15-418/15-618: Parallel Computer Architecture and Programming, Fall 2023: Exams

Exam Dates

  • Exam 1: Wednesday 10/04/2023
  • Exam 2: Fiday 11/10/2023

Exam Logistics

  • Exams will take place during the regular lecture time and location on the dates above.
  • They are in-person exams (not online).
  • You must use either a black or blue pen when filling in the exam. (Otherwise your answers will not be readable when we scan the exams for grading in Gradescope.)
  • The exams are closed book, closed notes.
  • However, you may bring one (1) standard piece of paper (double-sided).
  • You are not permitted to use a calculator, phone, or any other electronic aid.

Exam Coverage

  • Exam 1 will cover lectures 1-11 (i.e. up to and Snooping-Based Multiprocessor Design).
  • Exam 2 will cover lectures 12-23 (excluding the guest lecture from Amazon).

Preparing for the Exams

  • General Advice:
    • The written assignments were designed to help you prepare for the exam, both in terms of helping you review the material, and also for practicing the style of question that you might find on an exam.
    • Similar to the written assignments, you should expect to see a number of short-answer questions on the exams.
    • For problems where you are asked to choose an answer and explain your reasoning, your explanation is worth far more of the points than simply choosing the correct answer. So make sure that you understand the concepts well enough to explain them.
    • If you are looking for some additional practice problems, you might want to check out the practice exams and solutions on the Spring 2022 exams web page.

Exam Score Distributions