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CPSY Comprehensive Exam

The Comprehensive Examination (COMP Exam) is a take-home essay exam devised to help you synthesize your learning into a powerful personal and professional statement. The COMP Exam is required for both the 52.5 unit Counseling and 90 unit Counseling Psychology programs. The exam is given once during the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters, and you have two weeks to complete it after it is mailed to you. You take this exam near the end of your studies, typically the quarter before the last quarter in which you are enrolled in the program. Practicum experience gained by that time can help you in the exam because one of the questions requires the description of a case study.

To register for the Comprehensive exam, an email will be sent to you during the first two weeks of every Fall, Winter or Spring quarter with sign-up instructions.  Sign-ups will be open for 2 weeks.  Fill out the sign-up form.  The actual exam will be emailed to you a week after sign-ups close.  You will be given two weeks to complete the exam.  

This is a general schedule for the COMP exam:
  • Week 2:  Sign-up for COMP exam opens
  • Week 4:  Sign-up for COMP exam closes
  • Week 5:  COMP exam begins - email is sent before 5pm to those who are registered to take the exam with exam instructions.  You have two weeks to complete the exam.
  • Week 7:  COMP exam due by 5pm on the designated day
Below is a sample Comprehensive exam to help you prepare.  Please note this is a SAMPLE of the exam questions.  The actual exam questions may differ and are subject to change at any time without notification.