How to use the thesis or exit exam requirement calculator
Many graduate programs let a thesis and a comprehensive exit exam stand in for each other. The difficulty is that the passing score, the number of subjects that must be cleared and the extent of any thesis waiver are set program by program. Enter each exam subject and its score on its own line, then the passing score, the number of subjects required and the number waived by a thesis from your own handbook.
There are two rules to choose from. Under every subject at or above the passing score, the subjects that reached the score are added to the waived subjects and compared with the number required. Under overall average at or above the passing score, the page checks both that the average reached the score and that enough subjects were taken. Either way a score exactly equal to the passing score counts as a pass, and the table lists each subject with its gap to the passing score.
The calculator works only with the scores you enter. It does not track how many retakes you are allowed, whether a thesis defense passed, advisor approval, or separate requirements met through a language test or certificate. To total the scores given by a thesis committee, use the thesis review committee score calculator instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Scores at or above the passing score count as passes, so 60 counts when the passing score is 60. The gap column shows it as +0 pts.
Check how many subjects your handbook waives when a thesis is submitted and enter that number. It is subtracted from the shortfall. Enter 0 when no waiver exists.
It checks whether the overall average reaches the passing score and whether the number of subjects taken reaches the number required. Individual subjects below the score are shown in the table but do not change that verdict.