Comprehensive Exam
Exam is usually the Saturday before the last day of classes.*
Fall 2020: Saturday, November 21, 2020
Spring 2021: Saturday, April 24, 2021
Fall 2021: Saturday, November 20, 2021
Spring 2022: Saturday, April 23, 2022
The exam is held from 9 AM until 1 PM on the date of the exam, lasting 4 hours.
*This timing is typically two Saturdays prior to the last day of classes in the fall semester because of conflict with the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
Exam Structure: 5 Parts
The Exam is to be written in FOUR hours. Take 45 minutes per section.
Parts A, B, and C consist of Essay Questions
- Part A will present questions on the Reading List from the Old English period through 1780
- Part B will present questions on the Reading List from 1780-1900
- Part C will present questions on the Reading List from 1900-present
- Parts A, B, and C will all have THREE choices of question
- You are required to write a response to ONE theory question in order to pass the exam.
- Question 3 in Parts A, B, and C will always be a theory question.
Part D: Term Definitions and Significance
- In part D you will be asked to provide definitions of 10 terms from a pool of 15 terms.
- All the terms will be derived from the List of Terms for the Comprehensive Exam.
- Definitions should be 1-2 sentences long. Strive for a clear, precise definition as well as an example of the item being defined.
Part E: Poetry Explication
- You will have a choice of two lyric poems to choose from for the explication.
- These poems are NOT from the reading list, though they may have been written by an author from the reading list.