Department of Linguistics & TESOL | The University of Texas at Arlington

How do questions on the comprehensive examination differ from essay questions on a final examination for a course?

Unlike final examination questions for a course, the comprehensive examination questions will not only require that you demonstrate your mastery of knowledge in a specific course but they will also require that you demonstrate your ability to draw upon and synthesize your knowledge of content across courses. For example, you may be asked to consider how content from one course (e.g., syntax) might be used to understand content from other courses (e.g., meaning and use). In this sense, try not to study only one set of course material in preparation for a specific content area of the examination; rather, try to draw connections between them.

Where can I find a databank of previously used questions from which I can study?

There is no official database of previous exam questions from which you can study. Students are encouraged to discuss exam questions with faculty members and with students who are currently studying for the exam or those who have previously taken the exam in order to get a better idea of what exam questions are like. You should keep in mind, though, that part of what is required of you as an examinee is your understanding of the relevant content areas and your ability to identify exactly what the relevant issues and concerns are that might be addressed on the exam.

On what basis do raters evaluate the comprehensive examinations?

The raters evaluate each of your written responses to the exam questions using a grading rubric (See Rubric below) to measure your ability not only to display acquired knowledge but also to apply and synthesize such knowledge across content areas. In addition, you are also evaluated on the cogency and development of the arguments you raise in your response.

Objective of Raters: to determine whether an examinee's response demonstrates sufficient qualities (e.g., more than 70%) to maintain competence in a certain band.

What does a good response to a question look like?

While there are general characteristics of a "good" response to an exam question that are detailed in the rater rubric, no one model text or one "magic formula" is sufficient enough to characterize what is a "pass" or a "fail." In general, though, a good answer is not only accurate in terms of the information that is discussed but it demonstrates both depth and breadth of conceptual understanding, depth of critical thinking skills (e.g., synthesis, application, and evaluation), and cogency and development of argument.

How many pages should I write for each question?

The number of pages for each response is not the issue. Raters for the examination value quality over quantity. A good response that adequately addresses the question and demonstrates sufficient critical thinking skills might be completed in three hand-written pages or twenty hand-written pages. Longer is not necessarily better; shorter is not necessarily better. You should write as many pages as you feel is necessary in order to demonstrate your critical thinking skills sufficiently without supplying superfluous or overly repetitive information.

Why are there different raters from different backgrounds grading my exam?

Part of your successful completion of the program is contingent upon the extent to which you are able to express arguments in a cogent and well-developed manner to a broadly defined audience of language professionals with diverse areas of interests and background knowledge in fields of study related to linguistics and TESOL. For this reason, it is necessary that such a diverse set of raters be used to grade your exam.

How can the questions on the exam address the knowledge we acquired if each of us has taken different classes?

While the writers of the exam questions take into account the courses all the examinees have taken, the exam questions do not draw upon one specific course. Rather, the exam questions will draw upon the general content area, and you are encouraged to draw upon a variety of different course material as well as outside readings in order to develop a well-informed and cogent argument addressing the question. The exam question will be broad enough for you to answer using your knowledge about the general content area, regardless of the course(s) you have taken.

What should I do to prepare for the comprehensive examination?

The answer to this question really depends on the type of learner you are and how you study best. However, it is recommended that you form study groups. Within those study groups, you might identify the key concepts, ideas, and problems or issues that have been addressed in the content areas of the comprehensive exam. Then, you and your group members might assign each individual in the group to a gather information and sources with regard to the individually assign topics and bring them to a group meeting to "hash out" ideas, explore connections, and engage in discussions of problematic issue. Involvement in such study groups are, of course, are not mandatory and are the responsibility of individual students. You should also consult the Recommended Reading lists.

In studying for the exam, do I have to memorize names and dates as well as exact quotations from scholarly sources?

You do not have to memorize names, dates, or quotes unless you feel compelled or feel it necessary to do so. However, you should know who the key scholars are, what specific seminal scholarly work is about, and where such work has appeared in the chronological development of other scholarly work.

Do I have to memorize definitions?

You may memorize definitions of key terms, but such definitions are less important than the depth of conceptual understanding on your part. That is, it is one thing to know a definition of a term, and it is quite another thing to understand what that term means with regard to its importance and application in the field of linguistics and/or TESOL. It is in this latter sense that you will be evaluated, in part.

What books or other sources should I look at?

It is recommended that you consult your syllabuses and notes from all your courses to help you identify what the key issues, concerns, and questions are in each of the content areas. Skim through the texts and course packs from previous classes for the same purpose. Re-read selected material and identify new and different sources from the library and online to extend your knowledge of concepts and issues. This may seem like a lot of reading in preparation for the exam, but remember that it is assumed that you have already completed readings when you took your courses. So, most of your reading will involve selectively skimming and scanning. Also, use professors as a resource by meeting with them and discussing with them what you feel are the main issues and concepts in the exam content areas. As mentioned above, you should also consult the Recommended Reading lists.

What do I do if I don't feel I learned enough from a specific course that is important for the comprehensive examination?

If you have taken only one course in a specific content area (NOT recommended) or you feel that you did not gain sufficient knowledge or experience in that content area, you can always meet with a person who has such expertise. Certainly, departmental policy permits you to sit in on a class in that content area in preparation for the exam, as long as you obtain the professor's permission.

How should I organize my ideas?

There is, of course, no one way to organize your ideas in your essay responses. However, remember that effective writing involves stating arguments clearly, supporting such arguments sufficiently with specific examples or data, and citing and explaining insights from previous scholarly literature. Remember also that listing ideas or including only tables or graphs or regurgitating information is not enough to pass the exam. In essay form, you should write prose that demonstrates your ability to construct and develop arguments and to engage in higher order critical thinking skills.

How should I plan my time while taking the exam?

Take the first 10-15 minutes of each exam period to plan an outline for your responses to each of the two questions and take at least two minutes to read and edit your responses at the end of the exam period. Remember that any scrap paper will be collected at the end of the exam, but whatever you write on it will not be evaluated by the raters as part of your answer.

What happens when raters give different scores for the same examinee's written response to a question on the examination?

Because raters will have different academic backgrounds related to linguistics and TESOL, sometimes grades on one specific exam response will vary. Remember, though, that it is incumbent upon you as the examinee to address your arguments effectively to a broadly defined audience of language professionals in related fields of study. Also, remember that whether you pass or fail the exam is not necessarily based on your performance on one question but is based on the overall spread of pass/fail scores on all the questions. Significant splits in the raters' scores will be re-examined by the faculty as a whole before exam results are made official.

What do I minimally have to know in order to pass the examination overall?

This is a dangerous question because it defeats the purpose of the exam: to determine the extent to which you have met certain program objectives relating to critical thinking skills and the development of arguments. Therefore, it is your responsibility to demonstrate in your exam responses that you have achieved these objectives. In this sense, there is no minimum other than full achievement of such objectives.

How do I find out the results of my exam?

When scores are officially released, students will make an appointment with the graduate advisor for a short conference. Paperwork related to the exam will be handled by the Linguistics & TESOL office. More details will be provided directly to students taking the exam.

For MA students, please note that you also need to file a form to schedule the exam. The Request form for scheduling the final master's examination is here. It must be signed – and then filed with the Graduate School – two weeks before the exam.