Research Guides: PhD Exams: Home

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Exams at CST

PhD students at CST take two types of exams:

Language exams: All programs require demonstrated proficiency in at least two languages. Some, notably degrees in biblical studies, require more. Some or all of your language requirements may be met through coursework rather than proctored exams. In some cases, research methods may substitute for languages. Consult the CST Catalog, the registrar, and your advisor. Language exams may be taken at any point during your program.
Qualifying exams: Qualifying exams take place after you have finished all of your program requirements except for the dissertation. Most programs require four separate quals. At the discretion of your committee you may fulfill up to three of your quals with long papers rather than exams. All students must sit at least one proctored exam.

Scheduling Exams

To schedule your exams, click on the tab above for the type of exam that you need and follow the directions. You will indicate the day of your exam, and when the Exams Coordinator has set up your exam in the system you will be able to schedule the time.

Scheduling Guidelines

After you have received approval for your exams, you will be given instructions for scheduling through the Examity software.
You must be on time for your exam, so plan accordingly.
You may not take multiple exams on the same day. It is recommended that you leave at least a full day in between exams and take no more than two exams in a week.
There are no last-minute bookings. You must book a date at least one month later than the day you make the booking.

Scheduling Black-Out Dates

To respect the schedules of faculty and staff, exams are not available during some of the summer, the week of SBL/AAR and Thanksgiving, winter break and the month of January, or the week of commencement. This school year, the specific blackout dates are:

November 18-26, 2021
December 20, 2021, to January 31, 2022
May 15-21, 2022
July 30 to August 17, 2022

Taking Remote Exams

At this time, all of CST's exams are being administered remotely through Sakai and the Examity remote proctoring service. In order to take exams, you will need:

Government-issued photo ID
A quiet place where you are unlikely to be interrupted for the duration of the exam
Reliable internet

Computer Specifications

A desktop or laptop. Examity will not work on Chromebooks, tablets, or cell phones.
Windows 7 or later; MacOS X 10.8 or later.
Google Chrome v39 or later; Mozilla Firefox v34 or later; Internet Explorer v8 or later; Microsoft Edge; Apple Safari v6 or later.
Internet speeds of 2mbps for both upload and download. You can check your internet speed at www.speedtest.net.
2GB or more of RAM.
Built-in or peripheral speakers, microphone, and webcam. Headphones and earbuds are not allowed during exams.
Disable your pop-up blocker.

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