MS Ed. Special Education Written Comprehensive Exam Overview

General Information  The Written Comprehensive Exam (Comps) is an exit requirement for the MSEd in Special Education.  Questions encompass general special education and specific endorsement area knowledge.  Comps are given three times per year: October, March, and June.

Application  Applications are available in the special education office in the Child Study Center, Room 104 or online at the program webpage.online  Applications will be accepted up to 6 weeks before the date of the exam.

Application  Completed applications should be sent to Dr. Cheryl Baker. Attention: Dr. Cheryl Baker Child Study Center Room 122 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA OR Faxed to

Preparation  6 weeks prior to the exam you will receive an information packet.  The packet will include:  Essay Questions  General Content Study Guide if your endorsement area is  General Curriculum [GC] or  Early Childhood Special Education [ECSE] or  Adapted Curriculum  Exit Requirement checklist  Reference Examples  Parenthetical Citation Information

Preparation – General Curriculum, ECSE or Adapted Curriculum  You will be given 4 questions to prepare for the essay portion of the exam:  2 specific questions for each endorsement area sought, making a total of 4 questions specific to your endorsement areas.  You will be given a study guide to prepare for the 100 question multiple choice/true false portion of the exam.

Preparation – Research Emphasis  You will be given 6 questions to prepare for the exam:  3 general questions  3 specific questions from concentration area.

Preparation—References  You will also need to prepare a reference list for each of your answers.  The reference lists and any parenthetical (in-text) citations used must conform to American Psychological Association (APA) style, 6 th edition.  Please utilize all resources posted on the program website. program website  For further information, consult the APA Publication Manual and/or

Preparation—References  Organize references by question.  You must provide at least three (3) references per question; do not list the references at the end of the question.  DO NOT cite class notes as a reference.  You may cite textbooks, or other original sources of information such as journal articles.

Exam Day – General Curriculum, ECSE & Adapted Curriculum  You will be assigned a student number. Do not put your name on any exam materials including references.  The essay portion of the exam will begin at 8:30 am and must be completed by 10:30 am. A 20-minute break follows.  At 10:50 am, the multiple choice and true/false exam will be given to the student and must be completed by 12:50 pm. Students may quietly leave the test room upon completion of the multiple choice exam.

Exam Day – Research Emphasis  You will be assigned a student number. Do not put your name on any exam materials including references.  Each student will answer 4 questions (2 general & 2 concentration area).  2 questions will be given to the student at 8:30 am and must be returned at 10:30 am.  After a 20 minute break, the last 2 questions will be given to the student at 10:50 am and returned at 12:50 pm.

Exam Day  A reference list must be submitted with each of your exam responses.  Bluebooks and dictionaries will be provided.  If using a computer, you may use the spell check feature.  All other materials will be left at the front of the room.

Evaluation of Comps Each question is worth 10 points and will be evaluated by the following scale:  Content (8 points):  a. Content is accurate, up-to-date and reflects knowledge of the professional literature, including at least three (3) appropriate references.  b. Content is comprehensive and reflects knowledge of and treatment of various perspectives on the subject.

Evaluation of Comps, cont.  Organization and Presentation (2 points):  a. Content is organized offering introductory statement(s), well-integrated discussion, and a summary/conclusion.  b. Content is well written and reflects graduate-level quality (e.g., clear, concise, proper grammar, syntax, spelling, and marks of punctuation).

Evaluation of Comps, cont.  General Content Section  The established passing score for the general content multiple choice/ true false section is 80; a score lower than 80 will result in re- taking the exam.

Evaluation of Comps, cont.  Student responses are coded by number. Student number will be assigned on the day of the examination.  Questions will be scored blindly by two (2) faculty members.  Faculty evaluations will be added together to provide a score for each question.  A minimum of 16 points (out of a possible 20) is needed to pass each question.

Evaluation of Comps, cont.  If a student earns less than 16 points on one question, he/she has failed that question and must arrange to retake a question from the same general or specific area after receiving feedback.  If a student fails two (2) or more questions, the entire exam may be retaken at the next scheduled date.

Evaluation of Comps, cont.  Only one (1) re-examination is allowed.  If the student fails the exam (misses 2 questions or more) twice, that student will be unable to receive the master’s degree.

Suggestions  Feeling anxious? A little anxiety is a good thing.  Try outlining your answers rather than memorizing them verbatim. You can then write your outline in the blue exam book cover.  Practice your responses in a blue book or on the computer. Simulate an exam, using the two hour time blocks.

Suggestions  Be sure your answer is free of punctuation, spelling, and syntax errors.  On exam day, use your time carefully; allow enough time to edit and proofread each answer.  Answer every component of each question. See sample rubric on website.

Suggestions  Get plenty of sleep and have a good breakfast (sound familiar?).  You may work in teams to research questions, but the final analysis and writing must be your own.  Use the study guide provided for the General Content portion.

Frequently Asked Questions  How long should a response be?  Your response should fully answer every part of the question. There is no length requirement.  If I have to cancel taking the exam, will I be penalized?  No, canceling prior to the exam date does not constitute an attempt to take comps.

Frequently Asked Questions  Can faculty members read response drafts before the exam?  You may contact the faculty when formulating your answer with an outline, but faculty members will not pre-read draft responses.  How will I find out the results of my exam?  Four to six weeks after the exam, a letter will be sent to your home address notifying you whether you passed or failed.

Final Notes  More questions? Call Dr. Cheryl Baker at (757) or 1 (800) , ext  If this is your last semester in the program, you will be required to complete the ODU Graduate Exit Survey and the program Post Task Rating Form. See program web page to see the master’s exit requirements and assessment pages.program web page

Final Notes, cont.  Reminders:  Have you applied for graduation?  Are you currently registered? If not, you must register for CDSE 999.  VDOE DA 035 (licensure verification) forms will be completed and sent directly to your home address once your master’s degree has been posted.

Most Importantly... Prepare well ahead of the exam date and do your best.