Preliminary Written Exam
The UNC Graduate School requires doctoral students to complete a written examination as part of their progression toward PhD candidacy. The purpose of the examination is to evaluate a student’s ability to read, analyze, and interpret scientific literature and to assess their readiness for advanced doctoral research. In the Biochemistry and Biophysics Graduate Program, the written examination focuses on scientific comprehension, critical thinking, data interpretation, and experimental design.
See UNC’s Graduate School Handbook for exam policies that apply to all students.
Timing
Students are encouraged to complete the comprehensive written examination after completing their first year in BBSP, although the exam may be completed later in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). See the Program Timeline for expected timing of program milestones.
Format
The comprehensive written examination is an open-book exam administered by a faculty examination committee. Several weeks before the examination, students receive a set of assigned readings selected by the committee. The assigned literature, together with the core curriculum, provides the foundation for exam preparation. The examination is completed over approximately one week and consists of questions drawn from two areas:
| SECTION I: Molecular and Cellular Biology | SECTION II: Biophysics, Enzymology, Structural Biology |
|
| Topic 1: A-type question | Topic 3: A-type question | |
| Topic 1: B-type question | Topic 3: B-type question | |
| Topic 2: A-type question | Topic 4: A-type question | |
| Topic 2: B-type question | Topic 4: B-type question |
Questions may ask students to:
- Demonstrate understanding of concepts and scientific findings presented in the assigned literature.
- Critically evaluate published research.
- Interpret and analyze experimental data.
- Develop hypotheses and propose experiments to address unanswered scientific questions.
Students complete all questions assigned in their program track. Biochemistry-track students complete the questions designated for the Molecular and Cellular Biology section, while Biophysics-track students complete the questions designated for the Biophysics, Enzymology, and Structural Biology section.
Evaluation
The examination is evaluated by members of the faculty examination committee. Students must demonstrate scientific understanding, analytical reasoning, and the ability to apply biological and biochemical principles to experimental problems. A passing evaluation is required to satisfy the written examination requirement. Students receiving a Low Pass on one question will be given two weeks to rewrite the question. Students receiving a Low Pass on two questions will receive a Fail but may, at the discretion of the faculty examination committee, have the result deferred to a Marginal Pass and be given two weeks to rewrite the deficient questions. Students receiving three or more Low Pass evaluations will receive a Fail and must retake the examination during the next scheduled examination cycle. Per UNC Graduate School policy, failure to pass the examination on the second attempt will result in academic ineligibility and discontinuation from the graduate program.
Students must adhere to UNC’s Student Code of Conduct and all examination policies. The examination must represent the student’s own work, completed without assistance, collaboration, or use of prohibited resources.