Exams

There are three scheduled exams: two prelims and a final.

EXAM DATE TIME PLACE REVIEW
 WHAT IT COVERS
Prelim 1 3/14/2017 5:30-7:00
7:30-9:00		 GSH132 URHG01 3/12/17 - OLN255
1:00-3:00pm
 P1-StudyGuide.pdf
Prelim 2 4/25/2017 5:30-7:00
7:30-9:00		 Statler Auditorium 4/23/17 - OLN255
1:00-3:00pm
 P2-StudyGuide.pdf
Final 5/21/2017 2:00pm 
Barton Hall
 5/18/17 - Phillips 101
4-6PM		 FinalReview.pdf

 

About the final: The final is optional.

When tentative course letter grades are available, you will see them on the CMS, and wewill also email you to make sure you know about it. Please don't email asking about when the tentative grades will be ready.

As soon as possible, we will post tentative course letter grades. You will answer a 1-question assignment on the CMS: Do you accept the letter grade or will you take the final?  This question will become available at the same time that we post the tentative letter grades.

If you walk into the final room, you must complete the final. For example, you may not decide half way through the final that you don’t want to take it.

A few students missed one of the two prelims and are required to take the final unless other arrangements have been made.

Taking the final may lower or raise your course grade. Our past experience: taking the final changes the letter grade for very few —fewer than 10 in a course of 200, mostly raises.

More information may be posted here as soon as tenttive course grades are available.

BRING YOUR CORNELL ID CARDS TO THE FINAL. WE WILL SCAN THEM IN IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN RECORDS AND PREVENT MISTAKES

 

About prelim 2: Read Carefully

BRING YOUR CORNELL ID CARDS TO THE PRELIM. WE WILL SCAN THEM IN IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN RECORDS AND PREVENT MISTAKES

We apologize for this process of handling conflicts for the prelim. With so many students (over 620), it's the best way to handle this issue. Because the course is so large, we have permission to hold the prelim twice ---if we were not able to give it twice, resolving conflicts would be a nightmare.
The following tells you when you should take prelim 2.

1. 5:30-7:00PM: If your last name begins with a letter in M..Z.

2. 7:30-9:00PM: If your last name begins with a letter in A..L

3. Gates 405 if you are authorized to have a quiet room or more time. This room will be staffed beginning at 5:00PM. Come when you want, early enough to be finished by 9:00. Complete assignment P2Conflict on the CMS BY THE END OF 19 APRIL, telling us what time you will come. If you have an issue with this, consider yourself in the group discussed in point 5.

4. If you have a conflict with your scheduled time (e.g. 5:30) but can make the other time (e.g. 7:30), complete assignment P2Conflict on the CMS BY THE END OF 19 APRIL, giving details of the conflict. Unless you hear from us, just go to the prelim you can attend. If we have an issue with it, we will contact you to discuss it, but that will be the exception.

5. All other conflicts (e.g. you won't be in town because of an athletic event). Email Jenna Edwards jls478@cornell.edu BY THE END OF 19 APRIL. State your name and netid. State your conflict clearly and thoroughly. We will get back to you as soon as possible. DO NOT complete P2Conflict on the CMS.

NOTE: It is standard practice at Cornell to take two prelims in one evening if you have a conflict. Sorry about that.

About the final.

The final is optional. As soon as we have graded everything, we will determine tentative letter grades and make them available on the CMS (hopefully 3-4 daysafter classes end). You will have until 18 May to complete a quiz on the CMS: you either accept the tentative course grade as your course grade or decide to take the final.

If you accept the grade, it is your course grade. It will not be changed.

If you walk into the final room, you must complete the final. For example, you may not decide half way through the final that you don’t want to take it.

A few students missed one of the two prelims and are required to take the final unless other arrangements have been made.

Taking the final may lower or raise your course grade. Our past experience: Taking the final changes the letter grade for very few —fewer than 20-30 in a course of 500. A few lower their grade, more raise their grade, most stay the same.

After the tentative grades are made available, we cannot answer questions like "How close was I to a C? Why didn't I get a B+ instead of a B? My friend got an A+ and I was close to her, why didn't I get it also? What do I have to get on the final to raise my grade? We won't answer those questions.

About course grades

If everyone did A work, everyone would get an A. That has never happened because of the wide range of abilities in this class. For the past 5-6 years, the average grade has been about a B to a B+. We expect that to be the case this semester.

Please read about grades on the course website:
cs.cornell.edu/courses/CS2110/2017sp/courseinfo.html#grading

Review sessions for final

Two review sessions will be scheduled, one on Java and the other on data structures and algorithms.

Conflicts

If you have a conflict with another exam or other university-sponsored event:

By University policy, courses are not obligated to provide makeup exams for students taking concurrent courses, and we will not do so in this course. The Courses of Study states: "Students are expected to be present throughout each semester at all meetings of courses for which they are registered."  The term "meetings" includes exams, even when scheduled in the evening.

Retrieving Exams

We distribute prelims in the CS Handback room, Gates 216, throughout each semester at all meetings of courses for which they are registered."  The term "meetings" includes exams, even when scheduled in the evening.

Retrieving Exams

We distribute prelims in the CS Handback room, Gates 216, usually the day after the prelim. Bring your student ID card. Final exams may be reviewed the following semester but may not be taken from the room. Gates 216 is usually open on weekdays in the afternoon only. Look at schedule on the door.

Past Exams

Prelim 1

Prelim 2

Final

Quizzes

There may be occasional in-class quizzes.

Quizzes will count for a small percentage of your final grade.  Any unused quiz "weight" will be shifted to the exams or assignments.