6-Week DSST Computing and IT Study Plan: Week by Week

This DSST Computing and IT study plan gives you a simple way to use the printable DSST Computing and Information Technology guide, the $19 course, and the free practice test across 6 weeks. The exam covers 6 content areas, but they are not weighted the same.

Application Software is 22%, Software Development is 21%, and Data Communications and Networks is 19%, so those belong near the front of your schedule. The guide helps with that because it puts one chapter on each official content area and starts with the heaviest-weighted topics first. If you want a plan that feels realistic, not packed with busywork, use the weekly structure below and keep your sessions short, steady, and focused on one topic at a time.

Start with a baseline and a simple weekly routine

Before you study any chapter, take the free practice test. It has 25 original questions that follow the official exam outline, and every answer has an explanation. Use it as a starting check, not as a score prediction. Your goal is to spot weak areas fast. Write down which topics felt easy and which ones slowed you down.

Then set a weekly routine you can repeat for all 6 weeks. Keep it plain:

• Day 1: read a guide chapter and mark key terms
• Day 2: watch or read the matching course lessons
• Day 3: take the quiz after each subchapter
• Day 4: redo missed quiz ideas and answer guide questions
• Day 5: quick review, then move on
• Day 6 or 7: light catch-up or rest

That rhythm works well because the $19 prep course gives you 13 chapters, 122 lessons, and 39 quizzes, while the guide gives you a tighter review: 36 printable pages, 184 key terms with examples, 42 practice questions with explanations, common exam traps, and a 2-page cram sheet. Use the course to learn and the guide to condense.

If this is the only DSST exam you plan to take, the simplest buy is often the guide plus the course, $5 + $19 = $24. If you may study for more than one DSST, the DSST prep hub page can help you compare your options. Keep in mind that plans cover prep only. The exam itself costs $100, plus any fee the test center charges.

How to read the 6-week table and use each stage

Use the table below as a map, not a timer you must follow minute by minute. It is there to answer one question each week: what should you focus on now?

Here is how to use each stage of the table.

Stage 1, baseline check: start with the free practice test. You are not trying to prove you are ready. You are trying to see where the gaps are before you spend time on the wrong material.

Stage 2, learn the heavy topics first: put your best energy into the biggest weighted areas early. For this exam, that means Application Software, Software Development, and Data Communications and Networks. Those three areas add up to most of what you need to know, so it makes sense to give them the first weeks.

Stage 3, fill the middle-weight topics: after the big three, move into Computer Organization and Hardware, then Systems Software. These areas still matter, but they should not push out the heavier sections.

Stage 4, short topic cleanup: save Social Impact and History for a lighter week or for the second half of a week. It is 11%, so study it, but do not let it eat time meant for larger sections.

Stage 5, final check: in the last week, stop collecting new material. Rework misses, review traps, and use the cram sheet. Then take the practice test again as an end check to see what still needs one more pass.

Weeks 1 and 2: hit the biggest weighted areas first

The first two weeks of your DSST Computing and IT study plan should carry the most weight. That is because the biggest content areas should get your freshest attention, not your leftover energy.

In Week 1, start with Application Software, 22%. Read that chapter in the 36-page study guide first, because the guide is arranged by official content area and starts with the heaviest-weighted material. As you read, do not just highlight. Turn the key terms into quick self-checks. The guide gives you 184 key terms with examples, which is useful here because software questions often look familiar until one word changes the meaning.

After the guide chapter, open the matching lessons in the course. The course format helps when a topic feels fuzzy because you can move lesson by lesson and then take the quiz after each subchapter. Do not wait until the end of the week to quiz yourself. Quiz right after the lesson while the idea is still fresh.

In Week 2, shift to Software Development, 21%. Use the same pattern: guide first for the big outline, course second for detail, quizzes third for checks. At the end of each week, answer the guide practice questions tied to that topic and review every explanation, even for the ones you got right. If you spot a trap more than once, write it down. The guide flags common exam traps for a reason.

By the end of Week 2, you should have covered the two largest sections and built a good base without rushing.

Weeks 3 and 4: networks, hardware, and systems software

Week 3 should focus on Data Communications and Networks, 19%. This is still a large slice of the exam, so treat it like a primary week, not a side topic. Start by reading the guide chapter straight through once. Then go back and separate the ideas into small groups you can explain in plain words. If a term only makes sense when you see it in context, use the course lesson for that part. The point is to move from recognition to recall.

Week 4 works best as a split week. Put the first part of the week into Computer Organization and Hardware, 17%, then use the rest for Systems Software, 10%. That split mirrors the weights well. Hardware needs real attention, but not as much as the big topics from the first three weeks. Systems Software still matters, but it should be shorter and tighter.

A good method for both weeks is this:

• Read one topic block in the guide
• Watch or read the matching course lessons
• Take the subchapter quiz right away
• Write down any term you missed and one example of it
• End the week with a quick mixed review of earlier weeks

That last step matters. A 6-week plan fails when you keep moving forward and never look back. Spend a short session each week reviewing old misses from Weeks 1 and 2. This keeps early topics active in your memory while you add new ones.

If you are using the $19 prep course, let the quizzes tell you what to repeat. If a subchapter quiz goes badly, repeat that lesson before you move on.

Week 5: clean up weak spots and finish the last area

Week 5 is for two jobs: finish Social Impact and History, 11%, and clean up weak spots from the first four weeks. This is where a lot of students waste time by rereading everything. Do not do that. Use your notes, missed quiz items, and marked guide questions to choose what needs another pass.

Start the week with Social Impact and History. Because it is the lightest-weighted area, it fits well here. Read the chapter in the guide, then move through the matching course lessons and quizzes. Keep it brief and clear. You do not need to turn the smallest section into the longest week.

Then spend the rest of Week 5 on targeted review. The best order is simple:

• Redo missed course quizzes
• Revisit guide practice questions you missed
• Review the key terms that still feel vague
• Check the common exam traps again

This is also the right week to decide if your current setup is enough. If you bought only the guide and now want fuller lesson-by-lesson help, adding the course brings your total prep cost to $24. If you already know you will take more DSST exams, a plan may cost less than buying one course at a time. DSST Monthly is $29 a month and includes all 8 DSST prep courses and all 38 DSST study guides. DSST Semester is $69 for 4 months with the same DSST access. Plans also include access to UPI Study's 90+ ACE and NCCRS courses for the time the plan states. If you only need this one exam, though, the single guide and course are often enough.

Week 6: final review, cram sheet, and end check

Your last week should feel smaller, not bigger. By now, you should stop chasing new material and start tightening what you already studied. This is the final part of your DSST Computing and IT study plan, and it works best when you keep the tasks short and focused.

Start Week 6 by opening the guide again and scanning your notes from every chapter. Then use the 2-page cram sheet for fast review. The cram sheet is made for the night before, but it also works well for short checks during the final week. Read it once early in the week, once the day before your exam, and once the morning of the exam if that helps you settle down.

Midweek, retake the free practice test. Use it as an end check. Compare what felt hard at the start with what feels hard now. You are looking for patterns, not perfection. If the same topic still causes trouble, go back only to that chapter or lesson.

In the last day or two, use the guide for tight review because it is easier to scan than a full course. If you need one quick printable source, the guide is the better fit. You can test year-round through Prometric, and on an internet-based DSST exam you see your result right after the exam. If you are thinking about credit, remember that each college sets its own DSST credit policy, even though 1,900+ colleges accept DSST. Your school should receive your DSST score report within 90 days of your test date.

Frequently Asked Questions about DSST IT Prep

Final Thoughts on DSST IT Prep

If you want a practical setup, start with the $5 DSST Computing and Information Technology study guide for the week-by-week structure and printable review, then add the $19 prep course if you want lesson-by-lesson teaching and quizzes. That gives you a clear 6-week path without paying for more than you need. Use the free practice test at the start, stick to the weighted order, and save the cram sheet for the final week. Your next step is simple: open the guide, take the practice test, and map out Week 1 today.