Welcome to your Computer Science Exit-Exam Prep. This course covers everything a typical undergraduate CS program tests on a comprehensive exit exam — whether your university uses the ETS Major Field Test in Computer Science, a custom institutional comprehensive, or a competency-based assessment.
What the exit exam measures
Most CS exit exams test the same core areas, derived from the ACM/IEEE Computing Curricula standards:
| Area | % of typical exam |
|---|---|
| Programming Fundamentals | 15–20% |
| Data Structures | 15–20% |
| Algorithms (sorting, searching, design) | 15–20% |
| Discrete Math + Logic Design | 10–15% |
| Computer Architecture | 8–12% |
| Operating Systems | 8–12% |
| Databases | 8–10% |
| Software Engineering | 5–8% |
| Networking + Distributed | 3–5% |
Your university may weight these differently. Confirm with your registrar.
Format
A typical CS exit exam has:
- 60–80 multiple-choice questions (standard ETS Major Field Test = 66 questions, 2 hours)
- Mix of conceptual, applied, and code-tracing questions
- Some institutions add short-answer or coding tasks (if so, your instructor will configure this)
Scoring
ETS Major Field Test Computer Science scaled scores:
- 120–200 scale (your raw correct answers mapped to a percentile)
- Subscores in major areas to identify weak spots
- Department comparisons against national norms
Your university's passing threshold varies — typically the 40th–60th percentile nationally, depending on program tier.
How to use this course
- Take the diagnostic in Module 1 first. It reveals your weak topics.
- Drill the weak topics in their respective modules.
- Mix-practice with the cumulative quizzes at the end of each module.
- Sit a full-length practice exam weekly in the last 4 weeks.
- Use Tori in chat: she'll quiz you Socratically, explain concepts, and grade your free-response answers.