Common questions (and answers!

) about the PhD candidacy exam

1. What are the general rules and regulations? a. What is the average time allowed? The candidacy examination should not exceed two hours. This does not include the deliberation time of the Committee. (Handbook of supervision and examination, September 2012 edition. Section 8.3.) Some programs allow/require a short presentation from the candidate before the questions begin. Check with your program to see if you are required to give a short presentation and if it is included in the 2 hour time limit. b. In general, what is the process of the exam? The exam consists of rounds of questions from the exam committee, the proceeding of which are moderated by a Neutral Chair. For more details on the general process of the candidacy exam, check out section 8.0 Conduct of Candidacy Oral Examination, and section 9.0 Post Candidacy Oral Examination Procedures in the Handbook of supervision and examination. Although the candidacy examination is a Faculty of Graduate Studies examination, individual programs determine the precise requirements. All programs must have written guidelines describing the examination regulations and the timing of the dissertation research proposal relative to the candidacy examination. These guidelines and regulations must be given to doctoral students as soon as they enter the program. (Handbook of supervision and examination, section 7.2.). For program specific details please contact your graduate program administrator. The most common differences are whether or not your program has a written component, and if they do, what the format of the written component is (i.e. is it based on your proposal, on papers, etc.). c. What official forms are required for the exam? All Faculty of Graduate Studies forms may be found on the FGS website. Please check with your program to see if they have any program specific forms. d. How much do I have to know? Do I have to know about the research areas of the examiners? (depth vs. breadth) The candidacy examination should focus on the background knowledge of students in their discipline, as well as their preparedness to conduct research of high quality in their particular fields of study. (Handbook of supervision and examination, section 7.1.). While you are expected to know about your thesis topic in depth, you should also know about other related areas (breadth). Be sure to speak with your supervisor and committee members so you are clear on their expectations. Knowing a little about what your committee members research will also be helpful to understand some of the questions they may ask.

How to Prepare for Your Candidacy Exam. January 2013 Information for this document came from the above workshop sponsored by My GradSkills, Faculty of Graduate Studies grad.ucalgary.ca/mygradskills facebook.com/mygradskills @mygradskills

2. How do I prepare? a. When do I start? As soon as you start your degree! Any reading or studying that you do for your coursework, scholarship applications, or research papers is studying for your exam. Dont leave learning the information till the few months before your exam. b. What steps should I take to begin preparation? Meet with your supervisor to decide on the topics you will cover for your exam, as well as who you will ask to be the external (to your department) examiners in your exam. Invite members to serve on your candidacy committee. Compile a reading list for your topic areas. Send the reading list to your examiners for feedback and approval. This is a good opportunity for them to add to your reading list, and for you to assess what they feel is important literature for you to cover. Meet with your examiners, particularly those external to your department who you may not know as well. Become familiar with their research, perspectives, and expectations to reduce the element of surprise during the exam. c. How can I practice answering questions out loud? Any way that you can practice speaking about your research allowed is excellent practice for your candidacy exam. One technique is to schedule a mock exam with other graduate students, postdocs, etc. Book a quiet location or room for 30 minutes to 2 hours, give your practice examiners a list of your study topics (or even questions you would like to practice) and go for it! You could also join a student club to practise speaking to others. For example, the University of Calgary Speakmasters club, part of the Toastmasters International, helps members improve communication and leadership skills through meetings where members present speeches and receive feedback in a supportive environment. Speaking at conferences or to members of the public (like your friends or family) is also a great way to practice speaking out-loud, and to receive some interesting questions you might not expect. d. What are some techniques for organizing and retaining a lot of information? Use on line tools to manage your references and information as soon as you begin your program. A few suggestions are provided on the next page. Check with other faculty members or students to see if they know of any other tools.

How to Prepare for Your Candidacy Exam. January 2013 Information for this document came from the above workshop sponsored by My GradSkills, Faculty of Graduate Studies grad.ucalgary.ca/mygradskills facebook.com/mygradskills @mygradskills

 Tools to help you gather, manage and store information, as well as generate citations and bibliographies. Refworks (Further information, guides, and off-campus access codes are found on the Library website.) Reference Manager EndNote Papers: For Mac users. Information Storage Systems (digital notebooks) to help you organize large volumes of information: One Note EverNote Want more information on how to do a Literature review, find sources, evaluate internet sources, and how to cite? Check out the Library resources here. 3. How do I manage difficult exam questions? a. What if English is not my first language? If English is not your first language it is very important that you practice answering questions about your research out loud (see section 2.b. of this document for ways to do this). If you require additional assistance, you may consider registering in a course that will help you with your English speaking skills such as the University of Calgary English for Academic Purposes workshops. b. What if I dont know the answer to a question? If you are asked a question and dont know the answer, it is OK to say you dont know the answer. Ask them to rephrase the question, or ask them if X is what they are talking about (it can give them an idea of what you do know). Remember that part of the purpose of the exam is to find the gaps in your knowledge, this exam should be challenging. Do not be nervous if the committee starts asking you questions on the broader topic this can mean they feel you know your material well. If you feel very flustered, ask the committee if you can have a two minute break to regroup. c. How can I deal with a difficult or vague question? It is ok to say you didnt understand the question, and to ask the examiner to rephrase the question. If you think you understood the question but are not sure, it is ok to ask for clarification (e.g. Im not sure if I understood the question, would you like me to talk about X?). Also note the following: Questions to the candidate should be clear and succinct. The student should be given reasonable time to answer. If the student has understood the question and cannot answer, the examiner should pass to another question and not attempt to extract an answer by prolonged interrogation, or by leading the candidate. The (Neutral) chair should guard against any tendency of examiners to interact with each other instead of concentrating on the examination of the candidate. (Handbook of supervision and examination. Section 8.2.)

How to Prepare for Your Candidacy Exam. January 2013 Information for this document came from the above workshop sponsored by My GradSkills, Faculty of Graduate Studies grad.ucalgary.ca/mygradskills facebook.com/mygradskills @mygradskills

d. What should I do if a question can be interpreted in multiple ways? As above, it is ok to ask for clarification. e. What should I do if I feel like the examiner is being antagonistic? The Neutral chair, who is presiding over the exam, should guard against this type of questioning from a committee member. 4. What happens if I dont pass? a. What happens right away? The Neutral Chair must inform the student of the committees recommendation immediately following the vote of the examination committee. The Neutral Chair will record the final recommendation of pass or fail on the Report of Candidacy Oral Examination form which must be submitted to the Dean of Graduate Studies within one working day of the completion of the examination. (Handbook of supervision and examination, Section 9.2.) b. How do I move forward? Only one re-take of a candidacy examination will be permitted. The re-take must take place no sooner than two months and no later than six months from the date of the first examination. Normally the composition of the committee will remain the same. (Handbook of supervision and examination, Section 9.3.) In moving forward with a second exam, be sure to communicate well with your supervisor and committee as to what your weaknesses were in your first exam (e.g. did you have depth of knowledge in your area but not breadth of knowledge in your general field? Did you get nervous and have a hard time answering questions?). Be sure to use the above information to help you with planning your preparations for a second exam.

How to Prepare for Your Candidacy Exam. January 2013 Information for this document came from the above workshop sponsored by My GradSkills, Faculty of Graduate Studies grad.ucalgary.ca/mygradskills facebook.com/mygradskills @mygradskills

5. How do I maintain a healthy research/study/LIFE balance? . I can have a life during this? Yes, you can! While you will spend a great deal of time in preparing for your candidacy exam, it is very important to have a healthy lifestyle during the process. Suggestions to help you with a healthy lifestyle are listed below: Find other graduate students in your Department or Faculty who are also doing their candidacy and form a support/coffee group. Talking with others about what you are going through can be helpful! Schedule time for breaks where you can do something that is not related to your research (visit with friends or family, attend a local sporting or cultural event, nap, etc). Check out the services offered by the UofC Fitness and Aquatic Centers you are already a member! Check out the University of Calgary Wellness Center for workshops and services to assist you in dealing with stressful times. Try to stick as much as possible to routines and activities in your life that you feel are most important, as they are likely good outlets for you! For example, if you play soccer once per week, dont skip the game(s) while you are writing; simply include it as a break in your schedule. Dont underestimate the amount of unconscious cognitive processing that may occur during this time, or the effect that a break can have on your clarity of thinking!

Did this document help you? Is there more information we could add to help other University of Calgary graduate students? Please let us know at mygradskills@ucalgary.ca.

How to Prepare for Your Candidacy Exam. January 2013 Information for this document came from the above workshop sponsored by My GradSkills, Faculty of Graduate Studies grad.ucalgary.ca/mygradskills facebook.com/mygradskills @mygradskills