CSCI 544 — Applied Natural Language Processing

Exam study guide

As stated in the syllabus, the exams will contain questions similar to those from the homework assignments and quizzes. This guide is intended to clarify questions about the exams and help students study for them.

When and where are the exams given?

Exams during the semester will be given on-line according to the course schedule. Students will be given 24 hours to complete an exam that is intended for one class period (110 minutes). Class does not meet live on exam days; instructional staff will check the class message boards on Piazza every 1–2 hours between 8 AM and 8 PM (Pacific Time) to answer questions. The final exam will be taken on-line during the final exam period.

What is the best way to study for the exam?

Work through the written homework assignments and quizzes, and compare your answers to the posted solutions. Do not take shortcuts: complete each part of each problem, and for those parts that ask for an explanation, write down your explanation as you would on an exam. When comparing your answers to the posted solution, try to be critical in assessing whether your explanation addresses the same issues as the posted solution.

Is it possible to get past exams, or sample exam questions?

All the problems from past exams are included in the written homework assignments; solutions to these problems will be provided. Overall, the problems from past exams constitute a fairly rich set. I will not design additional problems to serve as samples.

Do I need to study the optional readings for the exam?

The exams are not on readings: they are about working through problems and reasoning about them. The readings (both required and optional) are intended to supplement the lectures and help students understand the material better, so they can tackle the problems better. Memorizing and repeating text from the readings is not required for the exam, and is not a substitute for reasoning about a problem.

What is the material for each exam?

Exams during the semester cover the material taught in class and in the assignments up to the date of the exam. The topics are listed in the course schedule.

The final exam is comprehensive, and will cover material from the entire course.

What materials am I allowed to use the exam?

The exams are take-home, open-note, open-book: you may use your notes, class-assigned reading materials, and other reading materials.

The exams are strictly individual, and no collaboration is allowed. Any collaboration or outside help will result in a grade of zero on the exam. Students suspected of collaboration or receiving outside help will be investigated, and their grades will be delayed.