We have mid-quarter and end-quarter exams. The mid-quarter is a check-in to assess your understanding of core topics covered in the first half of the course and help you chart a path forward. The final is a comprehensive assessment of your mastery of the course learning goals. Our exam schedule is as follows:
- Midterm Exam: Friday, July 18, 1:30 - 3:30 PM
- Final Exam: Friday, August 15, 3:30 - 6:30 PM
We know that you work hard on completing your programming assignments, and that work forms the primary mechanism for growing your coding practice skills and learning the core concepts. Growing and learning is a journey, and each weekly assignment has the possibility for setbacks and redemption. Exams allow you to demonstrate that after all those assignment ups and downs, you eventually reached a place of mastery at the level we expect for this course.
Watch this space for further details about exam logistics and practice problems to be released as the exams approach.
Common questions about exams
What is the format of the exams?
The exams will be pen-and-paper, closed-book and closed-device. You will be provided with our standard reference sheet. Most questions will ask you to write a function that accomplishes a particular task. Other questions may ask you to read a provided passage of code and analyze or reason about its behavior. There may also be short answer questions to answer in prose.
More details about exam format and topic coverage will be released as we approach each exam.
What is the policy on alternate/makeup exams?
We very much appreciate your willingness in making arrangements to attend the out-of-class midterm at its scheduled time. If you have an unavoidable conflict, we will try to work with you to arrange an alternate time on that day. (There will be a place to give us a heads up about a conflict on Assignment 0.) The final exam time is scheduled by the registrar; we will not offer any alternate finals. Please confirm you will be able to attend the final before enrolling in the course.
Exam Day Expectations
Here are some things to expect on exam day. Stanford's Academic Integrity Working Group has identified the following as best practices for delivering exams in large classes, and we will follow these procedures to help ensure the integrity of our test-taking environment. We will also be actively proctoring all exams in this class this quarter.
- Seating chart. We will have assigned seating during the midterm and final. Details about seating arrangements will be provided as we approach our first exam.
- ID required. We will require everyone to present a Stanford student ID when turning in their exam.
- No backpacks at seats. We will ask that all backpacks be left at the front of the classroom during the exam. To avoid a huge pile-up, please consider bringing only what you need to the exam (writing implements, namely) and leaving your backpacks behind. You are welcome to bring a small purse or fanny pack at your seat, as long as it is tucked out of reach and out of sight during the exam.
- No cell phones, calculators, or other electronic devices. Accessing a cell phone or other electronic device during the exam, even to check the time, is prohibited. We'll make sure there's a readable clock in the classroom.