Are Graduate School Qualifiers Common and Are Solutions Available Online?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the commonality of graduate school qualifying exams and the availability of solutions for these exams. Participants explore their experiences and seek resources for preparation, particularly focusing on the accessibility of past qualifiers and their solutions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Homework-related
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants inquire about the prevalence of passing qualifying exams directly after undergraduate studies and whether it is common for schools to provide solutions to past qualifiers.
  • One participant suggests that using qualifiers from other institutions may not be beneficial due to the variability in exam content across different schools.
  • Another participant emphasizes the value of taking the free shot at the qualifier, noting that it can help identify areas needing improvement and familiarize students with the exam format.
  • There is a suggestion for physicists to share sample questions and hints to aid in preparation.
  • One participant expresses a preference for studying old qualifiers with solutions rather than traditional textbooks, indicating a desire for practical resources.
  • A participant mentions receiving a CD with 25 years of previous qualifiers and solutions from their department, implying that such resources may be available at other institutions as well.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the potential benefits of taking the qualifier and the need for resources, but there is no consensus on the commonality of passing the exam or the effectiveness of using other schools' qualifiers for study purposes.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the variability of qualifying exams between institutions and the availability of solutions, highlighting the need for more information on specific schools' practices.

Who May Find This Useful

Incoming graduate students preparing for qualifying exams, educators seeking to understand the resources available for exam preparation, and those interested in the practices of different graduate programs.

imastud
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I don't know if this is common, but at the graduate school I am enrolling in starting in the fall they give all incoming grad students a "free shot" at the qualifier. Is it common for students that come into actually pass it (or parts of it) straight out of undergrad? Also, does anyone know of any schools that post their qualifiers AND solutions? It seems that old qualifier tests are readily availiable from different physics department websites, but there are no solutions too them.
 
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Hey, if you have a free shot, you should take it. In addition, I'm not sure you should look to other schools' qualifying exams for help in studying. They can vary drastically from school to school, especially if you school specializes in a certain field.
 
I completely agree. If it is a free shot that will not count towards the maximum number of tries that you can take, I'd say take it. Not only you have a "remote" chance of passing it, but even if you don't, it tells you directly what areas you need to pay attention to, and what type of questions they tend to ask for. Even knowing how the exam is conducted and how you need to pace yourself are valuable information.

Zz.
 
maybe some physicists would be willing to post a few sample questions. maybe followed later by hints.
 
yeah i was definatley going to try the quals. I'm really just trying to find resources to help study for it. its true i can look at the old quals given out, but it doesn't do me much good to write up solutions and not know if its right or not. it seems to me that studying old quals with solutions is probably better than going through goldstein, jackson, etc... trying to learn the stuff from the textbook.
 
Is this Illinois?
 
Hey Imastud, at the grad school I'm attending, they also give me a free shot at the qualifier (I'll take it this August). I just went down to the department's office, and they gave me a CD that contains 25 years of previous qualifiers and solutions, as well as a Powerpoint version of the prep course that the older grad students teach. I'm sure your school should have something similar.
 

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