Passed

I just got news that I passed the written part of the exam.

Among about 200 candidates who sent in their CV and publications, and 110 who participated in the selection, the commission accepted 25 of us. A tight selection!

The score is thus divided: at most 60 points for each written test = 120 points, then 50 points maximum for the CV and the publications, and 80 for the oral exam, for a total of 250 points. Since the minimum score to pass the written part is 84, there is at most a spread of 36 points between all 25 candidates at this point, which can be easily regained by a good CV and/or oral exam. I do not yet know my score, I will tomorrow.

Regardless of the score of the written tests, which in my case I think is marginally positive - I failed several of the 42 questions, and my dissertation on the CDF calorimeter was rather plain - I believe I have a large probability of winning one of the 16 positions. That is because of my curriculum, which is certainly very good if compared with that of the majority of other participants, and because of the fact that from Padova there are 4 admitted candidates, and probably two of the 16 available positions will be assigned to Padova, if my evaluation is correct.

I am not disappointed - one is never happy to fail a written test - but since I would much rather win a University research position, and two will be available shortly in Padova - through yet as many other written and oral tests -, I am rather unsure of what I should do, if I am offered a INFN research position. There is no basic difference between the two jobs, but I want to teach, and so my natural career would pass through a University research position rather than with the INFN. A INFN researcher becomes a research director one day, while a University researcher becomes a full professor. I rather fancy the latter.

What will be decided in the end depends on too many factors yet. Next week we'll have the oral examinations, and then the picture will become more clear: things do not only depend on how well I do, but how do others who might want the University positions in Padova.

Comments

[neil]

Hooray!
N

[Helge]

Well congratulations :-)

[Kevin]

Congrats, Tommaso!

[Fred]

Bravo and hmmm?

Nice try, Dorigo! But you won't get away with it this time! You left us with one too many clues. We kind of suspected you really were Professor Plum with the candlestick in the conservatory attempting to 'frame' Miss Scarlett with the rope (velvet, I might add) in the kitchen, after having been with her in the dining room with the lead pipe, only to have eventually succeeded in the ball room with your revolver. Truly a very clever Venetian ploy ala Machiavelli. Yes, you are perhaps correct in your assumption, Herr Professor, it might be time to redeploy to Padova in the near future.

p.s. The kitchen scene was undoubtedly your best moment ... since you are Italian, after all.

[zerocold]

110 partecipants and 25 passed the written part, and you say this is a A tight selection?
My fist year calculus exam at the math department of Padua when I was a student, has 203 partecipant and 3 passed with two that passed with 15. I believe that this exams is surely an hardest one, but for a research position...
Congratulations anyway.
zerocold

[Tommaso]

Hmmm since I am italian I guess I was rather in the bedroom with miss Scarlett, and the rope was used only to tie her...

[Lyd]

I fight to have a permanent position and it is unlikely that i will have one. I will have to stop research. Then, it is difficult to heard that someone is not happy to have a permanent position!!!!

[tommaso dorigo]

Hi Lyd,

I understand you very well... The fact is, I fought for 10 years to get one, and now I would like to get what I really want, not something that is almost like it but not exactly.

In general, I believe that if you fight really hard for something you want, you are really likely to get it. So beware of what you wish!

Good luck with your own fight
T.

[tommaso dorigo]

Hi Zerocold,

the fact that n pass out of m is not an estimator of the difficulty of passing, if no prior information is given on the strength of the candidates.

In your case n/m is close to 2%, but objectively it is harder to have to pass a 15% admission exam, if 40% of the candidates are strong and overqualified for the position at stake, as in the case of the exam I am talking about.

Thank you
T.