CSC108H: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, the Help Center, and email.

1. Read the most recent test (midterm or exam, as appropriate), below. This will give you a good idea of what CSC108H tests like. Read it thoroughly, but don't try it yet. And don't look at the solutions yet. Why? To get an idea of what to expect, and a target to aim at when studying.
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 most recent test. Pretend it's the real thing: give yourself the real amount of time to do it, and don't look at the solution. Don't be discouraged if you get stuck often. Get help, ask us questions.
5. When you're done, go back and check your answers against the solution. 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, ArrayLists, parameter use, equals methods, toString methods. (Of course, if you are studying for the midterm then only about half of them apply.)
6. Don't spend time studying what you're good at.
7. Identify the topics you have trouble with. Now that you've seen the solutions, try the questions again (without looking at the solutions).
8. If you have time, try http://wwwcgi.cdf.toronto.edu/~www1/topics.html.
9. Find similar questions on previous tests and do them; ask for help whenever you need it.

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Old midterms

Fall 2006 StG L0101 / UTM midterm and solution

Fall 2006 StG L0201 midterm and solution

Fall 2006 StG L5101 midterm and solution

Fall 2005 StG L0101 / UTM midterm and solution

Fall 2005 StG L0201 midterm and solution

Fall 2005 StG L5101 midterm and solution

Winter 2005 L0101 midterm and solution

Fall 2004 L0101 midterm and solution

Fall 2004 L0201 midterm and solution

Fall 2004 L5101 midterm and solution

Winter 2004 L0101 solution. (We are tracking down the actual midterm.)

Winter 2004 L5101 midterm and solution.

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Old exams (some older links might be broken)

Fall 2005		exam, PDF		solution, PDF
Winter 2005		exam, PDF		solution, PDF
December 2004	exam, postscript	exam, PDF	solution, postscript	solution, PDF
December 2003	exam, Postscript	exam, PDF
December 2002	exam, Postscript	exam, PDF	solution, Postscript	solution, PDF
December 2001	exam, Postscript	exam, PDF	solution, Postscript	solution, PDF
April 2001	exam, Postscript	exam, PDF	solution, Postscript	solution, PDF
December 2000	Not available	Not available	solution, Postscript	solution, PDF
August 2000	exam, Postscript	exam, PDF	solution, Postscript	solution, PDF