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Comprehensive Exam Study Guide
Table of Contents
- General Information
- Introduction
- Description of the Exam
- Purpose and Measurement
- Facts about Comps
- Myths about Comps
- Sections for Each Specialization
- School Counseling (1: Elementary, 2: Secondary)
- Mental Health Counseling (Option-I: Professional Counseling, Option-II: Marriage and Family Counseling)
- Student Affairs
- Top Tips for Success
- For Additional Information
- Sample Exam Questions
INTRODUCTION
The written comprehensive exam for all master’s candidates is designed to allow the individual to demonstrate his/her ability to prepare viable responses to open response type questions. This information packet is designed to answer some of the questions you may have concerning your upcoming comprehensive exam. We hope that it will assist you in preparing for the exam as well as explaining how the exam was developed, how it is scored, some of the testing guidelines, and the significance of the examination. Sample questions are also provided as a guide review for you.
DESCRIPTION OF THE EXAM
The exam consists of 100 multiple choice and 2 essay questions. The multiple-choice questions are designed to provide a thorough review of the material covered in you master’s degree program. Undoubtedly, some of the questions will touch on content from course areas that you may not have taken. Everyone is in the same position and no one is expected to score 100% correctly.
Each student in a given program receives the same set of questions. Thus, all students in School Counseling have the same test, all students in Student Affairs have the same test, and students in Mental Health Counseling have the same test. The same is true for major essays.
The essay portion of the Comprehensive Exam consists of 2 questions. You should answer each essay as completely as you can. Take care to show that you understand the issue. Formulate your response using information you have gained during your course of study and present this in an organized, logical manner. Describe the steps you might take to respond to the question and give your reasons for choosing those steps rather than others. Include references from your reading where appropriate. Give yourself time to go back over your answer and reflect on what you have written and ask yourself if you have answered the question as thoroughly as you can.
PURPOSE AND MEASUREMENT
A Comprehensive Exam is required for all students completing master’s studies. This is a program accreditation standard of both national and professional associations. The exam is also a method for the counseling faculty to evaluate its contribution to the students’ understanding of relevant material and to measure the consistency of instruction provided. It also serves as a feedback system of graduates’ performances and attempts to measure the development and overall comprehension of professional counseling knowledge and skills by the student.
FACTS ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION
When is the Comprehensive Exam Offered?
- It is offered three times per year, once per academic term. The test dates are established by the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Dean’s office, as are the deadline dates for application.
- Applications are typically due at least one month prior to the scheduled Comprehensive Examination date.
- Scheduled Comprehensive Exam dates for Fall 2004, Spring 2005, and Summer 2005 are:
- Fall 2004 – October 16, 2004 (9 a.m. to noon)
- Spring 2005 – March 05, 2005 (9 a.m. to noon)
- Summer 2005 – June 11, 2205 (9 a.m. to noon)
- NOTE: Occasionally these exam dates change. It is highly unlikely, but in the event that they do, the change will be posted to this website. Additionally, you are encouraged to consult with CEBS and Departmental resources regarding any date changes.
What happens to the application after I submit it to the Dean's office?
The Dean checks to see that all the information on the application is correct, giving particular attention to coursework completion dates and outcomes. The application is then forwarded to the Counseling Department, at which time your “Personal Folder” is reviewed to insure that all necessary documentation of your masters program is in order. Your Personal Folder must be complete before you are eligible to take the Comprehensive Exam.
What is required for my Personal Folder to be complete?
You must have the following information on file:
What if I have a conflict on the scheduled comprehensive examination date?
Legitimate conflicts will be honored. These include conflict with another scheduled course in which a student is currently enrolled, documented attendance/presentation at a professional conference/event, among others. IT IS THE STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTACT THE COORDINATOR OF THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATIONS FAR ENOUGH IN ADVANCE TO MAKE ALTERNATIVE ARRANGEMENTS. Every effort will be made to accommodate legitimate conflicts.
What is the Passing Score Needed?
The cutoff for passing the exam is 70%. This is calculated according:
- Multiple Choice – Consists of 100 questions and accounts for 50% of your overall score.
- Essay Portion – two full-time faculty members evaluate the two essay questions through a blind review (if you don’t know what that means, you might want to look it up). The scores from the two raters are averaged for each essay (e.g. Essay 1: the student receives 80% for rater 1 and 77% from rater 2. These scores are averaged and the student’s final score for Essay 1 is 78.5%). The same process follows for Essay 2. Then the two final essay scores are averaged to account for 50% of your overall score.
When and how will I know the test result?
Results of the exam should reach you by mail within approximately four to five weeks following the exam date. Given that each student’s essay questions are graded by two of the department's full-time faculty members, this carefully constructed process extends the time necessary to calculate final scores. We appreciate your understanding for this process.
MYTHS ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE EXAMS
- Everyone passes the exam. No one ever fails or has to retake. So, it’s not something that really requires extensive preparation time.
- Consider this: Would you advertise the fact that you had not passed the exam? Perhaps you might, but many students may prefer not to publicize such information. Therefore, students may not receive an accurate assessment of the pass/fail ratio based on self-report. Further, self-report can be biased my many issues. For example, your peers may downplay the amount of time they actually spent preparing for the exam. Another point to consider is that everyone has study methods that work best for him or her. Hopefully, by this point in your academic pursuits, you are aware of what these are. So, actually there may be some truth to the relationship between limited preparation and passing for some students; it is unique to each person.
- Reality Check: People DO FAIL this exam. This statement is intended to inspire you to adequately prepare for the final assessment of your academic and experiential studies. Therefore, it is important that students take every opportunity to insure their success. Many resources have been provided in this study guide to assist in your preparation efforts.
- Failures are handled on an individual basis, in consult with the Coordinator of the Comprehensive Examination, the student, and the student’s advisor. The Department of Counseling and Student Affairs wants everyone to succeed; however, we must insure that you are able to meet the minimum standards of adequate preparation ascribed by the various accrediting, certification, and licensing boards. IF YOU DO NOT PASS THE EXAM, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to contact the Coordinator of the Comprehensive Examinations, Dr. Kelly M. Burch-Ragan, at kelly.burch@wku.edu ASAP
- I’ve made A’s and B’s in all my courses. It does not make sense that I could do so well in my courses and then fail the exam; the counseling program must not have prepared me adequately.
- While this is a reasonable statement it does not take into account several important considers. These include:
- Performance in a course is QUITE DIFFERENT than the retention, integration, and synthesis of knowledge.
- Keep in mind that the Comprehensive Examination is a knowledge-based evaluation.
- Keep in mind that the Comprehensive Examination is a knowledge-based, objective (multiple-choice) and essay assessment. Reflect back on your courses. . . how many of them evaluated you exclusively using objective type measures? Probably very few. Most of your courses had a 60%/40% split between objective, multiple choice/essay tests and papers, group presentations, projects, participation, and/or field-based projects (i.e. interviews of counseling professional). Reasonably, you might have not done well on some of the objective exams and were able to bring your grade up with a group project or a reflective paper. Generally speaking, most students do better on subjective versus objective evaluation. Think about it—it is pretty difficult for a professor to give you a bad grade on a reflection paper (unless you did not follow directions).
- You also need to be aware that performance on an exam or in a course is completely different from the integration and retention of knowledge. We all have experienced classes in which we remembered the information for a test, and as soon as the exam was over, the information sprouted wings and flew right out of our heads. As educators, we hope that students will integrate the material but we know that this is not always the case. You might have taken Human Development Across the Lifespan two years ago and names like Piaget and Kohlberg are distant memories. The good news is that this information is likely to be stored away in some mental file in the back of your brain. However, if you can’t access the file then it will do you no good. This is why it is important to study.
- Another point that is important to know about any standardized-type test is that sometimes knowing the material is not enough. In fact, many professors would argue that knowing how to take the test is equally important as having mastered the knowledge. I would encourage you to take as many practice tests as possible. It might have been some time since you had to answer an application question. Your comprehensive exam is likely to have some of those.
- Exams like this are unfair. I don’t test well on multiple choice or time-limited pressures.
- If you are plagued by test-anxiety, feel free to consult with the University’s Counseling Center to assist in addressing this issue. Your advisors might also have helpful hints.
- If you have been officially documented with a disability regarding educational considerations and test taking, appropriate accommodations will be arranged to meet your needs. Simply notify the Coordinator of the Comprehensive Examinations, in advance of the exam date, and arrangements will be made in accordance with University policy
- I do NOT have to PASS comps to GRADUATE.
- WRONG!!!!! No student will be allowed to formally graduate until he/she has passed the Comprehensive Examination. Formal graduation means that the department certifies, via submission of a Form E, that the student has successfully passed the exam. So, until a student has successfully passed the exam, a student will not officially receive their masters’ degree.
Study Areas for Each Specialization
M.A.Ed. In School Counseling
(1: Elementary, 2: Secondary)
Standard 1: Program Management, research and Evaluation
The school counselor develops a process and procedure for planning, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive developmental program of guidance and counseling, with faculty, staff, administrators, students, parents, school councils, school boards, and community members. The counselor understands and knows how to define needs and priorities, to determine objectives, to communicate with the stakeholders about the effectiveness of the program, to organize resources and activities, to evaluate the program for assuring its contribution to the school's mission and goals, and to use information systems and technology.
WKU CNS course: CNS 550 Introduction to Counseling
CNS 554 Group Counseling
CNS 558 Counseling Theories
CNS 565 Elementary Guidance Services
CNS 566 Secondary Guidance Services
Standard 2: Developmental Guidance Curriculum
The school counselor provides a developmental, preventive guidance program to all students within the school. The counselor understands and knows how to assess the developmental needs of students, to prepare students for successful transitions, to evaluate the results of the curriculum's impact, to modify the curriculum as needed, to provide guidance for personal growth and development, and to assist teachers in the teaching of the guidance curriculum.
WKU CNS course: CNS 550 Introduction to Counseling
CNS 551 Classroom Guidance
CNS 552 Testing & Assessment
CNS 558 Counseling Theories
CNS 562 Counseling Adolescents
CNS 565 Elementary Guidance Services
CNS 566 Secondary Guidance Services
Standard 3: Individual/Small Group Counseling
The school counselor uses short-term individual counseling and structured as well as unstructured small group counseling to address mental, physical, and emotional barriers to learning and to help each child learn at high levels. The counselor understands and knows how to provide a safe, confidential setting for students, to promote wellness, to respond to crises, to communicate empathy and understanding, to utilize a broad range of techniques, theories, and assessment tools, to intervene in problem situations, to respect and nurture the uniqueness of each student, and to empower students to develop and use their resources.
WKU CNS course: CNS 550 Introduction to Counseling
CNS 551 Classroom Guidance
CNS 552 Testing & Assessment
CNS 554 Group Counseling
CNS 558 Counseling Theories
CNS 561 Counseling Children
Standard 4: Consultation/Collaboration
The school counselor functions in a cooperative process to assist others to effectively meet the needs of students. Through consultation the school counselor advocates for students. The counselor understands and knows how to consult with parents, faculty, staff, administrators, to interpret relevant information, to reduce barriers to student, to facilitate new student integration, to interact with school councils, school boards, and/or school committees, and to consult with external community and professional resources.
WKU CNS course: CNS 554 Group Counseling
CNS 565 Elementary Guidance Services
CNS 566 Secondary Guidance Services
Standard 5: Coordination
The school counselor functions as a coordinator in bringing together people and resources in the school, the community, and the district for the fullest academic, career, personal, and social development of the students. The counselor understands and knows how to coordinate with school and community personnel, to use an effective referral process, to identify community agencies, to maintain cooperative working relationships with community resources, and to facilitate successful transition.
WKU CNS course: CNS 550 Introduction to Counseling
CNS 565 Elementary Guidance Services
CNS 566 Secondary Guidance Services
Standard 6: Assessment
The school counselor collaborates with other school and district staff to design and coordinate a testing program that helps students identify their abilities, aptitudes, achievements, and interests. The counselor understands and knows how to participate in the planning and evaluation of the testing program, to assess, interpret, and communicate results, to collaborate with staff, to use assessment results and other sources of data, to coordinate students records, and to provide orientation regarding the assessment program.
WKU CNS course: CNS 552 Testing & Assessment
Standard 7: Adheres to professional Standards
The school counselor is a professional who acts within legal and ethical guidelines to accomplish educational purposes. The counselor understands and knows how to adhere to professional codes of ethics of American Counseling Association, American School Counseling Association, and the Code of Ethics adopted by the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board, to adhere to federal/state laws and regulations, to be responsible for the on-going professional development, to act in a role that distinguishes from any professional who administers disciplinary action, to be knowledgeable of the position statements of the American School Counselor Association.
WKU CNS course: CNS 550 Introduction to Counseling
CNS 565 Elementary Guidance Services
CNS 566 Secondary Guidance Services
CNS 590 School Practicum
Standard 8: Demonstrates Professional Leadership
The school counselor provides professional leadership within the school, community, and education profession to improve student learning and well-being. The counselor understands and knows how to build positive relationship within and between school and community, to promote leadership potential in colleagues, to participate in professional organizations, to write and speak effectively, to participate in policy design and development, to initiate and develop educational projects, to practice effective skills as a team member, to present program in a sensitive manner to a multicultural perspective, to write for publication, and to work with colleagues to administer an effective learning climate within the school.
Standard 9: Engages in Professional Development
The school counselor evaluates his or her own overall performance in relation to Kentucky's learning goals and implements a professional development plan. The counselor understands and knows how to establish priorities for professional growth, to analyze student performance to identify developmental needs, to solicit input from others, to implement knowledge and skills acquired through professional development, and to modify own professional development plan to improve performance and to promote student learning.
WKU CNS course: CNS 550 Introduction to Counseling
CNS 565 Elementary Guidance Services
CNS 566 Secondary Guidance Services
M.A.Ed in Professional Counseling and
Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy
(Option1 & Option II)
SECTION 1:
The following areas are taken from the CACREP 2001 Standards, Section II: Program Objectives and Curriculum. These are the eight core areas common to students preparing for a professional career in MHC or MFC/T. It is suggested that you review the content of the Eight Common-Core Areas in preparation for the multiple-choice section of the MHC-MFC/T Comprehensive Examination.
EIGHT COMMON-CORE AREAS
1. PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY- studies that provide an understanding of all aspects of professional functioning including history, roles, organizational structures, ethics, standards, and credentialing. Studies in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. History and philosophy of the counseling profession including significant factors and events;
b. Professional roles, functions, and relationships with other human service provides;
c. Professional organization, primarily ACA, its divisions, branches, and affiliates, including membership, benefits, activities, service to members, and current emphases;
d. Professional credentialing including certification, licensure, and accreditation practices and standards, and the effects of public policy on these issues;
e. Public policy processes including the role of the professional counselor in advocating on behalf of the profession and its clientele; and
f. Ethical standards of ACA and related entities and applications of ethical and legal considerations in professional counseling.
WKU CNS COURSE: CNS 550 – Introduction to Counseling
2. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY- studies that provide an understanding of the cultural context of relationships, issues, and trends in a multicultural and diverse society. Studies in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. Multicultural and pluralistic trends including characteristics and concerns between and within of diverse groups nationally and internationally;
b. Investigation of attitudes, beliefs, understandings, and experiences including specific experiential learning activities, related to such factors as culture, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, sexual orientation, mental and physical characteristics, education, family values, religious and spiritual values, socio-economic status and unique characteristics of the individual, couple family, and/or community;
c. Individual, couple, family, group, and community strategies with diverse populations;
d. Counselors’ roles in social justice, advocacy and conflict resolution, self
awareness, the nature of biases, prejudices, processes of intentional and unintentional impositions and discrimination, as well as other culturally supported behaviors that are detrimental to the growth of the human spirit, mind, or body; and
e. Ethical and legal consideration.
WKU CNS COURSE: CNS 555 - Social and Cultural Diversity
3. HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT- studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels. Studies in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. Theories for individual and family development and transitions across the life-span;
b. Theories of learning and personality development;
c. Human behavior including an understanding of developmental crises, disability, addictive behavior, psychopathology, and environmental factors as the affect both
normal and abnormal behavior;
d. Strategies for facilitating development over the lifespan; and
e. Ethical and legal considerations.
WKU CNS COURSE: CNS 557 – Human and Family Development
4. CAREER DEVELOPMENT-studies that provide an understanding of career
development and related life factors. Studies in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. Career development theories and decision-making models;
b. Career, advocational, educational occupational and labor market information resources, visual and print media, computer-based career information systems and other electronic career information systems;
c. Career development program planning, organization, implementation, administration, and evaluation;
d. Interrelationships among and between work, family, and other life roles and factors including diversity and gender issues as related to career development;
e. Career and educational placement, follow-up and evaluation;
f. Assessment instruments and techniques relevant to career planning and decision making;
g. Computer based career development applications and strategies, including computer assisted career guidance and information systems and appropriate worldwide websites;
h. Career counseling processes, techniques and resources including those applicable to
specific populations; and
i. Ethical and legal considerations
WKU CNS COURSE: CNS 556 – Developmental Career Counseling
5. HELPING RELATIONSHIPS- studies that provide an understanding of counseling and consultation processes. Studies in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. Counselor and consultant characteristics and behaviors that influence helping processes including age, gender and ethnic differences, verbal and nonverbal behaviors and personal characteristics, orientations, and skills;
b. An understanding of essential interviewing and counseling skills so that the student is able to develop a therapeutic relationship, establish appropriate counseling goals, design intervention strategies, evaluate client outcome, and successfully terminate the relationship. Students will also facilitate student self-awareness so that the counselor-client relationship can be therapeutic and the counselor can maintain appropriate professional boundaries;
c. Counseling theories that provide the student with a consistent model(s) to conceptualize client presentation and select appropriate counseling interventions. Student experiences should include an examination of the historical development of counseling theories, an exploration of affective, behavioral, and cognitive theories, and an opportunity to apply theoretical material to case studies. Students will also be exposed to models of counseling consistent with current professional practice in the field and students will begin to develop a personal model of counseling;
d. A systems perspective that provides an understanding of family and other systems theories and major models of family and related interventions. Students will be exposed to a rationale for selecting family and other systems theories as appropriate modalities for family assessment and counseling;
e. A general framework for understanding and practicing consultation. Student experiences should include an examination of the historical development of consultation, an exploration or the stages of consultation and the major models of consultation, and an opportunity to apply the theoretical material to case presentations. Students will also develop a personal model of consultation; and
f. Ethical and legal considerations.
WKU CNS COURSE: CNS 558 – Counseling Theories
6. GROUP WORK- studies that provide an understanding of group purpose, development, dynamics, counseling theories, group counseling methods and skills, other group approaches. Studies in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. Principles of group dynamics including group process components, development stage theories, group members’ roles and behaviors, and therapeutic factors of group work;
b. Group leadership styles and approaches including characteristics of various types of group leaders and leadership styles;
c. Theories of group counseling including commonalities, distinguishing characteristics and pertinent research and literature;
d. Group counseling methods including group counselor orientations and behaviors, appropriate selection criteria and methods, and methods of evaluation of effectiveness;
e. Approaches used for other types of group work, including task groups, focus groups, prevention groups, support groups, psychoeducational groups, and therapy groups;
f. Professional preparation standards for group leaders; and
g. Ethical and legal considerations.
WKU CNS COURSE: CNS 554 – Group Counseling
7. ASSESSMENT- studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation. Studies in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. Historical perspectives concerning the nature and meaning of assessment;
b. Basic concepts of testing and other assessment techniques including norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessment, environmental assessment, performance assessment, individual and group test and inventory methods, behavioral observations, alternative assessment, and computer-managed and computer-assisted methods;
c. Statistical concepts including scales of measurement, measures of central tendency, indices of variability, shapes and types of distributions, and correlations;
d. Reliability: theory of measurement error, models of reliability, and the use of reliability information;
e. Validity: evidence of validity, types of validity, and relationship between reliability and validity;
f. Age, gender, ethnicity, language, disability, and additional cultural factors related to the assessment and evaluation of individuals, groups, and specific populations;
g. Strategies for selecting, administering, and interpreting assessment and evaluation instruments and techniques in counseling;
h. An understanding of general principles and methods of case conceptualization, assessment, and/or diagnoses of mental and emotional status; and
i. Ethical and legal considerations.
WKU CNS COURSE: CNS 552 – Testing and Assessment in Counseling
8. RESEARCH AND PROGRAM EVALUATION- studies that provide an understanding of research methods, statistical analysis, needs assessment, and program evaluation. Students will be exposed to the importance of research and opportunities and difficulties in conducting research in the counseling profession. Studies in this area include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. Basic research methods to include qualitative, quantitative, single-case designs, action-based research, and outcome-based research;
b. Use of technology and statistical methods in conducting research and program evaluation;
c. Principles, models and applications of needs assessment, program evaluation, and use of findings to effect program modifications; and
d. Ethical and legal considerations.
WKU CNS COURSE: EDFN 500 – Research Methods
M.A.Ed. In Student Affairs
Please consult with one of the following departmental core faculty regarding areas of preparation:
Top Tips for Success
1. Don’t sell your texts from key courses such as theories, group counseling, career, human growth and development, research and your introduction courses. These books and class notes can help you review.
2. Keep your syllabi from key courses related to your area of specialization. These can be outstanding guides in your review process.
3. Look over the lists of study resources provided in this guide. Don’t take this test lightly. There are study guides you can purchase and on-line resources. If you make the effort, you can find help.
4. Ask professors for guidance. Most of your professors have taken many such exams and have a wealth of experience to share with you. Talk to your advisors for more helpful tips. All full-time faculty departmental faculty members have taken a comprehensive (both oral and written) and/or a licensure exam. They might have some helpful hints.
5. Find a small group and meet once a week. You will be amazed how much peer support can help.
6. Pace your Study - Try not to study too much material during any one sitting. Approach each section one at a time and try to devote focused time to that section, several times a week. This means you should start studying well in advance.
7. If you know you struggle with test anxiety, you might want to seek out services at the University Counseling Center to help with relaxation exercises. Journaling can also be helpful with test-anxiety.
8. When it comes to reviewing theories, pay attention to the language that is associated with the theorist or theory. Sometimes, if you can recognize the theorist/theory and pair him/her or the theory with the right terminology it will help you answer the question correctly. Additionally, many of your course textbooks and/or suggested resources have outstanding charts that compare and contrast the various theories.
9. Raid the half-priced bookstores—you can find some study guides at very low prices. Search the Internet for used study material such as sites like http://half.ebay.com/index.jsp or www.amazon.com.
10. Take practice exams. Explore the following website: http://ed.tsud.edu/kdavis/cpce_(comps).htm. Note: There are many other free websites. Further, depending on your programs emphasis, not all materials will be applicable to the Comprehensive Examination you take. So, look for websites that fit your area of study as a source of review.
11. Statistically speaking, the career, testing and assessment, and research sections seem to challenge test takers the most. Consider spending extra time on these subject areas, as they pertain to your specialized program of study.
12. Helpful hints for the day and night before the exam
Visit the examination site a few days or the day before the exam. Sit in the room and become accustomed to the environment.
Don’t cram. Don’t study late into the night before the morning of the exam. Give yourself time to unwind and relax. Do what you need to do to be refreshed.
To eat or not to eat? “That is the question.” Well, that one is up to you. No one knows you better than you when it comes to your body and test-taking situations. However, it is commonly advisable to have something nutritious to eat the morning of the exam.
Make sure you have all the materials you need to bring with you to the exam. Pencils and paper will be provided. However, you will need to return the forms sent to you and per instructions to enter the exam.
Make sure your transportation to the exam is as airtight as possible. For example, put gas in your car the evening before the test. Or, confirm with your ride the time and location of pick up.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
If you have any further questions or if you can offer suggestions for the improvement of this Comprehensive Exam Study Guide, please contact Coordinator of the Comprehensive Examinations, Dr. Kelly M. Burch-Ragan, at kelly.burch@wku.edu.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
SAMPLE MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. The passage of which of the following acts greatly stimulated the field of guidance? (CNS 550)
a. George-Reed Act
b. National Vocational Act of 1951
c. National Defense Education Act of 1958
2. Which period is probably most closely associated with the beginning of the guidance movement? (CNS 550)
a. 1925-1935
b. 1915-1925
c. 1905-1915
d. 1895-1905
3. The author of the first intelligence scale as it is known today was:
(CNS 552)
a. Wilhelm M. Wundt
b. Alfred Binet
c. J. McKenn Cattell
d. H.H. Goddard
4. Approximately what percent of scores lie between +2 and –2 standard deviations? (CNS 552)
a. 99
b. 96
c. 68
d. 50
5. Behavior that is counter productive in a group is: (CNS 554)
a. Advice-giving
b. Interrogation
c. Both a & b
d. None of the above
6. Which of the following is not a process of group work? (CNS 554)
a. Lecture
b. Therapy
c. Counseling
d. Guidance
7. In reality therapy, the basic concept is: (CNS 558)
a. Social interest
b. Individual responsibility
c. Confrontation
d. No excuses
8. When a counselor mentions a discrepancy between a client’s expression and behavior, this is an example of: (CNS 558)
a. Clarification
b. Interpretation
c. Juxtaposition
d. Confrontation
9. A proactive approach to Student Affairs work entails:
a. Responding immediately to various crises when they occur
b. Developing preventative programs in anticipation of problems before they actually occur
c. Making sure everyone in the hierarchy is adequately informed of the particulars of undesirable situations when they occur
d. Ignoring problems until someone threatens to go to the president
10. Generally, money to construct new facilities on campus is considered part of the institution’s:
a. Capital budget
b. Operating budget
c. Auxiliary budget
d. Tuition budget
SAMPLE ESSAY QUESTIONS
School Counseling
Respond, as directed, to the following school counseling situation: You have been appointed the counselor for a school (select level: elementary, middle, or secondary). The following information is available relative to the school:
a. Student population – 600
b. Number of teachers – 24
c. Other staff – one principal, a librarian, a supervisor who serves other schools in the district, a school social worker, and one counselor.
d. The school’s guidance program has been described as weak by a State Department of Education visitation team.
Discuss your priorities as counselor for the first year in the school.
Mental Health Counseling
As an agency counselor, you will have to relate to many other professionals.
a. What do you see as an agency counselor’s role in relationship to:
1. Counseling
2. Testing
b. Which theory of counseling do you see as best for you? Describe the specific aspects of the theory.
c. What significance would consultation and coordination have in your role as an agency counselor?
Student Affairs
You are the President of Rockfield University, a 4-year, public institution with an enrollment of approximately 8,000. The student body is moderately diverse; i.e., minority populations are fairly well represented and many students are “nontraditional.” The graduation rate at R.U., however, is only 30%. Obviously, retention is a problem.
The Board of Regents of R.U. has indicated that a graduation rate of 30% is entirely unacceptable. In short, your future at R.U. is dependent upon your ability to raise the graduation rate to 50% within the next five years. What do you do?
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