The labs has a 50% CA weightage for the course CS1101C. The reason for this change as compared to previous years is that we are viewing practical programming work very seriously. The entire 50% weightage is split across 5 graded sit-in labs. Generally the earlier labs (labs 1 and 2) has a lower weightage and the later labs (labs 4 and 5) has a higher weightage. There is no one-final practical exam for this course -- instead you may view the 5 sit-in labs as 5 separate practical exams.
A trial lab with no CA weightage is conducted at week 3 on Jan 28th. Attendance is compulsory as this lab will teach you how to use the CourseMarker software required to do your lab. As lab terminals are limited, please go to the lab assigned to you.
The first real lab begins at week 4 and is held every two weeks thereafter. While the actual questions will be released to you at least 3 days before the scheduled take-home lab, they will usually be released much earlier. You are encouraged to read up ahead to know what to expect ahead of time.
Take home labs are not graded. However, the subsequent graded sit-in lab will continue from the take home lab and some parts of unrelated questions might be hints to solving the graded lab. You are therefore strongly encouraged to do all the questions and understand them well.
These are called take-home labs because you are not required to attend the lab session to complete the labs. However the lab sessions will be conducted by the tutors who can give feedback to your previous labs, answer any programming questions you have, or provide additional programming questions to practice on.
The first sit in lab begins at week 5 and is held every two weeks thereafter. The questions will only be released as a hard copy document distributed by your invigilator (also your tutor). You are to return the document after the test. The duration for each sit-in lab is 1 hour 30 minutes.
You will be barred from entry if you are more than 15 minutes late. No one is allowed to leave early.
The sit-in labs is very much like any other exam or term test that you have encountered. It is open book and you may bring in any hardcopy materials. You are also allowed to bring in a softcopy of the source code (in a thumb drive or in a CD) from your previous lab as the questions will be a follow up from the previous lab. You are also allowed to bring in any other softcopy documents (such as other source codes!) as well. No electronic devices (such as your laptop) are allowed in the lab. In addition, you are not allowed to communicate with anyone other than your tutor(s) in this period of time.
As mentioned, the sit-in lab will expect you to already have a fully functional (and correct) solution to the previous week's take-home questions, so if you did not prepare or bring the solution to the previous week's lab, you might be disadvantaged in completing the sit-in lab.
Medical Leave: You are required to produce a valid MC if you are sick to take the make up lab. Otherwise it is deemed that you have sat for and obtained 0 marks for that lab.