Mathematics/Computer Science Virginia Wesleyan College
Home | Back | Academic Life | Programs | Mathematics/Computer Science      

Math/CS Department Home

Math/CS faculty

E-mail the department

Mathematics and Computer Science Department

Junior Comprehensive Exam Policies

The goal of the junior comprehensive exam (JCE) is to ensure that VWC mathematics and computer science majors can exhibit competency in the following areas

  1. basic differential and integral calculus of a single variable
  2. matrix algebra and the fundamental concepts of vector spaces
  3. fundamental computer programming skills and concepts.

These competencies are those that are found in the regular content of Math 171, Math 172, Math 307 and CS 207. The JCE is considered an assessment tool both for the department faculty and for the students who major in mathematics or computer science. Successful completion of this requirement guarantees each that sufficient skills are possessed by the student in these core areas. Each part of the test will be written and graded by the instructor who last taught that material. These three faculty will, by committee, decide who has passed, according to the standards described below.



POLICIES

  1. The JCE should be taken as a junior. Under approval of the department, it may be taken as a sophomore. Students are strongly advised not to wait until their senior year to take the JCE. With that said, no student should take the exam unless they are prepared. Trial runs are looked upon with disfavor by the department.

  2. The exam is usually administered on the Saturday or Sunday at 9:30am following spring break (Note: this year the date is Saturday, April 14 or Sunday, April 15 in Blocker 204). The exam is six hours long, with about two hours devoted to each area.

  3. Resources that may be used while taking the JCE include:
    • notes from the courses
    • textbooks
    • any other books pertaining to the material
    • a graphing calculator

  4. Resources that may not be used while taking the JCE include:
    • a computer
    • another person

  • The JCE is successfully passed if the student scores at least a 60% on each test.

  • If a student passes two of the three tests and receives at least 50% on the third, another test in the latter will be offered within two weeks of notification. If the student then gets at least a 70% on this re-test, they will have passed the JCE. If not, the student will have failed the JCE.

  • If a student with junior status does not pass, then they re-take the complete exam (all three tests) the following spring. If a senior fails the exam, they will be offered a re-take during the summer. This means that they will not graduate until August at the earliest.

  • A student may look at their graded tests in the presence of a faculty member. Students are not allowed to take them from the faculty member's office.

  • Any student has the right to receive an explanation from the committee or a representative of the committee of why they passed or why they did not.

    • Page maintained by math@vwc.edu
    Last updated March 27, 2007.