The term GRAD STUDENT'S HURDLE refers to the ORAL exams that graduate students must take in order to complete their degree. ORAL is a four letter word meaning a spoken examination, while ORALS is a five letter word meaning the same thing. ORALEXAM is an eight letter word meaning an ORAL examination. These exams are typically taken at the end of a student's graduate program and are used to assess their knowledge and understanding of the material they have studied.