Exam 1: Admission Ticket, Description, and Rules
Admission Ticket

For each exam in CSSE 120, you MUST have completed all the practice problems, both paper-and-pencil and on-the-computer, to your instructor's satisfaction, BEFORE you take the exam.

  • That is, completing those practice problems are your Admission Ticket for taking the exam.

For Exam 1, the practice problems are:

  1. The 05a-Debugging project in PyCharm.
  2. The 05b-Exam1Practice project in PyCharm.
  3. The Paper-and-Pencil Practice Problems for Exam 1, including checking your answers via this Answer Key for those problems.
    • Of course, check each answer AFTER (!) doing each problem. To do otherwise would only harm your learning.

You demonstrate that you have completed the practice problems by submitting your solutions to Moodle in the usual way (in Sessions 5 and 6, respectively).

As additional preparation for the exam, you should do the following:

  1. Read this Academic Integrity statement. You will sign a copy of that document at the end of the exam.
  2. Read this list of frequently asked questions (with answers) for Exam 1.
    • It contains questions that students have, in the past, wished they had understood answers to BEFORE taking Exam 1.
    • You may refer to this document while doing the On-the-Computer part of the exam.

Neither of the above two items form part of your Admission Ticket, but you would be wise to have read both BEFORE taking the exam.

Two parts: Paper-and-Pencil and On-the-Computer

  1. Time limit: You have 2 hours to complete the exam (both parts), plus a 30-minute grace period.

  2. Communication: For both parts of the exam, you must not communicate with anyone except your instructors and their assistants, if any. In particular:

    • During the exam, you must not talk with anyone else or exchange information with them during the exam.
    • After the exam, you must not talk about the exam with anyone who has not yet taken it.
    • During the exam, do NOT use email, chat or the like. Close any such applications before beginning the exam.

  3. Questions during the exam: Throughout the exam, if you have a question about WHAT we are asking you to do, e.g. if you do not understand the specification of a function that you are to implement, ask ANY of the instructors to explain WHAT you are to do for the problem. (If a student assistant is proctoring your room, ask them to get an instructor.)

    You are on your own for solving the problems. In particular we will not answer any questions about error messages.

  4. You are welcome to leave the room to use the restroom, stretch your legs, go outside to get a break from your mask, or whatever. You do not need to ask permission to do so. But remember: Do NOT talk to ANYONE about ANYTHING when you do so.
  5. Assistive devices: You may use any assistive devices you normally use for taking exams, including but not limited to the following:
    • Dictionaries and/or translators.
    • Hearing, vision and hand-writing assistive devices.
    • Devices to address dyslexia.
    • A calculator (but only for computing numeric values (no programming).
    • Blank paper and/or blank post-it notes. (We'll bring some.)
    • If your proctor permits it, you may listen to quiet music using headphones to the extent that it does not disturb other students.
  6. We want you to have a testing environment in which you are comfortable.
    • Of course we will honor all accommodations (including extra time) for students that have obtained official letters stating so.
    • Additionally, if you need a quieter or more secluded place to take the exam, or if there are other accommodations that help you be more effective in demonstrating your knowledge/understanding via this exam, do not hesitate to discuss them in advance with your instructor.
When and Where is Exam 1?
  1. When: Monday evening, September 20, from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
    • So NOT our regular class day, NOT our regular class time.
  2. Where:
    • Section 1 (Mutchler): Olin 257
    • Section 2 (Mutchler): Olin 259
  3. There IS REGULAR CLASS on Tuesday, September 21.
Paper-and-Pencil part of Exam 1

Follow this link for additional IMPORTANT information about the Paper-and-Pencil part of the exam.

On-the-Computer part of Exam 1

Follow this link for additional IMPORTANT information about the On-the-Computer part of the exam.