Last modified 09/30/97.
What is the format of the exam?
The exam runs from 9AM to 1 PM on a Saturday. You will be given a list of questions divided into four areas. You are to answer one question from each area.
Your exam will have a number on it. You will write that number on each sheet of your answers. You need to remember your exam number to find your score on the results we post.
The faculty grading the answers will only know the exam number, not your name. Only after the grades are voted on will your identity be known.
Can I study in a group?
Yes. It's a good idea. Be careful though: on some exams, we have found several students have given the same wrong answer to a question.
Can I find out which questions I passed and which I failed?
If you fail the exam, we'll tell you which questions you failed. If you pass, you may have failed one question. We won't even mention it.
This means that if you're studying the answers of someone who passed the exam, it is not necessarily true that all those answers passed.
Can I answer a question for a class I never took?
Yes, but why? People who do that seem to have a higher failure rate. You have a better chance with a question over material you've studied.
Will there be questions for courses that have never been taught?
No.
Will there be multiple questions in the exam for a class taught by several instructors?
Typically not. The idea is that there is a core content that should be covered in all sections and by all instructors. However,
- In courses that have been evolving, there may be more than one question.
- In courses listed in more than one area, there will be a question for each area, but you won't be able to answer more than one question per course.
- In some cases, long term instructors for the same course have evolved differing versions. We may include more than one question to reflect the differences.
Some of our faculty, however, insist that the exam is not simply a recapitulation of the material in the classes. The classes have familiarized you with the area of knowledge and you are given the questions, so you should be able to learn whatever new material you need.
Do I have to answer four questions?
You could pass if you answer just three, but the failure rate for people who answer only three is 50%, rather than the overall 5% rate.
Can I leave the exam without turning in an exam?
Yes, if you're quick about it. Read through the exam and see what questions you wish to attempt. If you decide you don't want to take the exam this time, you can leave. But don't stay longer than it takes to read the exam.
This is my last semester. What happens if I fail?
You don't graduate this semester. You will have to register next semester to attempt the exam again.
Is the exam offered in the summer?
No, only in the Spring and Fall. There aren't enough faculty members around in the summer to grade the exam.
What recourse do I have if I fail?
Take the exam again the next semester it's offered. Find out which questions you failed and ask faculty members who teach in those areas for advice on how to answer better.
Can I get the faculty member who failed me to change my grade?
No. There is no one faculty member who makes the decision. One faculty member does a first pass on grading a particular question. If a student seems to have failed more than one question on this first pass, then we hand around the answers to other faculty members. Only if they all agree unanimously that the answer is inadequate is it counted as a failure.
Finally, the exam results are voted on by the CS faculty. Only a vote of the faculty can change the results.
What is the criteria for grading?
We would like to see A-level answers, of course. In practice, the cut-off between fail and pass is the minimum that any of the faculty members grading a question will accept.
How many chances do I have to pass the exam?
You get a second chance automatically. You can petition the CS faculty for a third chance. We've never turned down such a petition. Please just pass the exam, rather than asking how many times we'll let you take it.
How can I tell which questions go with which class?
If you've taken the course, it should be fairly obvious. However, if you're unsure, look through the exam and see which questions seem to go with the classes you are interested in. You can ask the people currently teaching the course whether the questions you picked really do belong with the course.
It is currently against the current policies to announce which questions are for which courses. Some faculty are in favor of it; others oppose. Those who oppose say that the Comps is not merely a repeat of four Final exams, but a test on knowledge of the field. The sole reason for taking questions from particular courses at all is to be sure students get questions that are relevant to those parts of the field they have studied.
How do I know what is the correct answer to a question?
If you have learned the material and consulted books and academic papers, you should be able to recognize the correct answer yourself.
Can I write out an answer and have a faculty member tell me if it is okay before the exam?
This is like a take-home exam, and on a take-home exam, you don't get to try out the answers on the faculty member first and then hand them in later officially.
It is against the policy of the CS department for faculty to look over written answers beforehand: that would create a data base of acceptable answers for people to memorize, rather than learning the material.
Where will the results be posted?
Both at the CSAM office and at Rice. The results will be posted by exam number. You'll need to remember the number of your exam to find your grade.
We will also send you a letter with your grade, but those may not arrive for a week.
Alas, we can't give out results over the phone or via e-mail due to concerns for privacy.
What about cheating?
Anyone caught cheating will be thrown out of the MS program.
If I sign up to take the exam on one campus and later I decide to take it at the other, can I?
You need to let us know a week before the exam to be sure there is a copy of the exam there for you.
What should I bring?
Nothing. We'll supply pens and paper, and calculators to borrow if they are needed.
Will the questions change between the study sheet and the exam?
We will not change the intent of the question, but we may change the data, so learn how to solve the problem; do not learn the solution to a particular instance of it.
Will the same questions be used again next semester?
Probably most of them, but there are no guarantees.