Assessment

As indicated in the Grades page, assessment in this course is based on performing eight pass/fail labs and taking four tests and an exam. The four tests are held during the term at the dates specified in the Calendar page. The exam is held during the final examination period at a date/place set by the Registrar Office. This page provides information about the tests and the exam in term of policies, scope, and outline.

• This is a closed-book, 80-min test that will be held in class during the second half of lecture.
• Bring a Photo ID, pens/pencils, and a calculator
• You may also bring one 8.5“x11” information sheet of notes of your own (both sides, written or typed, any font). The MIPS Sheet will be provided.
• You may not bring any other sheet of paper. You can use the backside of the test booklet for scratch work.
• Seating may be preassigned and there may be several test versions.
• No questions will be allowed during the test.

Expect three types of questions:

• Questions that test your understanding of the foundational concepts. They may involve word problems or short answers.
• Questions that test your ability to read and understand MIPS code. They may present you with a fragment and ask you to determine its output or overall function.
• Questions that test your ability to write MIPS code. They may ask ask you to translate a Java fragment to MIPS or to write a fragment that accomplishes a given task.

• This is a closed-book, 160-min test held in PRISM during the lab session <hi>in which you are registered</hi>. The lab will be in labtest mode, i.e. as in regular lab sessions.
• Bring a Photo ID and optionally one 8.5“x11” information sheet of notes of your own (both sides, written or typed, any font). The MIPS Sheet and Lab Handbook will be accessible. You may not use any other sheet of paper.
• Seating may be preassigned and there may be several test versions.
• No questions will be allowed during the test.

<Hi>Note:</Hi> Once you log in, you will be recorded as having taken the test, regardless of whether or not you submitted anything. Hence, unlike the lab exercises, you cannot see the question and then decide to leave and come back again later.

<Hi>Note:</Hi> The system will not allow you to login if you are registered in a different lab session. Check your registration schedule and go to the session recorded on it.

Expect questions of the exact same type and level as lab exercises A through D. You will be asked to write a program that meets a given specification. Partial credit will be given to programs that fail to completely meet the specs.

• This is a closed-book, 110-min test that will be held in class during the lecture.
• Bring a Photo ID, pens/pencils, and a calculator
• You may also bring one 8.5“x11” information sheet of notes and diagrams (both sides, written or typed, any font). The MIPS Sheet will be provided.
• You may not bring any other sheet of paper. You can use the backside of the test booklet for scratch work.
• Seating may be preassigned and there may be several test versions.
• No questions will be allowed during the test.

Expect three types of questions:

• Questions that test your understanding of the concepts that underlie the topics covered since the first test. They may involve word problems and/or short answers.
• Questions that test your ability to reason about programs involving malware and/or floating-point numbers.
• Questions that test your understanding of digital logic circuits in general and the MIPS CPU in particular.

• This is a closed-book, 160-min test held in PRISM during the lab session <hi>in which you are registered</hi>. The lab will be in labtest mode, i.e. as in regular lab sessions.
• Bring a Photo ID and optionally one 8.5“x11” information sheet of notes of your own (both sides, written or typed, any font). The MIPS Sheet and Lab Handbook will be accessible. You may not use any other sheet of paper.
• Seating may be preassigned and there may be several test versions.
• No questions will be allowed during the test.

<Hi>Note:</Hi> Once you log in, you will be recorded as having taken the test, regardless of whether or not you submitted anything. Hence, unlike the lab exercises, you cannot see the question and then decide to leave and come back again later.

<Hi>Note:</Hi> The system will not allow you to login if you are registered in a different lab session. Check your registration schedule and go to the session recorded on it.

Expect questions of the exact same type and level as lab exercises K through N. You will be asked to write modules that test a given circuit; create a circuit given what it does; and/or determine what is wrong with a given circuit and fix it.

• This is a closed-book, 150-min exam. Check the Registrar Office site for date, time, and venue.
• If you miss the exam, email the instructor asap, prepare a full petition package (a simple doctor note will not do), and submit to the Registrar Office. This course does not have a deferred exam.
• Bring a Photo ID, pens/pencils, and a calculator
• You may bring one 8.5“x11” information sheet of notes (both sides, written or typed, any font). Note that the MIPS Sheet and some CPU diagrams will be provided.
• You may not bring any other sheet of paper, blank or not.
• Seating may be preassigned and there may be several exam versions.
• No questions will be allowed during the exam.

This exam has the same outline as the in-class tests. Its scope is the entire course but the emphasis is on the second half of the course.