Qualifying Exams

The Department of Statistics offers qualifying exams for MS and Ph.D. students.

The MS exam is designed for students in both the MS in Statistics and the MS in Biostatistics. It is focused on testing basic understanding of course materials.

The Ph.D. qualifying exam is designed for students pursuing a Ph.D. in Statistics. It is focused on testing the depth of understanding and mastery of both theories and methods in the required courses.

Exam Schedule

Effective January 2023, the exams will be administered twice a year as follows:

  • January: The Wednesday immediately before Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
  • May: The Wednesday immediately following the last day of spring final examinations.

In case of school closing or due to inclement weather, the January exam will be held the Friday immediately before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and the May exam will be held on the Saturday immediately following the originally scheduled Wednesday.

Each exam has two parts, scheduled as follows:

  • Morning part: 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
  • Afternoon part: 1-4 p.m.

Please refer to the UConn academic calendar to check dates for the beginning of classes and the end of final examinations.

General Rules

  1. In order to take an exam, a student must sign up by the deadline described below.
    • For exams in January: the 2nd Monday in November of the preceding year.
    • For exams in May: the 2nd Monday in April of the same year.
  2. Only students currently enrolled in the graduate programs of the Department are allowed to sign up and take the exams.
  3. No sign-up is allowed during the first semester of graduate study.
  4. Each student must clear the MS or Ph.D. qualifying exam within three consecutive attempts. For example, if a student takes an exam for the first time in May but fails to fully pass it, the student has two chances remaining in January and May of the next year. For each remaining chance, failure to sign up or failure to show up will be counted as a failed attempt.
  5. Students must pass both the morning part and the afternoon part of the exam. If a student fails to pass a part, in the remaining attempts, the student should only sign up and take that part in order to clear the exam.

Any student who has not yet passed the exam but is not taking classes must enroll in GRAD 5998 every semester until they pass.

Additional Rules for MS Students

MS students are allowed to take either the MS exam or the Ph.D. qualifying exam. MS students who are interested in applying to the UConn statistics Ph.D. program are encouraged to take the Ph.D. qualifying exam.

  1. Each MS student is allowed a total of three attempts to clear either the MS exam or the Ph.D. qualifying exam at the MS level.
    1. Students must take the following four (4) courses before signing up for the first attempt of the MS exam: STAT 5585, STAT 5685, STAT 5505, and STAT 5605.
    2. Students must take the following six (6) courses before signing up for the first attempt of the Ph.D. qualifying exam: STAT 5585, STAT 5685, STAT 5505, STAT 5605, STAT 5725 and STAT 5515.
  2. Only students in the MS programs are allowed to take the MS exam.
  3. The MS exam will have eight questions, two for each course. The morning part covers STAT 5585 and 5685, and the afternoon part covers STAT 5505 and 5605.
  4. MS students must submit their plan of study before they sign up for their first exam attempt.
  5. Students must specify which exam they wish to take when they sign up. You will not be permitted to switch from one exam to another after sign-up.
  6. Each sign-up will be counted as an attempt, even if a student later decides to not show up, withdraw, or take only one part of the exam.

Please note that in order to switch to the Ph.D. program, an MS student must first clear the Ph.D. qualifying exam at the Ph.D. level. Reapplication to the Ph.D. program is subject to strict review by the Graduate Admissions Committee following the same standard on all applications.

Additional Rules for Ph.D. Students

Ph.D. students are only allowed to take the Ph.D. qualifying exam.

  1. Each Ph.D. student is allowed a total of three attempts to clear the Ph.D. qualifying exam.
  2. The following six (6) courses must be taken before signing up for the first attempt: STAT 5585, STAT 5685, STAT 5505, STAT 5605, STAT 5725 and STAT 5515.
  3. Each sign-up will be counted as an attempt, even if a student later decides to not show up, withdraw, or take only one part of the exam.