Soil Science Written Preliminary Examination

Statement of Purpose: An Oral Preliminary Examination is required by the Graduate College. In addition, the Agronomy Department requires a multi-part Written Preliminary Examination. Upon successful completion of both the Oral and Written Preliminary Examinations, the student is admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. The Program of Study (POS) Committee has the responsibility to determine the student’s success or failure in these examinations.

The Written Preliminary Examination for Ph.D. students in Soil Science is intended to rigorously test the student’s knowledge of one area of specialization and two general-knowledge areas as well as the student’s ability to critically analyze, organize, and present relevant subject matter. The primary function of the Written Preliminary Examination is to assist the graduate student’s POS Committee in assessing the student’s qualifications for admission to candidacy in a Ph.D. program in Soil Science. Several related functions also accrue:

The written examination seeks to assure that the student has adequate depth and breadth of knowledge to pursue a Ph.D.
The written examination gives the POS Committee an opportunity to assess the student’s writing skills, especially with regard to organization, logical presentation of ideas, and clarity of expression.
The written examination helps screen students who are not yet ready for the oral examination.
The written examination encourages the student to review and integrate what has been learned in formal coursework.
The written examination helps students prepare for the oral examination.
The written examination serves as supporting, formal documentation of the student’s qualifications to enter Ph.D. candidacy.

Statement of Policy: A 6-member Soil Science Preliminary Examination Committee, including one representative from each of the six areas of specialization, is responsible for preparation, administration, and grading of the Soil Science Written Preliminary Examination. Committee members and the Committee Chair are appointed by the Department Head from among members of the Soil Science Graduate Faculty. In general, appointments are for two years but may be longer at the discretion of the Department Head.

Two complete sets of major and general-knowledge exams for all six areas of specialization are prepared in advance and stored by the Committee Chair. Once a year, the committee member who represents an area of specialization solicits new questions from the appropriate faculty and prepares replacement exams. The entire committee meets to review the new exams. For purposes of clarity, the committee may make minor wording changes in questions; however, substantive changes should be reviewed by the original author of the question. In general, the committee should favor questions that require the student to integrate knowledge from more than one discipline through critical evaluation of concepts and ideas, and rely less on questions that require recall of specific information.

Examinations in areas of specialization (8 hours) and general knowledge areas (4 hours each) are administered on the second and third Fridays, respectively, of the Spring and Fall terms of each year. Both exams commence at 8:00 a.m. and allow for not more than 8 hours of writing in a single day. The proctor designates scheduling details at the beginning of each exam. In general, examinations in areas of specialization consist of eight questions with the student required to answer six questions, and examinations in general-knowledge areas consist of six questions with the student required to answer four questions. Typically, students are allowed to use a dictionary and a calculator during the exams but no other resources. However, exceptions to the above format are possible. For example, one or more questions may be designated as mandatory, take home, and/or open book format.

The student is responsible for filing a form declaring intent to take the Soil Science Written Preliminary Examination in the Agronomy Graduate Student Teaching Office at least one month before the start of the term in which the student intends to take the examination. On the form the student indicates one area of specialization and two general-knowledge areas and the term in which the written examination will be taken. The form shall include the following statement: “The Agronomy Department encourages major professors to solicit written preliminary examination questions from members of the POS Committee. Details for administration of POS Committee questions are arranged between the student and the major professor.” The student, major professor, Department Head, and Chair of the Uniform Preliminary Examination Committee must sign the form.

One member of the Soil Science Written Preliminary Examination Committee is responsible for proctoring the exams. The proctor makes two photocopies of student responses, gives the original to the Committee Chair, and gives both photocopies to the committee member who represents the appropriate area of specialization. The committee member scores one copy of the exam and gives the other copy to the originator(s) of the questions or, if unavailable, to another member of the graduate faculty for an independent evaluation. Graders are encouraged to make specific comments on the exam and are expected to sign the marked exam. Graders indicate grades for each question on a separate sheet of paper with each question graded on a 0-4 scale, with 2 as passing. The exams and grades are complied by the committee. The committee is obliged to reconcile discrepancies for grades that differ by more than one point. This may include a committee discussion with the graders present and/or asking another faculty member to evaluate the exam, using a photocopy of the original unmarked exam. When all discrepancies are resolved, the Committee Chair returns the marked exams to the major professor and gives the major professor a summary sheet (copy to the Department Head) showing average grades for each question and a recommendation of pass or fail in the major and each of the general-knowledge areas of specialization. At that time, the Committee Chair submits a copy of the exam (questions only) to the Graduate Program Secretary. Both the Committee Chair and the Graduate Program Secretary are responsible for maintaining a file of old exams. The file maintained by the Graduate Program Secretary may be checked out for brief periods by any faculty member or graduate student within the Agronomy Department.

The Uniform Written Preliminary Examination and other written exams administered by the POS Committee must be completed to the satisfaction of the POS Committee before the Oral Preliminary Examination is scheduled. The major professor is responsible for discussing the results of the written examinations with the student and for returning copies of the written exams, the graders comments, and average grades for each question to the student. The major professor should retain copies of the marked exams until all aspects of both the Written and Oral Preliminary Examinations are resolved.

Adopted by Department of Agronomy December 1993

Current Committee Membership (2004): A. Tabatabai (chair), R. Cruse, T. Fenton, R. Horton, R. Killorn, D. Laird, T. Loynachan