Components:

1. Assignments (36%)
   There will be four assignments of equal weight. See the Assignments page for further details.

2. Tutorial Participation (4%)
   It is expected that students actively take part in tutorials. This 4% component of the course mark is easily earned - one only needs to participate.

3. Mid-Semester Quiz (10%)
   The quiz is one hour long and will be held during or near week 7 of semester. You may bring in one A4 sheet of paper with hand-written notes on both sides. This component of the assessment is redeemable. That means that if your performance on the final exam is better than on the quiz, the percentage from the final will be used for the quiz.

   There will be no second sitting for the mid-semester quiz. If a student is sick or is out of town then the quiz mark will be derived from the from the final exam.

4. Exam (50%)
   The exam is 3 hours, conducted at the end of semester. You may bring in one A4 sheet of paper with hand-written notes on both sides.

Normally, the final mark is the sum of the above components. Because the assignment mark is not a reliable indicator of achievement in the unit, the final (course) mark will be capped at the percentage (Quiz+Exam)*(100/60)+10.

For example, a student may have good assignments, but after scoring 30% on the (redeemable) mid-semester test, he/she will need 40% on the final to pass. For example, a student may have excellent assignments, but a credit level performance in the exam will mean that a high distinction becomes impossible.

Final marks are moderated by the Department of Computer Science examiners meeting.