This notice explains the purpose, content, and format of the comprehensive examination for psychology majors.
Through this, we hope to clarify any assumptions already held and to reduce confusion or unnecessary anxiety.
Given that we invest a large amount of time and effort to develop knowledgeable students who can think
critically, we have every expectation that psychology majors who have progressed sufficiently well
throughout the curriculum will pass the exam. The exam is also designed in such a way that students
who have had difficulty fulfilling course expectations in the past will be able to compensate –
to a reasonable degree – by working hard to improve their knowledge and skills prior to the examination.
Purpose
As the name implies, the purpose of the “comprehensive examination”
is to evaluate your understanding of the field of psychology. Though
the test format (described below) has its limitations, like any other
type of exam, rest assured that it is an appropriate method for evaluating
key curricular objectives of the psychology department, including knowledge
and some key intellectual skills.
Although the experiences is likely to generate
normal levels stress simply because it is an exam,
students who have been meeting their psychology
course objectives thus far should have little to
worry about beyond general preparation and review
of material already learned in courses.
In all likelihood, this exam provides a secondary
benefit for students who plan to practice psychology
professionally due to its resemblance to the GRE Psychology
subject test.
Content
Because psychology is a broad discipline,
Occidental psychology majors are required to
take courses in each “fundamentals” area to develop a breadth
of knowledge. Many colleges have similar breadth requirements,
and higher-level examinations (such as the GRE Psychology test
and California licensing exam in psychology) require future
professionals to have an understanding of multiple sub-disciplines in psychology.
Thus, there exists a general expectation that any college graduate
who has majored in psychology will be able to recall knowledge
from different areas of psychology and adopt different theoretical perspectives.
More specifically, the exam is
designed to evaluate students’
understanding of material that has been
taught to them at Occidental, through in-class
lessons and assigned work (e.g., readings and papers).
As such, you are not expected to prepare for the exam
by learning new material from courses that you have not
taken. At the same time, you are responsible for material
in courses taken, material that you may have forgotten or
not learned well.
Format
The departmental comprehensive examination consists of 215 multiple-choice items.
Without special accommodations, 3 hours will be allotted for the exam. We recognize that
misperceptions of the multiple-choice format may exist, particularly at a college where
alternative test formats are used more frequently. Although alternative methods
may also be appropriate, a multiple-choice exam is suitable for evaluating declarative
knowledge and basic skills, if constructed appropriately.
For pragmatic reasons, all students will take a general exam containing
questions covering material from the fundamental courses at Occidental.
This means that each student will encounter items that refer to unfamiliar
material from courses not taken. As stated above, this aspect of the test
should not affect your ability to pass the exam. The test is designed in
such a way that students may pass even after answering a substantial
number of questions incorrectly. The passing score will be determined
by the amount of test material familiar to the average psychology major.
Thus, most students will find that the majority of items do cover topics
they have been taught.
This format may, in fact, provide a slight advantage to
students. For instance, a student who encounters an
unfamiliar item, may be able to figure out the correct
answer based on related material learned in a course
taken; this reflects the interdisciplinary nature of
psychological phenomena. Additionally, students will
gain points simply due to random guessing. The exam has been constructed with both of these processes in mind.
Suggested Preparation Strategies
1. First and foremost, students should review material from
all courses taken. Also, be sure to use the feedback received
from professors on assignments, exams, etc. to avoid past mistakes!
2. Although you should not expect to “ace”
the exam just by studying an introductory psychology
textbook, a quick review may help you to identify key
topics and research findings from different subdisciplines,
as well as reveal material that you had forgotten or understood
only vaguely.
3. Prepare over time and do not cram.
Research clearly demonstrates that cramming,
although seemingly effective in some situations,
is far less effective than studying over time.
Time allows more material to be learned, but also improves retention.
4. Test your understanding versus just reading over
material. Discuss topics with your peers, or with a
faculty member if you experience difficulty with a
specific topic. Then quiz yourself.
5. Be ready to take the exam. Learn the basics
about the exam format (provided above). Be
well-rested the day of the exam.
6. Don’t “freak out.” Again, test scores
are designed to reflect students’ mastery
of material already encountered (if not also
learned well) in prior courses.
7. Although students may be permitted one retest,
the department uses multiple versions of the exam.
Thus, taking the exam more than once is unlikely to provide any advantage.
*If you have any questions about the exam format or preparation
strategies, please do not hesitate to ask a faculty member.
We will not “teach to the test,” but will work to ensure that students
succeed if they can understand their course material and can demonstrate
that understanding.
