What are prelims and what are they for?
Preliminary exams, or “prelims” as they are commonly called, are four-hour written exams in the core graduate mathematics subjects. There is one prelim for each of the five current designated core courses. Each PhD student must pass three of them (or pass two and get a 3.8 course pass in a third; see What is the 3.8 rule?). The purpose of prelims is to assess whether you have mastered basic graduate course material sufficiently well to warrant being allowed to continue in the PhD program. These exams are the main hurdle that PhD students must cross, other than actually doing original research and writing a dissertation. Anyone who passes prelims is almost certainly capable of completing a PhD degree.
Related Questions
- How does going to Delhi improves the chances of success in UPSC examination? And would prepare for prelims from my hometown hamper or downgrade my chances?
- How much will it cost and what all is included to have Arizona National Lien and Bond Co. file our prelims?
- Why do scores vary between prelims and finals at WGI events?
