How old is the current Intro to Computing DSST exam?

This sounds like an obscure question but I have a practical reason for asking. I'm not sure how often they update the DANTES/DSST exams. When I am looking for things to study for either at home OR the library, a lot of the books I find are old and dated in the 90's. Then again I'm not sure how old the test is.

I don't want to waste TOO much time studying the latest technological advancements if they're not going to be on the exam either.

If the exam is recent then I'm thinking of getting the new PC's for Dummies book and studying it hard, but otherwise I may look for something in the library.

Although I have been using a home PC heavily for 10 years, my computer literacy isn't great, I'd rate it dead average (no where near "GEEK" level) so I'm anticipating this exam to be a tough one despite the high pass rate.

 

Hi
Well, I'm not sure how old the test is but have you looked at the sample questions? They would give you a good idea of how you would do. If you go to their site, they have current test information.
I highly recommend using the DSST study guide(getcollegecredit.com) for that exam and just study the topics listed. You don't need to study a whole book you know?
I took that exam last year and -I believe- it was super easy. I'm not a computer guru at all but I think it's Up there with Here's to your health as being one of the easier exams.
I found a "Nortons Intro to Computers " book at the library and used that as a study aid.


Good Luck!

 

I just took the exam, yesterday, and it appears that it hasn't been updated in a while. Several of the questions are outdated and difficult to answer because what was true 2 or 3 years ago is not true today, and vice versa. For example, there was one question that asked about the capability of a spreadsheet program to incorporate graphics into to cell data. Well, 2 or 3 years ago, it wasn't common or perhaps even possible. But, today Office 2003 (Excel) can easily handle the task.

Having been in IT for 15 years, I took the exam cold and thought I would ace it. There's no doubt I passed. But, I found myself second guessing some of the more subjective questions.

Hope this helps.