First Year Exam Guidelines

The first-year exams test students’ competency in the Economic, Sociological and Psychological Foundations of Management Research as well as Management Research Methods after completing the first year of classes.

Exam Format and Content
There are four separate exams, one for each of MGMT 9000, 9330, 9340 and 9530, scheduled on consecutive days. Each exam is 3 hours long, open book / open notes, and delivered and returned via email.

The reading list for each exam is the syllabus for the associated class.

Students should not disclose their identities on the exams; they will be provided with a unique identification number from the doctoral administrative coordinator to facilitate blind-grading.

Exam Timing
The exams are scheduled based on input from the students and instructors, and typically take place in mid- or late-May of the first year.

Exam Grading
In assessing answers, instructors will look first for clear evidence that the student has seriously engaged each question answered, without neglecting any part. Beyond that, instructors will look for evidence that the student has absorbed and internalized the intellectual substance of the course material, and has actively used that understanding to address the focal question.

The instructors grant either a pass, a conditional pass, or a fail on each exam.

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“Pass” means that the student has demonstrated their competency in the exam area.

“Conditional pass” means that the student needs a limited amount of remedial work; in this case, the instructors will require some additional writing on one or more components of the exam due within a maximum of two weeks.

“Fail” means that the student has demonstrated serious deficiencies on one or more components of the exam; in this case, the instructors will indicate that either the entire exam or some components must be retaken and passed before July 31 in order for the student to retain good standing.