Have you guys ever encountered anything like this?

[pakmingki2]

SO, i just had my physics midterm.

I knew how to do everything. Except these 3 problems cause me so much headache. I was so sure i was doing everything cxorrectly, but the numbers never came out that matched the choices.

those 3 problems were worth 5 points each, i ended up getting them all wrong and getting 85/100

Well, take a look
http://courses.washington.edu/p121ca07/Exams/Exam1/Exam1_Solutions.htm

it was problems 11-13.

Now, the diagram it shows the angle is 30 degrees. But, in the solutions, it says the angle is 2pi/9 radians, which is 40 degrees.

What a load of bullcrap.
No wonder i kept getting the wrong numbers. Either the writers of the test used the wrong angle in making the solutions, or whoever put the digram there put the wrong angle.

And this is a friggin university. hOW CAN They make a mistake like that?

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?

but i believe i deserve all those points back. I should have gotten 100%.

 

[cristo]

Ok, so they made a mistake. Everyone does it. If you really care that much about 15% of a midterm test, then feel free to contact your course organiser about it. Although, I'm sure if you work out how much it's going to affect your final degree it will hardly matter. And remember, everyone's in the same position, so I imagine the course organiser will just leave it as it is.

 

[pakmingki2]

Ok, so they made a mistake. Everyone does it. If you really care that much about 15% of a midterm test, then feel free to contact your course organiser about it. Although, I'm sure if you work out how much it's going to affect your final degree it will hardly matter. And remember, everyone's in the same position, so I imagine the course organiser will just leave it as it is.

well
3 midterms, 1 final, some other stuff goes into the final grade.

I think 15% off a midterm would make a heck of a difference.

 

[cristo]

well
3 midterms, 1 final, some other stuff goes into the final grade.

I think 15% off a midterm would make a heck of a difference.

If you think that then complain. I'm just saying that the course director will probably just say "ok, I made a mistake on the paper, sorry." It's really not the end of the world!

 

[ZapperZ]

well
3 midterms, 1 final, some other stuff goes into the final grade.

I think 15% off a midterm would make a heck of a difference.

You should contact the instructor and get the score you should. I certainly would. One never know if that small amount that you lost might make the difference between borderline grades.

Zz.

 

[pakmingki2]

actually, i honestly don't care that much whether it gets changed or not.

If it does, then great. If not, o well, the lowest score out of 3 gets dropped anyways, and it would inspire me to study harder for the next 2 midterms.

I also have a problems with term "midterm"
I don't see how you can be in the middle of a term more than once. And yet, they call them midterms.

O well.

I was just in a ranting mood anyways.

 

[cristo]

actually, i honestly don't care that much whether it gets changed or not.

If it does, then great. If not, o well, the lowest score out of 3 gets dropped anyways, and it would inspire me to study harder for the next 2 midterms.

That seems really weird, as it would encourage students to only take two out of the three tests!

I also have a problems with term "midterm"
I don't see how you can be in the middle of a term more than once. And yet, they call them midterms.

Yea, it's strange.

Your question here actually highlights another of the problems of multi-guess exams. If this were a normal exam, then the papers could be remarked, following through with the correct new value for the angle, but since this is multiple choice the course director is either going to have to give everyone 15 extra marks, or no one 15 extra marks (since you said there was no option for you answers).

Anyway, that's just a little rant from me. If you hadn't guessed, I hate multiple choice exams, and am glad I never had to do any!

 

[mr_coffee]

I hated multiple choice exams as well and all my exams were like that in physics so its easier for the Professor/TA to grade.

Its right or wrong, no partial credit which is sh*t.

Also I would complain and get your grade changed, you knew what you were doing and would have got it right.

Except there was about 8 choices on each exam, not 4, so you had little chance of getting it right if you tried to guess. Where you could BS partial work and get partial credit on non-multiple choice exams.

 

[Maxwell]

You should DEFINITELY get those points back.

 

[Kurdt]

I think in a situation like this they'd have to drop the last 3 questions and adjust the marks.

 

[G01]

If what your saying is true, then everyone else got those 15 points off as well. If this is the case, the professor will probably curve the grades, in which case an 85 will become equivalent to a 100, so don't worry too much about it.

 

[pakmingki2]

If what your saying is true, then everyone else got those 15 points off as well. If this is the case, the professor will probably curve the grades, in which case an 85 will become equivalent to a 100, so don't worry too much about it.

well, the4re could have been peoplewho got some or all right by a lucky guess.

 

[Ian_Brooks]

why don't you bring it up with the professor - not much we can do from the internet.

 

[G01]

well, the4re could have been peoplewho got some or all right by a lucky guess.

Yes, as Ian Brooke's said, talk to your professor. An 85 is not a bad grade, especially if 15 points were unobtainable because of a test error! But, if you want to make sure that you won't be adversely affected, you're going to need to bring this up with your professor.

 

[J77]

not much we can do from the internet.

I think I set that paper...

 

[Poop-Loops]

I had something similar happen when I was taking Freshman physics. It was the E&M class midterm. I found an error in it and told the professor (right after the test). Didn't do much. He curved the grades, so people who didn't get it right didn't lose much anyway.