Qualifying Exam FAQs


Written Exams

Are the questions given all at once or one a day? Questions are given one per day (so a total of 5 days if you have 5 committee members), so that the student can focus on the individual question and devote an equal amount of time to each question.

Does the external (non-Geological Sciences) committee member submit a question? Yes, unless they chose not to.

Is there a time limit for each question? The default limit is 8 hours. Committee members can set shorter time limits if they wish. 

Can committee members change other test conditions? Yes, committee members can chose to make the exam closed book or set different limits on length (rather than 3 single-spaced pages, plus references). These changes are not intended to make the exams more difficult but to assess specific parts of your preparation. We recommend you meet with your committee members prior to the exam (either as a group or individually) to discuss expectations for the exam.

Do my exam answers need have full, formatted references? References can be in a short format similar to Science (e.g.,numbered in order of use, rather than alphabetical order, and abbreviated information).  Example: 1. A.A. Author1, B.B. Author2, Science 292, 1532 (2001).


Oral Exams

What should I present at the oral exam? The presentation should include your research motivation and research plan. It is helpful to also present your research progress to date, because that helps strengthen the case that your research plan is viable. The presentation should be ~20 to 25 minutes.

Do committee members ask questions only about the presentation? Committee questions will be related to your presentation and will also include follow-up questions from the written exams.

Can the oral exam also count as my annual committee meeting? Yes. If you want it to count as your annual committee meeting, be sure to prepare a progress report and supervisory committee report for the committee to sign ( http://web.geology.ufl.edu/Supervisory_Committee_Form.pdf). It is helpful to circulate the progress report before the exam, so the committee does not have to take up exam time reviewing it.