Preliminary Examination in Religion and Oriental Studies

Differences from 2018/19 to 2021/22

A

1. The languages, subjects, and papers, in the examination shall be under the joint supervision of the Boards of the Faculties of Theology and Religion, and of Oriental Studies, which shall appoint a standing joint committee to make, and to submit to the two boards, proposals for regulations concerning the examination.

2. All candidates must offer Paper 1301 Religion and Religions.

3. All candidates must offer one of Pali, Tibetan, Sanskrit, Hindi, Arabic, Hebrew, or Greek.

4. A candidate shall be deemed to have passed the examination when he or shethey shall have satisfied the Examiners in all the papers associated with one of the languages specified in the regulations, and Paper 1301.

5. Candidates must offer all subjects at one examination provided that: (i) in languages for which four assessments are required, a candidate who fails in one or two assessments may offer those subjects at one subsequent examination, and a candidate who fails three or four assessments must offer all four subjects at one subsequent examination; and (ii) in languages for which three assessments are required, a candidate who fails in one assessment may offer that subject at one subsequent examination, and a candidate who fails two or three assessments must offer all three subjects at one subsequent examination.

6. In the case of candidates who have satisfied the Examiners in all the assessments at a single examination, the Examiners may award a distinction to those of special merit.

7. Written examinations will take place in Trinity term of the year of the Preliminary examination.

B

Schedule of papers

1301. Religion and Religions

Candidates will be required to offer one three-hour paper.

Pali

Candidates will be required to offer three three-hour papers.

1. Texts I: Candidates will be expected to comment on set texts from the Pali Canon.

2. Texts II

3. Grammar: Candidates will be expected to show knowledge of Pali grammar, syntax and vocabulary.

Tibetan

Candidates will be required to offer two three-hour papers and an oral/aural examination.

1. Set texts: Candidates will be expected to translate and comment on Tibetan set texts.

2. Unseen translation, prose composition and grammar: Candidates will be expected to show knowledge of Tibetan grammar and an ability to translate unseen texts from Tibetan into English and to compose a passage in Tibetan.

3. Oral/aural examination

Sanskrit

Candidates will be required to offer three three-hour papers.

1. Sanskrit I: Texts I 

2. Texts Sanskrit II: Grammar

3. Sanskrit Grammar III: Additional Texts

Hindi

Candidates will be required to offer three three-hour papers.

1. Texts I

2. Texts II

3. Grammar and Translation.

Arabic

Candidates will be required to offer two three-hour papers and an oral/aural examination.

1. Translation and precis into English

2. Comprehension, composition, and grammar

3. Oral/aural examination

Hebrew

Candidates will be required to offer three three-hour papers.

1. Hebrew Texts I: Biblical and Rabbinic Hebrew

2. Hebrew Texts II: Medieval and Modern Hebrew

3. Grammar and Translation into Hebrew

Greek

Candidates will be required to offer three three-hour papers.

1. Classical Greek texts

2. New Testament Greek

3. Greek language