The OQE is an evaluation of the student's ability and progress as judged by a committee of experienced professionals.
The best preparation is long-term: by the time of the examination the student should have had enough exposure to the mainstream of computer science activity to carry on an informed discussion of the main goals and technical concepts in the areas of computer science, defined by the core graduate subjects, and his or her professional mastery of some specific topic should be evident.
Students who have had no prior experience with oral examinations or oral presentations of technical material may be at a disadvantage on the examination. From early in his/her graduate career, a student should be seeking opportunities to discuss technical material with faculty and other students. Presenting lectures in research seminars or teaching recitation sections is particularly valuable experience.
In the weeks immmediately preceding the OQE, it is probably unwise to attempt to learn new material solely for the examination. A review of courses previously taken and other material studied dealing with the areas of examination is generally most effective.
When, as is usually the case, the examining committee chair has asked the student to prepare a presentation of recent research, the student should practice and time his/her presentation beforehand, preferably before an audience of interested students or faculty. A typical weakness of students' research presentations is a concentration on particular technical details without explanation of where the problems arise or what the research goals may be. The best presentations are generally ``top-down,'' beginning with an overview of the research area, progressing to subareas, and finally reaching the student's own research.