits by passing CLEPs after using their courses. As a huge bonus, Modern States will even give you a voucher to pay for your CLEP exam fee once you complete the course and practice questions (saving you ~\$90). This program is an awesome way to prepare using legit course material at no cost, especially if you prefer a more structured class-like approach to studying. You can sign up on ModernStates.org and work through the courses at your own pace. (It's official enough that DANTES and College Board actively encourage it for military members, but it's open to civilians too. Free prep and a free exam – hard to beat!)
  • [For Military Test-Takers] Free CLEP Materials – If you're a DANTES-funded military candidate, you have some extra perks. Upon registering for a CLEP exam with your military benefits, you're eligible for a free official CLEP study guide e-book for that exam. You can obtain study materials through your base education center as well – many base libraries stock the CLEP Official Study Guide book, and DANTES may provide you with the individual exam guides or other resources at no cost. Be sure to check with your Education Services Officer or base library to take advantage of any free official prep tools for service members. (And don't forget: DANTES funds your CLEP exam fees for the first attempt of each test, so make it count!)

Official DSST Resources and Tools

Now on to the DSST side of the house – these are the official Prometric (DSST) resources to help you prepare for DSST exams. Just like with CLEP, we'll cover both free materials and a few paid options that are officially endorsed by DSST.

  • DSST Exam Fact Sheets (Content Outlines) – For each DSST exam, Prometric provides an official Exam Fact Sheet that you can download (PDF format). These fact sheets are a gold mine of info: they give you an overview of the exam content and an outline of the topics, the number of questions and timing, the passing score, and even a list of reference books that were used to create the test. Plus, each fact sheet includes a set of sample questions with an answer key, so you can get a feel for the question style. The fact sheets are available on the DSST official site (GetCollegeCredit.com) – when you view an exam's page, you'll see a "Download Fact Sheet" link. They are completely free and absolutely worth reviewing for any DSST you plan to take. (Think of them as the DSST equivalent of the CLEP exam guides, except shorter and free!)
  • Official DSST Practice Exams (Prometric's Free Online Practice) – Prometric offers free online practice exams for most DSST subjects, which are accessible through their testing website. These are half-length practice tests (about 50 questions each) delivered on the same online platform as the real exam, so you can practice using the actual interface. The idea here is to give you a realistic "test drive" of exam day – you'll experience the look and feel of the computer-based test, practice navigating the system, and answer a set of practice questions. Keep in mind, these official practice exams do not use real current exam questions (so don't bank on them to predict your score), but they're great for exposure and reducing surprises on test day. To access a DSST practice test, you'll create a free account on Prometric's practice test site and select from the list of DSST practice exams available. (The DSST official Prepare for a Test page has step-by-step instructions on how to launch these.) If you encounter any technical quirks (they mention possibly needing Silverlight or a specific browser), just follow their instructions. Did I mention it's free? Do take advantage of at least one practice exam before you sit for the real thing – it can boost your confidence a lot.
  • Peterson's DSST Practice Tests – Peterson's is another official DSST prep provider. You might know Peterson's for their SAT/ACT and CLEP prep materials – and they have DSST prep too. Peterson's offers a subscription-based online platform where you get unlimited access to practice tests for 30+ DSST exams (along with a bunch of other exams, if you're ever interested). With Peterson's, you'll typically get three full-length practice tests per DSST subject, with detailed answer explanations, so it's great for drilling and self-assessment. They also provide additional study resources like flashcards and lessons for each topic. Because Peterson's works directly with DSST (hence the "official provider" status), their practice tests are known to be pretty high quality and close to the real exam in format. It is a paid service (monthly subscription), but if you're the type who likes to take several practice exams to feel ready, this could be worth it. (Pro tip: Peterson's frequently offers promo codes – for example, DSST's site mentions a 10% off code for students and 15% off for military. Keep an eye out for those to save a few bucks.)
  • EBSCO LearningExpress DSST Prep (Free for Military) – This one is specifically for our military members and families out there. The DoD, via DANTES, provides free access to EBSCO's LearningExpress DoD Test Prep platform, which includes DSST study materials. If you have a military ID (active duty, guard/reserve, veterans, and family members are generally eligible), you can use the DoD MWR Digital Library to get to LearningExpress and access full-length DSST practice tests, study guides, and even a mobile app at no cost. This resource is officially licensed and recommended by DSST for military test-takers. It's a fantastic benefit – essentially an entire test prep library for free. The only catch is that it's restricted to the military community. To use it, you'll register through the DANTES portal or MWR Digital Library website and then you can launch the LearningExpress prep center for DSST. If you're in the service (or a military family member) prepping for DSSTs, definitely take advantage of this DANTES-funded tool!