Comprehensive Examination
The comprehensive examination is the required exit examination for the Adult Education Program. It is an opportunity for students to demonstrate what they have learned. It is not a test over one particular course or set of information. Rather, it is a test of students’ cumulative knowledge and ability to apply fundamental concepts to practical situations. Students are tested in at least two areas in adult education and one area in foundations of education (educational assessment, educational research, or educational technology). Generally, the comprehensive examination is scheduled in the EAST lab for a four hour block and is offered three times a year.
“Everything you need to know for your Comprehensive Examination you will learn in your classes. I suggest getting your non-Adult Ed. electives out of the way early in your degree so that the core classes will be fresher on your mind when you reach time for Comps. Don’t sell back your books from your core curriculum until after you have taken Comps, you will need them to review.”
“When you are contacted about taking Comps, contact the other students taking comps and at least met up with them once to get a feel for what everyone else is studying and share websites that you found helpful content on, pages in the books that are key, etc. Even if you only contact everyone by e-mail you can still establish an effective study group. “ (Kathryn Rasure, Graduated Fall 2010)
“I found a lot of what my peers and I had read, studied, and experienced in the field were all key to answering and applying to our essays on the Comprehensive Exam. I figured, in some way or another, taking the Comprehensive Exam was like running a marathon. It takes gradual steps to prepare. By doing the assignments and collaborating with others, not to mention studying the month ahead in advance, there was plenty of time to take gradual steps to prepare. Needless to say I passed my Comprehensive Exam in November 2010, and I graduated in December 2010.” (Erica Whitfield, Graduated Fall 2010)