The Oral Examination
Montfort Knights are celebrated and admired for their ability to look you right in the eye and engage as young adults. They speak confidently because they know they have something real to offer. At Montfort, we want to hear what students think, and through the Socratic Method assess our students’ ability to express their beliefs and understanding every day. Socratic discussions, which take place in every Montfort class, teach students how to participate in class and contribute to meaningful conversations. The Socratic methodology is the same that Plato used in Ancient Greece, that flourished in medieval and Renaissance universities, and is used today in top medical schools and law schools.
We are proud that Montfort is the only Socratic school in the Archdiocese of New York and the only school in the area that focuses on preparing students for public speaking and engagement. One other important way Montfort does this is by maintaining the practice of oral examination and by requiring that all midterm exams starting in Freshman year are taken in an oral format. Montfort Knights are proud of their speaking abilities practiced in examination over four years. Oral mid-term examinations require students to speak about several topics of a subject for five or more minutes. Montfort Knights often say how much easier it is to demonstrate their understanding of a subject when they stand in front of a teacher to express it, and Montfort graduates frequently comment on the advantages they have in college and afterwards because of their ability to speak well in public.
Examples of Recent Oral Exam Questions
WHAT ARE THE THREE PILLARS OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION?
WHAT FORMS DID DEMOCRACY TAKE IN ANCIENT GREECE AND ANCIENT ROME, AND HOW DID THOSE FORMS INFLUENCE THE FOUNDING FATHERS OF AMERICA?
WHY WAS IT NECESSARY TO ADD THE FIRST TEN AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION AND WHAT RIGHTS DOES THE CONSTITUTION PROTECT?
WHAT DOES ST. AUGUSTINE SAY ABOUT THE PARADOXICAL THEMES OF GRACE AND FREE WILL. ANSWER WITH REFERENCES TO AUGUSTINE’S CONFESSIONS.
WHAT IS THE MAIN ARGUMENT OF ROGER SCRUTON’S WHY BEAUTY MATTERS? IS BEAUTY A HUMAN NEED?
IS SHAKESPEARE’S MACBETH A COMEDY OR A TRAGEDY? REFERRING TO MACBETH, WHAT ARE TWO POSSIBLE HUMAN RESPONSES TO GUILT?
IF SOMETHING HEAVY AND SOMETHING LIGHT ARE DROPPED, WHICH WILL HIT THE GROUND FIRST? WHY?
IF THE POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES WAS 237 MILLION IN 1985 AND 335 MILLION IN 2024, WHAT IS THE ALBEGRAIC FUNCTION THAT DESCRIBES THE POPULATION GROWTH? HOW IS THIS SIMILAR TO THE EFFECT OF YEARLY INFLATION?
WHAT WAS GALILEO’S CONFLICT WITH THE CHURCH REALLY ABOUT—FAITH VERSUS REASON AS THE WORLD COMMONLY REPORTS, OR PRIDE VERSUS HUMILITY?
WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY AND WHAT THREATENS IT? WHAT IS A CELL? HOW ARE EUKARYOTIC CELLS ORGANIZED TO INCREASE CELLULAR EFFICIENCY?
HOW DO SUNSPOTS FORM, AND HOW DO THEY AFFECT CLIMATE HERE ON EARTH? IS THE EARTH CURRENTLY IN AN ICE AGE, CONTRARY TO POPULAR OPINION? USE SCIENTIFIC DATA YOU STUDIED TO SUPPORT YOUR ANSWER.
NAME AN ENGLISH WORD AND TRACE ITS DERIVATION DIRECTLY FROM LATIN. WHAT ENGLISH WORD COMES FROM THE LATIN WORD ANNULUS.
PARAPHRASE IN LATIN ONE OF AESOP’S FABLES USING THE ANCIENT RHETORICAL TRADITION OF PROGYMNASMATA.
IN MATHEMATICS, DISCUSS THE CONCEPT OF A PIECEWISE FUNCTION. WHAT IS A REAL WORLD EXAMPLE OF USING A PIECEWISE FUNCTION.
DID VERMEER’S USE OF THE CAMERA OBSCURA MAKE HIM A CHEATER IN ART, OR A CREATIVE GENIUS? HOW CAN WE USE TECHNOLOGY IN OUR CREATIVE ARTS?
PLEASE DISCUSS THE FOREIGN POLICY VIEWS OF METTERNICH AND TALLEYRAND AND THE LASTING IMPORTANCE OF THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, EVEN TO TODAY.
EXPLAIN THE CATHOLIC MORAL TEACHING ON THE DIGNITY AND VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE FROM THE MOMENT OF CONCEPTION THROUGH DEVELOPMENT IN THE WOMB.
WHY IS CHASTITY A VIRTUE?
