Should I take this exam?

I'm planning on taking the DSST Ethics in America exam in the future. However, I've already taken an Introduction to Ethics course at my local community college. would taking this exam duplicate my college credit, or would it add additional credit?

 

It is almost entirely certain it would duplicate it. The DSST (DANTES) test Ethics in America is also a three semester-hour introductory course on ethics, recommended for credit at the lower division, ie. within the two years. Unless your community college course had some overwhelming, provable distinctive not represented by its name - was it really a professional department course all about applied ethics in health care, say? - it would be counted by any capable school as duplicating Ethics in America. Even in the hypothetical where the CC course was clearly distinctive, you'd probably have to make a case for them to be counted separately, and it might not be accepted.

 

OK...but what will this convert to at Thomas Edison State, the college I plan to attend? Will it count as higher level? (TESC counts 200-level courses or up as higher level.) It was a 100-level course at my college, but Ethics in America is considered a 200-level course at TESC.

 

I'm not up to date as to TESC's unique rules around this, but if you needed the upper-level credit, this does sound like a sensible reason to take the test. Of course, substitute another source of upper-level credits and you could still keep the CC ethics course.

 

Have you considered contacting the school and asking them?

 

Call your advisor, because answers like this are not always obvious. I had a SOC200 community college course come in as a SOC199. It really does impact where the credit is applied.

 

Excelsior has a BioEthics exam that is 3 credits upper level
I assume TESC will accept it, but who knows for sure

Course Title Bioethics: Philosophical Issues
Course Number HUMX*310
Description
Corresponds to a one-semester course in bioethics. Measures knowledge and understanding of ethical theories related to bioethics, topics in clinical biomedical ethics, social topics in ethics, and environmental ethics. Examination tests for knowledge of facts and terminology, an understanding of concepts and theories, and the student's ability to apply this knowledge and understanding in an analysis of the philosophical issues concerning biomedical and environmental ethics. (Multiple-choice examination.)

Level Upper
Cost 205.00