General Information:

• The Comprehensive Exam is a 2 ½ - 3 hour intensive evaluation taken online. The exam consists of multiple choice and true-false questions from each of the Essential Learning Components (ELCs) of the required sessions.
• Exam questions are based on the current curriculum. If a new required course has replaced a course that you took, or if you took the course more than two years prior, the CTSM office will provide you with current handouts.
• In order to pass the Comprehensive Exam, you must score at least 75% on the entire exam. If you receive a cumulative score that is less than 75%, you will need to retake any failed sections.
• Candidates will be notified of their Comprehensive Exam results immediately.

Study and Preparation

• Since this exam covers a wide range of materials from 23 different sessions, we highly recommend that you study early. Consistent study over many weeks is much more effective than cramming a day or two before the exam, as this is a rigorous and intensive exam. Approximately 80% of candidates pass on the first attempt.
• Make sure you have all of the handouts and notes that you have collected during the sessions. For each course, look for the Essential Learning Components (ELCs) which are usually found near the front of the handout. All exam questions are derived from the ELCs. Be sure to understand the meaning and application of each component. This will require you to refer to more in-depth information and explanations in the body of the handout. Please note: Session quizzes are NOT a good study source for the comprehensive exam. They may or may not be included among the exam questions, but the exam questions are much more in-depth than the 8-10 quiz questions.

During the Exam

• Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the structure of the exam which is based on the required core curriculum. Questions are not arranged in order of difficulty; they are randomly selected by the computer.
• This is a timed exam. Be aware of how you are proceeding through the exam according to the time you have remaining. You will want to save some time towards the end of the exam to go back to questions you passed over earlier. Skipped questions are notated on the right-hand side.
• Don't agonize over one question. If you are truly stumped, skip it and move on. Come back to it when you have finished the rest of the exam. If time permits, double check all of your answers. You may catch errors.
• Take advantage of breaks. Stretch, clear your head, etc. Short breaks are not a waste of time.
• If the answer isn't immediately apparent for multiple choice questions, don't panic. Simply eliminate answers you know to be incorrect. Sometimes you will answer a question by using a process of elimination. If you are still left with two possible answers, make your best guess. Be sure to read all the answers before making your choice.
• With true/false questions, look for words like "always" or "never". If you can think of even one exception, it is false. Never is not the same as almost never. Keep in mind that the context of a question relates to a specific session.
• Be slow to change an answer because your first impulses are usually correct.