A few suggestions for students preparing for their comprehensive or doctoral qualifying examination.

1. Preparing for the
Comprehensive Examination or Doctoral Qualifying Examination
for
Online Doctoral Programs
APA Writing Style
Vince Bridges
This is an exam that I believe that you cannot study for at the last minute, and successfully
pass. Most of the information that will be within it will be information that you have been exposed
to over the years of didactic education in your program. If you were diligent in your studies, you
would have outlined key theories, methodologies and the various approach as they relate to each
of the assigned topics of study. Having taught in post-secondary education, many students are so
concerned about earning an “A” in the class, and that is not what it is all about. Earning an “A”
also does not always mean that an individual can apply the concepts. It is about understanding
and integrating all the required concepts within that class, and your degree program – specifically,
how do they all relate and how do you apply them? So, in that case, how do you prepare? It is
more like; how do you think?
1. First review the competency outcome for your degree program. What were you required
to learn during your didactic courses? Did you learn those concepts? Are you able to
reference them or key components without having to look them up?
2. Review the key notes you made in each class - such as major theories, methodologies and
the various approach to theory implementation or its related concepts. It would probably
be a good idea to arrange these by topic, and have an executive summary of each theory
so that it is available for easy reference.
3. Remember to use your books from your classes as cited references – many students
overlook this valuable resource.
4. When you are supporting the facts in your paper, try to stay away from sites that may be
considered “unreliable.” Instead, try to use education, government and even some
organizational sites. Also, peer reviewed articles are always the best, and use your
school’s online library resource. Try not to use sources that are seven years or older –
unless it is a theory support.
5. You are also at a stage where your writing must be indicative of your level of study, so
read, read, and re-read your document. Misspelled words, poorly conveyed thoughts or
poorly structured sentences can be a cause for concern.
6. Remember to use proper citations, and do not cut and paste information from sources –
always paraphrase. Too much of the ‘cut and paste’ may be considered verbatim
plagiarism, unless you are using an exact quote over forty words. These type quotes must
follow a specific criterion – so see the source in the next recommendation if you do not
recall.

2. 7. A good resource to use is Purdue Owl.
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/. I would recommend using it as
much as possible if you do not own an APA manual – this will work just fine.
8. When you answer your questions on the examination, be sure to integrate and analyze the
concepts to demonstrate that you fully understand it. Remember Bloom’s Taxonomy? It
is important that you can apply, analyze, and evaluate concepts and theory. Remember
almost anyone can memorize, and that will not get you through the examination.
9. Do not worry about the number of pages that will comprise your exam, as you should be
focused on the content. Ask yourself, “How well was each answer written and
displayed?”, and “Did the content address the exam question fully?” Many students do
not pass the exam on the first attempt because they did not answer all the components of
each question. This should not happen to you! Read the questions carefully.
10. Use your time wisely. If you are working, take time off, and if you have many
distractions at home, book a hotel or someplace where you can concentrate. This is the
first of your big hurdles, followed by IRB Study Approval, Proposal Defense, and Final
Defense. I assure you that there will be many frustrations between each of these
milestones, so be strong and confident. That is why less than 2% of Americans hold
doctorate credentials (U.S. Census Bureau, 2015). If it were that easy, everyone would
have earned one.
REMEMBER! Stay focused and believe – most importantly, believe in yourself! You can do it
– no one can stop you but you! I may not be there when you receive notification that you passed
your examination – so I will say it now.
CONGRATULATIONS!

3. References
U.S. Census Bureau. (2015). Educational Attainment. Retrieved from U.S. Census Bureau:
https://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/education/data/cps/2015/tables.html