CPST: Newest DANTES online program Published Oct. 16, 2013 Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support, or DANTES, announced Oct. 1, 2013, the College Placement Skills Training, a new online program provided by DANTES, is now active. CPST is available to service members, Department of Defense civilians and family members, as an aid to help people prepare for college, build academic skills and prepare for exams such as College Level Examination Program tests or DANTES Subject Standardized Tests. "CPST serves as a companion tool to the highly popular and effective Online Academic Skills Course (OASC)," said Kathy Bratsch, DANTES OASC/CPST program manager. "It will assist military members (who) plan to start or return to college by providing a refresher of college algebra and/or English composition." CPST is helpful for those beginning their college program as most colleges require students to take placement exams prior to enrolling in English and math classes. Students who put the effort into taking a refresher program like CPST can reduce the number of pre-college classes they might need, thereby saving their tuition assistance dollars for credit classes. More importantly, when these students test into college-level courses, they save time and accelerate their degree completion. Both courses are self-paced and customized according to each participant's answers on a pre-assessment. Lessons are supported by interactive exercises such as drag-and-drop matching, video-game style multiple choice and dynamic flash cards. Quizzes and practice problem sets also help students gauge their mastery of the material. CPST and OASC not only offer skill-building lessons, quizzes and tests, but also helpful articles covering such topics as "How to Beat Test Stress" and "Last-Minute Study Tips." Furthermore, these programs offer detailed tips and strategies for doing well on college entry exams. CPST lessons cover the following areas: English and Language Arts - Main Idea Identifying - Direct Statements/Secondary Ideas - Inferences - Point of View - Sentence Relationships (i.e. cause/effect) Essay Writing - Organizing and Developing Ideas - Avoiding Common Errors Math - Whole Numbers, Fractions - Decimals and Percentages - Simple Geometry - Elementary Algebra - (i.e. integers and rational numbers; adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing monomials and polynomials) College-Level Math - Algebraic Operations - Linear and Quadratic Equations - Functions (i.e. polynomials) - Trigonometry - Applications (series and sequences, word problems, determinants, complex number problems) "CPST is perfect for individuals who want to build their reading comprehension, vocabulary and math skills to pass exams, excel in their jobs, advance their careers or continue their education," said David Acuff, DANTES senior enlisted advisor. "Because both programs are self-paced and online, they are accessible 24/7. Whether you're in the fleet, field, air or even in the comfort of your own home, all you need is an Internet connection and the desire to get started." For more information, contact the DANTES CPST/OASC Program Manager at refpubs@navy.mil or commercial at (850) 452-1111, ext. 3131. For more information about all of the programs offered by DANTES, visit the website at http://www.dantes.doded.mil. For more information on CPST courses available, go to www.nelnetsolutions.com/dantes/.