DSST® Principles of Advanced English Composition Prep — Pass the Exam and Earn 3 Transferable College Credits
DSST® Advanced English
Composition
The second composition credit, without the second composition class. Despite the name, this exam is 100% multiple choice, no essay. It tests what you know about effective writing, arguments, and using sources, not your ability to write an essay on the spot. 64 questions in 2 hours. Earn 3 transferable credits for $119 total.
Three Equal Thirds.
96% of the Exam.
Advanced English Composition has an unusually balanced structure. Three areas carry 32% each, so your prep splits almost evenly across effective writing, arguments, and sources. A tiny 4% sliver covers writing types.
Elements of Effective Writing
From a blank page to a polished draft — the whole writing process.
- Audience & purpose analysis
- Pre-writing & content generation
- Drafting & organization
- Paragraph & sentence structure
- Revising, editing & proofreading
Reading & Writing Arguments
How arguments are built, supported, and evaluated.
- Claims, thesis & sub-claims
- Claim support & evidence
- Logic, anecdote & sources
- Warrants & assumptions
- Identifying conclusions
Using Secondary Sources
Finding, judging, and citing sources the right way.
- Finding appropriate sources
- Evaluating relevance & credibility
- Summary, paraphrase & quotation
- MLA, APA & CMS styles
- In-text citations & references
Study strategy: give roughly equal time to the three 32% areas. If you've written research papers before, the arguments and sources material will feel familiar, and the citation rules (MLA, APA, CMS) are the most memorizable points on the whole exam.
32% + 32% + 32% + 4%A composition exam with no composition.
This surprises almost everyone: DSST® Advanced English Composition never asks you to write an essay. All 64 questions are multiple choice. You identify the stronger thesis, spot the better revision, choose the correct citation, judge a source's credibility. If timed essays are your weak point, this is the writing credit built for you.
What You'll Learn
All four DSST® Advanced English Composition content areas in structured chapters — balanced across the three big areas that together make up 96% of the exam.
What You'll Be Able to Do
- Analyze audience and purpose, generate and organize ideas, draft, and revise and edit — the full elements of effective college-level writing
- Read and write arguments: identify claims and thesis statements, weigh evidence and logic, recognize warrants and assumptions, and draw sound conclusions
- Find and evaluate secondary sources for relevance and credibility, and integrate them through summary, paraphrase, and quotation
- Cite and document sources correctly in MLA, APA, and CMS styles, both in-text and in references or works-cited pages
- Distinguish the major types of writing — narrative, informative, argumentative and persuasive, and critical response
Full Topic Coverage
How DSST® Credit Works
Three steps from enrollment to 3 transferable college credits — no campus, no semester of graded essays.
Study with TransferCredit
Structured chapters balanced across the three 32% areas — effective writing, arguments, and sources — plus the quick 4% writing-types section. Subchapter quizzes and a readiness tracker tell you exactly when you're ready.
Take the DSST® Exam
Book at any Prometric or on-campus DSST® test center. 64 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours, no essay, scored 200–500. Score 400+ to earn 3 college credits. Exam fee is $100 (free for eligible military via DANTES).
Transfer Your Credits
Send your DSST® score to your college and have 3 English or composition credits applied to your degree. Accepted at 1,900+ colleges and universities.
One Price.
Everything Unlocked.
Buy Advanced English Composition alone for $19 lifetime access, get all DSST® subjects for $29/month, or unlock everything — CLEP® + DSST® — for life at $149.
- All 4 content areas covered
- MLA, APA & CMS citation drills
- Subchapter quizzes & readiness tracker
- DSST® official outline aligned
- Lifetime access, no expiry
- All DSST® prep courses
- Chapter + subchapter structure
- Readiness quizzes per topic
- Backup ACE/NCCRS credit path
- Cancel or pause anytime
- Lifetime access to all CLEP® + DSST® subjects
- All current & future courses
- 12-month ACE/NCCRS backup path
- Pay once, never renew
- Best long-term investment
All plans include a backup ACE/NCCRS credit path — if you don't pass the DSST® exam, you still earn the credit through coursework.
Questions? [email protected] · View all pricing →
Does My College Accept DSST® Advanced English Composition?
DSST® exams are accepted at 1,900+ colleges and universities. Advanced English Composition typically satisfies a second-level or advanced English composition requirement — the writing course that often follows freshman composition. Score 400+ (on the 200–500 scale) and most schools award 3 semester credit hours.
Students Also Prep For
Stack DSST® writing and communications credits to clear multiple requirements with one $29/month subscription.
Pass DSST® Advanced English Composition and earn 3 credits for $119 total.
$19 prep + $100 exam. 3 college credits. A second composition requirement cleared with no essays — 64 multiple-choice questions split evenly across writing, arguments, and sources.
🎯 Why It Matters
- No essay — 100% multiple choice, unusual for a composition exam
- Three areas at 32% each: writing, arguments, and sources
- Clears the advanced or second-level composition requirement
- Citation rules (MLA, APA, CMS) are the most memorizable points
👤 Who Takes This Exam
- Students who already passed freshman comp and need the next one
- Anyone who would rather not write a semester of essays
- People comfortable with research papers and citation
- Active-duty military (exam free via DANTES)
- Adult learners finishing an English requirement
🛡️ The Backup Path
- Didn't pass? Your subscription unlocks the ACE/NCCRS backup course
- Same subject — earn the credit through coursework, no exam
- Accepted at 2,100+ colleges on its own
- Your $19 always results in real, transferable college credit
50,000+ Students.
Real Results.
From essay-avoiders to research-paper veterans clearing a second writing credit — here's what TransferCredit students say about DSST® Advanced English Composition.
TransferCredit DSST® Advanced English Composition Prep Includes
Common Questions Answered.
Really no essay on a composition exam?
Correct, and it surprises almost everyone. DSST® Advanced English Composition is 100% multiple choice. Instead of writing an essay, you answer questions about writing — which thesis is stronger, which revision is clearer, which citation is correct, whether a source is credible. It tests your judgment about good writing rather than your ability to produce an essay under time pressure. For anyone who dreads timed essays, that is a major advantage.
How should I split my study time?
Almost evenly. Three areas carry 32% each — Elements of Effective Writing, Reading and Writing Arguments, and Using Secondary Sources — so they deserve roughly equal attention. The fourth area, Types of Writing, is only 4%, so a quick pass on the four writing types is enough. No single area dominates the way they do on most DSST exams.
How much citation do I need to know?
Enough to answer questions about MLA, APA, and CMS — when to use each, how in-text citations and references work, and when to summarize, paraphrase, or quote. You will not format an entire paper, but you should recognize correct citations and know how to evaluate a source's credibility and relevance. These rules are concrete and memorizable, which makes the sources area one of the most scorable on the exam.
How much does this path save me?
The exam is $100. Our prep is $19. Total: $119. A traditional advanced composition course costs $300–$1,500+ per credit hour, or $900–$4,500 for 3 credits, and means a semester of graded essays. The DSST® path clears the same requirement in 2–4 weeks with one multiple-choice exam.
Common Questions Answered.
Everything about the DSST® Advanced English Composition exam, scoring, content areas, and how to earn credit without taking the class.
What is the DSST® Principles of Advanced English Composition exam?
Do I have to write an essay?
How many questions are on the exam?
What are the content areas?
Do I need to know MLA and APA citation?
How is the DSST® scored?
What happens if I don't pass?
How does this compare to taking the class?
Still have questions? Our team responds within hours — not days.
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A composition credit
with no essays.
$19 prep + $100 exam. 3 college credits. 64 questions, all multiple choice. Writing, arguments, and sources, split evenly. Score 400+. Accepted at 1,900+ colleges.