The Preliminary Examination is designed to assess the entering student’s mastery of the foundations of the undergraduate mathematics curriculum, especially linear algebra and advanced calculus, and is used mainly for placement purposes. The exam is administered during Orientation Week before the Fall semester and determines if students need to enroll in MATH 7900 (Foundations for Graduate Mathematics) in the Fall semester. Low performance on the follow-up exam will never be used as the sole basis for cutting a student from the graduate program. An initial sample of the Preliminary Exam and all the subsequent exams are posted below.
Sample Preliminary Exam Summer 2002
Graduate Prelim Exam Fall 2002
Graduate Prelim Exam Spring 2003
Graduate Prelim Exam Fall 2003
Graduate Prelim Exam Spring 2004
Graduate Prelim Exam Fall 2004
Graduate Prelim Exam Spring 2005
Graduate Prelim Exam Fall 2005
Graduate Prelim Exam Spring 2006
Graduate Prelim Exam Fall 2006
Graduate Prelim Exam Spring 2007
Graduate Prelim Exam Fall 2007
Graduate Prelim Exam Spring 2008
Graduate Prelim Exam Fall 2008
Graduate Prelim Exam Spring 2009
Graduate Prelim Exam Fall 2009
Graduate Prelim Exam Fall 2010
Graduate Prelim Exam Fall 2011
Graduate Prelim Exam Fall 2012
Graduate Prelim Exam Fall 2013
Graduate Prelim Exam Fall 2014
Graduate Prelim Exam Fall 2015
Graduate Prelim Exam Fall 2016