| Test | Weight | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Midterm Test | 15% | Thursday, June 19, 1:10-2:10, in class |
| Final Exam | 45% | Exam period |
Check the past course offerings section for links to material from previous offerings of this course.
The midterm test will last approximately 60 minutes and will be held during regularly scheduled lecture time.
If you have any serious conflict with the time or date of the midterm test please inform your instructor immediately to make alternative arrangements.
The test and final exam will be closed book (i.e., NO aids allowed), and the midterm should be written in pen (remarking requests for tests written in pencil will not be accepted) — the test paper will have lots of room for rough work.
We want to encourage you to be honest about what you know and what you do not know, because it's important to be aware of the level of your knowledge. For this reason, if you cannot answer a question (or part of a question) on a term test or on the final exam, you will receive 20% of the marks for that question (or part of a question) if you write
I do not know how to answer this question.
(or something similar) in the space reserved for your answer. You will NOT receive the 20% if you leave your answer completely blank, or if you write anything in addition to the sentence above, because neither of those cases show that you are aware of what you don't know. However, if you cross off an answer that you realized was wrong (so it will not be marked), and then write the sentence above, you will receive the 20%.
Note that it is certainly possible to get less than 20% on a question, if you write an answer that is mostly incorrect.
The midterm test will be written during regularly scheduled lecture time in the regular room on Thursday, June 19, lasting about 60 minutes (1:10-2:10pm).
The test may cover everything up to and including hash tables (and including assignment 2). The test will be similar to the tests from past terms, so they (and the assignments) will be a good source of study material.
You should know each of the data structures covered in class. For each data structure, you should know how each operation works and its worst-case running time. You should be able to write algorithms and prove facts using your knowledge of the data structures covered in class.
Some of the topics that may be covered by the test (obviously I can't test everything) include:
Test paper as written:
PS
Sample solutions:
PDF
Please note that the order of material coverage and topic details might be different in some offerings, so not all questions might be applicable to our class. Some of the past tests are for similar courses from other campuses -- though much of the material is the same, their course descriptions are different, so imagine what a similar question for our course might be.
Unfortunately, I do not have any test solutions or test papers that are not listed below (though if you find some, please let me know and I'll add them to this list!).
The U of T Library keeps scanned copies of previous final exams on the downtown and UTM campuses (I don't think they collect UTSC exams, unfortunately). The CSC 263/265 courses at downtown and UTM cover mostly the same material as our course. Go to the UofT St.George Library Past Exams website or UofT UTM Library Past Exams website to access them.
The final exam will be written at the time set by the faculty registrar in the Final Exam Schedule, which is now available. Make sure you note the date, time and room carefully. Follow the instructions provided by the faculty if you have a conflict for the final exam.
The exam is set for three hours in length, though it might not take you the entire time. The exam is closed-book. Be sure you are familiar with the Rules for the Conduct of Examinations, as the Registrar runs the examinations separately from your instructor (thus your instructor can't do much to help you in the exam room if you unintentionally break the rules). Pay particular attention to prohibited items (such as electronic devices). Further details about the exam, and a number of past exams, will be posted later.
Old final exams are a great source of study questions. The library indexes past exams for many UofT courses. Visit the library website to get scanned copies of old exams (see the past exams section).
Some of the topics that may be covered by the final exam (obviously I can't test everything) include:
|
|