Qualifying Exam

My friend Tom was puzzled when I described the application process to a graduate program in physics. We send in our application, they look at our application, and they accept or reject us. Then they invite us to open houses so we can decide which of the schools to which we were accepted we'd like to go. Apparently, other programs have interview steps in the middle where they can still reject you based on how you impress them in person.

Nope, we have none of that in physics. Instead, we have a qualifying exam right when we get to school. This exam is basically a souped up version of the Physics GRE, with long-response questions instead of multiple choice, so you're given much harder questions.

The test is given over two days, in two sittings of three hours each. This year, it's Monday 1:30pm-4:30, and Tuesday at the same time. Each day you're given four questions; one mechanics, one E&M, one quantum, and a grab bag question which can be over any of the previous three or something else, like statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, or relativity. The test is there to ensure you've adequately learned everything from your undergraduate career, since people are coming into the program from different schools that might pass you with a slightly different understanding of the material.

You get two official chances to pass the exam before the school starts thinking you're probably not cut out for graduate work; if you fail the first attempt, (Purdue at least has these) there are classes that'll shore up whatever section you really needed help with, in hopes that you'll do better the next time around. You actually get three chances at Purdue, since the first one is a "diagnostic" attempt and so doesn't count if you fail (fortunately, it does count if you pass).

So my past few weeks have been spent reviewing basically everything I can from undergraduate physics. Hopefully I'll pass the first time through, but if not I'm sure I'll get it on chance number two, which would take place in January, after I've had a semester of being back in school and in a physics mindset.