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What is a comprehensive exam?

August 13, 2024

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

If you’re thinking about pursuing a doctoral degree, you might be wondering about different exam components that may be expected as part of the program.

Some PhD programs require students to take comprehensive exams – which are also known as preliminary exams, general exams or major field exams – as part of their program. The purpose of the comprehensive exam is to ensure the student has knowledge in their area of research to make an original contribution.

What is a comprehensive exam?

The comprehensive exam is designed to challenge students to step back from the specific deliverables expected in courses and reflect critically on their discipline through synthesis and integration of their knowledge, skills and experiences across significant topics in their academic discipline.

Passing a comprehensive exam, which may be in written, verbal or some other format, indicates that a student is prepared to move into the dissertation phase of the degree.

What should you expect from comprehensive exams? The nature of the exams – or comps, as they’re commonly called – could vary depending on your school or program, but here are a few of the most common formats, requirements and expectations.

Comprehensive exam formats

The format for comps can vary widely depending on the program.

  • Submission of an academic paper
  • Formal oral exam
  • Review of your academic portfolio
  • A series of proctored, or supervised, exams

Your school and program will dictate the required format, and in some cases, may include multiple types.

Eligibility requirements

Again, these will vary across schools and programs, with some requiring all and others requiring only certain ones.

  • Minimum GPA (at Capella University, a 3.0 GPA is required before taking the comprehensive exam)
  • Completion of all coursework
  • Completion of doctoral residency, if relevant to the program
  • Paperwork, such as a comprehensive exam request form
  • Possible additional requirements for students in licensure or practicum programs

What do comprehensive exams involve?

Comps help faculty verify that students grasp the key elements of research, theories and concepts within their field of study to position their findings and add to the collection of knowledge in the field. To that end, exam questions are usually focused around:

  • Knowledge of the research methodologies and how to apply them in the student’s areas of specialization
  • Theories and concepts that contribute to the body of knowledge in the student’s area of specialization
  • Theory and research that can solve problems in the field

Your coursework prior to the comps should prepare you to discuss these points thoroughly and knowledgeably. Completing your comprehensive examination successfully indicates you are ready to transition to the research phase of your doctoral program and continue your journey as an independent researcher.

Many schools (including Capella) will allow you to retake the comps if you don’t pass the first time, though there may be a limit on how many times you can retake the exam or the length of time that must pass before you can try again. Research your program thoroughly and start preparing for your comps as early as you can.

If at any time you’re in doubt about your level of preparation for the comps, be sure to work with your academic coach and faculty to address those concerns before scheduling them.

Want to learn more about earning a doctoral degree? Check out these other blogs:

See how comps are integrated into the PhD in Education, PhD in Business Management and PhD in Behavior Analysis programs from Capella University.

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