Sample Prelims and Requirements

[bscout]

Awesome!

Someone please give reputation to Antichron. I am unable to do so.

[Karina 07]

School: Berkeley

Required prelims: None

Field exams: Two, typically at the end of second year, usually at the end of summer but this varies a bit depending on the field (for example, development is in June). You need to get at least a Good in one and at least a Pass in the other. It's like the system described by asquare, though, in that if you only marginally fail one of them and get above a Good in the other, you can sometimes be allowed to be considered done with them. Another set is scheduled each year for two weeks before the start of spring term, if you've had a weird course schedule that lets you take them early or if you need to re-take.

Links to past field exams: There aren't any online. Sometime in the future I will try to get a pdf or two, but that won't be anytime soon, I'm afraid.

[constrainedoptimizer]

Originally Posted by Antichron

They may be a bit out of date...

A bit out of date, huh?

[YoungEconomist]

Originally Posted by Antichron

Links to past field exams: There aren't any online repositories of past MIT generals (that I am aware of), so I have attached some in pdf format. They may be a bit out of date, but it's the best I can do without getting myself into trouble.

LOL

Yes, I passed that exam with flying colors, and I've never taken a grad school econ course in my life! Guess I'm ready to write a dissertation and contribute to the field after all.

[Tojo]

School: University of Pittsburgh

Required prelims: Macro theory, Micro theory

When taken: First attempt: Start of June at the end of the first year
Retakes: Everyone gets a second attempt at the beginning of August (before the 2nd year starts); if one prelim is failed a second time, a third retake may be offered upon request (which then takes place at the start of June at the end of the 2nd year).

Score required to pass: Macro - don't know. Micro - 3 out of 4 questions should be answered more-or-less completely.

Comprehensive exam: At the end of the second year in form of a "2nd year paper" that must demonstrate research capabilities.

More: Graduate Handbook | Department of Economics | University of Pittsburgh

[sonicskat]

School: UVA

Required prelims: Called core exams here, you take two after the first year in June. If you have to retake any, you have them again the following January. 1 is micro, the other Macro

Field exams: Varies by field. Due to some recent changes, almost all fields require you now to work on a paper during the summer of your second year. The (wise) idea is to have student start doing reseach earlier. Students are encouraged to develop a paper that can be turned into a dissertation topic. However, for the international field (and some I/O) students, a field exam is required.

Score required to pass: There is a unique grading system here. The scale is E(Excellent), G(Good), S(Satisfactory), MP (Masters Pass), F(Fail). All have plus/minus ratings as well. You must get at least an S- on both to pass. If you get an MP or below on one, and get an S or higher on the other, you only have to retake the one you failed. Otherwise you retake both.

Links to past field exams: None available, only available on school server.

[econ_phd_2009]

Originally Posted by commodore

One thing I want to say -- well, two things. First, this is a great thread. Second, don't get scared if you look at prelims and they look really hard. I'm about to take mine at Yale, and I can't do a lot of the problems on the Wisconsin one. Tests are tailored to who taught you and how they taught. By the time your prelims come, you're prepared, and that's all that matters.

judicious comment ! thanks you !

[Thesus]

School: Rochester

Prelims/Quals: None.

Field exams: Two in fields of your choice, taken in June after the second year. Retake in January. Failing one twice is automatic dismissal from the program.

[eqtisadi]

School: Stanford
Required prelims (we call it comprehensive exams): Micro, Macro, Econometrics

When taken: First attempt: end-of-May til early June. A comp for every Friday. Six hours each. 100% fun guaranteed.

Retakes: Everyone gets a second attempt at the end of September (before the 2nd year starts); up to about four or five years ago you could take as many metrics comps as you want (need), then they made it four attempts overall, our year is the first one when we'll have two attempts in metrics. Micro and Macro were always two attempts.

Score required to pass: I think for Macro and Micro it's about two thirds of the points. For metrics one third (and it's the one with the largest number of fails). It's not quite clear what makes the cut - whether it's absolute or relative. Most of the class ends up with very close scores, even though some above the threshold and some below.

More: Comprehensive Exam Archive | E c o n o m i c s

[Andronicus]

School: The Ohio State University

Required prelims: Micro, Macro (called Qualifiers)

When taken: First attempt is in mid-June, about 1 week after Spring quarter final exams.

Retakes: September, only retake one(s) you didn't pass the first time.

Score required to pass: Supposedly absolute scale, but in practice curved. Graded as either "PhD Pass" (required to continue in the program), "MA Pass" (required to get the master's degree), or "Fail". Usually the cutoffs for PhD Pass turn out to be around 50% for Micro and 67% for Macro.

Field Exams: Two at the end of 2nd year.
Old Exams: Only available to current students.