Taking the DSST Art of the Western World exam is a great way to earn college credit for art history you already know. The DSST exams are part of a prior learning assessment program approved by the American Council of Education (ACE).
Taking a DSST exam costs less and takes less time than traditional three-hour college courses.
The DSST Art of the Western World exam covers these topics:
- Classical
- Romanesque and Gothic
- Early Renaissance
- High Renaissance
- Baroque
- Rococo, Neoclassicism, and Romanticism
- Realism, Impressionism, and Post-impressionism
- Early Twentieth Century
- Post World War II.
Most testing centers use the Internet-based DSST Art of the Western World exam. If you will be taking the Internet-form of the exam, you will need to register by credit card and your scores will be available immediately after testing. If you will be taking the paper and pencil exam, you can register with cash, check, or credit card, and your scores will take up to four weeks for delivery.
The DSST Art of the Western World exam substitutes for three hours of lower-level coursework. Before taking the exam you should check with your college or university to make sure that this exam will be accepted for college credit.
To study for the DSST Art of the Western World exam, you should use a DSST study guide, which provides a detailed exam outline, practice questions, and other resources. You may also want to check out some common reference books.
DSST Art of the Western World Exam Practice Questions
1. Of the following statements pertaining to artist Roy Lichtenstein, the most accurate is that:
A. Lichtenstein was an Impressionist artist of the Post WWII period famous for painting soup cans
B. Lichtenstein was a Pop artist in the Post WWII period that popularized the comic book panel style of other lesser known artists
C. Lichtenstein was an Impressionist artist who painted water lilies
D. Lichtenstein was a Pop artist best known for his sculptures
2. Andy Warhol’s fascination with film celebrity Marilyn Monroe led to:
A. His development of the silkscreen method in which he reproduced iconic images numerous times
B. His development as a commercial artist working for Glamour magazine
C. His development as a film director with cinematic offerings such as Chelsea Girls and Sleep
D. The establishment of his New York City studio called The Factory
3. Following WWII, New York replaced Paris as the focal point of the art world because:
A. New York artists were capable of mass producing art as the result of silk-screen techniques.
B. Of the rise of the Pop art movement
C. Of the complete destruction of Paris in WWII
D. Of the rise of the Abstract Impressionist movement in America
4. The painters who are most likely to be cited as predecessors of American Abstract Expressionism are:
A. William de Kooning and Jackson Pollock
B. Max Ernst and Wassily Kandinsky
C. Leo Castelli and Clement Greenberg
D. Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman
5. The Dada movement was the predecessor of a later, broader movement. The Dada movement:
A. Promulgated the view that art was to be orderly, figurative, decorative, and should promote society’s values
B. Attracted attention after WWII and was an offshoot of the earlier Surrealist movement
C. Preceded WWI and signaled the Impressionistic movement to come
D. Became prominent between the two World Wars and presaged the later Surrealist movement
6. The Dada movement:
A. Disseminated the view that art should be orderly, thoughtful, and reinforce societal values
B. Took issue with conventional aesthetics and challenged previous notions of beauty and orderly composition
C. Challenged social values even while it advanced the artistic viewpoint of the Romantic period
D. Was best represented by artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein
7. Henry Motherwell and Barnett Newman:
A. Were two noted artists who influenced the New York Abstract Expressionist movement by combining painting with art criticism
B. Were two Abstract Expressionist artists who had studied philosophy before becoming artists
C. Provided an interpretive window into the world of Abstract Expressionism through their writings
D. All of the above
8. Pick the statement that most accurately describes the time period in which Modern art appeared.
A. Modern art began at the turn of the 20th century and continues to this day
B. Modern art began in the 19th century and extended into the 1970s
C. Modern art was strictly limited to 20th century painting and sculpture
D. Modern art began with the Abstract Expressionists and ended with the Pop art movement
9. Which of the following descriptions best exemplifies the artistic techniques of the Impressionist style?
A. Closed composition, portraits of prominent people, and crude brush strokes
B. Replication of detail, actuality, and invisible brush strokes
C. The use of bowls of fruit, nude figures as subject, and lively colors in a painting’s execution
D. Attention to light, the use of visible brush strokes, and the recognition that movement was a part of human perception
10. Which of the following painters were not key figures among the Impressionist painters?
A. Edouard Manet, Auguste Renoir, Paul Cezanne
B. Camille Pissarro, Mary Cassatt, and Claude Monet
C. Susanne Duchamp, Tristan Tzara, and Jean Brown
D. Alfred Sisley, Frederic Bazille, and Claude Monet
DSST Art of the Western World Exam Practice Questions Answer Key