Comprehensive Exam - Educational Technology at Boise State University

Comprehensive Exam

Registering

Deadline to register is posted on the Department calendar, but is usually the first week of the semester you are taking the exam.

Test Logistics

We have a special examination site in BlackBoard called EDTECH 600. You will automatically be added to the coursesite by completing the above registration form. You do not need to pay for registration credits unless you need to meet the requirement to stay enrolled in one elective credit during the semester you graduate.

This coursesite will go live approximately one month prior to the exam. It will contain test information, preparation tips, and discussion forums to set up study groups with peers, ask questions, and to complete a sample test question activity.

At 7:55 a.m. (Mountain Time), the questions become available and remain available until 12:15 p.m. Each exam includes a Friday morning and a Saturday morning session.

Each test session is four hours long, beginning at 8 a.m. MT and concluding at noon. Students residing outside the continental United States may request an adjustment of time; we do not expect you to take the exam at 3 a.m.

Exam Content

Each test day, you will be given two questions, of which you will select one to answer. You will have four hours to prepare a response to the question, from 8:00 a.m. to noon, MST. The four questions presented over the two days of the test are designed based on objectives from your core classes. The questions stress synthesis and analysis across concepts from your core classes. Each question begins with a scenario. Students are expected to answer the essay question as fully and thoroughly as possible. Answers are evaluated based on content and thought process exhibited in the written response.

About one month prior to the test, students are provided access to a BlackBoard course site that provides more detail on the specifics, providing sample questions, tips for preparation and a discussion board that allows all students taking the exam to collaborate in sharing resources, asking questions, and generally providing online support. Students should review the theories, methods, techniques, and definitions learned in the two or three years they've studied in the master's program. It is also advisable to organize your hard-copy and online resources so that you can find references to support your answers.

It is advisable to save the final hour of each test day to review and revise your answers. Misspelled words, poorly constructed sentences, and unclear thinking will reduce exam scores. The tone of this examination is formal, so students should use the final hour each day to polish their language accordingly.

The exams take one week to grade. Students taking comps do not have to form a committee.

What happens if I fail the exam?

University policy (see the Graduate Catalog) states:

A comprehensive examination or final oral examination that is failed on the first attempt can be repeated once but only if a repeat attempt is requested by the student and approved by the academic unit responsible for the program. The student request must be in writing to the head of the academic unit and must be made within five working days after the student is notified of his or her failure. If a repeat attempt is not requested by the student, or if a request is made by the student but not approved by the academic unit, then the student is administratively withdrawn from the program by the Graduate College. If the student’s request is approved by the academic unit, then the repeat attempt must occur within twelve months after the first attempt. If the student does not repeat the examination within twelve months after the first attempt, or if the student fails the repeat attempt, then the student is administratively withdrawn from the program by the Graduate College. Any extension of the twelve-month limit on the repeat attempt must be approved by the academic unit and by the graduate dean.