Retired exam
DSST no longer offers a Physical Science exam: it is absent from the issuer's current catalog (38 titles; the Physical Sciences category lists Astronomy, Environmental Science, Health & Human Development and Introduction to Geology), from the 2024 brochure and from the 2022 technical data sheet. No retirement notice or date is published; no successor is named.
No direct replacement is named in the reviewed official sources.
The DSST Physical Science exam covered mechanics, heat, thermodynamics, waves, sound, light, optics, electricity, and magnetism. This exam was administered by DSST. As of the published date, this exam is retired. There is no successor exam available. Candidates seeking credit in this subject area should contact DSST to determine if alternative testing options or current academic pathways are available to meet their specific educational requirements for their degree programs. The exam consisted of 100 multiple-choice questions and required a passing score of 400 to earn credit.
This exam was intended for students seeking college credit for introductory physical science coursework. It was suitable for individuals with a background in basic physics concepts who wished to demonstrate proficiency through a standardized assessment to satisfy general education requirements for their degree.
Since this exam is retired and has no successor, you should not prepare for it. If you require credit for physical science, contact DSST to identify current, active exams or alternative institutional requirements. Do not attempt to study for this retired assessment, as it is no longer available for registration or completion. Focus your efforts on identifying currently active credit-by-exam programs that are recognized by your specific academic institution to ensure your time is spent on valid assessments.
This domain covers the study of motion, forces, and energy. It focuses on how objects move and interact within physical systems, including the application of laws governing force and momentum in various environments to solve complex problems.
This domain addresses the transfer of thermal energy and the behavior of gases. It examines temperature changes, heat flow, and the laws governing thermodynamic processes in physical systems to explain how energy is conserved and transformed during interactions.
This domain explores the characteristics of wave motion and acoustic phenomena. It includes the study of how waves propagate through media and the specific properties of sound waves, including frequency, amplitude, and the physical nature of oscillations.
This domain focuses on the nature of light and its interaction with optical devices. It covers reflection, refraction, and the behavior of light as both a wave and a particle, including how lenses and mirrors manipulate light paths.
This domain examines the principles of electric charges, fields, and magnetic interactions. It covers the relationship between electricity and magnetism and their practical applications in physical circuits, including how these forces influence the behavior of charged particles in fields.
The DSST Physical Science exam consisted of exactly 100 multiple-choice questions. These questions were designed to test a candidate's understanding of the various physical science domains covered in the official exam content outline provided by the testing organization to ensure academic rigor for all students.
The passing score for this exam was 400. This score was determined by the testing board to ensure that candidates demonstrated a sufficient level of proficiency in the subject matter to earn college credit for their introductory physical science coursework at their respective academic institutions.
The exam had a total duration of 120 minutes. This time limit was established to allow candidates enough time to work through the multiple-choice questions while maintaining the integrity and rigor of the standardized assessment process for all test takers seeking college credit for their degree programs.
The exam price was 85 dollars for civilians. Eligible military personnel could take the exam for free via DANTES. This pricing structure was standard for DSST exams, ensuring that both civilian and military students had access to credit-by-exam opportunities for their academic degree programs and general education requirements.
This page was built by reviewing official DSST documentation and exam guides to verify the retirement status and historical specifications of the Physical Science exam, ensuring all provided information is accurate and reflects the final status of the assessment as documented by the official testing organization.