Cmputer Science Undergraduate Schlarship R E G U L A T I O N S The Cmputer Science Department at the University f Waikat runs an annual Schlarship examinatin which ffers up t 10 undergraduate Schlarships t students wh btain the highest pass mark. The examinatin is rughly the equivalent t the practical prgramming tasks and final exam f the first year paper Intrductin t Cmputer Science 1 which gives students a basic level f cmpetence in cmputer prgramming and cmputing cncepts. 1. Purpse 1.1. The purpse f the Cmputer Science Undergraduate Schlarship examinatin is t determine whether new students have sufficient prficiency in the subject t merit placement in mre senir papers. In additin, students demnstrating a particular aptitude fr the subject will be ffered $5,000, which will be credited directly t their tuitin fees. 2. Eligibility 2.1. T be eligible, candidates must: a) be enrlling r intending t enrl in a BCMS, BSc, BE(Hns) r BCGD degree, in ne f the cmputing streams, at the University f Waikat; b) meet the entry requirements fr their chsen prgramme f study (fr further infrmatin, please check the FCMS website r FCMS Handbk); and, c) currently be in Year 12 r Year 13. 2.2. The Schlarship is pen t New Zealand citizens, permanent residents and internatinal students. 3. Value 3.1. The Schlarships will each have a value f $5,000 and will be credited directly twards the fees accunts f the successful candidates. 4. Applicatin Exam 4.1. The Cmputer Science Undergraduate Schlarship examinatin will be held n 16 and 17 Octber 2015. 4.2. The examinatin is made up f tw parts: a) a tw-hur written examinatin, and b) a six-hur practical examinatin. 4.3. The examinatin will be cnducted in, and supervised by, the candidate s schl. In the case where a schl is nt able t prvide an apprpriate envirnment, candidates will be allwed t sit the examinatin at the University f Waikat, r at sme ther venue t be arranged. Please cntact the Cmputer Science Department as sn as pssible t arrange this.
Cmputer Science Undergraduate Schlarship 4.4. Candidates will be required t present prf f identity at the examinatin. If yu have any questins, r require an infrmatin pack, please cntact the Cmputer Science Department: Email: schlarships@cs.waikat.ac.nz Phne: (07) 838 4021 Website: http://www.cs.waikat.ac.nz/admissins/schlarships.html 5. Selectin Criteria 5.1. The decisins will be based n the examinatin results f each candidate participating in the Cmputer Science Undergraduate Schlarship examinatin. 5.2. Candidates wh shw sufficient prficiency in the subject may merit placement in mre senir papers, while thse wh demnstrate a particular aptitude fr the subject will be ffered a Cmputer Science Undergraduate Schlarship. 6. Selectin Panel 6.1. The Selectin Panel will cmprise the Dean f the Faculty f Cmputing and Mathematical Sciences, the Chairpersn f the Cmputer Science Department and the Faculty s representative n the Schlarships Cmmittee (r their nminees). 6.2. The Selectin Panel s decisin is final and n crrespndence will be entered int fllwing the selectin meeting. 7. Awarding 7.1. The ffer f a Schlarship must be accepted by the date indicated in the ffer letter. If a candidate declines a Schlarship, r des nt take it up, the Selectin Panel may re-ffer the Schlarship t anther candidate. 7.2. The Schlarship will have a maximum tenure f ne year. 8. Other Cnditins 8.1. The Schlarship may be held with any ther bursary, schlarship r award, prvided that the regulatins f the ther award d nt preclude this. 8.2. If a candidate is awarded mre than ne tuitin fees schlarship, then it is expected that the Cmputer Science Undergraduate Schlarship will be the first schlarship applied twards the candidate s tuitin fees. 8.3. If a candidate is awarded bth a Cmputer Science Undergraduate Schlarship and either a University f Waikat Academic Merit Schl Leaver Schlarship r a Vice-Chancellr s Academic Excellence Schl Leaver Schlarship, then the Schl Leaver Schlarship can be carried frward t the candidate s secnd year f enrlment at the University f Waikat, with any remaining balance credited t the candidate s tuitin fees in the fllwing year, prvided that a passing grade is achieved in all papers in the previus year.
Cmputer Science Undergraduate Schlarship 8.4. The Schlarship will nt be refundable t recipients wh withdraw frm their degree. It will be the respnsibility f the recipient t pay the balance f their fees. 8.5. The Schlarships Cmmittee may terminate a Schlarship at any time, and recup any funds awarded, if it is satisfied that the recipient is nt fllwing the apprved prgramme f study r is nt therwise cmplying with the regulatins gverning the Schlarship and/r the University f Waikat. The recipient f a Schlarship shall have the right t appeal t the Educatin Cmmittee against any decisin t terminate the award. 8.6. By accepting a Schlarship, the recipient agrees t participate in any publicity cncerning the award arranged by the University f Waikat. 8.7. Internatinal schlars must cmply with the cnditins f their Immigratin New Zealand (INZ) Student Permit. Examinatin Syllabus Aims and Objectives The aims f the Schlarship are t enable high schl students t: Develp an understanding f the nature and principles f cmputing Develp an understanding f methds f analysing prblems and practice the applicatin f such methds Befre taking the Schlarship examinatin, students shuld be able t: Understand, apply and use apprpriate terminlgy, cncepts, prcesses and techniques f cmputing Use the basic features f a spreadsheet applicatin Cnstruct a cmputer prgram in a high level language t explre and slve a specific prblem Outline f Examinatin Syllabus Students shuld have a wrking knwledge f the fllwing areas: 1. Prgramming tpics Cntrl structures Sequence Iteratin Chice Nested structures Cntrl statements If-then-else
Cmputer Science Undergraduate Schlarship While r repeat-until Switch (r case) Data types Integer Real (r Flat) Character Blean Data structures Arrays (ne and tw dimensinal) Strings (r character arrays) Data peratins Variable assignment Arithmetic expressins & peratr precedence Blean expressins Input/utput Input peratins: reading frm keybard r text files Output frmatting: t screen r writing t text files Printable and nn-printable characters Prgramming structures Prcedures Functins Value parameters Built-in functins and library rutines Algrithms and prblem slving See the attached sample examinatins frm past years 2. Cmputer Science tpics Base cnversin Cnversin f psitive integers between bases binary, ctal decimal. Binary numbers and arithmetic Additin and multiplicatin f numbers in unsigned frmat. Subtractin using tw s cmplement representatin. Type representatin Students shuld knw hw characters might be represented using (fr example) ASCII and UNICODE. Representatin f signed integers and fixed pint numbers in tw s cmplement.
Cmputer Science Undergraduate Schlarship Languages Flating pint numbers using tw s cmplement ntatin nly (8-bit fractinal tw s cmplement fr mantissa, signed integer fr expnent). Awareness f errrs assciated with accuracy and lss f precisin underflw, truncatin, and verflw. Nrmalizatin f flating pint numbers is nt required. Cmpilers and interpreters fr high level languages. Cmputer architecture Features f cmmnly used input, utput and backing stre devices. Structure f a prcessr (ALU, CPU internal details and registers nt required). Functin f RAM, ROM, cache memry, disk. The fllwing terms shuld be understd: Virtual memry Primary and secndary memry Bit (b), byte (B), frequency (hz) and their mdifiers (k, M, G, T) Cmputer systems Serial and direct access Students shuld understand that an perating system is a cllectin f prgrams perfrming: Cmmunicatin with peripherals Crdinatin f prcesses (including prgrams) Memry management File handling Accunting Security Data management Errr handling Students shuld understand the need fr systems sftware t prvide: Utilities such as archiving (and cmpressin), de-fragmentatin, file maintenance A user interface Data representatin and graphics The relatinship between numbers f clurs and numbers f bits shuld be knwn; eg, 24 bits allws 2 24 r (apprximately) 16 millin clurs. The relatinship between reslutin and file size shuld be understd Students shuld appreciate that different reslutins are apprpriate fr particular devices. Applicatins skills
Cmputer Science Undergraduate Schlarship 3. Spreadsheet usage Cell frmats Frmulae Simple graph pltting Cnditinal expressins Prgramming languages The Department uses the C# language fr first year prgramming curses. Candidates fr the Schlarship are free t use any f the fllwing languages: BASIC, including Visual Basic C, C++, C# Pascal, Delphi Java Fr examinatin questins candidates will nly be required t use text-based input and utput. Candidates wh wish t prgram in ther languages must seek written apprval frm the Department f Cmputer Science befre applying fr the Schlarship examinatin. Resurces The textbk used in the first year Cmputer Science prgramming curses is: Duglas Bell and Mike Parr: C# fr Students, Addisn/Wesley, 2004 Hwever, any instructinal text n prgramming shuld be satisfactry.