CS-149, University of New Mexico, Joel Castellanos

CS 149 - Waiver Exam for CS-150
Department of Computer Science
University of New Mexico

Exam Description

CS-149 is a challenge exam for the course Computing for Business Students (CS-150L). CS-149 is offered for those few students who come to UNM with significant experience in using Microsoft Excel to set up and solve word problems involving algebra. CS-150, and therefore the challenge exam, covers some computer literacy, but mostly covers the more advanced Excel skills needed for success at Anderson School of Management. In particular, the focus is on reading a word problem, extracting the assumptions, using Microsoft Excel to represent those assumptions, using Excel to solve the problem in such a way that changing any one of the assumptions automatically changes all results that depend on that assumption, and representing all of this in a clear and professional format.

Difficulty Level:
This website includes sample exam questions. Please try taking the sample questions before planning to take this exam. While the pass rate of CS-150L is very high, the pass rate of this exam, composed of CS-150L exams, is quite low. Most students who know how to format text and charts in Office 2007 do not know how to correctly set up and solve word problems in Excel!

Registration Notes:
You need to be admitted to UNM before you can register for CS-149. Register for CS-149 through LoboWeb as you would for a regular class. However, you must manually enter the exam date as the course start date.

Completion of Math 120 (Intermediate Algebra) with a passing grade is a strict prerequisite requirement for both CS-149 and CS-150. Any one of the more advanced mathematics courses offered at UNM including Math 121, Math 123, Math 150, Math 162, Math 163, Math 180 or Math 181 will all fulfill this prerequisite requirement. The LoboWeb system does not recognize the more advanced courses as fulfilling this prerequisite requirement. If you have fulfilled the mathematics prerequisite with a more advanced course or at a different institution (including high school), then you will need to contact Lynne Jacobsen, the Computer Science department Coordinator of Program Advisement via e-mail at csinfo@cs.unm.edu. Explain the situation and send your UNM student ID number along with the course number and section into which you want to register. With your permission in e-mail, Lynne can check your transcript through LoboWeb to verify that you have successfully completed the prerequisite mathematics and override the registration error. The subject line of the e-mail should be: CS-149 registration error.

Upcoming Exam Dates:
Pre-Fall 2009: CRN:32950-CS CS-149 001 (Register Fall 2009): Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009: 8:00 AM-10:30 AM, Location: DSH 141

Fall 2009: CRN: 32949-CS 149 002 (Register Fall 2009): Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009: 6:00 PM-8:30 PM, Location: ECON 1004

Pre-Spring 2010: CRN: 34375-CS 149 003 (Register Fall 2009): Tuesday Jan. 12, 2010: 8:00 AM-10:30 AM, Location: DSH 141

Spring 2010: CRN:(TBD) Late April

CS-149 has no requirements except to pass the practical exam. A student who passes this exam will have demonstrated mastery of the topics covered in CS-150L (Computing for Business Students) at a level sufficient to meet a CS-150L prerequisite requirement for any class. The exam takes place in a computer lab and includes the use of a word processor, and spreadsheet

CS-149 is offered on a Credit(CR) / No Credit(NC) basis only. An exam score of 80% or better is required for a grade of CR.

CS-149 is a zero-credit, test only course, and is included on transcripts.

Note: Passing the CS-149 exam DOES NOT grant the three credits for having taken CS-150L. Passing the CS-149 exam will, however, fulfill the CS-150L prerequisite for admission to the Anderson School of Management and any other prerequisite requirement fulfilled by CS-150L.

The CS-149 is not a course, it is a challenge exam. As such, it may only be attempted once. If you receive a grade of NC in CS-149, you will not be able to retake the exam in that semester or in any other semester. Generally, if you receive a grade of NC in CS-149, you will need to take CS-150L for 3 credits.

The CS-149 challenge exam is a practical exam. It takes place in a UNM computer classroom. The various tasks required by the exam will be preformed on a PC running Windows XP and using Microsoft Office 2007. If you are used to a different version of MS Office or a different operating system, then you will need to practice with Office 2007 before the exam. There will not be time during the exam for you to learn a new interface. The exam is 2.5 hours and combines the material tested on the three, 50 minute CS-150 exams. Sample exam questions are given below.

A student who is comfortable with the practical skills tested in the the CS-150 exams posted below should do fine on the CS-149 exam.

A student who has trouble with parts of the exams below can prepare by self-study from the CS-150 textbook.

A student who is having trouble with the self-study should take CS-150.

Self-Study Materials

Textbook: “Computing for Business Students - A Laboratory Manual” by Joel Castellanos. ISBN-13: 978-0-558-39213-0, ISBN-10: 0-558-39213-X. Published by Pearson. Available at the UNM bookstore.
CS-150 Website: This includes lecture notes.
Sample Exam Questions: The 2.5 hour, CS-149 exam combines the material covered in three different CS-150, 50-minute exams.
The CS-149 exam will consist of variations of any two of the sample sections given below. Of course, the exam will have different numbers and different problem setups than these samples. For example, a question on one exam required finding the weighted average of four grades for each of three students. The corresponding question on a different semester's exam required finding the weighted average price of an item sold of four differently priced items on each of three days. Similarly, where a past exam required creating and formatting a 3-D Clustered Column chart, a future exam might require creating and formatting a Pie chart.
Sample Sections (the exam with include any two of the following):

Microsoft Word: This sample section requires using Microsoft Word to format fonts, paragraphs, nested lists, tables, special characters, headers, and footers. A discussion of common problems that students have with part 1 is included at the end of the exam.

Microsoft Excel Weighted Average and Charts: This sample section requires using Microsoft Excel to format cells, and tables, create and format a chart, and write equations calculating averages and weighted averages that can be filled across or down. A discussion of common problems is included at the end of the sample section.

Excel Mortgage Scenario: This sample section requires extracting assumptions from a mortgage related word problem, and using Excel correctly and professionally represent and solve the problem. A sample Solution in Excel 2007 format is also provided: Solution. Cells with a small red triangle in the upper right corner contain comments.

Excel Annuity Scenario This sample section requires extracting assumptions from an annuity related word problem, and using Excel correctly and professionally represent and solve the problem. A sample Solution in Excel 2007 format is also provided: Solution. Cells with a small red triangle in the upper right corner contain comments.

Excel Financial Forecast Scenario This sample section requires extracting assumptions from a financial forecast related word problem, and using Excel correctly and professionally represent and solve the problem. A sample Solution in Excel 2007 format is also provided: Solution. Cells with a small red triangle in the upper right corner contain comments.

Exam Administrator:
Joel Castellanos
Department of Computer Science
e-mail: joel@unm.edu

Office: Farris Engineering Center (FEC) 321
Building #119 in section I-2 of the campus map.