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Academic English & Research vocabulary · Graduate Study and Supervision

Qualifying exam

Meaning in academic english & research, with examples

nounCommon term

In academic english & research, qualifying exam means: A major examination that doctoral students must pass, usually after coursework, to show they are ready to begin their dissertation research.

In Turkish: yeterlik sınavı, doktora yeterlik sınavı

How it is used

Names vary: qualifying exam (quals), comprehensive exam (comps) or preliminary exam (prelims). It may be written, oral or both. In the US, students who pass often become PhD candidates. In Turkey, the doctoral qualifying exam has written and oral parts.

Example sentences

  1. I'm taking my qualifying exam in May, so I'm reading nonstop.

  2. Students who fail the qualifying exam may retake it once.

Common collocations

  • pass the qualifying exam
  • qualifying exam committee
  • comprehensive exams
  • prepare for quals
  • PhDDoctor of Philosophy: the highest university research degree, awarded after several years of original research and a thesis.
  • courseworkThe courses a student must complete as part of a degree, or, in British English, the assessed assignments done during a course rather than in exams.
  • thesis committeeA group of academics, including the supervisor, who guide and assess a graduate student's thesis and usually examine it at the final defense.
  • research proposalA document that describes a planned study, including its aims, research questions, background, methods, timeline and expected contribution.

More terms: Graduate Study and Supervision

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