Exams and Grading [Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Binghamton University]

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===== Exams and Grading =====

In each half-semester course, Math 226 and Math 227, there will be the following grade distribution:

| WebAssign Homework | 10% |
| Quizzes (in-class), Attendance, Other | 15% |
| Skills Test (at Math Testing Center) | 13% |
| Exam 1 | 31% |
| Exam 2 | 31% |

A detailed description of the Skills Test, and how it will be administered, is given below. The above distribution is not used for online courses.

**The Midterm and Final** will cover higher-level problems. These are paper tests, graded by the instructors, (and you will not be allowed to re-take these). They will not focus on the sort of basic computational problems covered by the Basic Skills Tests, although of course you may be required to do some basic computations as part of a bigger problem. **Your average on both exams (Midterm and Final) must be at least a 50% to pass Math 227 and a 50% to pass Math 226, regardless of what your other course scores are.**

The grade category of "Quizzes" may include written assignments, group quizzes, attendance, or in-class work at the discretion of your instructor. But most or all of your score/grade for Quizzes will be determined by the numerical scores from the 15–20 minute quizzes that you take in class. The numerical score of each exam will be given a letter grade interpretation in order to give you some idea of how you stand in relation to all other students in the course. Your Total of all points at the end of the course will also be given a letter grade interpretation, which will be your course grade, but borderline cases can be adjusted up or down based on your instructor's judgment.

We may post some practice exams and their solutions here to help you prepare. They have the questions first, which you should try to answer without looking at the solutions. If you do not understand your mistakes after receiving your graded exam back, or think your exam was not correctly graded, you should immediately (at most within two days) bring the test to your instructor for re-evaluation. DO NOT MAKE ANY CHANGES OR WRITE NEW MATERIAL ON YOUR GRADED EXAM!! Turning in a modified exam for extra points is CHEATING. Instructors may be making copies of random exams before they are returned, so if a student changes a graded exam, it will be clearly shown by comparison with the copy. 

Any cases of cheating will be subject to investigation by the Academic Honesty Committee of Harpur College.

One final, extremely important, note about grading: instructors do not "give grades." Instructors simply award points based on the work the student produces. Each student's point total will correspond to a letter grade decided at semester's end, and it will be the same for all sections. Very little subjectivity is involved in the grading process. The following is a typical letter grade distribution given for past semesters. This distribution could change due to exam scores.

^ Your Percentage ^ Grade ^
| 92% - 100%   	| A  |
| 89% - 91%   	| A- |
| 86% - 88%    	| B+ |
| 81% - 85%   	| B  |
| 78% - 80%     | B- |
| 73% - 77%     | C+ |
| 69% - 72%     | C  |
| 63% - 68%     | C- |
| 60% - 62%     | D  |
| < 60%         | F  |


===== Exams with Solutions =====
{{:calculus/math_226_227:226-exam1_and_sols_sp_17_.pdf | 226 Exam 1 with solutions, Spring 2017 }}

{{:calculus/math_226_227:math226_spr2016practice_exam1.pdf | 226 Exam 1 with solutions, Spring 2016 A}}

{{:calculus/math_226_227:226b_midterm_with_sols_spring2016.pdf | 226 Exam 1 with solutions, Spring 2016 B}} 

{{:calculus/math_226_227:226_practice_final_spring_2016.pdf | 226 Final with solutions, Spring 2016 v1}}

{{:calculus/math_226_227:math226_spr2016_exam2v2.pdf | 226 Final with solutions, Spring 2016 v2}}

{{:calculus/math_226_227:math226final_fall2017_1w_solutions.pdf | 226 Final with solutions, Fall 2017 v1}}

.....................................

{{:calculus/math_226_227:227-exam1_v1-spr2016.pdf | 227 Exam 1 Spring 2016 with solutions }}

{{:calculus/math_226_227:math227midterm_fall2017_2w.pdf | 227 Exam 1 Fall 2017 }}_:_  {{:calculus/math_226_227:math227midtermfall2017_2_white_solns.pdf | Solutions Here }}

{{:calculus/math_226_227:math227spr2016_exam2.pdf | 227 Final Spring 2016 with solutions }}

{{:calculus/math_226_227:227_sample_finals.pdf| 227 Practice Finals (three) }} The solutions for these are located here: {{:calculus/math_226_227:math227samplefinal_1-2-3_solutions_updated2.pdf| solutions}}

There are links to three pdf files below (Supplementary Materials and Links) to help guide your strategy understanding series. 


===== Academic Honesty =====

Cheating is considered a very serious offense. The full strength of Binghamton Academic Honesty Policy will be applied to anyone caught cheating. This may include failing the course, and further disciplinary action.

Exams: According to the University Bulletin, cheating consists of: “Giving or receiving unauthorized help before, during or after an examination”.  

Homework: Please keep in mind that plagiarism on HW is also considered cheating. You are encouraged to work with others when doing your HW, but you still need to submit your own work. In regards to WebAssign, under NO CIRCUMSTANCE are you permitted to submit an answer from Wolfram Alpha into WebAssign.

The shift to remote and hybrid teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic has required that both instructors and students make changes to their normal working protocols for courses. Students are asked to practice extra care and attention in regard to academic honesty, with the understanding that all cases of plagiarism, cheating, multiple submission, and unauthorized collaboration are subject to penalty. Students may not collaborate on exams or assignments, directly or through virtual consultation, unless the instructor gives specific permission to do so. Posting an exam, assignment, or answers to them on an online forum (before, during, or after the due date), in addition to consulting posted materials, constitutes a violation of the university’s Honesty policy. Likewise, unauthorized use of live assistance websites, including seeking “expert” help for specific questions during an exam, can be construed as a violation of the honesty policy. All students should be familiar with the University’s [[https://www.binghamton.edu:8443/exist/rest/bulletin/2021-2022/xq/02_acad_policies_procedures_all_students.xq?_xsl=/bulletin/2021-2022/xsl/MasterCompose.xsl#d3339e15|Student Academic Honesty Code]].

===== Basic Skills Test =====

Math 226 and 227 will have a Basic Skills Test which will cover basic computational skills that you absolutely must be able to do for any class that has Math 226/227 as a prerequisite. There will be one Basic Skills Test for 226 and one Basic Skills Test for 227. The Basic Skills test will be administered and evaluated by computer, with no partial credit, but you may take it twice. A Practice Basic Skills Test will be available on WebAssign containing all the possible problems you could be asked on the actual Basic Skills Test. 

The Basic Skills Test will be administered by computer in Whitney Hall, Rooms G12 & G18, using the same software as the WebAssign homework, so you must have a WebAssign key for the Skills Test section before you take the test. For security reasons, you must use the computers provided. You are not assigned a particular time to take the test – you will reserve a time for your test via the following link: [[https://www2.math.binghamton.edu/p/calculus/testing-center/start|Calculus Testing Center Reservation System]]. You'll receive an email once the Reservation System is ready.

You have a window of about 10 weekdays to take it twice. You cannot take it twice in one day.

Only exact answers are accepted in WebAssign. For example, 1/3 cannot be written as .33 and pi cannot be written as 3.14. No calculators or electronic devices are permitted during the test. No calculators or electronic devices are permitted during the test. **You cannot use your cell phone for any reason while taking the test.** If a proctor catches a student looking at their cell phone while taking the test then that student will receive a score of "0" and their instructor will be notified.

If you take the Basic Skills test more than once, only your highest score is counted. 

To take into account the lack of partial credit, scores on the Skills Test will be rounded up, so that scores between 70% and 79% will count as a 79%, scores between 80% and 89% will be recorded as 89%, and scores 90% to 100% will receive 100%. If a student's highest score is lower than 70%, their highest percentage among the attempts will be recorded and will not be rounded up. 

===== Administration of Exams =====
               
Exams for all sections will be administered at your normal meeting time, except for the Math 227 Exam 2 (Final Exam).

The dates and times are given in the weekly schedule below and will be confirmed or modified before each exam.

The Exam 2 (Final Exam) for Math 227 for all sections will be administered on a common exam date.

A detailed contents of each exam will be determined one week before the exam, but we expect it to be as follows:

Math 226 Basic Skills Test: Sects 6.2*, 6.3*, 6.4*, 6.6. 

Math 226 Exam 1: Sects 6.1, 6.2*, 6.3*, 6.4*, 6.5, 6.6, 6.8, 7.1

Math 226 Exam 2: Sects 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.8, 10.1, 10.2

Math 227 Basic Skills Test: Sects 10.3, 11.1, 11.2

Math 227 Exam 1: Sects 10.3 - 10.4, 11.1 - 11.5.

Math 227 Exam 2 (Final Exam): Will cover sects 11.2 - 11.11 with a focus on 11.5 - 11.11.

**Students may need to know and use results from the Chapter 11 sections covered on Exam 1 in order to answer questions on each Exam 2, so you should treat Exam 2 as if it were a Final Exam for that course.**

**Important Note: No use of calculators, cellphones or laptop computers will be allowed during exams.** 

**Students are not allowed to take a cellphone to the lavatory during any exam.**

Scientific calculators may be needed for some homework. 

**ANYONE UNABLE TO TAKE AN EXAM SHOULD CONTACT THEIR INSTRUCTOR AHEAD OF TIME TO EXPLAIN THE REASON.** 

Note: Students who miss an exam because of illness must contact the instructor ahead of the exam (or as soon afterwards as possible) and provide proof of the illness (doctor's note or call from health service).