Preliminary Examination in Oriental Studies: Setting Conventions

Transcription

1 Preliminary Examination in Oriental Studies: Setting Conventions Arabic Chinese Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies Hebrew & Jewish Studies Japanese Persian Sanskrit Turkish 1

2 Faculty of Oriental Studies Setting conventions for the Preliminary Examination in Oriental Studies The formal procedures determining the conduct of examinations are established and enforced by the University Proctors. These conventions are a guide to the examiners and candidates but the regulations set out in the Examination Regulations have precedence. The examiners are nominated by the Nominating Committee in the Faculty and those nominations are submitted for approval by the Vice-Chancellor and the Proctors. Numbering of papers follows that in the Examination Regulations The Examination Schools website ( gives information on the provisional start date of the examination. The date, time and location of individual papers will be published not less than 5 weeks before the start of the first examination. For the order of papers in the examination itself, please refer to the Examination timetable. Academic dress must be worn for all parts of the examination including the viva if applicable. In order to maintain the anonymity of the examination, candidates are instructed to write their candidate number, not their names or Bodleian card number, on their scripts and submitted works. Candidate numbers can be obtained from the Student Self-Service. Candidates should note that if they have any complaints or queries concerning the examination process, including results, these should be directed in the first instance to their colleges and not to the examiners or any member of the teaching staff. ARABIC Paper I. Paper II. 2 Arabic Translation and Precis into English. This exam consists of 3 parts, all of which must be attempted. Part 1 is an Arabic passage for translation into English. Part 2 is an Arabic passage to be summarised in English in no more than 100 words. Part 3 is a comprehension passage in Arabic, followed by a number of questions to be answered in English. Part 1 is worth 34% and Parts 2 and 3 are worth 33% each. Arabic Comprehension, Composition and Grammar This exam consists of 3 parts, all of which must be attempted. Part I is a comprehension passage in Arabic followed by a number of questions to be answered in English. Part 2 gives two topics, on one of which the student must choose to write a composition in Arabic of at least 150 words. Part 3 consists of various questions on Arabic grammar, including 1

3 Paper III. Paper IV. sentences for translation from English to Arabic. Parts 1 and 2 are worth 33% each, and Part 3 is worth 34%. Oral/ Aural Examination (see separate conventions) Islamic History and Culture This paper is divided into 4 parts: Part 1 on Islam, Part 2 on The Literatures, Languages and Politics of the Islamic Middle East, Part 3 on Islamic History up to 1258 C.E., and Part 4 on Islamic History from 1258 C.E. onwards. Each Part shall contain no fewer than 3 questions. Candidates are required to answer four questions, one question from each of the four Parts. Each question shall count for 25% of the marks. CHINESE Paper 1: Modern Chinese a) Modern Chinese prose composition and unprepared translation from Modern Chinese (the marks for sections A,B,C and D will constitute 70% of the total marks in Modern Chinese Prose composition and unprepared translation) All questions must be answered. Section A will consist of twelve sentences for translations into Chinese. Sentences 1-6 should be written in abbreviated characters and 7-12 should be written in unabbreviated characters. (Materials are listed in the Course Handbook) (40%) Section B will consist of an unprepared passage of Chinese characters for translation into English. (12%) Section C will consist of sentences which must be translated and analysed to show their component clauses, as well as the function of individual words and phrases. (6%) Section D will consist of a passage in Chinese followed by several comprehension questions in English. Answers to the questions should be given in English. (12%) b) Spoken Chinese (the marks for the spoken Chinese element will constitute 30% of the total marks in Modern Chinese Prose composition and unprepared translation) See separate oral conventions for full details. 3 26

4 Part One will be a listening comprehension test. (Weighted as one-third of the marks for spoken Chinese) Part Two will be an individual test which will consist of two sections: Section One: Candidates will be required to read aloud a short passage in Chinese selected from texts that they have prepared during their course of study and will be required to answer questions relating to the passage. (Texts are listed in the Course Handbook) (Weighted as one-third of the marks for spoken Chinese.) Section Two: Candidates will be required to conduct a short conversation in Chinese with the Moderators in an imagined situation. Fifteen minutes of preparation time will be given before the individual test. (Weighted as one-third of the marks for spoken Chinese.) Paper 2: Classical texts All questions must be answered. Section A: This will comprise four passages for translation into English from prepared texts. Annotation should be added where necessary to elucidate the text. (Prescribed texts are listed in the Course Handbook) (40%) Section B: Candidates will be required to explain the constructions and points of grammatical interest from four lines of texts taken from prepared texts. The candidates will also be required to translate these four lines from Classical Chinese into English. (20%) Section C: Candidates will be required to translate into English two unseen passages. (40%) Paper 3: East Asia Survey: China Candidates must answer three questions from a total of 10 questions. (All questions are weighted equally) 4 EGYPTOLOGY AND ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN STUDIES There are four three-hour papers. 1. Either: Akkadian texts. One passage from the specified texts (list available from Weblearn) will be set for transliteration into Roman script, transcription into Roman script marking vowel lengths,

5 translation into English, and comment. Four passages from the specified texts will be set for translation into English and comment. All questions should be attempted. The first passage attracts 36% of the marks; the other four each attract 16%. Overall explanatory comments on the words underlined in the five passages attract 20% of the marks (i.e. 4% per passage). Or: Egyptian texts: Middle Egyptian texts, ed. Baines and Smith. Copies can be found on Weblearn, as can the list of prescribed texts. Five passages will be set for translation into English and comment; two must be transliterated as well. All questions should be attempted. All questions attract equal marks. The passages may vary in length and difficulty and this will be taken into account during the marking. 2. Either: Akkadian grammar and unprepared translation. Question 1 consists of two short passages in English for unprepared translation into Akkadian, to be written in transcription in Roman script marking vowel lengths. Question 2 consists of two short passages in Akkadian for unprepared translation into English. The passages will be set in transcription in Roman script with vowel lengths marked. Candidates will also be required to write some Akkadian words in cuneiform signs. Questions 3 8 are on Akkadian grammar, language, and cuneiform script. There may be a question consisting of a selection from a number of short topics. Candidates should attempt Question 1 and Question 2, and three questions from Questions 3 8. Question 1 and Question 2 each attract 30% of the marks. The three questions chosen from Questions 3 8 are evenly weighted and together attract 40% of the marks. Or: Middle Egyptian grammar and unprepared translation. Question 1 consists of about five simple sentences in English to translate into Egyptian hieroglyphs. Question 2 is unprepared translation into English of about three short passages of hieroglyphic texts, one of which must be transliterated as well; help may be given with the meanings of any rare words and/or other difficulties in the passages. There will be about 6 further questions on Egyptian grammar and on the hieroglyphic writing system. There may be a question requiring three or four short answers from a selection of topics. Candidates should attempt questions 1 and 2, and any three questions from the remainder. All seven units in the paper attract equal marks. The units are Question 1, the three passages in Question 2, and the three topics chosen from the remaining questions. 5 8

6 3. Civilisations of the Ancient Near East. Sections A (Egypt) and B (Ancient Near East) will each contain 8 10 questions. Candidates should attempt four questions, two from Section A and two from Section B. The questions attract equal marks. 4. History of the Ancient Near East to 30 BCE. There are four sections, each containing 4 5 questions: A (Egypt: early periods), B (Egypt: later periods), C (Ancient Near East: early periods) and D (Ancient Near East: later periods). Candidates should attempt four questions, one from each section. The questions attract equal marks. To pass the Preliminary examination, candidates must pass in all four papers. Candidates who fail one or more papers may retake that paper or papers the following September. HEBREW & JEWISH STUDIES The following four three-hour papers will be set: (i) Hebrew Texts I: Biblical and Rabbinic Hebrew There will be two sections, A and B. In Section A, the first question will be a passage from the Biblical set texts for translation and comment; the second will be an unvocalized passage from the Biblical set texts for translation and pointing. In Section B, both questions are passages from the rabbinic set texts for translation, each followed by an indication either to comment on the text or to answer specific questions on its subject matter. Candidates should attempt all four questions, which each carry 25% of the marks. (ii) Hebrew Texts II: Medieval and Modern Hebrew There will be two sections, A and B. In Section A, both questions are passages from the medieval set texts for translation, each followed by an indication either to comment on the text or to answer specific questions on its subject matter. In Section B, both questions are passages from the modern set texts for translation, followed by specific questions on the respective texts. Candidates should attempt all four questions, which each carry 25% of the marks. (iii) Grammar and Translation into Hebrew The following questions (all of which should be attempted) will be set: 1. A short description of some feature of classical Hebrew grammar (one out of a choice of two) (10%) 2. Paradigms of three regular verbal tenses (10%) 6

7 3. Forms of nouns and prepositions with suffixes (10%) 4. Paradigms of three tenses of the strong verb with object suffixes (10%) individual forms of weak verbs (15%) 6. A passage for translation from English into pointed Biblical Hebrew (25%) 7. An unseen passage in Modern Hebrew for translation into English (20%) iv) General Paper There will be three sections, each offering a choice of five essay questions: candidates must answer four questions, at least one from each of the three sections. Each of the four questions carries 25% of the marks. JAPANESE Paper 1: Modern Japanese I Paper 1: Modern Japanese (a) Compulsory questions covering exercises (b) Translation from English into Japanese (c) Compulsory questions covering kanji and vocabulary (d) Reading comprehension (e) Guided essay in Japanese (approximately 600 ji) Marking: Compulsory questions covering exercises (30%); translation from English into Japanese (20%); kanji and vocabulary (10%); reading comprehension (20%); guided essay in Japanese (20%) Paper 2: Modern Japanese II (a) Three passages for translation from Japanese into English: One modern Japanese passage taken from prepared texts Two modern Japanese unseen passages (b) Grammatical analysis of selected examples of modern Japanese Marking: Modern prepared text: 20%; each modern unseen text passage: 25%; grammatical analysis of modern Japanese: 30%. Paper 3: East Asia Survey: Japan (a) Identifications: Short factual identification of people and events, covering both modern and pre-modern Japan and East Asia 7 11

8 (b) Essays: Three questions to be answered, at least one question from each section: - Pre-modern Japan and East Asia - Modern Japan and East Asia Marking: identifications 25%; each essay 25%. PERSIAN Paper I. Translation from Persian and Reading Comprehension Six questions will be set. In questions 1 to 5 passages of text will be set for translation from Persian into English: one seen pre-modern poem (20% of the total mark); one seen modern prose text (20% of the total mark); one seen modern poem (10% of the total mark); two unseen modern prose texts (30% of the total mark). In question 6 a modern Persian prose passage will be set for reading comprehension. Candidates should answer questions on the passage in English (20% of the total mark). Candidates should attempt all the questions. Paper II. Translation into Persian and Essay Three questions will be set. 1. Sentences will be set for translation from English into Persian (30% of the total mark). 2. Two paragraphs will be set for translation from English into Persian (40% of the total mark). 3. Three titles will be set from which candidates should select one as the title for an essay in Persian of about 150 words (30% of the total mark). Candidates should attempt all questions. Paper III. Islamic Studies and History This paper is divided into 4 parts: Part 1 on Islam, Part 2 on The Literatures, Languages and Politics of the Islamic Middle East, Part 3 on Islamic History up to 1258 C.E., and Part 4 on Islamic History from 1258 C.E. onwards. Each Part shall contain no fewer than 3 questions. Candidates are required to answer four questions, one question from each of the four Parts. Each question shall count for 25% of the marks. 8 13

9 SANSKRIT Paper I, Prescribed Texts, will consist of 5 passages for translation into English with a few short questions directed to each passage. The translations will account for 75 marks, the short questions 25. Paper II, Grammar, will consist of two parts carrying equal marks. The first will require answers to about 6 out of about 10 questions, and the second will consist of a passage of English for translation into Sanskrit using the devanāgarī script. Paper III, General Paper, will require answers to 4 out of about 8 questions on Indian history and culture. TURKISH (i) Paper I. Prepared texts and unseen translation from Turkish Texts as specified in the Handbook (available at The paper will be divided into two parts. In Section A four or five extracts from the prescribed texts will be set for translation into English. In Section B an unprepared passage of Turkish will be set for translation into English. Equal marks will be allotted to Section A and Section B. The number of marks assigned to each question will be indicated on the paper. (ii) Paper II. Turkish grammar and translation into Turkish A number of sentences will be set for translation from English into Turkish, which will account for 50% of the marks for the paper. The remaining questions will consist of exercises designed to test knowledge of Turkish grammar, such as completing sentences of which the first few words are provided, filling gaps in sentences with appropriate suffixes, or explaining the difference between pairs of similar sentences. The number of marks assigned to each question will be indicated on the paper. (iii) Islamic Studies and History This paper is divided into 4 parts: Part 1 on Islam, Part 2 on The Literatures, Languages and Politics of the Islamic Middle East, Part 3 on Islamic History up to 1258 C.E., and Part 4 on Islamic History from 1258 C.E. onwards. Each Part shall contain no fewer than 3 questions. Candidates are required to answer four questions, one question from each of the four Parts. Each question shall count for 25% of the marks. 9

10 Chair of Examiners: Professor Mohamed-Salah Omri Hilary Term