I have comprehensive or qualifying exams coming up
Find out what your exam really involves, then prepare in a way that builds the knowledge your project needs anyway.
In short
Start here, today. Find the written rules for your exam in your program handbook or graduate regulations. Note the format, length, who sets the questions, how it's assessed, and what happens after an unsuccessful attempt. Mark anything unclear as a question for your supervisor. This takes about 30 minutes.
After that, work through these steps. Choose one to jump to it.
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Tick each step as you finish it. Open a step for the how.
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Get the real format in writing
Rumours about comps travel fast and change shape on the way. Check the handbook, then confirm the details with your supervisor or graduate coordinator: written, oral or both; timed or take-home; open or closed book; how many questions and how much choice; who sits on the committee. Ask whether past questions are available, since some departments keep them.
Build the reading list and divide it
If you build your own list, start from your supervisor's suggestions, recent review articles and the syllabi of core courses, then agree the final version with your committee. Split it into themes or into the fields the exam covers. Set a weekly target based on the weeks you really have, and keep the last two weeks free for review.
Write synthesis notes, not summaries
For each reading, write a few lines on the argument, the evidence, and who it agrees or disagrees with. Once a week, write a page for each theme that pulls the readings together: the central debate, the main positions, what is still unresolved. Those theme pages are what you'll revise from.
Practise answering real questions
Write or collect likely questions and answer them under realistic conditions: timed if the exam is timed, with the word limit if it's take-home. Ask committee members what kind of question they tend to set. Keep the questions and your answer outlines in the Q&A Practice Bank.
Rehearse the oral out loud
Ask two or three peers, or a postdoc, to run a mock oral of about an hour with questions you haven't seen. Practise pausing before you answer, asking for a question to be repeated, and saying “I'm not certain, but here is how I'd think about it.” Oral exams tend to reward clear reasoning more than perfect recall.
Know what happens if it doesn't go well
Check your program's rules on retakes. Many allow a second attempt within a set period, sometimes repeating only the weaker part. Knowing this in advance won't make you careless. It usually makes you calmer in the room.
Stop adding readings in the last two weeks
In the last two weeks, add no new readings. Work from your theme pages, practise answers, and keep your sleep and meals as steady as you can. Last-minute reading feels productive but rarely shows up in an answer.
Words you can use
Is this you? Signs to look for
- You've heard three different versions of what the exam involves from three different people.
- Your reading list feels too long to finish, let alone remember.
- You read constantly but couldn't answer a broad question about your field without your notes.
- The oral part worries you more than the written part.
- You don't actually know what happens if it goes badly.
Why this happens
Comprehensive exams go by many names (comps, qualifying exams, prelims, candidacy exams) and vary enormously between programs. Some are timed written exams. Some are take-home papers written over a week or two. Some are oral exams on a reading list, and many are a mix. Some test breadth across a field, while others sit closer to a proposal defence. Much of the stress comes from not knowing which kind you're facing.
Whatever the format, examiners are usually checking whether you can think across a field: explain the main debates, compare positions, and say where your own work fits. Memorising a summary of each reading doesn't build that. Writing about the connections between readings does.
The exam often decides whether you move on to candidacy, so it is reasonable that it feels big. In many programs, though, a first attempt that falls short leads to a retake rather than the end of the PhD. Know your own rules so you aren't frightened by a rumour.
Worth a look (3)
- The Thesis WhispererInger Mewburn's blog, with posts on exams, reading and the middle stages of a PhD.
- List of Resources for Finding ETDsThis directory lists national and regional thesis collections around the world, from Theses Canada to Shodhganga. It's handy for finding past theses to see how others shaped theirs.
- ProQuest Dissertations & Theses GlobalThis very large database of dissertations and theses is strongest for North American universities, and many records include full text. It's usually available through your university library.
When to bring someone in
Your supervisor and committee are the best source on what they expect, so ask them directly. Students who passed in the last year or two can tell you what the exam felt like in practice. If anxiety is stopping you from preparing or sleeping, your university counselling service can help. If you need exam accommodations for a disability or health condition, contact your accessibility office well before the exam date.
Find the right person, or talk to Ify