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Last Updated on: 2nd February 2024, 05:02 am
The PhD qualifying exam varies by institution and discipline, but they all share something in common: they are among the most difficult tests you will ever take. A PhD qualifying exam is given after you completed your coursework. It is the final hurdle before you begin to work on your dissertation. Passing the PhD qualifying exam is your ticket out of coursework and into the research phase of your degree.
In this article, we’ll cover what the process looks like and how to prepare for the written and oral parts of the exam. We also include sample questions to give you an idea of the territory.
Traditional vs New Qualifying Exams
There is a distinction between how qualifying exams are traditionally structured and how some institutions are now conducting them. Here’s the lowdown:
Traditional Qualifying Exams
Traditionally, the exam has one or two parts: a written part and sometimes an oral part. The exam is made up of whatever the faculty wants to ask you, so you have to be prepared for just about anything that was covered in your classes.
To prepare, people typically take two to four months to review the literature they covered in the previous few years so that they are prepared to answer questions on any topic. Many times, you might know broad topics where questions can be drawn from but not specific questions. If that is the case, the oral exam would typically be used for clarification, allowing you to further explain a topic and show your understanding to faculty.
New Qualifying Exams
Some schools have moved to a model in which you receive the questions and have two weeks or so to answer them. Then, you have time to prepare lots of material for your answers. However, faculty might expect more perfection in this case because you get a chance to review and ponder, as opposed to the traditional exam.
Other schools may just want to see your dissertation proposal, which takes the place of your exam. Either way, you have to show that you have grasped the material from your first several years of coursework.
Get Your Dissertation Accepted On Your Next Submission
How Long Is the PhD Qualifying Exam?
If you are writing the traditional model, you will have five to seven questions over two days, and you basically write everything you can think of on those questions. Students typically dump everything they know, whether it applies or not, just to show how much they know.
If you’re taking the exam at home, you will probably type it. Many schools now allow typing in the traditional model as well. Your answers will usually run in the neighborhood of 15 to 20 pages per question because they want to see everything you can come up with.
How Do You Prepare for the PhD Qualifying Exam?
Many students waste valuable study time because they don’t know how to structure their preparation to be most effective. Here’s how to best prepare for the PhD qualifying exam.
Step 1: Assemble the Literature
To prepare for the qualifying exam, the first step is to assemble the literature you want to review. Look at each class you took and gather the academic articles you read in those classes.
Step 2: Review and Take Notes
The next step is to read the articles again and take notes on them, including the key findings and methodology. This step might take you a couple of months to do.
Step 3: Go Back Through the Notes and Summarize
The third step is to go back through the notes you took on all of those articles and summarize them again to condense them even further.
Step 4: Review Your Summaries
The fourth step is to spend four to five days going back through your condensed summary so that you have it all in your mind. That way, you can quickly recall which author said what and how it relates to what other authors have said. Keep all those relationships in your head.
Step 5: Rest
The day before your exam, the fifth step is to rest so that you’re ready for the intense nature of the next couple of days.
PhD Qualifying Exam Pass Rate
The PhD qualifying exam pass rate is difficult to determine because schools don’t usually publish or talk about it. About half the people who enter a PhD program complete it.
Most of the people who don’t complete the program leave before or at the qualifying exam. When people get to the dissertation phase, they’re more likely to finish.
When you take your qualifying exam, many schools have four levels of grades: high pass, pass, low pass, and didn’t pass.
What Happens If You Fail the PhD Qualifying Exam?
If you fail the PhD qualifying exam, most schools will allow you another attempt to pass it. They may only do them a certain number of times a year, so it could be six months to a year later. But you may get another shot at it.
Ultimately, if you fail the PhD qualifying exam, you do not get to move forward to write the dissertation and you are finished with the program. They have determined that you have not learned, gathered, or synthesized enough material and you’re not ready to work on a dissertation.
On the other hand, if you pass the PhD qualifying exam, most schools then say you have reached what has become known as “all but dissertation” or ABD. With everything but the dissertation finished, some people use the term “PhD candidate” or PhD(c) to represent themselves.
What Is an Oral Exam?
There are two types of oral exams. One takes place after a written exam, while the other stands alone.
Written Exam Followed by Oral Exam
If you are taking a written exam and an oral exam follows, you can usually provide clarification in the oral exam and dig further into what was on the comprehensive exam.
Oral Exam Only
Some schools just give an oral exam, where you and a number of faculty members meet in person or on a zoom call. They ask you the questions, and you get to answer them without writing.
Tips for Navigating the Oral Exam
- Treat the committee with respect. Remember that you’re walking into a room of people who control your future. If you don’t respect them, they will take it as a sign that you are not serious, which could negatively impact the likelihood of you moving forward.
- Answer every question.
- If you get stuck, ask them to rephrase the question. Doing so will allow your brain a chance to relax.
- Ask the committee questions. When you finish answering a question, you can always ask “Have I answered your question?” or “Have I answered to the level you want me to answer?” Then, ultimately, you can ask them questions, such as, “Do you have any thoughts on that?”
Sample Questions for the PhD Qualifying Exam
It’s vital to know what to expect when you take your exam. Here are some methods for getting familiar with the question you may be asked.
First, a Tip: Look at Past Tests
Some institutions keep old PhD qualifying exams or comprehensive exam questions. You can look at those to see the types of questions they may ask and what they might be looking for.
Other institutions might even let you see the questions that have been asked in the past. They’re not going to ask the exact same questions, but you will at least be able to see which areas have been emphasized or revisited over time. If there’s an area that comes up every year, you definitely want to make sure you’re ready to answer questions related to it. Look at the questions to determine tendencies and identify the types of questions you might be asked.
Some Broad Example Questions
The questions are going to be discipline specific, but here are some broad examples:
- Trace the development of the capital asset pricing model from its first author to the current thoughts.
- Author X proposes that the Roman Empire fell for certain reasons, and Author Y proposes different reasons. What are the current thoughts on that, and how does it apply to the current situation in the United States?
- Trace the antecedents of Greenleaf’s servant leadership. Where has it gone from there? What are authors currently proposing regarding servant leadership?
- Trace the development of generally accepted accounting principles and how they might be applied in a nonprofit situation.
Final Thoughts
The doctoral comprehensive exam is a big deal. Take it seriously, and be prepared to show the faculty that you have grasped what they have offered to you as opportunities to learn. Show that you understand how the material and literature fit together and provide a platform for future learning and research.
