Options in Part II: The Faculty perspective

Part II is the first and last examination in which you will be examined by a body of examiners representing the Faculty as a whole, so it will be as well to begin by recapitulating some of the regulations that affect you as a student of MML, rather than as a student of Italian. 

Part II is made up of seven elements (two of which will have been disposed of by the time you start systematic work in your final year):

• Year Abroad Project (consult the website for important deadlines) 
• an oral examination in a language (taken just before the start of the Michaelmas Term) 
• two written language examinations 
• three scheduled papers (or two scheduled papers and an alternative dissertation) 

Regulations concerning the Year Abroad Project are available on the web or in a booklet from the Faculty Office. The submission date is in mid-October of your final year. As a guide to what is expected, copies of past dissertations are available for consultation in the MML Library.

You may take the oral examination in any of the languages recognised by the Faculty, but bear in mind that one of your two written language papers must be in the same language as the oral. In practice, of course, it is expected that you will take the oral examination in the language of the country where you spent the Year Abroad. You will have to indicate your choice of language for the oral before leaving for the year abroad.  The examination itself will consist of a twenty-minute discussion between you and the examiners on a topic chosen from a list published in the Reporter. All the topics are related to the Schedule II papers available to you in Part II. Click here for the list of prescribed topics.

Like the Oral, the written language examinations (Translation/Composition and Essay) may be done in any language taught in the Faculty with the restriction that one of the written language papers must be in the language in which you do the Oral examination. It is possible to do the Translation/Composition in one language and the Essay in another, but it is usually advisable to do both papers in one language. (It is always advisable to take at least one scheduled paper in the same language as your Essay paper.)

More information about Part II language work in Italian is available.