Written Qualifying Exam

Students must take the written qualifying examination after completion of the core courses. The objective of the exam is to demonstrate critical thinking, integration across biological scales, and familiarity with the literature by reviewing a topic that includes molecular, cellular, and systems-level perspectives.

The written qualifying exam instructions are typically released in July with various tasks due throughout the Summer until the exam is due in September prior to the start of Year 2.

Exams are graded high pass / pass / low pass (passing) / low pass (requiring remedial work ) / fail. A student must achieve at least a low pass on all sections to pass the written qualifying exam. In some circumstances, a failing grade on a section can be rectified with clarification or extra work.