APS101:Tests

Studying for the midterm and final exam

Here is the process we recommend that you follow in order to prepare for the midterm and final exam (especially the exam). It is an ordered list, so don't skip steps. Throughout this process, come get help when you need it: office hours, tutorials, and the bulletin board.

  1. Read the sample test (midterm or exam, as appropriate), below. This will give you a good idea of what APS101 tests like. Read it thoroughly, but don't try it yet.
  2. Do all the closed labs and/or tutorials again. Focus on the ones you had the most trouble with. To save time here, don't do the ones you thought were easy --although those should take you a half hour or less. Why? To get practice with the details, with a computer to help you find the errors.
  3. Review your assignments. Figure out which labs/tutorials apply to which assignments, and make sure you understand the assignment solutions, if they are posted.
  4. Take the sample test. Pretend it's the real thing: give yourself the real amount of time to do it. Don't be discouraged if you get stuck often. Get help, ask us questions.
  5. When you're done, find the questions you knew how to do, and identify the topics you're good at: possible topics include (at least) loops, if statements, class design, inheritance, public/private issues, overriding, overloading, arrays, parameter use, equals methods, toString methods. (Of course, if you are studying for the midterm then less than half of them apply.)
  6. Don't spend time studying what you're good at.

Here is the sample midterm

sample exam (to be posted)