Exams



FAQ                                                                            

 


When do I fulfil the requirements?

Please check the Studienführer.


How do I register for exams?

Please consult the instructions provided by the Prüfungsamt.

Contact me during my office hour to discuss possible topics in detail and to find the date of your exam.

 
How many topics do I have to prepare for my exams? And how many texts do I have to prepare?

B.A.: two topics (for an exam of 30 minutes, 15 minutes per topic)
It is recommended but not necessary that you choose topics which you have already dealt with in a seminar or a lecture course; the topics should not be too closely related to each other (e.g. doing multiculturalism in Britain as one topic and immigration as another is not possible). The topics could build on but should not be identical with work you have already done for e.g. research papers.

 M.A.: three topics (for an exam of 45 minutes, 15 minutes per topic)
Again: it is recommended that you choose topics which you have already dealt with in a seminar or a lecture course; the topics should not be too closely related to each other.

M.Ed.: two topics (for an exam of 40 minutes, 20 minutes per topic)
Topics should be from seminars taken, usually in the fachwissenschaftliches Modul and not too closely related to each other. You can (but do not have to) divide the topics between two examiners.

 

How many primary texts/sources do I have to prepare?

This depends on the topic. If you want to do your exam on a historical or sociological topic (e.g., the industrial revolution or social class in Britain), you do not necessarily need primary texts or not that many. This has to be discussed for each case individually.

 

How many secondary texts/sources do I have to prepare?

B.A.: about five to eight (more is ok, of course)

M.A./M.Ed.: about seven to ten (more is ok, of course)


As not all primary and secondary texts have the same complexity and need the same amount of time for preparation, the exact number of texts has to be discussed individually.


In German or in English?

Half of the exam has to be in English. However, you can also do the entire exam in English. Please let me/us know right at the beginning of the exam. Consider the following: on the one hand, it might make more sense to do both topics in English, since the literature you read for preparation is in English – discussing it in German might be confusing. On the other hand, many people (including me) are nervous before exams. For some this means that their English proficiency suffers. If you belong to this group, starting in German (or doing one topic in German) might help.

 

Handout?

Please hand in a list of your topics and texts. Further, formulate three to five discussion points per topic (aspects you consider to be particularly important) – you could write theses, questions or key words (about half a page maximum per topic). You would like to receive feedback? Submit this handout about one week before the exam. If you think everything is fine and under control, three days prior to the exam is early enough.

 

Will you stick to the theses?

More or less, especially in the beginning. Please be aware that there is not much time, so we might not be able to talk about all of them. Usually, I will ask you to explain some of the theses and to elucidate them. Sometimes, I will try to challenge them (not to annoy or attack you, but to keep the scholarly discussion going). Moving away from your theses usually means you are doing well (it means I realise you know the issues from your handout anyway, and get curious about what else you know).

 

What should I focus on in my preparation?

(i.)  Study the historical, social, cultural, political, economic phenomena in their contexts (you do not have to know quotes and too many dates by heart, but you should be able to demonstrate that you know how to analyse and evaluate phenomena important in the context of your topics;

(ii.) relate and cross-reference them to others and to the general historical context;

(iii.) point out the typical features of primary texts and their cultural meanings.

Try to structure the information and knowledge you gain into different modules, chunks or entities (this makes it easier to use them in a discussion).

Think for a while about what questions an examiner might ask about your topic and find answers to them.

If you have the chance, do a mock exam with a friend, colleague, etc. Let them ask you about your topics Don’t get overwhelmed by your material. Don’t listen to rumours – if you have any doubts about what is required, check with me. Don’t panic.