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A Exam Planning/Scheduling
The A-exam (Admission to Candidacy Exam) is a final test of a student’s preparedness for undertaking thesis research. The content and coverage of the A-exam is determined by the special committee and discussed with the student beforehand. Typically, the student will present an in-depth survey of the area in which the student intends to pursue their research. Sometimes, the student at an A-exam will describe the problem to be attacked in the thesis and give some preliminary research results.
Requirements
Students must attempt the A-exam before beginning their seventh semester of study. The field recommends taking the exam within 2 semesters of forming a special committee (which must be formed by the end of the third semester). Students are required to have completed the competency requirement and to have at least two units of residency prior to the A-exam. (More details of the university's requirements can be found in Cornell's Guide to Graduate's Study.) Although students have normally made substantial progress towards completing the breadth requirement before taking their A-exam, it is not necessary to have completed this requirement before the A-exam. The chosen minor field or advisor may require the student to have taken some courses before the A-exam. The members of the special committee are required to be present at the exam.
You are responsible for submitting your schedule form with approvals 7 days prior to the exam. You are also expected to announce the A-exam to CS field members and PhD students at this time. If you do not make this deadline you will need to reschedule the exam for a later date.
Preparing for The A-Exam
The student and committee agree on a topic of research---it could be broad or narrow. Typically, the topic will align closely with the research interests of the student. The exact format of the exam is up to the special committee.
In one format, the student and advisor agree on some set of (typically 3-5) important papers in the subject. The student synthesizes the contents of those papers and writes a survey (length to be decided by the special committee) that must be submitted to the committee at least one week before the A-exam. The survey should include a discussion of open research problems in the area. Doing PhD research will—at some point—require an understanding of the background literature. So, time spent on this will be an investment in the PhD research and in writing a thesis.
Another format is possible if the student is already further along with their research before the A-exam deadline and will typically have written papers on the subject already. The student can give a talk including progress already made, as well as a proposal for further research. The special committee may or may not require a written proposal or survey in this format, although the presentation should contextualize the current work.
In any case, the student must prepare to give an oral presentation at the exam, usually using a slide set. While the student is expected to work independently, the student is allowed to ask the advisor and/or committee specific technical questions throughout the A-exam preparation. The advisor or committee should not be helping the student to do the synthesis, proofread the written materials, or prepare the presentation. That is, the advisor or committee does not see dry-runs and does not edit prose.
The A-Exam Presentation
The A-Exam typically lasts two hours and includes both a public and private component. The goals are for the special committee to determine whether the student shows the ability to generalize and organize, whether the student is able to identify interesting open research questions, and whether the student has adequate presentation skills (including the organization and delivery).
In the first hour (approximately), the student presents their prepared work, which may include a written statement, a research plan, and early research results. During and directly after the presentation, the audience as well as the special committee members can ask questions. Only the student can answer those questions and decide how much time to allocate to them.
The remaining time of the exam is not public and may only be attended by the student, members of the special committee, and, optionally, members of the graduate field of computer science. It is split into three parts. In the first part, the committee can ask additional questions. For example, the committee may ask specific questions about the presentation or the related work. In the second part, the committee discusses the student’s performance at the exam. In the third part, the committee discusses the outcome with the student.
Outcomes
To discuss the A-exam, it is useful to follow this rubric (excellent, satisfactory, needs work, unsatisfactory):
- Ability to synthesize, doing critical analysis, discuss broader implications
- Demonstrate capability for independent thinking and research
- Presentation quality (incl. organization, time management, English proficiency)
- If applicable, survey quality (incl. well-written, sound knowledge of the literature)
The student can pass, conditionally pass, or fail the A-exam. A student who fails the exam is no longer in good standing and can be invited to retake it again within three months. If invited to retake the A-exam again, the student may work more closely with the advisor to obtain an improved organization and presentation. A conditional pass typically involves additional work to be done on the written survey, to be completed within a month and to be approved by the special committee afterwards.