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Guides and Resources So now that you have some of the basic information about serving in the Army National Guard, do you want to know more? Would you like more in depth information about educational benefits? About benefits in general? The Guard provides a number of publications to fill in all of the details. Click on the links below for more information. The 2006 "You Can" Guide to Paying for Your College Education Download the entire guide (9,708 kb)
Free testing & certificates As a member of the National Guard, you are eligible to pursue college and university independent study courses through Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support (DANTES) at no cost. The following academic testing programs are available through DANTES: General Educational Development (GED) Testing Service The GED examination is for individuals who have not completed their formal high school education. The GED exam allows people to prove what they know.
The 2002-Series GED Tests measure knowledge in 5 different areas:
General Educational Development (GED) Plus Program Do I need a GED or High School diploma to join the Guard?
Not necessarily! If you do not have a GED or a HS diploma, the Guard can help. The Army National Guard’s GED Plus Program provides free training and testing services that will enable you to successfully obtain your GED. The Army National Guard will pay you to get your GED when you enlist. If you don't have either a high school diploma or alternate education credentials (GED, National Guard Youth Challenge, Correspondence Diploma, etc) we can help. You can enlist under the “Army National Guard GED Plus Program”. You must have a minimum AFQT score of 31% and a certified transcript showing completion of the ninth grade. You must also meet the following criteria:
The GED Plus training program will take place at the Professional Education Center in Arkansas. Anyone enlisting under the GED Plus Program who presents an accredited GED completion certificate or diploma prior to shipping will not be required to attend the ARNG GED Plus Training program. American College Testing (ACT®) Assessment® Program The ACT® Assessment® is designed to assess high school students' general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work. More than 1.2 million high school graduates took the ACT in 2006.
The multiple-choice tests cover four skill areas:
The Writing Test, which is optional, measures skill in planning and writing a short essay. The Writing Test adds 30 minutes to the total testing time. SAT® (formerly Scholastic Assessment Test) The SAT® is a three hour and forty-five minute exam that measures three sets of skills -- writing, math, and critical reading -- that you need to do college-level work in any academic area. About 2 million students take it every year.
Writing The Writing section is comprised of two tests. An essay that requires the student to take a position on an issue and use reasoning and examples to support their position, and multiple-choice questions which measures the student's ability to identify sentence errors, improve sentences, and improve paragraphs. You have 25 minutes to complete the essay and 35 minutes to complete the multiple-choice section. Math The Math section is comprised of three tests, including multiple-choice and student-produced responses. Areas measured are: numbers and operations, Algebra I and II, functions geometry, statistics, probability, and data analysis. There are two 25 minute sections and one 20 minute section. Critical Reading The Critical Reading section is comprised of three tests, including sentence completions and passage-based reading. Areas measured are: extended reasoning, literal comprehension, and vocabulary in context. There are two 25 minute sections and one 20 minute section. College Level Examination Program® (CLEP®) CLEP® is the most widely accepted credit-by-examination program in the United States today, helping students of all ages earn college degrees faster by getting credit for what they already know. CLEP® General and Subject examinations are accepted for credit by more than 2,900 colleges and universities.
CLEP® consists of a series of examinations that test an individual's college level knowledge gained through course work, independent study, cultural pursuits, travel, special interests, military service schools, and professional development. The American Council on Education (ACE) recommends the minimum score for awarding credit, but each institution determines its acceptable score and the amount of credit granted for each examination. By receiving a satisfactory score, you can typically earn from 3 to 12 college credits toward your college degree for each CLEP® you take, depending on the exam subject. DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST) The DSST program is an extensive series of examinations in college subjects that are comparable to the final or end-of-course examinations in undergraduate courses.
The DSST program offers students a cost-efficient, time-saving way to use their knowledge acquired outside of the classroom to accomplish their educational goals. It provides colleges and universities with a reliable means to measure students' knowledge in commonly taught college courses and award credit based on their scores. DSST subject areas include:
Designed originally for the military, DSSTs are available to civilian students and adult learners as well. The DSST program is used by colleges and universities to award college credit to those who demonstrate that they have knowledge comparable to someone who has completed the classroom course in the subject. The American Council on Education (ACE) recommends 3 semester hours of credit per test. Excelsior College Examinations (ECE) Excelsior College provides busy working adults with flexible distance education programs to help them earn their degrees. Excelsior College Examinations (ECE) measure your knowledge. You can earn college-level credit accepted at Excelsior College and over 900 colleges and universities around the world.
You can choose from over 40 exams in:
Formerly called the ACT Proficiency Examination Program (ACT PEP), Excelsior College now administers these examinations worldwide. Excelsior College Examinations are free to all military personnel. DANTES funds most ECEs taken at authorized DANTES test centers. Excelsior College has formed a partnership with the Army National Guard Education Support Center (ESC) to meet the needs of ARNG Soldiers amd their family members. Graduate Management Admissions Test® (GMAT®) The GMAT® is a standardized assessment that helps business schools assess the qualifications of applicants for advanced study in business and management. Schools use the test as one predictor of academic performance in an MBA program or in other graduate management programs.
It measures basic verbal, mathematical, and analytical writing skills that you have developed over a long period of time in your education and work. The GMAT® exam consists of three main parts: the Analytical Writing Assessment, the Quantitative section, and the Verbal section. Analytical Writing Assessment - consists of two separate writing tasks: Analysis of an Issue and Analysis of an Argument. You have 30 minutes to complete each one. Quantitative Section - consists of 37 multiple-choice questions of two different types - Data Sufficiency and Problem Solving. You have 75 minutes to complete the entire section. Verbal Section - consists of 41 multiple-choice questions of three different types - Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning, and Sentence Correction. You have 75 minutes to complete the entire section. It is offered year-round at test centers throughout the world. Of the several thousand graduate management programs worldwide, nearly 1,700 use the GMAT® and more than 1,000 require it. Graduate Record Examination® (GRE®) There are two categories of GRE® - the GRE® General Test and the GRE® Subject Tests.
The GRE® General Test measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical skills that have been acquired over a long period of time and that are not related to any specific field of study. The test consists of three scored sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing.
Verbal Reasoning - the skills measured include the test taker's ability to:
Quantitative Reasoning - the skills measured include the test taker's ability to:
Analytical Writing - the skills measured include the test taker's ability to:
The GRE® Subject Tests are intended for undergraduate students who have majored in or have extensive background in a specific area. The eight disciplines covered include:
Certification Testing DANTES has approximately 60 agreements with nationally recognized certificiation associations. Certification examinations document a person's level of competency and achievement in a particular area.
In many cases, Army National Guard Soldiers may already have the experience and knowledge required to gain certification in their Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). The Army National Guard Bureau works with DANTES and Soldiers who take professional certification exams related to their MOS. The PRAXIS Series™ Tests (Teacher Licensing) The Praxis Series™ Assessments provide tests and other services that states use as part of their teaching licensing certification process. There are three Praxis Series™ tests. Currently, DANTES only funds levels I and II.
Praxis I® Tests Praxis I®: Pre-Professional Skills Assessments (PPST®) are designed to measure basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. Colleges and universities may use these tests to evaluate individuals for entry into teacher education programs. The assessments are generally taken early in your college career. Praxis II® Tests PRAXIS II®: Subject Assessment tests measure knowledge of specific subjects that K-12 educators will teach, as well as general and subject-specific teaching skills and knowledge. There are Subject Assessments, Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) Tests and Teaching Foundations Tests. Individuals entering the teaching profession take these tests as part of the teacher licensing and certification process required by many states. A number of professional associations and organizations require these tests as one criterion for professional licensing decisions. Praxis III® Tests PRAXIS III®: Classroom Performance Assessments comprise a system for assessing the skills of beginning teachers in classroom settings. ETS developed Praxis III for use in teacher licensing decisions made by states or local agencies empowered to license teachers. Under the guidelines that govern its use, Praxis III may not be used for the purpose of making employment decisions about teachers who are currently licensed. Troops-to-Teachers Troops-to-Teachers is a program designed to assist military personnel transition to a new career as a public school teacher. Stipends up to $5,000 and bonus incentives up to $10,000 are available for agreeing to teach in a ‘high need’ district. This program provides mentoring opportunities, placement information and alternative teacher credentialing opportunities.
Guard Soldiers must have 10 years of service to qualify for stipends. Soldiers enlisting in the Army National Guard directly from active duty with six or more years of service are also eligible. Contact us to learn more about all the valuable educational opportunities, and all the other excellent benefits in the Army National Guard. |
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