Re: Would like to find study group for computer science comprehensive exams.

Heh, I should have read ahead to the other followups.

Patricia Shanahan <pats@xxxxxxx> wrote:
Change the question in a subtle way that looks rather like the previous
question. ...
For computer science theory, I've seen problems made more difficult by
leaving to the student the choice of which of two contradictory
propositions to prove. For example, a question might define a language
L, and then ask the student "Prove either that L is NP-complete or that
L is not NP-complete.". Subtle changes in the language definition change
which proposition is provable.

Yes; if you're lucky, you can use that technique for
generating new questions. Some courses are easier than others
to use that technique on. If you're unlucky, you end up futzing
around with the question for an hour, realize that every subtle
way you could change it actually results in a question that is
now too easy or too hard or ambiguous, and finally realize that
you could have spent the last hour instead making up a whole new
question.

I do make up new questions every year, and sometimes I use
the technique you describe, but I haven't strained myself to
make up 100% new questions for some time.

(In some universities, it used to be against regulations to
access copies of old exams. Ah, for the 37.5-hour work week!)

--Jamie. (efil4dreN)
andrews .uwo } Merge these two lines to obtain my e-mail address.
@csd .ca } (Unsolicited "bulk" e-mail costs everyone.)
.