The Qual is given over a period of at most three days, normally once a year in the Spring Semester, after final examinations and before Commencement.
Students normally take the exam after their first full academic year of study.
The Qual is a test of certain capabilities and general analytical skills of the candidate, not a test of the command of particular subject material. Because it is not a content exam, candidates will not normally be questioned on minutiae. However, the exam will be conducted in the context of graduate-level topics in computer science. The Qual is intended to assess the potential of the student as a candidate for Ph.D. study in Computer Science. This assessment concentrates on four intellectual properties that the faculty deems essential to and predictive of success in a Ph.D. program.