What can the Candidate do to prepare?

  • Life experiences, theological study and clinical training are themselves preparation. Candidates who have read, marked, learned and inwardly digested their studies should do well. Cramming will not be helpful and may in fact be harmful by causing fatigue and stress.
    • Review GOEs (especially since 2016) and practice answering some of their questions.
    • Know that GBEC policy is not to reuse previously asked GOE questions.
    • Join a GOE preparation study group if it is calm, orderly and prayerful rather than anxious, unfocused and spiritually ungrounded.
    • Review the six canonical areas, remembering that proficiency in them includes the ability to communicate ideas clearly and accurately.
    • Familiarize yourself with the GBEC website and how it works. Log in and write a practice question, take the practice question provided in real time! Make sure you have practiced logging in and are comfortable with the electronic systemb so you are ready to go when the actual question becomes available to you.
    • Have books, notes and other resources organized and at hand when answering questions. All questions currently are "Open Resources."

What are some pointers for answering GOE questions?

  • GOE questions ask for information and then ask you to do something with that information, such as compare and contrast it or connect its relevancy to something in the Church today. So don't just dump information. Think about the question, provide the information it requests, and then make the connections for which it asks. If English is not your primary language, please state that fact as requested at the outset of each  GOE question: "English is not my first language."
    • Manage your time so you can organize, write, edit and submit your answer before your time expires and the onscreen clock locks you out. All questions ask for responses of approximately 1,000 words within a generous 3 1/2 hours. The GOE questions are written to be answerable in two hours. Don't race the clock! The GBEC will not accept late answers.
      • Answer the question asked rather than the one you wish had been asked. Read and reread and understand the question! 
      • Read and reread the scoring rubrics before you begin answering the question. Refer to them throughout the exam. They are your guide to exactly what the Evaluators are looking for in your response to the question. 
      • Answer the question in the form requested by the question. This might be an essay, a letter to parishioners, an adult forum, an outline, a list, a letter to the community, a forum for the community. If the question says to put the answer in the form of a newsletter article, consider what that means as opposed to an essay for instance. 
    • Take time to think carefully about the answer (perhaps even briefly outlining it) before beginning to write.
    • The 1,000-word limit is an important part of the questions, so answers should not be overly brief or too long.
    • Answers should speak clearly and directly to all parts of the question and should follow the structure of the question. Leaving part of the question unanswered is the same as not answering the question. Answer everything asked for in the scoring rubrics.
    • These questions ask for biblical, theological, or historical information and/or current issues and life situations. You can respond in various ways, such as: How do you do this? How do you perceive the issues involved? How aware are you of the available resources? What criteria do you apply? All of these will determine the quality of the response. Personal witness is welcome and is sometimes requested, but it is not a substitute for a solid answer. Please do not include identifying information such as your name, your seminary, your professors' names, your diocese, etc.
    • Do not recycle former work of dubious relevance to the question, and do not overdo quotations. The answers call for your work rather than someone else's work.
    • Be sure to note the varied dimensions of the questions. Some may require a pastoral awareness of the people to whom the answers are addressed. The form of the answer requested by the question can be a key indicator of this dimension.
    • Use language precisely and correctly.
    • Check spelling and grammar through a word processor, but do not rely on it and check them yourself as well.
    •  Remember that while you may use any print or electronic resources, you may not contact or consult with any other person in writing, electronically, in person, or in any other way.

Do answers require citations or references?

  • Absolutely! The GBEC asks Candidates to cite all sources consulted whether or not directly quoted and checks all GOE answers with iThenticate and other plagiarism- and AI-detection software to insure originality of work and accuracy of citations.
  • With the exception of Internet references, which must include the website, Candidates should use only short parenthetical citations: i.e. (BCP 326), (ODCC), (Class Notes), (Nouwen, The Wounded Healer, p. 43, (Reuther, The Church Against Itself, p. 111), (Matthew 1:11). Citations should be imbedded within the text of your answer. A bibliography and/or endnotes are not necessary and add to your word count. The GBEC is more interested in your ability to use sources correctly than in your precise style of citation.
    • Cite all sources, including theological, ethical and historical dictionaries and Class Notes.
    • Put direct quotations of more than five words within quotation marks. Quotes from the Internet must include parenthetical website references (i.e., http://www.episcopalgbec.org/seminary/link/content.php?link_id=15).
    • Credit the source of any quotations or paraphrases in parentheses within your answer, as shown above.