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Master of Health Physics Comprehensive Exam FAQ
- Who needs to take it? Anyone who wishes to complete the Master's in Health Physics must take the exam except for students who pass either Part I or Part II of the American Board of Health Physics's Certification Exam while they are enrolled in our program.
- What does the exam consist of? The exam is a combination of multiple choice and calculation/essay questions, so it resembles a shorter version of Parts I and II of the ABHP exam. The current version is a three-hour exam, although that may vary from semester to semester.
- When can I take the Comprehensive exam? Typically students take it when they have completed nine or ten of the eleven courses in our program. That enables you to re-take it in a semester in which you're still enrolled in classes. You can take it, however, in any semester in which it is offered and you feel you're ready.
- What happens if I fail the exam? You're allowed to re-take it.
- How many times can I re-take it? Students are allowed two attempts at the written exam, with the possibility of an oral exam for students who have not passed it on the second try.
- How does it work if I take the exam after I've completed all the coursework in the program? If you take it after you've finished all your other coursework, you need to register for one credit hour of PHYS 600 ("Continuation") so that you can be classified as an active student.
- How is the exam administered? It's run just like a course exam, except that it's three hours long. It is a closed-book exam, and for most versions we have provided a calculation or formula sheet.
- How should I study for this exam? Because the exam imitates the ABHP exams, the ABHP study materials on the Health Physics Society website should be useful to you. Of course, going over your course notes and textbooks from the IIT MHP program will be useful as well.
- How do I sign up to take the exam? Contact your adviser when you receive the announcement from the program coordinator early in the semester.
