qual

noun

1. (alt-of)Alternative letter-case form of qual.
2. (countable, plural-normally, uncountable)Qualifying exam. An exam taken by someone (usually a grad student or prospective grad student) to measure their mastery in something, usually an academic field.

   “He'd refused to say anything more, because he didn't want to distract her with his problems on the eve of the Quals.”

   “To be a theorist, you also had to pass a special theory section on the quals.”

3. (uncountable)Qualitative analysis or research.

   “We believe there is a role for both qual and quant in professional services.”

4. (alt-of, alternative, countable, uncountable)Alternative form of quali.
5. qualification exam for artificial intelligence

   “Well, that reminds me of the QUAL [qualification exam for artificial intelligence].”

adj

1. (abbreviation, alt-of, not-comparable)Short for qualitative

   “Finally, in the school of education, I found coursework that included qual and quant methodology.”