Failed final = failed course in every faculty in Waterloo?

[mingming]

The 30% exam is back in high school, when there would be weekly tests, assignments, homework checks, participation marks, projects. So they have lots to base their students on. Also there were attendance checks and if you skipped too much, you'd lose marks.

In university, the student base is too large to evaluate on so many things. most of the time, the prof wont even know your name and you are sometimes in a class of 100+. It would be crazy for them to give out such elaborate marking schemes where you do so many assignments, quizzes, etc. Also, without knowing all the students, and no attendance, the only fair and logical way to evaluate them is through an exam.

[Nyte]

100% it's all or nothing man! Raise the stakes when you gamble your degree.

Another good thing is no hard feeling on projects, got 50% on it? no prob, won't affect your mark one bit Failed another lousy quiz? no prob, it's not going to your final mark.

It would be interesting to see if you still think that in 4 months when you have your exams for next term.

[mingming]

It would be interesting to see if you still think that in 4 months when you have your exams for next term.

Hey, it's been my motto, I've survived the 100% finals for the past 4 yrs!

[Dr_luv]

Quick reply so forgive the typos.

At Western, if you fail the final exam, i.e less than 50% on the final. You have failed the course. For example, if you are taking an ece course that is weighted as follows: assignments = 10%, labs = 10%, midterm = 30%, final report = 10% final exam = 40%.

If you happen to get a 49% average on the final exam , but you scored perfect on all the rest ( assignments, labs, midterms and final report) , you will find that you have failed the course. ( I think it appears as a 48% on your transcript, I'm not sure about this, every thing else I am.)

Another example would be if there was no final report and the final exam was worth 50% and you scored perfect on everything else, but fail the final exam, you still fail.

I had a lot of friends who did really well during the school semester and got a tard too relaxed for the final and had to retake the course the following year.

This only works for courses under the Faculty of Engineering, i.e if you are in Eng but taking an applied math course ( Faculty of science) all you need to do is get a greater than 50% average.

EDIT: There were always other such caveats, e.g. passing your lab courses. (some courses required more 60% or more). In such a case if you failed the lab component but passed the course you would have to retake the lab component.

[divx]

It would be interesting to see if you still think that in 4 months when you have your exams for next term.

I've had 100% final exams for the past 3 terms already, I'm not gona think any different next term.

[dmdsoftware2]

Really?? That's surprising. I thought Universities would have high standards.

Even at the lowly Seneca College if you get less than 50% on the term prior to the final OR if you get less than 50% on the final you fail the course. Both the term and final must be passed.

It's comparing apples and oranges. I once had a 4th year course where everyone failed the final exam (there were about 70 students in the course). It wasn't that the student's were stupid, but it was killer exam.

So, with your logic, everyone should fail to keep standards up?

[divx]

It's comparing apples and oranges. I once had a 4th year course where everyone failed the final exam (there were about 70 students in the course). It wasn't that the student's were stupid, but it was killer exam.

So, with your logic, everyone should fail to keep standards up?

they are not allowed to fail everyone, rest assured.

[mingming]

There's kind of this unofficial rule for profs that a class average should be around 70. So if the entire class does bad, they should bell it.

[Sylvestre]

i've heard UT, MAC and Queens usually have 30 or 40% finals, which in my opinon is so much better.

albiet it was some time ago for me, I can assure you that that's NOT the case for Queens. For year 1 & 2, most finals were 75% or higher. For 3rd and 4th, they fell but never below 50%.

[dyangu]

Finals in engineering at UW are worth at least 50%, usually around 65%. However, some (evil) profs have screwed marking schemes like:
if exam<40%, then final grade = exam grade

Of course, even if you pass everything, you have to repeat the whole term if your average is below 60%

[2112]

Some courses at University of Ottawa require you to get a 50% average between the midterm and the final......so you can get a 51% on the midterm and a 49% on the final and still pass the course.

[adehbone]

UW has this policy that exams are the best way to test students....

most math classes have atleast a 50% final....some actsci and stats have a 100% final....my international Econ this term even had a flippin 70% final!....my other econs have 60% finals...i havent had a final worth less than 40% yet :S

when it comes to CS...everything after the midterm is usually the tough materil...that is why you must pass the final to pass the course......similar idea in some math courses....

thank god for the new 2.5 hr exams

[simms]

UT has a 40% policy usually.

[divx]

UW has this policy that exams are the best way to test students....

most math classes have atleast a 50% final....some actsci and stats have a 100% final....my international Econ this term even had a flippin 70% final!....my other econs have 60% finals...i havent had a final worth less than 40% yet :S

when it comes to CS...everything after the midterm is usually the tough materil...that is why you must pass the final to pass the course......similar idea in some math courses....

thank god for the new 2.5 hr exams

yes, that half hour makes a huge difference!