CSCI 159 Midterm and Final Exam Info/Prep
(Fall 2026, Sections F26N01/2)

basics
• basic C++ syntax and the structure of simple C++ programs
• use of constants and variables
• use of the int/long, float/double, char, and bool data types
• basic use of the C++ string class as a datatype
  selection
• the use of if/else if/else for selecting different sets of actions under different conditions
• nested if/else statements
• correct composition of the condition expressions using comparison operators together with and (&&), or (||), not (!) operators
  functions and parameters
• calling functions, passing parameters, and using return values
• writing and using our own functions
• appropriate declaration and use of pass by value parameters and pass by reference parameters
• writing and understanding recursive functions and the use of base case(s) and general case(s)
• the use of functions for modular/top-down design of programs
  scopes
• understanding and correctly using the three kinds of scope introduced so far: global, local to functions, local to blocks (if/else/loops)
• understanding how nested scopes work and how variable use is resolved (which variable from which scope is chosen)
  basic use of loops (if we get there by Oct 19/21)
• understanding the three basic types of loop (for, while, do while) and being able to use them
• understanding the difference between top-tested and bottom-tested loops

The exam must be written at the time/location specified. Exceptions will only be made for officially documented illnesses or emergencies, in which case the student is expected to contact their instructor as soon as possible and arrange for a make-up exam to be taken as soon as possible. The make-up exam will NOT be the same exam given to the rest of the class.

The final exam is closed notes, closed book, no dictionaries, calculators or electronics permitted. The use of earplugs/protection is permitted, but the use of headphones/headsets (with or without connected devices) is not.

• You must display your student card or other valid photo ID on your exam table.
• You must turn off your cell phone for the duration of the exam. In the event of an emergency you may be contacted through the Registration Centre at 250-740-6400.
• You may not enter the gym more than 30 minutes after the exam has begun. You will be unable to write the exam.
• You many not bring your backpack, briefcase or large back to the exam table or place them on the floor by your exam seat. You must leave these items at the side of the gym before taking your seat. Unfortunately there is no secure storage in the gym for valuables.

The final exam will consist of a variety of question forms, generally chosen from formats similar to:

• show the precise output from the following C++ program...
• given a set of compiler error messages, identify all the syntax errors in the following C++ program...
• write a complete and correct C++ program to do the following...
• write a C++ function to do the following...
• modify the following program or function to do the following...
• given the prototypes for a set of functions, write a function that uses them to do ...
• explain the benefits and drawbacks of the following language feature...
• discuss the appropriate use of the following language feature...
  Note that linux will not be explicitly tested on the exam.

In general I assume that by now students are fully fluent with material from the first half of the course, most of which will be required to successfully answer almost any question:

• basic C++ syntax rules,
• operators and assignment,
• input/output with cin, cout, cerr,
• libraries and #includes,
• core data types: short, int, long, float, double, char, bool
• variables and constants,
• functions, parameters, and return values,
• if/else statements,
• loops (for, while, and do-while),
• variable scope (global vs local).

• recursion,
• arrays,
• sorting and searching (bubblesort, binary search, linear search),
• null-terminated char arrays and the cstring library functions (strcpy, strlen, etc)
• basic use of the string class,
• structs and arrays of structs,
• pointers and dynamic allocation of arrays and structs,
• perhaps a general/theory question about linked lists.

The final generally consists of 8-10 equally-weighted questions, though some of those questions will have multiple parts.

A review session will be held prior to the final exam, and the material covered will consist of course all material up to and including the review session, including all lectures, labs, lab exercises, quizzes, etc.

You will be expected to understand, debug, and write logically and syntactically correct C++ programs or code segments using the language features discussed in labs and lectures to that point.

The best way to prepare is to hone your fluency in C++, i.e. by doing the labs and assignment and writing lots of small practice programs.

OLD MIDTERMS AND EXAMS

The old midterms/exams below are from CSCI 160 versions of the course, with more of an emphasis on printf/scanf instead of cin/cout and using malloc/free rather than new/delete, but many of the question ideas/topics are still relevant.

Old final exams 2025 final 2024 final spring 2023 final 2018 final (with solutions) 2017 final (with solutions) 2016 final (and sample solutions ) 2015 final (and sample solutions )