Scholarship Examinations
The College-wide Scholarship examination is held just before the start of Hilary Term each year. Students in their Senior Freshman year are encouraged to consider sitting this examination (referred to as "Schol") as an overall First brings substantial rewards, both monetary and non-monetary.
Students must give notice of their intention to take the examination on the prescribed form, obtainable from the Examinations Office, Senior Lecturer's Area, West Theatre. If they wish to withdraw their application they must do so at least two weeks before the date of the first examination. There is no charge for the application.
BESS candidates are examined in the subjects of their course up to the end of Michaelmas term of the Senior Freshman year. The scope of each paper is described in the relevant Course Handbooks.
The examination consists of four 2¼ hour papers as follows:
In the case of Business, Economic and Social Studies, candidates will be asked to choose four papers from:
- Business I and II
- Economics I and II
- Political Science I and II
- Sociology I and II
- Quantitative Methods
Recommendations for scholarship will be based on all four papers, subject to all four papers being passed.
The Economics component for TSM
candidates consists of two 2¼-hour papers as follows:
Candidates in economics and mathematics will take Economics I and II. Other TSM economics candidates will be asked to choose two papers from Economics I and II and Quantitative methods. All papers carry equal marks. Recommendations for scholarship will be based on all papers, subject to all papers being passed.
BESS students who obtain an overall grade of I and TSM students who obtain an overall I based on the average of their marks in the two subjects are recommended to the Board for election to Scholarship. Scholars obtain free Commons, are entitled to rooms free of charge for nine months of the year, are entitled to remission of student charges and receive a (rather small!) salary. View the entitlements for Scholars. Students who sit 'Schol', however, comment that a major benefit regardless of success is the camaraderie and closeness created among the group preparing for the examination.
The Economics Department assists students who wish to prepare for 'Schol' by providing special classes for students. Details of these classes are given by the lecturers concerned. In addition, students are encouraged to submit voluntary essays for review. Some of these essays have in the past been accepted for publication in the Student Economic Review.