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Basic Information

For Students Only

This page now concerns the makeup exam (Nachklausur). For information about the grades for the final exam of August 2nd, see the page on Grades. 

Rules for Participation and Grading

According to general rules in the Computer Science department, any student who registers for the makeup exam can take it, regardless of the grade that they obtained for the first exam or for the other parts of the course. If the grade for the makeup exam is lower than that for the main exam, the higher grade will be the one that counts. 

Deciding Whether to Take the Makeup Exam

Although the rules listed above suggest that it is always worthwhile to take the makeup exam, please note that it cannot be assumed that the result will be better the second time around simply because of experience with the first exam: Although the general structure and nature of the makeup exam will be the same and the example system will again concern parallel faceted browsing in some form, the specific problems and questions will be different; and, as you know, answers are expected to address the specific problems and questions presented, not just to reproduce general knowledge about user interface design.

For these reasons, taking the makeup exam is likely to yield a significantly better result only if you spend at least a day or two studying the course material so as to increase your ability to come up with relevant, well-founded comments and suggestions within the limited time available. 

Location, Date, and Time

  • Make-up exam
    • Date: Wednesday, October 10th, 2012
    • Time: 10:15 – 12:00
    • Place: Günter-Hotz-Hörsaal in E2 2
 

Procedure

The procedure for the makeup exam is identical to that for the first final exam; information about it is reproduced here in a slightly different order than in the earlier versions of this web page.

Information about the structure and content of the exam was presented at various times during the course, and it is assumed to be known to all students by now.

For the exam on October 10th, students must arrive at the exam room by 10:00, so that writing can begin at 10:15.

As is usual for such exams, each student should bring an official identity card, so that his or her participation can be verified before the exam begins.

The exam questions will be presented in both English and German, and (as always) the answers can be written in either language.

Use of printed material: Students can bring along the course textbook and any sheets of paper that they like, whether they contain handwritten and/or computer-printed material (e.g., annotated printouts of the course slides). Other bound books are not allowed.

Laptops: Students can use a laptop or a tablet device like an iPad (if anyone needs to use a smaller device like a smartphone, they should consult with the instructor in advance). But such a device may be used only for the purpose of accessing the course textbook (either the PC or Mac version or the web-based version) or the course slides (either from their hard disk or via the course website). It is fine if the student has previously added electronic annotations to the book or to the slides. Any other material that the student would like to consult (e.g., separate previously made notes) must be printed and brought along.

The student’s answers to the exam questions must be written by hand on paper supplied at the beginning of the exam, regardless of whether the student uses an electronic device in the way described above.

A consequence of this arrangement is that any electronic device will be used in essentially “read-only mode”: The only need for typing will be to enter things like a search term to access part of the book (which is analogous to using the index of the printed book).

There will be enough electrical sockets (accommodating the usual large, round plugs as well as narrower plugs) for all electronic devices. It is therefore not necessary to announce in advance your intention to use an electronic device. But obviously a power cable for an electronic device should be brought along unless the device’s battery is more than adequate for 90 minutes of use.

The legal department of the university has stated that the use of devices like laptops in an exam is admissible only if the instructor and the exam monitors (“Aufsicht”) are able to ensure that the devices are used only in the permitted ways. Fulfilling this condition should be relatively straightforward because of the “read-only” mode just described. But in addition, to ensure that this legal requirement is fulfilled, there will be several monitors, and they will be entitled to look at the screens of those using electronic devices at any time to check that only the permitted material is being accessed. (Students who do not use an electronic device will also be monitored in the usual ways.)