CMU/VBWC
Au.D. Distance-Learning
Program
COMPREHENSIVE
EXAMINATION
GUIDELINES
February, 2005
This document is for use by the Au.D. Distance-Learning Program as a guide for the
comprehensive examination process. The guidelines expressed in the following sections of this
document have been reviewed and approved by the CMU/VBWC Au.D. distance-learning
program Administrative Committee. This document will be reviewed frequently and amended as
needed. Please direct any comments, suggestions, or questions concerning these guidelines to
the Au.D. distance-learning program director, Dr. Mike Nerbonne, via email at:
nerbo1ma@cmich.edu; or by phone at 989-774-7299.
PURPOSE
All participants in the CMU/VBWC Au.D. distance-learning program must complete and pass a
comprehensive examination. It is not the intent of this examination to retest participants over
specific knowledge or courses they have already taken and passed. Rather, the comprehensive
examination is intended to accomplish two primary purposes:
1) to assess a candidate’s ability to integrate information appropriately across various
specialty areas of audiology as defined by the core sequence of courses common to all
participants and the elective courses that are specific to an individual participant;
2) to provide an opportunity for participants to demonstrate the application of accrued
information within a problem/applied based format consistent with evidence based
audiological practice.
REQUIREMENTS
The comprehensive examination can be taken after a participant has successfully completed the
three course core sequence (9 credit-hours) plus all additional electives as defined by the
individual’s Doctorate Degree Program Plan. A participant will not be able to write the
comprehensive examination until an approved Doctorate Degree Program Plan has been filed.
Credit hours associated with the Doctoral Project do not count toward eligibility to write the
comprehensive examination.
SCHEDULE
The comprehensive examination is offered four times each year and is scheduled to begin on
Wednesday of either the fourth or fifth week of each term and to end on Monday of either the
fifth or sixth week of each term. In general, the examination is scheduled to start during the
fourth week of a term unless that week contains a nationally recognized holiday, in which case
the comprehensive examination is scheduled to start during the fifth week of the same term. The
schedule for the comprehensive examination is published on the CMU/VBWC Au.D. web site
located at: www.cel.cmich.edu/aud.
REGISTRATION
Participants must register to take the comprehensive examination. Registration is done through
the Au.D. Program Manager and must be submitted prior to the term that the participant intends
to write the examination. The registration form (see attachment A) for the comprehensive
examination is published on the CMU/VBWC Au.D. web site located at:
www.cel.cmich.edu/aud. The registration form may also be obtained by contacting the Au.D.
Program Manager at: 800-950-1144, ext. 3867.
As part of the registration process, participants must identify an acceptable Examination Proctor.
Examples of acceptable Examination Proctors include: school counselors; school/college
administrators; military/industry education or testing officers; or the librarian at a local library.
Any CMU College of Extended Learning center will proctor exams, as will the faculty of the
Au.D. Distance-Learning Program. Examples of unacceptable Examination Proctors include:
family members; friends; direct supervisors and colleagues; and other CMU students. Unless the
Examination Proctor is identified on the Comprehensive Examination Registration Form and
approved by the VBWC/CMU Au.D. program, participants will not be allowed to take the
comprehensive examination.
METHODOLOGY
Questions for the comprehensive examination are designed to be answered in a “take home/open
book” format. Questions are categorized into two areas as follows:
1) questions on the core sequence that are standardized for all participants;
2) questions on the elective sequence that are individualized for each participant
depending upon the particular elective sequence.
Questions are mailed to a participant’s Examination Proctor so that the participant can pick-up
questions on Wednesday. The student has five days to complete the comprehensive examination
and either mail or email the answers to the Program Manager post-marked no later than the
following Monday.
In preparing answers, participants are free to refer to class notes, textbooks, journal articles, the
WWW, or any other printed matter deemed appropriate. After receipt of the questions, however,
participants are prohibited from discussing the questions or obtaining any information about the
questions or answers by personal communication, either verbal, written or electronic, from any
other individual.
Final answers are to be typed on 8 ½ X 11 inch paper. Answers should be typed double-spaced
using 12-point font on one side of the page only. Answers to each question are to be limited to
no more that seven (7) pages (excluding references). If participants exceed the seven page limit,
only the first seven (7) pages will be read and graded. Pages should be numbered consecutively
in the upper right corner. The surname of the participant should appear in the upper left corner
of each page.
Upon completion, the student should return one copy of the final answers to the Examination
Proctor to verify and hold for one month upon completion of the exam. The student should then
email or return via postal service one copy of the final answers to the Program Manager, DDL by
the posted deadline for submission. If answers are returned by email, they must be attached to
the email as a Microsoft Word document. Word processing software other than Microsoft Word
will not be accepted.
If a participant wishes to retain a copy of the answers, copies must be submitted to the
Examination Proctor for verification prior to mailing the original answers to the Program
Manager. In the event that copies of a participant’s answers are required for any reason, only the
Examination Proctor’s verified copy will be accepted.
PERFORMANCE
The participant’s comprehensive examination is read and graded by at least two members of the
graduate faculty of the Division of Audiology, Department of Communication Disorders, or
designees, within two weeks following receipt of the examination by the Program Manager.
Following are the possible outcomes:
PASS
Answers for both the core and elective areas demonstrate a
generally acceptable grasp of the evidence, understanding and
application of relevant information. Answers are
predominately factual, accurate, and contain appropriate
documentation consistent with evidence based audiological
practice.
PARTIAL
PASS
Answers for either the core or elective area are acceptable
(PASS), while answers for the other area are unacceptable
(FAIL). That is, if a participant PASSES the core sequence,
but FAILS the elective sequence, the outcome of the
comprehensive examination is a PARTIAL PASS.
Conversely, if the participant FAILS the core sequence, but
PASSES the elective sequence, the outcome of the
comprehensive examination is a PARTIAL PASS.
FAIL
Answers for both the core and elective areas are clearly
unacceptable. Answers do not contain appropriate or sufficient
evidence to suggest a meaningful understanding and/or
application of the information of relevance. There is little, if
any, appropriate documentation.
.
Participants who receive a PARTIAL PASS are counseled by a member(s) of the administrative committee, or
designee(s), about the content area(s) of concern and are required to retake only those areas of the
comprehensive examination where performance was graded unacceptable. It is understood that additional
questions posed for any retake examination will pertain directly to the content area(s) where the participant’s
performance was rated unacceptable. Unless otherwise specifically requested by the participant, an oral format
is used for all retake examinations. An oral retake examination is conducted by at least three members of the
administrative committee, or designees. The oral retake examination is scheduled at the participant’s
convenience, but no later than four weeks following the posting of the original outcome. After completion of
the retake examination, the participant is notified within three days that they either PASSED or FAILED.
Participants who receive a FAIL are counseled by a member(s) of the administrative committee, or designee(s),
about the content area(s) of concern and are required to retake only those areas of the comprehensive
examination where performance was graded unacceptable. It is understood that additional questions posed for
any retake examination will pertain directly to the content area(s) where the participant’s performance was rated
unacceptable. Any retake examination conducted as a consequence of a FAIL outcome must be scheduled no
sooner than the next scheduled examination period. The participant may request that the retake examination
either be oral or written. If oral, the examination is conducted by at least three members of the administrative
committee, or designees. If written, the examination is conducted following the same time frame and guidelines
as specified for the original comprehensive examination. After completion of the retake examination (if
written, following receipt by the Program Manager), the participant is notified within two weeks of the
outcome.
Regardless of the original outcome (PARTIAL PASS or FAIL), participants are permitted only three attempts to
PASS the comprehensive examination. If, after three attempts, a participant has not achieved a PASS, the
administrative committee reserves the right to recommend that a participant either take additional course work
prior to retaking the comprehensive examination, or in the event it is determined that overall performance
clearly is unacceptable, the participant be dematriculated from the program.
ATTACHMENT A
Comprehensive Exam
Central Michigan University
Au.D. -- Distance Learning Program
The following information must be provided for you to register for the comprehensive exam during
Term 2, 2005. Exam dates are April 20 - 25, 2005 (no exceptions).
Do not use this form for other terms or for course proctors.
Student's Name ________________________________________________________
(Last)
(First)
(Middle Initial)
_______________________________
___________________________________
U.S. Social Security Number
Student's E-mail Address
Examination Proctor
EXAMINATIONS WILL NOT BE MAILED WITHOUT ACCEPTABLE PROCTOR INFORMATION!
(No examination packet will be sent to a home or P.O. Box address)
Acceptable examination proctors include:
school counselors, school/college administrators, military/industry education or testing officers, or the
head librarian at a public library. Any college of Extended Learning center will proctor exams, as will
the Distance/Distributed Learning staff.
Unacceptable examination proctors:
family members, friends, direct supervisors and colleagues, and other CMU students.
Please complete the following information and return to the Program Manager no later
than March 25, 2005:
TEST PROCTOR INFORMATION
Your proctor must be available on April 20, 2005 for you to pick up your exam.
Exams must be returned (postmarked) by April 25, 2005. Late exams will not be accepted.
PROCTOR NAME
PROCTOR TITLE/POSITION
WORK NUMBER
PROCTOR BUSINESS/SCHOOL NAME and (DEPARTMENT NAME)
PROCTOR BUSINESS/SCHOOL ADDRESS
FAX NUMBER
CITY
STATE
ZIP
Fax:
989-774-1822
Attn: Kendra Brown
Questions Contact:
Kendra Brown, Program Manager
800-950-1144 ext. 3867
kendra.brown@cmich.edu
Return completed form by March 25, 2005
Mail:
Kendra Brown
Central Michigan University
Off-Campus Programs
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
CMU, an AA/EO institution, is strongly and actively committed to increasing diversity within its community (see www.cmich.edu/aaeo.html). CMU provides students
with disabilities reasonable accommodations to participate in educational programs, activities or services. Students with disabilities requiring accommodations to
participate in class activities or meet program requirements should contact Kendra Brown at (989) 774-3867 as soon as possible.