DSST An Introduction to the Modern Middle East (DANTES Series) [Plastic Comb]

Jack Rudman (Author)

Product Details

• Plastic Comb: 200 pages
• Publisher: National Learning Corporation (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0837366682
• ISBN-13: 978-0837366685
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #508,462 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible! Only good for sample tests!, March 8, 2008

By 

P. Crump - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: DSST An Introduction to the Modern Middle East (DANTES Series) (Plastic Comb)

This is probably the worst review book I have ever purchased. It is supposed to prepare you to take an exam on the Middle East yet it doesn't even have a chapter on Iraq! The exam covers everything from ancient times through the present day, yet the study guide consists of cursory descriptions of a few countries.

It's good to have the sample tests, but you will need real books to prepare for this exam. I recommend The Middle East, A Brief History of the Last 2,000 Years by Bernard Lewis and The Contemporary Middle East - a collection of essays by various authors.

This exam only has a 41% pass rate. It is very difficult. STUDY HARD!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars READ THIS IF YOU WANT TO PASS!, February 21, 2010

By 

John F. Sapienza (Sandown, New Hampshire United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: DSST An Introduction to the Modern Middle East (DANTES Series) (Plastic Comb)

READ AND PAY ATTENTION. People fail the DSST Exam because they don't put in any time or effort into studying. That is the number one reason why people fail these exams. Too many people buy these study guides or a few DVD's on the subject, then casually spend the weekend before the exam "reviewing" them, then wonder why they fail. In my case, the decision to take the DSST exam was both financial and moral. The college I was attending had a History requirement that had to be met in order to graduate with a Bachelor Science degree. The tuition cost was $695 (2005) and was taught by a "professor" who made no secret of her dislike for miltary people. No serviceman or woman who took her courses got better than B-, usually worse. Having heard all the horror stories about this tenured hack, I refused spend the money, subject myself to her BS, or watch my hard earned GPA go down the tubes. That's when I found about the DSST exams. The DSST exams are offered at most community colleges. They cost a fraction of what a college course costs ($70 as of 10/2009). While they are scored by points, like any other exam, your goal here is NOT to ace it, but to PASS IT. Colleges do NOT apply your DSST score to your GPA. It is CREDITED AS "PASSING THE HISTORY REQUIREMENT", PERIOD. YOU DON'T HAVE TO ACE IT, JUST PASS IT! It doesn't affect your GPA. The minimum passing score in Introduction to the Modern Middle East is 44. The number of questions on the exam is between 118 and 125. Why this number varies I don't know. I am going by what other students told me that they had for a total. You should always strive to do the best you can on any exam, but for a saftey factor, your goal should be to get at least 60% right. I did not buy any of the suggested study books that are listed in this study guide (there are many), nor did I buy any other "suggested" reviewers books. How invaluable they are I can't say. What I did do was devote a geniune six hours a week, over a three month period prior to exam (more as the exam date got closer), studying these questions and answers. You will get the feel for the exam and what will be on it by reviewing these questions over and over. You will gain the knowledge of the right and wrong answers and how the questions are worded. Not all the questions on the exam will be exactly as written in this study guide, but a good portion are. The rest are reworded with different answers. Some questions will not be covered by this study guide. Remember your GOAL is to PASS it, not ace it. I found this study guide invaluable because it did just that. I PASSED the DSST exam, saved myself $795 and the abuse from a left-wing hack. Oh, and my score? I got a 89. STUDY HARD, LUCK HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. IT'S HOW BADLY DO YOU WANT IT!