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From: m0nik3r <m0nik3r@net1plus.com>
Subject: Re: Do college AP tests require C++ knowledge?
Date: 1997/12/03
Message-ID: <3485E349.4ADBDE9F@net1plus.com>#1/1
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References: <65vqjn$9tk$1@flood.weeg.uiowa.edu>
To: whiterNOSPAM@crpl.cedar-rapids.lib.ia.us
Organization: All USENET -- http://www.Supernews.com
Newsgroups: 
 comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.c++,misc.education.science,comp.software-eng
Date: 1997-12-03T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>


RW,

The college, is like most, lost in a sea of information.  As is typical,
the people making important decisions about peoples lives are clueless 
8^{

There is exactly *ZERO* ways to test ones Computer Science apptitude
that involve direct knowledge of any particular language!

Suppose Bjourne Stroustrop (C++ Inventor) was given a test in some
language he has never seen!  He will fail miserably - yet he is a
BRILLIANT software engineer!

This is the rough analog of giving a test in portugese to solely English
speaking people and then questioning their understanding of the
underlying philosiphy contained therein!

Pragmatically, of course, if the test is in portugese, the test taker
better know portugese!

I am *NOT* saying don't learn C++ .... if that is the language du jour
(he said with a terribly binary accent!) ....  then one must take the
test in the specific (however inappropriate) language.

The failure is in the system.  On the other hand this makes a great
litmust test; since the failure is *USUALLY* within the system, how does
the student handle inherent failure.

Of course the latter rational is a general fallback used by *MOST*
professors when their course sucks!

Hope this helps, realize it probably doesn't!,

m0nik3r

Robert S. White wrote:
> 
>   While my 17 year old nephew was visiting last holiday I was made
> to understand that he needed to learn C++ (what version I don't
> know - brand new ISO draft?) in order to succeed in U.S. college
> Advanced Placement tests.  Is this true?  Can't the tests be made
> somewhat language independent and more at a general computer
> science level?  Perhaps Professor Feldman can enlighten us.
> _____________________________________________________________________
> Robert S. White         -- An embedded systems software engineer
> e-mail reply to reverse of: ia us lib cedar-rapids crpl shift2 whiter