Preparing for the Oral Exam
My orals notebook.
The requirements and structure of the oral examination varies from institution to institution. At my institution, the exam required the examinee to develop three lists of readings, each list reflecting a specific topic in an area of research. This area of research is usually the foundation of your dissertation topic. If this structure resembles the exam you will prepare for, perhaps this post can be of some help to you.
Okay. Back to the lists. For instance, if you were studying the literature of the Harlem renaissance, you might develop a list on early 20th century culture and politics in Harlem, another on the major textual themes present in early 20th century Black literature, and perhaps a list on the migratory and population patterns of Black New Yorkers during this period. As you develop your lists, you should identify which scholars you want to work with. Who would be able to help most with your list on textual themes? Who would know a lot about the cultural history of Harlem? Reach out to the scholars you think will be the most knowledgable (or most resourceful) regarding your topic. Be aware that the scholars you choose may not be available to work with you for various reasons—be sure to contact scholars adjacent to your field of study who would not mind exploring your topic with you.
What should be on your list?
Since your list will probably be quite long (I had about thirty sources per list), I think it is fine to include publications that broadly address your topic. You may, for instance, find good background information in a source that addresses your topic very generally. Of course, you should include sources that really get into the weeds of your topic so that you can generate good questions and theses.
What exactly am I doing with these lists?
Well, you’re reading your list entries and taking good notes on them. You’re not going to read each source from cover to cover, but you should certainly identify a few sources from each list that are really useful to you and know the content in them well.
Questions to Consider
What are you looking to explore in these orals categories? What is the overarching theme of your lists? What questions do you want to ask? Why are these questions important to explore? What are you contributing to your field? Consider these questions as you develop writing on these lists.
Orals Reports
Be prepared to submit small papers on your lists to your examiners before the actual examination. I can’t tell you exactly what to expect here (I wrote several short papers for each list), but you might organize your paper around a few questions you’re exploring in your lists. You may also be asked to develop a general list rationale that addresses what you’re exploring in each list.
How do I prepare for the exam?
How do you usually study for an exam? Is it effective? If the last answer is yes, I’d suggest sticking with what works. You might also develop a mock exam and go over it with willing colleagues, family, friends, etc. Connect your readings with the questions you’re expecting. Also, what is the overall theme of your lists? Be sure to connect their questions to the overarching focus of your respective lists.
I kept a notebook where I crafted orals questions and orals-related brain dumps; I added colorful post-its and color-coded each list. Structuring my notes this way helped to keep me engaged. Try to figure out small ways to keep your focus and cultivate inspiration as you work through this process.
How will the exam go?
I obviously can’t say how your exam will go (hopefully it will go well!), but I’d suggest keeping in contact with your examiners. Some examiners are more hands-on than others. You’ll likely get a mix of both approaches. The only thing I can say here is try to be flexible and adaptable. Also, communicate your needs with your examiners wherever possible / appropriate.
Some examiners will let you know ahead of time what to expect in the exam. If you have an idea of what questions you’ll get, you can tailor your study guide to their questions. If you don’t know what questions to expect, be sure to take good notes when talking with your examiner prior to the exam and ask questions.
Hopefully your exam will feel like more of a conversation, but it may not feel that way, which is fine! Try to relax and understand that your examiners want you to excel.
Will I be able to look at any notes during the exam?
I honestly can’t remember if I was able to look at anything in my orals exam. I definitely had my orals notes with me on the day of the exam, but I can’t be sure if notes were permissible. Your committee will let you know what the procedure is.
Where will the exam take place?
It will probably take place in a small conference room. It will just be you and your examiners, and each examiner will have some time to ask questions. After the exam is complete, you will be asked to leave the room while your examiners confer amongst themselves to discuss your performance and give you a grade (the grade is pass or fail—note that you may pass “partially”—meaning that perhaps one list/section needs to be done again). You will likely be asked back to the room after a short while to receive your results. Make sure to check your department’s orals procedure (it may be available on your department’s website).
Is this really my dissertation?
Short answer: no. But what you work on in the exam is usually connected to what you’ll develop into your dissertation. If you change your mind on your topic when you begin working on your dissertation prospectus, that’s completely fine. I will say that you probably want your orals topic to be related to your dissertation work, because you’ll be that much closer to completion 😊
After the exam…
Celebrate! Even if the exam doesn’t turn out the way you that want, I think you should take some time to reflect on how far you’ve come. Involve ice cream or pizza/burgers and some company. 🎉
What’s next?
In my program, what came next was the dissertation prospectus. Your orals committee members will probably be your dissertation advisors (though not always), and now you should have a rapport with them. That’s great! You have scholars familiar with your work who you can turn to for advice and support. I’d suggest looking up prospectus samples and attending any related workshops or events your program may organize.
Additional tips:
You’ll likely have to submit paperwork to register for your orals exam. Scheduling this exam is your responsibility. Make sure to get the necessary information from your examiners in order to submit your paperwork on time.
Don’t be afraid to communicate with your orals committee. I know they’re awesome, but try to envision them as colleagues that you can establish an open dialogue with. Remember, in 99% of cases, they want to help you. If something is unclear or if you’re struggling with some aspect of the examination process, reach out to them. Note: You should also have an outside advisor (not involved with your committee) to chat with during this process.
I hope this goes without saying, but choose a topic that you genuinely want to explore. It is likely that this topic will be closely related to your dissertation topic, and because you will be working with these themes for a few years (!!), you want to make sure that the topic is something you’re committed to. It can be difficult to know if your topic will inspire prolonged engagement, but…try to know. (Again, if your topic does ultimately change, it is not the end of the world.)
Other Notes:
I think that after this process is over, you’ll feel a shift. Your academic / writing goals may become a bit clearer, and perhaps your position in the field will feel more definitive. That sounds a bit dramatic, but I think it’s true.
You might also take this time after the exam to assess your career goals. Does committing to academia feel right? What is motivating you to move on to the next step? Are you ready to commit significant time to writing a dissertation?
Writing is invariably challenging for most of us, but after orals, you might feel more confident writing in your field, which will feel nice.
Good luck prepping! You got this!