Prelims

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Prelims (preliminary examinations) are a first set of examinations at the University of Oxford, normally during the first half of the degree course for some courses. They are awarded the recognition of passing with "Distinction". These examinations contrast with Finals at the end of all degree courses at Oxford.

In many US institutions the term "Prelims" is used for the preliminary examinations required before a graduate student is permitted to begin working on a doctoral dissertation. Practice in this regard varies among US Graduate School programs, and even among academic departments at the same institution. Some have a single examination or set of examinations, in which case they are typically called "Prelims." Other departments have two sets of examinations, one taken early in the student's graduate work called "Comps" because they are intended as a comprehensive survey of the student's overall preparation to undertake graduate-level work, and a later set known as "Quals" intended to assess the student's qualifications to undertake dissertation research. Typically a student who does not pass such examinations will be given one more chance. If a student does not pass on the final attempt, they are usually given the opportunity to graduate with a terminal Master's Degree.

At Cornell University, however, the term has been expanded to refer to any examination that is preliminary to the final exam even for undergraduate courses. This usage is used throughout the University, and has become so popular that "prelim" is more commonly used than "test."

In some university departments, graduate students seeking a Ph.D. degree must take a series of written cumulative examinations on the subject of their study in the first year or two of the Ph.D. program. These cumulative exams are often given on a pass/fail basis and a graduate student who seeks to continue in the Ph.D. program must pass a minimum number of these cumulative exams. After this minimum number of cumulative exams is passed, this degree requirement is considered to be met, and the Ph.D. student no longer takes these exams but continues work on other Ph.D. requirements.

In Singapore, and in Scotland, the term is used for practice examinations held in schools before major national examinations, such as the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), GCE 'N', 'O' and 'A' Levels. The papers are generally more challenging than the actual examination to prepare the students. Results from the 'O' Level prelims are used for provisional admission to a junior college, while those from the 'A' Level prelims are used to predict grades for the actual examination, which are often asked for by overseas university admission officers.