| When | Exam Materials |
| Friday, June 7, 8:30 - 11:30 AM | End-quarter exam |
| Thursday, May 9, 7:00 - 9:00 PM | Mid-quarter exam |
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. The midterm exam is scheduled for Thursday, May 9, 7:00 - 9:00 PM and final exam at Friday, June 7, 8:30 - 11:30 AM.
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 assigmnment 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 and can bring one page of your own prepared notes. 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.
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 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
👉 This course is participating in the proctoring pilot overseen by the Academic Integrity Working Group (AIWG). The purpose of this pilot is to determine the efficacy of proctoring and develop effective practices for proctoring in-person exams at Stanford. To find more details on the pilot or the working group, please visit the AIWG's webpage.
For more information about the goals of the proctoring pilot and information about how any survey data will be used, see:
AIWG Course Information for Proctoring Pilot
Related to that, here are some things to expect on exam day:
Best Practices (already permissible in all Stanford classes)
The AIWG has identified the following as best practices for delivering exams in large classes and has asked us to implement these as part of our participation in the proctoring pilot. All of these practices are already permissible in all Stanford classes and will help ensure the integrity of our test-taking environment:
- 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 at some point during the exam. That might occur at check-in time or when turning in the exam. The logistics for this are still under discussion and will be announced as we approach our first 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 and any permissible reference sheet) 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. Accessing a cell phone during the exam, even to check the time, is prohibited. We'll make sure there's a readable clock in the classroom.
New Practices (only permissible under the AIWG study)
- Proctors. Proctors will be present in the room during each exam. All proctors will have gone through training with the AIWG and will focus on being equity-minded and minimally distracting while helping to ensure the integrity of our testing environment.