Exams

Results:

You can now check your final exam score on Canvas. Your exam wil be available to pick up from the CSE front office starting at 9am on 3/25. Please pick up your exam before asking grading questions.

The average is 74.8% and the median is 77% — well done! Scores will not be adjusted.

Stats:

grade adjusted% of class
As (90-100) 94 14%
Bs (80-89) 186 28%
Cs (70-79) 178 27%
Ds (60-69) 116 17%
Es (0-59) 92 14%
question average raw score
Q1 (Binary Search Tree) 5.8 / 6
Q2 (Binary Search Tree) 3.6 / 4
Q3 (Collections Mystery) 5.8 / 8
Q4 (Inheritance Mystery) 13.7 / 15
Q5 (Inheritance Programming) 13.2 / 17
Q6 (Binary Tree Programming) 8.9 / 10
Q7 (Binary Tree Programming) 14.2 / 20
Q8 (Linked List Programming) 8.6 / 20
Qx (Extra Credit) 0.9 / 1

Regrades:

If you believe that one or more problem was incorrectly graded and you would like Allison and Adam to regrade it, you must:

  • Type in the problem(s) to a Java file exactly as it appears on your exam (for mechanical problems, a text file is ok).
  • E-mail Allison or E-mail Adam a detailed description of why you believe your problem(s) were graded incorrectly. Attach the Java file with your code.
  • Give Allison or Adam your original final either in person or slide it under the door of CSE 438 or CSE444.
  • All regrade requests must be received by Fridday, April 3rd.
  • Allison and Adam will regrade your entire exam meaning that your exam score may go down as a result of a regrade request (capped at -2).

Final exam contents:

icon cheat sheet (will be provided as last page of exam)

The questions on the final exam will be selected from the following. Each question will be worth between 5-20 points:

  • Collections mystery: Given some collections code and inputs write the output.
  • Binary search trees: Given a set of values, add them to a binary search tree. Then perform traversals in the three standard orders on that tree.
  • Polymorphism mystery: Given a set of classes with inheritance relationships, a set of variables declared using those classes, and a set of method calls made on those variables, write the output.
  • Inheritance/Comparable programming: Given an existing class, write a complete subclass of it that adds certain features. Write a complete class and make it Comparable based on a given set of comparison criteria. (many of our sample problems include inheritance but your exam will not)
  • Collections programming: Write a method that uses one or more class from the Java Collections framework (with focus on Sets and Maps).
  • Binary tree programming: Add a method to the IntTree class from lecture.
  • Binary tree programming: Add a method to the IntTree class from lecture. Similar in spirit to the previous question but harder (likely involves modifying or building a tree).
  • Linked list programming: Add a method to the LinkedIntList class from lecture.
  • Recursion programming: Write a method that uses recursion

The following topics are guaranteed NOT to be explicitly tested on the final exam:

  • 2-D arrays
  • detailed knowledge of Big-Oh (some questions may ask you to solve them within a certain big-Oh limit, but mainly this is just to ward off extremely inefficient answers)
  • detailed knowledge of search/sort algorithms
  • recursive backtracking (recursion will definitely be needed, but not specific backtracking problems)
  • writing code with 2-D arrays
  • catching exceptions
  • priority queues
  • input/output streams
  • abstract classes
  • inner classes
  • implementing an Iterator class
  • implementing a "generic" class (one that accepts type parameters such as <T>)
  • hashing

Practice Exams:

We strongly suggest that you try to solve all of these problems yourself, on paper, without a computer, and without looking at the answer key until you're done. You may also want to time yourself to practice your pacing.

icon practice final exam (key at the bottom)

Our actual final exam will be most similar to the practice exam above. Additional practice problems can be found in Practice-It or in the PDFs below:

Midterm Exam

Results:

You can now check your midterm score on Canvas. Your exam wil be returned to you in section on Tuesday. Please wait to receive your exam before asking grading questions.

Stats:

stat
MEDIAN 81
AVG 77.1
grade counts% of class
As (90-100) 216 30%
Bs (80-89) 163 23%
Cs (70-79) 129 18%
Ds (60-69) 90 13%
Es (0-59) 119 17%
question average score
Q1 (ArrayList mystery) 17.2 / 20
Q2 (Recursive tracing) 13.4 / 15
Q3 (Linked lists) 11.9 / 15
Q4 (Stacks and queues) 13.5 / 20
Q5 (Recursion) 11.1 / 15
Q6 (Collections) 11.1 / 15

Low Grades: some students ask about how much effect a lower midterm score will that have on their grade, or what are their options, etc.? Most of the information to answer this can be found on this web site. The course syllabus lists the relative grading weight of homework vs. midterm vs. final exam, so you can use that to compute the rough effect on your grade of a particular midterm score. You may want to use our new Grade-a-nator page to help you compute your approximate grade. Also look at our FAQ page for info about S/NS grading options, drop dates, and other information.

Regrades:

If your exam score was simply added up incorrectly, take it to your TA and they'll fix it for you.

If you believe that one or more programming problem was incorrectly graded and you would like Allison or Adam to regrade it, you must:

  • Type in the problem(s) to a Java file exactly as it appears on your exam.
  • E-mail Allison and Adam a detailed description of why you believe your problem(s) were graded incorrectly. Attach the Java file with your code.
  • Give Allison or Adam your original midterm either in person or slide it under Allison's door (CSE438) or Adam's door (CSE444).
  • All regrade requests must be received by Thursday, February 26th.
  • Allison and Adam will regrade your entire exam meaning that your exam score may go down as a result of a regrade request (capped at -2).

Midterm Content

icon cheat sheet (will be provided as last page of exam)

Material from Weeks 1-5 is considered "fair game" for questions on the midterm. The actual midterm exam will have 6-8 total problems. Those problems will be selected from the following kinds of questions (and no other kinds of questions):

  • ArrayList "mystery" (look at a piece of code that uses ArrayLists, and write its output -- video)
  • ArrayList programming (write a method that uses ArrayLists)
  • ArrayIntList programming (add a method to the ArrayIntList class from lecture)
  • Collection programming (write a method that uses Java collections such as Lists, Sets, and Maps)
  • stack and queue programming (write a method that uses Stacks and Queues)
  • linked list node manipulation (write a few lines of code to change a "before" picture of some linked nodes into an "after" picture -- video)
  • recursion tracing (look at a piece of recursive code, and write its output)
  • recursion programming (write a method that uses recursion)
  • The following topics are guaranteed NOT to be required to solve any problem on the midterm:
    • Java I/O, file processing, Scanner
    • programming with inheritance (extending a class, etc.)
    • writing an interface (though you might have to write a method that accepts a parameter of interface type, such as List, Set, Map, etc.
    • testing, debugging, commenting
    • grammars
    • Iterator

Practice-It has many sample midterms. We recommend that you practice on paper so here are PDFs you can print out:

Midterm Rules and Information:

  • You must sit in your assigned seat. The seat assignments are:
    • Kane 120 (all A sections): list, map
    • Kane 130 (all B sections): list, map
  • We may ask to check your UW ID card during the exam so please have it ready.
  • You will have 60 minutes to complete the exam. You may receive a 10-point deduction if you keep your exam booklet open after time is called.
  • The exam is closed-book. You must work alone and may not use any computing devices of any kind including calculators or digital copies of the textbook. Cell phones, music players, and other electronic devices may NOT be out during the exam for any reason.
  • Unless a question specifically mentions otherwise, the code you write will be graded purely on external correctness (proper behavior and output) and not on internal correctness (style). So, for example, redundancy or lack of comments will not reduce your score.
  • You don't need to write any import statements in your exam code.
  • You may use S.o.p for System.out.print and S.o.pln for System.out.println. Otherwise do not abbreviate any code on the exam.
  • Please be quiet during the exam. If you have a question or need, please raise your hand.
  • Corrections or clarifications to the exam will be written at the front of the room.
  • If you violate the University Code of Conduct during the exam, you may receive a 0% for the exam and possibly further punishment.
  • When you have finished the exam, please turn in your exam quietly and leave the room.
  • If you enter the room, you must turn in an exam paper and will not be permitted to leave the room without doing so.