COMS 100 Oral Communication Foundational Studies Competency Exam (OCFSCE)

Exam Dates (Part 1)

  • Wednesday, April 3, 2024 - The last day to apply is Friday, March 29 by 4:30 p.m.

About the Exam

In order to take the exam, you must:

  • Be enrolled currently at NIU.
  • Have not attempted COMS 100.
  • Have not previously attempted the OSFSCE exam.

If you do not meet all these requirements, you are not eligible to take the exam.

The exam consists of two parts; you must pass Part 1 and Part 2 to waive the core competency requirement.

Part 1 assesses competence in listening. It is a test containing 20 questions assessing your listening skills. The exam will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. The exam will consist of a set of verbal instructions, a video of a speech, and a series of multiple-choice questions about the speech. You must pass Part 1 to be eligible to take Part 2.

Part 2 assesses competence in speaking. For Part 2, students prepare and present a 6-8 minute extemporaneous persuasive speech. You will be provided a list of topic areas and audiences from which to choose. Your speech will be rated by a panel of COMS 100 faculty. Following the speech, you will answer a series of brief questions about the speech. Your answers to those questions are also rated. Excluding the week of provided preparation time, Part 2 takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. You should not prepare PowerPoint or similar presentations to accompany your speech. Part 2 must be completed no more than 10 days after the completion of Part 1. 

You can take the exam only one time and cannot retake any portion of the exam. You are not permitted to appeal the results of the exam. 

Passing a competency examination fulfills the requirement for the core competency but gives no credit (i.e., it reduces the required number of hours in general education but does not reduce the number of hours required for a degree). You will not receive hours or a grade. 

Lastly, if you are planning to take the OCFSCE exam, you are advised to take the exam at least one year before graduating from NIU. If you fail the OCFSCE, arrangements must be made to take COMS 100 in order to meet graduation requirements. 

If you meet one of the following criteria, you may want to consider taking the exam:

  • You scored 24 or higher on the English portion of the ACT.
  • You excelled in a rigorous high school speech class.
  • You excelled in high school forensics.
  • You are a transfer student who successfully completed communication courses that did not transfer to NIU as equivalent to COMS 100.

Requirements

Students taking Part 1 of the OCFSCE are required to do the following:

  • Complete the attached sign-up sheet by the deadline for the testing session.

Late Arrival/No Show Policy

  • If you do not show up to take Part 1 on your registered test date, you must reapply to take the exam at another time.
  • If you arrive late to take Part 1, you will need to reapply to take the exam at another time.

COMS 100 

Grace Sikapokoo, Ph.D.
Director
gsikapokoo@niu.edu
815-753-1563
Watson Hall 210

Jessica Ebert
COMS 100/100P Coordinator
Watson Hall 232
jebert@niu.edu
815-753-6999

OCFSCE Sign-up Form