• spicy pancake@lemmy.zip
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    5 hours ago

    isn’t it kinda dumb to have coding exams that aren’t open book? if you don’t understand the material, on a well-designed test you’ll run out of time even with access to the entire internet

    when in the hell would you ever be coding IRL without access to language documentation and the internet? isn’t the point of a class to prepare you for actual coding you’ll be doing in the future?

    disclaimer did not major in CS. but did have a lot of open book tests—failed when I should have failed because I didn’t study enough, and passed when I should have passed because the familiarity with the material is what allows you to find your references fast enough to complete the test

    • bitchkat@lemmy.world
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      38 minutes ago

      Most of my CS exams in more advanced classes were take home. Well before the internet though. They were some of the best finals I ever took.

    • Buddahriffic@lemmy.world
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      2 hours ago

      Assignments involved actual coding but exams were generally pen and paper when I got my degree. If a question involved coding, they were just looking for a general understanding and didn’t nitpick syntax. The “language” used was more of a c+±like pseudocode than any real specific language.

      ChatGPT could probably do well on such exams because making up functions is fair game, as long as it doesn’t trivialize the question and demonstrates an overall understanding.

    • MeaanBeaan@lemmy.world
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      4 hours ago

      I mean, I don’t know how to code but I imagine it’s the same as with other subjects. like not being able to use a calculator during some math tests. The point of the examination is for you to demonstrate you know and understand the concepts. It’s not for you to be tested in the same way you would be in the real world.

    • piccolo@sh.itjust.works
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      4 hours ago

      I know people that used to work in programming with zero internet connection… this was ~10 years ago… never underestimate the idiocy of companies. P.s. it wasnt even a high security job, the owners were just paranoid boomers.

      With that said, with a decent IDE with autocomplete, you can get by a lot without documentation. Its ussually the niche stuff that you need to look up on how to do it.