This guide will discuss the logistics for the exam retakes. See the Exam Logistics for information on the original exam attempt.
Format
The format will be the same as the original attempt.
However, if the exam uses random variants of each question, it is possible students will see a different variant on the retake attempt. Students should pay close attention to each question before copying a response from the original attempt into the retake attempt.
If the exam included code snippet questions setup via GitHub Classroom, students may modify the exact same repository for the exam retake.
Modality
The exam retake will be conducted asynchronously throughout the week following the exam.
Timing
The retake will automatically unlock the day following the original exam and will be available for one week. Once unlocked, students will be able to retake the exam at any time and an unlimited number of times until the deadline.
The exam will still be limited to 1 hour 45 minutes per attempt.
Grading
The retake score will be the highest score of all retake attempts. The final exam category score will be the average of the original and retake score.
It is impossible to earn a lower score due to the retake process. If students earn a lower score on the retake than the original attempt, the retake score will be excused.
The exam retake is optional. Students that are happy with their current exam score and received a C or above letter grade can skip the retake process. The retake score will be excused.
Resources
Students will have access to the same resources available with the original attempt.
Students will also have access to their original attempt answers after the retake is unlocked. This will include information on whether the answer was incorrect or correct, but will not reveal the correct answer for incorrect questions. Students will also be able to see the same information for each retake attempt.
The instructor will also provide hints on the course discussion forum for certain questions.
The retake must still be completed individually; students may not collaborate on the retake and may not receive help from the teacher assistants.
However, students may consult the instructor for help correctly answering up to two exam questions in office hours or the course discussion forum for the retake. This includes all parts of each question for multi-part questions.
Strategy
Exams are stressful. You want to strategize how you go about the retake process so you don’t have to do through the process more than necessary. Here is one strategy:
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Review the original attempt first. Look at all of the questions, regardless of whether your answer was correct.
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For questions you answered correctly, do you understand why the answer is correct? Remember, many questions have different versions. If you don’t understand why the answer is correct, you may run into issues if you end up with a different version on the retake!
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For questions you answered incorrectly, do you understand why the answer is incorrect? You might not know the correct answer just yet, but you should spend time trying to figure out why the answer you provided isn’t the correct one.
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Review the hints. There are hints provided on the question, in the feedback (shown below your responses), and in a separate hint guide. Do the hints help you figure out the correct answer for the questions you missed on the original attempt?
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If the hints are mostly helpful, move forward with the retake.
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If there are only a couple questions you are not certain about, you have to decide whether to ask for help now or later. You only get to ask about 2 questions total! If you are confident about the rest, you can ask for help on those questions before attempting the retake. Otherwise, I recommend waiting until after your first retake attempt to narrow down how best to use that help.
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If the hints are not helpful and you are confused about more than two questions, it is time to regroup. Are there certain concepts you are still struggling with that you should review first? Or, are you not quite sure what the questions are asking for? You might want to schedule an advising appointment with the instructor before proceeding.
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Complete one retake attempt (plenty before the deadline, in case you need a second attempt).
Whenever possible, copy/paste for text input (i.e. copy/paste class, member, or method names). I gave you credit if I noticed a typo on your original attempt, but will not do the same for your retake attempts!
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Decide how to proceed after reviewing the results of your retake attempt.
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If you are happy with your retake score and exam average (i.e. are able to get a passing average grade), stop there. Spending 1 hour and 45 minutes on your homework, projects, or catching up on lecture materials is more worth your time at that point.
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If you are not happy with your retake score, identify 2 questions you are still struggling to understand how to answer. Ask the instructor for help on Piazza or in office hours with those 2 questions before attempting the retake again!
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I strongly suggest you avoid trial-by-error answering of questions you do not understand. The exam is too long and has too much randomization for that strategy to be worthwhile.
However, there are just suggestions; everyone learns differently!
SDS Accommodations
The same exam accommodations applied to the original attempt will be applied to the retake attempts as well.