RMT - QUAL “insider” session, FL Slide 1 The Qual: Exposing the Secrets Based on a talk by Fred Brooks With comments from Steve Weiss and Jack Snoeyink Presented by Russell Taylor Fall, These are my observations, your mileage may vary. I’ve never taken the Qual, but I’ve been “on the other side” and have passed the Doctoral Oral exam. 0. These aren’t meant to be secrets. I’m doing this presentation to keep you from being tripped up because you are surprised by the format or style of the exam. Based on a talk by Fred Brooks With comments from Steve Weiss and Jack Snoeyink Presented by Russell Taylor Fall, These are my observations, your mileage may vary. I’ve never taken the Qual, but I’ve been “on the other side” and have passed the Doctoral Oral exam. 0. These aren’t meant to be secrets. I’m doing this presentation to keep you from being tripped up because you are surprised by the format or style of the exam.

RMT - QUAL “insider” session, FL Slide 2 The Qual: What’s the Point? 1.The purpose is to keep you from wasting years of your life pursuing a Ph.D. and ending up without one when you could have been out making money and having fun instead. 2.We are trying to determine: Do you attack problems “like a Ph.D. candidate”? 3.Contrary to appearances, your examiners are eager for you to do well. But, compassion dictates better a little pain now than a lot of pain later. 1.The purpose is to keep you from wasting years of your life pursuing a Ph.D. and ending up without one when you could have been out making money and having fun instead. 2.We are trying to determine: Do you attack problems “like a Ph.D. candidate”? 3.Contrary to appearances, your examiners are eager for you to do well. But, compassion dictates better a little pain now than a lot of pain later.

RMT - QUAL “insider” session, FL Slide 3 How It Goes 4. You give a list of courses on which you will be examined. 5. Examiners take turns, each using his share of the time. 6. Usually a questioner will pursue a line of questioning from elementary concepts to subtler ones, until you cannot answer. His object will be to see where he hits bottom. Do not be discouraged because you run into trouble on every line of questioning; that’s the terminating condition. If you felt like you knew all the answers, the examiner’s didn’t do their job. A final exam question for a course is almost by definition not a good Qual question. 4. You give a list of courses on which you will be examined. 5. Examiners take turns, each using his share of the time. 6. Usually a questioner will pursue a line of questioning from elementary concepts to subtler ones, until you cannot answer. His object will be to see where he hits bottom. Do not be discouraged because you run into trouble on every line of questioning; that’s the terminating condition. If you felt like you knew all the answers, the examiner’s didn’t do their job. A final exam question for a course is almost by definition not a good Qual question.

RMT - QUAL “insider” session, FL Slide 4 Answering Questions 7. Take your time before starting to answer. Formulate your ideas. If hints come too fast, ask “please give me time to think.” If they come too fast again, ask “always give me time to think.” (It helps to think out loud when you can). 8. Always attempt to answer exactly the question asked, to the point. Ask for clarification if needed. Be as specific and precise as you can. Give formulas and equations when you know them. –Use the whiteboard. 7. Take your time before starting to answer. Formulate your ideas. If hints come too fast, ask “please give me time to think.” If they come too fast again, ask “always give me time to think.” (It helps to think out loud when you can). 8. Always attempt to answer exactly the question asked, to the point. Ask for clarification if needed. Be as specific and precise as you can. Give formulas and equations when you know them. –Use the whiteboard.

RMT - QUAL “insider” session, FL Slide 5 Studying for the Exam 9. Identify and master the basic concepts, assumptions, and models of each topic. Try to get a feel for how problems are attacked in that domain (divide and conquer, recursion, invariants, …). You are training to answer questions you’ve never seen before, so “cramming” won’t help you much. You are training to answer questions you’ve never seen before, so “cramming” won’t help you much. 10. Not remembering an equation can be forgiven (if it doesn’t happen a lot). Not grasping a basic elementary concept is more serious. 9. Identify and master the basic concepts, assumptions, and models of each topic. Try to get a feel for how problems are attacked in that domain (divide and conquer, recursion, invariants, …). You are training to answer questions you’ve never seen before, so “cramming” won’t help you much. You are training to answer questions you’ve never seen before, so “cramming” won’t help you much. 10. Not remembering an equation can be forgiven (if it doesn’t happen a lot). Not grasping a basic elementary concept is more serious.

RMT - QUAL “insider” session, FL Slide 6 Attitude isn’t everything, but it’s a lot 11. Take the exam, the examiners, the questions and your own abilities seriously. 12. Strategy hint: pretend you are all in a research team meeting and you are searching for answers to the questions being posed. When you don’t know an answer (which you often won’t, that’s the point), drop back to the basics and drive (derive) towards an answer. If you know equations or specific techniques that apply, use them! 11. Take the exam, the examiners, the questions and your own abilities seriously. 12. Strategy hint: pretend you are all in a research team meeting and you are searching for answers to the questions being posed. When you don’t know an answer (which you often won’t, that’s the point), drop back to the basics and drive (derive) towards an answer. If you know equations or specific techniques that apply, use them!

RMT - QUAL “insider” session, FL Slide 7 Other Advice 13. Give as simple an example as you can while still being within the bounds of correctness: if asked for a function, respond “F(x)” – this may be the basis for a line of questioning. 14. Listen to the hints. We’re trying to help you. 15. Treat the exam like a conversation, not just a Q&A session. 13. Give as simple an example as you can while still being within the bounds of correctness: if asked for a function, respond “F(x)” – this may be the basis for a line of questioning. 14. Listen to the hints. We’re trying to help you. 15. Treat the exam like a conversation, not just a Q&A session.

RMT - QUAL “insider” session, FL Slide 8 More Advice 16. When the question lends itself to it, start thinking precisely. 17. In your studying, put yourself in the context of the exam. About 10 minutes is the longest single question, which may limit what is asked. Spend about half the time with the book closed. 18. Calingeart (sp) number. 16. When the question lends itself to it, start thinking precisely. 17. In your studying, put yourself in the context of the exam. About 10 minutes is the longest single question, which may limit what is asked. Spend about half the time with the book closed. 18. Calingeart (sp) number.

RMT - QUAL “insider” session, FL Slide 9 Hot off the Presses of Faculty Lunch 19. Don’t sign up for an undergraduate course if you can help it, it makes some professors angry and they ask harder questions as a result. 20. Any course can be the basis for any question, though we tend to group sessions by who can examine on particular courses – don’t get caught off- guard by this. 19. Don’t sign up for an undergraduate course if you can help it, it makes some professors angry and they ask harder questions as a result. 20. Any course can be the basis for any question, though we tend to group sessions by who can examine on particular courses – don’t get caught off- guard by this.

RMT - QUAL “insider” session, FL Slide 10 Questions, live example 21. Questions for us from you (about the Qual, not Faculty-on-the-spot). 22. Students tell of their own experiences taking the Qual. 23. Example question worked out live before your very eyes (Miguel-on-the-spot). 21. Questions for us from you (about the Qual, not Faculty-on-the-spot). 22. Students tell of their own experiences taking the Qual. 23. Example question worked out live before your very eyes (Miguel-on-the-spot).

RMT - QUAL “insider” session, FL Slide 11 Explain this. Explain this band