Programming test question(Teacher expectations too high?)

[Nitemare]

I'm taking an intermediate programming class this semester and am concerned in the way that tests are given.

He gives about 30 minutes to do a 5 minute, fill in the blank, true/false portion and 60 minutes to write 2 c++ programs from scratch, including any planning, pseudocoding and debugging that you have to do.

Is it me or is the expectation for writing the programs sort of too high, especially considering that they aren't that easy...arrays, classes, pointers, friend functions, header files and everything rolled in to one.

 

[royaldank]

that sounds tough...depending on what type of programming you are doing.

What's an example type question?

 

[Ns1]

i think the coding part is too much ^_^

 

[Electric Amish]

It depends on what the coding assignments are.

amish

 

[kt]

a sample coding question would really help in determining whether the test is reasonable or not.

 

[GermyBoy]

Sounds like your teacher is a mean person. Nowhere near as mean as my prof though. He compares everyones code to this semester, and previous semesters hoemworks. He fails the highest number of kids a semester I hear.

 

[Ameesh]

i think you're a baby, if you're not ready to get your ass kicked in your comp sci classes maybe you should be come a lit major so they wont be so tough on you.

 

[Nitemare]

For the last one, it had a fairly easy one and then it had something like this.

Write a program which uses a friend function. This program will take the users input into an array....Not sure of the rest, I don't have it in front of me, but I had to use a pointer and a class as well as sort the input(alpha and numeric) in ascending order.

This class started off with the "Hello, world" and is only about 10 weeks into it.

 

[Electric Amish]

<< but I had to use a pointer >>




OMG!!!!!!NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!AIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! (or something like that)...

amish

 

[AmigaMan]

sounds about right. My profs gave that sort of test in a couple of my CS classes as final exams. The usual test throughout the semester weren't like that, mostly they were fill-in-the-blank types and short, short programming/pseudo-code questions. But these were for an hour long class. Why do you have 1 1/2 hour classes anyways?

 

[Nitemare]

<< i think you're a baby, if you're not ready to get your ass kicked in your comp sci classes maybe you should be come a lit major so they wont be so tough on you. >>



I'm not the only one..Ocer half the class has dropped and only one person was able to do the last homework assignment, only 3 the week before.

 

[BigJohnKC]

I would hope that after ten weeks of C++ you would be able to use a friend function, I vaguely recall them even though I taught C++ to myself about 3-4 years ago. Just remember, anything you do in college for programming is not anywhere near the size of the program you will be doing once you get a programming job. You're just learning the concepts of programming now, the real stuff comes when you're getting paid.

 

[royaldank]

Does the teacher grade strictly by the book? I had a coding class and the tests were rediculous. No way you could finish everything properly unless you started coding immediately and it ended up being right. So, test scores ranged from 10 - 80%. Some of the labs were almost as bad and few people were ever able to get it done without some sort of bug or problem. So, I ended up with a 58 average before the finals, which was a C+. With a 65 on the final, I ended up with a B.

Some of those teachers will just give you a grade in comparison to others or what you have done during the sememster. But, if you had a 58 and never showed up or had missed some assignments along the way, he didn't take much pity on you. He was big on you attending lectures and labs.

 

[Nitemare]

<< sounds about right. My profs gave that sort of test in a couple of my CS classes as final exams. The usual test throughout the semester weren't like that, mostly they were fill-in-the-blank types and short, short programming/pseudo-code questions. But these were for an hour long class. Why do you have 1 1/2 hour classes anyways? >>



The class meets one day a week on Saturday mornings..about 4 contact hours a week. I wouldn't have a problem with it if I was given some prep time. Also, the fact that we did do some programs that had this or that in it, but not even our homework programs had more than two of the types mustless all of them.

 

[gopunk]

well i'd really have to see the programming reqs to make a judgement, but we had to write 2 programs, in addition to short answer, and i don't think that was unreasonable. in my class, if you knew your material, you did well. if you didn't know it so well... well... you were screwed

 

[Chewy]

Sometimes profs give those kind of tests on purpose to root out the brightest from the pack. THe real hard noses. But generally, they give those tests that are impossible to finish to get some idea of what kind of curve to have. If you finished only 50% of the test while 90% of the class finished 75% of the test, you're gonna get a lower grade (provided those 90% answered the same % right as you did)...not sure if that makes sense


"You're just learning the concepts of programming now, the real stuff comes when you're getting paid. " by BigJohnKC

That statement is generally true but not always. Right now, I'm in a programming job and it's a freakin' joke (so far). Why do you think I'm sitting here writing this reply right now? cuz I got nothing to do. *sigh*