Department of Information Technology
Department of Information Technology
Uppsala UniversityInformation TechnologyDARK1, Fall 2004, Distance
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Computer Architecture, First Course

Examination, FAQ

1. What kind of questions will we get on the written exam?

The written exam is one of the exercises (number five) among the total of seven exercises. Compared to other courses the written exam is less important. All questions should be possible to answer in one sentence. The questions are picked from a list of words that is available on the exam homepage. A total of 30 words will be picked from the list. These should be explained by the student at the exam.

2. Why are there so many exercises?

You will learn more and get and easier written exam.

3. Can we work together?

All exercises except the written exam can be solved in a group of two persons. The written exam must be individually solved.

4. Can I change groups between two exercises?

Yes!

5. Can I change groups during the same exercise.

No! Not if you have started doing the exercise.

6. Can I solve all exercises myself?

Yes!

7. Why are the deadlines hard?

To give both the students and the teachers a reasonable workload.

8. What happens if I miss a deadline?

New exams are held at the next course instance and in August. Sign up for one of those. The same course is given in period 2, 3 and 4 each year.

9. I missed a deadline since I had to have heart surgery that day. Can I take it later?

You may ask the responsible teacher who will make the decision. However, the teachers are judging the cases strictly.

10. I have already taken the labs. Can I count these labs?

Normally not! The teacher makes the decision.

11. Can I write in English?

Sure. English and Swedish are allowed.

12. Francais?

Les professeurs ne parlent pas francais tres bien. Je suis desole. Anglais ou Suedois seulement.

13. Swahili?

Let's go on to more serious questions...

14. Where should I turn in the solutions?

You should give the written solutions to the teacher when you take the oral exam.

15. How do I know when the oral exam takes place?

A few days before the exam, reservation lists are put up on the responsible teacher's door. Put your name in an empty position on the list! Each group will get 15 minutes for the oral presentation of each exercise.

16. I came to late - will I fail the exam?

If there are still available slots, make a new reservation.

17. How can it take 15 minutes to turn in an exercise?

It should only take 2 seconds to turn in the solution and 14 minutes and 58 seconds to answer the teacher's questions.

18. What should I bring to the oral presentation?

The whole written solution including all diagrams, code and description. In some exercises you have to search for literature, don't forget the references!

19. Can we keep the solutions after the presentation?

Not immediately. The teachers will take a close look at the written parts to make sure that the solutions have not been copied from someone else. You will get your solution back a week or two later.

20. What questions will the teacher ask?

Both questions about the solution and about the related material.

21. Related material sounds scary, how do I know what questions that will be asked?

There will be simple solutions related to the material in the course. What is related is specified in each exercise.

22. If we work together in a group, is it enough that one of us put together the solution?

The solution is to be completed jointly. We have the oral examination to check that both students know the solution well.

23. Is it enough if one person in the group show up at the exam?

Well, just that person will have a chance to pass the exam...

24. Can two students in the same group receive different grades?

Yes, that is dependent on the oral examination.

25. Can we answer jointly as a group during the oral presentation?

No! The teacher will tell who should answer each question.

26. I would prefer to have oral presentation with the cute teacher XXXX, can I write that on the reservation list?

No, the teachers decide who will have the exams.

27. Can I take part in my friend's oral examination?

No, not unless you are in the same group.

28. I almost passed but the teacher thought that one of the graphs was bad looking. What could happen then?

The teacher can decide that you can supplement the exercise. The retakes take place at the end of the course. Only the part that is not satisfactory has to be presented. Only supplements can be presented at the retake occasion! You can not present a solution for the first time at the retake occasion.

29. The teacher still thinks the graph is lousy. Can I have another retake?

No!

30. What happends if I fail an exercise?

New exams are given at the end of August and at each course instance during the year. The same course takes place in period 2, 3 and 4 each year. It is up to you to look in their schedule to find out when these courses have there exam days for different exercises. Don't forget to sign up on the reservation list!

31. When I do the exam at the end of August, do I have to retake all the exercises or just the one ones you failed?

Just the failed exercises!

32. How long are passed exercises valid?

Normally one year.

33. What happens if I fail each exam during the year?

The course is given each year. Take it another time!

34. Who is responsible for the course?

One teacher is responsible for the whole course, will register students attending the course, report results and answer general questions. Who that is you can find out on the Dark introduction page. There are three teachers responsible for giving lectures during the course. These teachers are also responsible for different parts of the examiniation. Erik Berg is responsible for the assembler programming part, Joachim Parrow takes care of the digital logics and the written exam and Dan Wallin is responsible for the microprogramming, pipelines and the microprocessor report. If you have questions about the exercises you should ask the responsible teacher for each exercise.

35. Can I appeal the grading?

If you don't think you have been properly graded you should first talk to the teacher for whom you did the exam. Formally, the course responsible teacjer is the one who sets the grades. You could talk to this teacher also. According to present Swedish law grading can not be appealed. However, if you are really upset you could also talk to the "studierektor" or the "prefekt" at the IT-department. Uppsala university also has a "betygsombudsman".

36. How do you deal with cheating, for example not allowed collaboration?

If two identical or copied written solution are turned in from two groups, both groups will fail the examination. We will report all forms of cheating to the disciplinary board at the university. They take disciplinary action several times each year.

37. That is really unfair, they copied our exercise!

Yes! Keep your solutions in a safe place!

38. Will you really fail people this way?

It has happened several times...

39. How many students usually pass the exercises?

The goal is that everybody will pass. Most students pass all exercises. A few students failed on each exercise last year.

40. How many usually pass the written exam?

So far about 75 percent of the students have passed the written exam each time it has been given.

41. Why have you written such a giant FAQ about the examination? Don't you do anything more useful during the days?

The teachers take each failed student as a personal failure and will put a large effort at preparing the students for the examinations.

Updated  2004-11-09 10:30:02 by Zoran Radovic.