Sentence:  For example , the level of improvement noted in a recent experiment with a short course of immediate treatment for parent-child relationship problems compared favorably with the results reported by typical child guidance clinics where the hours spent in purely diagnostic study may equal or <WSD>exceed</WSD> the number of hours devoted to actual treatment interviews in the experimental project . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  be greater in scope or size than some standard