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ROUTINE
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NAVADMIN 231/10

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/JUL//

SUBJ/CHANGES TO DEFENSE ACTIVITY FOR NON-TRADITIONAL EDUCATION SUPPORT 
RETESTING POLICY//

RMKS/1.  THIS NAVADMIN MODIFIES THE RETEST OPTION FOR THE COLLEGE LEVEL 
EXAMINATION PROGRAM (CLEP), DEFENSE ACTIVITY FOR NON-TRADITIONAL 
EDUCATION (DANTES) SUBJECT STANDARDIZED TESTS (DSST), AND EXCELSIOR 
COLLEGE EXAMINATIONS (ECE).  THESE PROGRAMS PROVIDE A VALUABLE RESOURCE 
TO SAILORS IN EARNING COLLEGE CREDIT TOWARD AN EDUCATIONAL DEGREE, AND 
TO THE NAVY IN INCURRING LESS TUITION ASSISTANCE (TA) COSTS.  EARNED 
CREDITS, COUPLED WITH MILITARY EXPERIENCE AND COURSES TAKEN THROUGH TA 
OR NAVY COLLEGE PROGRAM FOR AFLOAT COLLEGE EDUCATION (NCPACE), 
FACILITATE THE AWARDING OF CERTAIN DEGREES.
UNTIL RECENTLY, UNLIMITED ACADEMIC EXAM RETESTS WERE AVAILABLE TO ALL 
SERVICE MEMBERS AT NO COST TO THE INDIVIDUAL.  IN FY09, 8,000 SERVICE 
MEMBERS TOOK FUNDED RETESTS, WITH A RECORDED 37 PERCENT PASS RATE.  
DURING THIS TIME, NAVY PROVIDED APPROXIMATELY 1 MILLION DOLLARS FOR 
THESE RETESTING SERVICES.
DEFENSE ACTIVITY FOR NON-TRADITIONAL EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT
(DANTES) WILL CONTINUE TO FUND THE INITIAL TESTING IN THIS VALUABLE 
PROCESS; HOWEVER, IN THE FUTURE, SERVICE MEMBERS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE 
FOR FUNDING ANY RETESTS.

2.  IN AN EFFORT TO ENCOURAGE SERVICE MEMBERS TO BETTER PREPARE FOR 
THESE INITIAL EXAMS AND REDUCE NAVY COSTS, DANTES WILL ONLY FUND A 
SERVICE MEMBER'S INITIAL EXAMINATION FEE FOR EACH CLEP, DSST, AND ECE 
EXAM.  RETESTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE FUNDED THROUGH DANTES FOR SERVICE 
MEMBERS WHO TOOK A TEST PRIOR TO 20 MAY 2010 AND WHO RETEST BEFORE 11 
DECEMBER 2010.  AS OF 20 MAY 2010, SAILORS WHO DO NOT RECEIVE A PASSING 
SCORE, ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO RETEST ON A NO COST BASIS.  TO RETEST, 
MEMBERS MUST WAIT 180 CALENDAR DAYS BETWEEN TEST DATES AND MUST 
PERSONALLY FUND THE RETEST.  PROCEDURES FOR FUNDING RETESTS:
    A.  NATIONAL TEST CENTER (NTC):  EXAMINEES MUST PAY THE EXAMINATION 
FEE REQUIRED BY THE TESTING AGENCY AND ADMINISTRATION FEE REQUIRED BY 
THE INSTITUTION ADMINISTERING THE EXAM.
EXAMINEES MUST CHECK WITH NTC TO DETERMINE THE FORM OF PAYMENT REQUIRED.
    B.  PAPER-BASED DANTES TEST SITES:  EXAMINEES FOR CLEP AND DSST 
MUST FOLLOW PERSONALLY FUNDED CIVILIAN PAYMENT PROCEDURES WHICH REQUIRE 
A CERTIFIED CHECK OR MONEY ORDER IN U.S. DOLLARS, DRAWN ON A U.S. BANK, 
AND MADE PAYABLE TO PROMETRIC.
    C.  ECE:  EXAMINEES MUST SUBMIT EXAM REGISTRATION FEES BY CERTIFIED 
CHECK OR MONEY ORDER IN U.S. DOLLARS, DRAWN ON A U.S.
BANK, AND MADE PAYABLE TO EXCELSIOR COLLEGE PRIOR TO THE REEXAMINATION.  
EXAMINEES MAY ALSO PAY FOR PAPER-BASED EXCELSIOR COLLEGE EXAMS BY 
CREDIT CARD PRIOR TO TESTING.

3.  SCORES FOR PERSONALLY FUNDED RETESTS ARE NOT AUTOMATICALLY 
TRANSMITTED FROM THE TESTING CONTRACTOR TO THE SAILOR MARINE ACE 
REGISTRY TRANSCRIPT (SMART).  IF TAKEN FOR A DEGREE REQUIREMENT, A 
DESIGNATED INSTITUTION CODE MUST BE INDENTIFIED AT THE TIME OF TESTING.  
TO SEND OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS TO SMART OR A DESIGNATED SCHOOL, THE 
SERVICE MEMBER MUST CONTACT THE INDIVIDUAL TESTING AGENCIES TO ORDER.  
SAILORS SHOULD DISCUSS WITH THEIR NAVY COLLEGE OFFICE COUNSELOR THE 
MOST APPROPRIATE MEANS TO ENSURE TEST SCORES ARE ENTERED INTO SMART.  
PROCEDURES FOR REQUESTING TRANSCRIPTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
    A.  WHEN REQUESTING DSST SCORES, EXAMINEES MUST PAY FOR A CIVILIAN 
TRANSCRIPT.  THE ORDER FORM IS AVAILABLE AT 
HTTP://WWW.GETCOLLEGECREDIT.COM.
    B.  CLEP TRANSCRIPT REQUEST FORMS ARE AVAILABLE AT 
HTTP://WWW.COLLEGEBOARD.COM.  THE MILITARY TRANSCRIPT FORM SHOULD NOT 
BE USED FOR PERSONALLY FUNDED EXAMS.
    C.  ECE EXAMINEES REGISTER ONLINE TO PAY FOR A TRANSCRIPT AT 
WWW.EXCELSIOR.EDU.  THE ECE TRANSCRIPT FORM IS ALSO AVAILABLE TO DANTES 
TEST CONTROL OFFICER IN THE DANTES EXAMINATION PROGRAM HANDBOOK (DEPH).

4.  WHILE THIS POLICY CHANGE WAS INITIALLY ENACTED TO REDUCE COSTS, WE 
ALSO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROACTIVELY ENGAGE THOSE INDIVIDUALS 
SEEKING ADVANCED EDUCATION BY ENCOURAGING THEM TO BETTER PREPARE FOR 
EXAMINATIONS PRIOR TO THE INITIAL TEST.  BY STUDYING FOR THE EXAM, 
FEWER SAILORS WILL EXPERIENCE A FAILURE; MORE WILL EARN THE COLLEGE 
CREDIT NEEDED; AND THERE WILL BE GREATER STEWARDSHIP OF FINITE 
RESOURCES FOR ALL OF THE SERVICES.
NAVY COLLEGE COUNSELORS SHOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE ALL SAILORS PLANNING 
TO TAKE CLEP, DSST, OR ECE EXAMINATIONS TO PREPARE FOR THE EXAM.  FREE 
EXAM STUDY SHEETS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE NAVY KNOWLEDGE ONLINE (NKO) 
WEBSITE UNDER THE LEARNING TAB, OR ON THE DANTES WEBSITE, 
WWW.DANTES.DODED.MIL.  COMMAND SPONSORED STUDY GROUPS, BOTH ASHORE AND 
AFLOAT, ALSO PROVIDE AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO PREPARE FOR THESE 
TESTS.  FOR ADDITIONAL AMPLIFYING INFORMATION REFER TO THE DANTES 
WEBSITE.

5.  POINT OF CONTACT:  MS. ANN HUNTER, OPNAV N153, AT (931)
535-3167 OR VIA E-MAIL AT ann.hunter@navy.mil.

6.  RELEASED BY VADM MARK FERGUSON, N1.//

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