This expert advice comes from Frederic A. Spangler, Ph.D.
Doctoral comprehensive and qualifier exams (Comps) are most often administered by the candidate's department or by the selected doctoral program committee. They are almost always written in nature but some components may be oral. The primary purpose of Comps is to measure whether the candidate has understood and retained the bulk of his or her preparatory lab and coursework to the point that the student is deemed qualified to advance to the research and thesis/dissertation phases of the program.
Tips on how to study and prepare for comps:
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About the author: Dr. Spangler has over 17 years of editorial experience and is a former college professor, cancer researcher. He has taught pre-professional undergraduate and graduate students, and he served as Director of the USGS/ ProQuest partnership, and Manager of Special Projects at ProQuest.