HomeOther Useful InfoA, B, and M Exams

A, B, and M Exams

Graduate School and University Policies

Information about PhD exams is available from the Graduate school at: https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academic-progress/requirements/making-academic-progress/taking-exams/ 

The grad school’s code of legislation is accessible at: https://gradschool.cornell.edu/policies/code-of-legislation/
Examination policies are summarized in Ch. VI, Sec. F.

PhD students are urged to confer with the GFA and their DGS to understand requirements for examinations.

Field Requirements

Requirements beyond graduate school policy are set by field vote and/or the current DGS.

Beyond grad school requirements, the ME, AE, and TAM fields further require that students provide an abstract summarizing their talk for advertising/announcement purposes.  See the ME Field Rules regarding the A and B exams for more information.  The A and B exams are milestones of the PhD program.  The M exam is the final milestone of the MS program.

General Procedures for the A Exam

  • Once given the go-ahead by the special committee chair (their advisor) the student will work with all committee members to schedule their exam
  • At a minimum of 7 calendar days (please read FAQs below) prior to the exam date, the student will notify the Assistant Director/GFA of the exam and provide the Assistant Director/GFA their abstract and talk title
  • At a minimum of 7 calendar days (please read FAQs below) prior to the exam date, the student will schedule the exam with the Graduate School by filling out the Schedule A Examination and Research Compliance Form (accessible from the Graduate School Forms page: https://gradschool.cornell.edu/forms/)
  • The GFA will notify all field faculty about the exam.  Students are also welcome (subject to approval by their committee) to advertise the exam to others
  • It is customary (but not required) for the committee to have a brief discussion regarding the student prior to the start of the exam
  • It is customary (but not required) for the committee chair to remind everyone in attendance about the exam procedures and to instruct the audience as to whether or not they are permitted to interrupt the presentation for questions (it is typical to only allow the committee to do so)
  • The exam typically consists of a 45-60 minute presentation given by the student
  • If non-committee members are present in the audience, it is customary (but not required) to allow them a chance to ask questions
  • The exam concludes with a closed door session including only the candidate and committee (and any other field members who wish to be present) during which the committee asks the candidate questions about their presentation, research, and anything else they may wish to ask about
  • The committee confers and determines the exam outcome.  The result is transmitted to the candidate immediately, either directly by the whole committee or via the committee chair
  • The student must (immediately) fill out the Results for Admission to Candidacy (A Exam) form (accessible from the Graduate School Forms page: https://gradschool.cornell.edu/forms/)
  • The form must be completed by the student, committee members, GFA and DGS within three business days of the exam

General Procedures for the B and M Exams

The procedures and structure of the B (and M) exams closely mirror those of the A exam (except for exam-specific forms, all available from https://gradschool.cornell.edu/forms/).  The primary difference is that the student must have completed their thesis/dissertation by the time of the examination.  The graduate school provides a general schedule for scheduling the examination and key milestones here: https://gradschool.cornell.edu/academic-progress/thesis-dissertation/writing-your-thesis-dissertation/understanding-deadlines-and-requirements/

Please continue to read the FAQs below to ensure you do not miss critical deadlines. 

The exams themselves mirror the A exam, save that they are always publicly advertised, and a general audience is typically expected.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What comes first, taking my M/B exam or submitting my thesis/dissertation? You must take your M/B exam before submitting your thesis/dissertation. You will likely receive revisions for your thesis/dissertation at or immediately after your exam, thus the exam must happen first. If you send your committee members drafts of your thesis/dissertation as you’re writing, you will likely have fewer revisions to do after your exam (and you will likely have a smoother exam also). Your M/B exam is the oral defense of your thesis/dissertation, so you should be essentially done with that document before you take your exam and only need to make revisions based on your exam.
  • What is the administrative process for exams?
    • Chat with your committee to select an exam date and time
    • Book a room (see below) – this must be confirmed BEFORE you submit your scheduling form
    • Fill out scheduling form
    • Reply to the Assistant Director/GFA’s email about info needed for your exam announcement (they will email you after they receive your scheduling form; see below)
    • Do well on your exam!
    • Submit your results form
    • If you took a M or B exam, submit your thesis/dissertation
  • How early should I start scheduling with my committee? It’s recommended to set an exam date early in the semester you want to graduate. Your exam can actually occur later in the semester, but it can be very hard, if not actually impossible, to find a mutual time for everyone on your exam committee if you wait too long to schedule it. If you wait too long, you may be forced to schedule it after the deadline for that semester’s degree conferrals and you will be graduating later than planned.
  • What form do I need to fill out once I’ve decided on a date/time with my committee? Fill out your respective scheduling form.
  • When do I need to submit my scheduling form? Technically, you must submit this 7+ days in advance of your exam date. However, the Assistant Director/GFA must also send out your exam announcement exactly seven (7) days before your exam, and they need more info from you than what is just on the form (see below), so it is in your best interest to submit your scheduling form the moment you have a date, time, and location set. If the Assistant Director/GFA is out of the office seven (7) days before your exam and that’s when you submit your scheduling form, you will miss the deadline for your required exam announcement. Many students submit their scheduling forms in January for exams that are taking place in April. It is always best to plan ahead instead of scrambling at the end and realizing other faculty/staff simply may not be available to help you on a short timeline. 
  • How do I book a room? If you want a conference room in Upson, email mae-support@cornell.edu with the date and timeframe of your exam and they will see if there is availability. If you want a classroom in Upson or any other space on campus, you can book that yourself using 25Live. Remember, you must have a confirmed room booking BEFORE submitting your scheduling form!
  • What info will the Assistant Director/GFA need for my exam announcement?
    • Your name as you want it to appear in your announcement
    • Field*
    • Committee members and chair*
    • Date of exam*
    • Time of exam*
    • Location of exam*
    • Zoom link, meeting ID, and passcode
    • Title of presentation
    • Abstract
    • *The Assistant Director/GPA will get these items from your scheduling form, and the other items will be requested from you via email
  • What do I need to do after my exam? Submit your results form within three days. Your committee chair will receive it first to input your results and add any conditions if it was a conditional pass, then it will route to your minor members and DGS, then it will route to the Assistant Director/GFA for signatures. If you took your M or B exam, you also need to submit your thesis/dissertation within 60 days -or- by the deadline for that semester’s degree conferral, whichever is first. Degree conferral deadlines are December 1, May 1, and August 1 each year.
  • When do I need to submit my results form? No more than three (3) days after your exam.
  • Does my exam have to be in-person? It’s preferable to have your exam in-person. However, if that is not possible, the Graduate School allows exams to be done virtually.
  • If I’m taking an M/B exam, when do I have to submit my thesis/dissertation? These must be submitted within 60 days after your exam -or- by the deadline for that semester’s degree conferral, whichever comes first. You can find the timeline of deadlines here. If you want to submit your thesis/dissertation after that semester’s degree conferral deadline while still doing it within 60 days of your exam, you will automatically become a graduate of the next degree conferral period (May, August, December).
  • What if I need to reschedule my exam? Email gradstudserv@cornell.edu (and cc maegrad@cornell.edu) and ask them to cancel your first scheduling form, then submit a new form with the new information.
  • What semesters am I supposed to take my exams?
    • A exams: PhD students can take their A exam after at least two (2) registered semesters and before the start of their seventh (7th) registered semester; a petition can be submitted to the Graduate School for a one-semester extension. Most PhD students take their A exam in semester six (6). At least two (2) registered semesters must pass between taking an A exam and B exam.
    • B exams: At least two (2) registered semesters must pass between taking an A exam and B exam. B exams should be completed no later than the fourteenth (14th) registered semester.  Most PhD students take their B exam in semesters 10, 11, or 12. You cannot enroll in classes after you take your B exam, so you should plan to graduate the same semester you take your exam -or- take a personal leave of absence the following semester in order to finish writing your dissertation (which still has to be submitted <60 days after your exam).
    • M exams: MS students should take their M exam no later than the eighth (8th) registered semester. Most MS students take their M exam in semester four (4). You cannot enroll in classes after you take your M exam, so you should plan to graduate the same semester you take your exam -or- take a personal leave of absence the following semester in order to finish writing your thesis (which still has to be submitted <60 days after your exam).
    • Semesters you were on a leave of absence do not count as “registered semesters,” and the Graduate School only counts fall and spring semesters as “registered semesters” (i.e., summer enrollment does not count toward your semester count)
  • How do I get a non-thesis MS from my A exam as a PhD student? PhD students who wish to earn a non-thesis MS as a part of their A exam must talk with their committee members before their exam about this possibility. PhD students must have completed at least four (4) registered semesters in order to be eligible for this. If your committee decides your performance at your exam has reached this level, you will indicate this on the results form. You will see this degree appear on your transcript after that semester’s degrees are conferred (May, December, August).
  • How do I know if my forms have all the signatures needed? You can check on all forms by logging in to the NextGen Forms Portal. If you have forms waiting for signatures, they will be your Pending/Draft forms section. If you need to find a fully signed form, you can check the Forms History section.