Exams

NEW: 2020-2021 Exams (last update 8 May 2021):

Space Missions and Systems / Space Environment:

- 10 January 2022

- 31 January 2022 

- 11 March 2022  (special session for qualifying students)

- 31 May 2022

- 13 June 2022 (MCT on 10 June) 

- 5 July 2022 (MCT on 4 July)

- 27 July 2022  

- 1 Sept. 2022

General Information: Usually oral exams start at 10 AM, in my office. Tentative schedules/calendar of the exams will be posted one day ahead the published date, on this web site. If you have special needs concerning the schedule, please send me an email. Should you decide not to accept the score or fail the exam altogether, please note that you'll have to wait 30 days before being able to take the exam again. 

Space Missions and Systems. 

I offer two pass/fail home tests (on orbit determination and attitude control) and a challenge during the course. The solution entails the formulation of a mathematical model and a computer code (in any language - Matlab is ok). You'll have 4-5 days to send back by email a short note with the solution and a working computer code. These tests are optional, although you are strongly encouraged to take them! Students who pass both tests are admitted to the exam in "fast mode" and will not be required to take the multople choice test (MCT).

The challenge is a more difficult problem which must be solved in a weekend. The winner has a bonus of three points at the exam. There are two second prizes, each with two bonus points at the exam. Three third prize winners are entitled to one bonus point. 

For students who successfully passed the home tests, the examination consists in a standard Q&A interview of approximately 30 min.

Students who did not pass (or take) the home tests must take a quick multiple choice test (MCT) prior to the oral exam. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 situation, the MCT will be offered at every exam session. The duration is 20 minutes, for 15 questions. See below for details on the MCT. On the basis of the outcome, you will be notified the maximum score attainable in the oral exam (see below for the conditions to get up to +3 pt bonus). You will then decide whether or not to take the oral exam. The examination is a thorough oral test on all course topics. 

Space Environment: Students will take a quick multiple choice test prior to the oral exam. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 situation, the MCT will be offered at every exam session. The duration is 20 minutes, for 15 questions. See below for details on the MCT. On the basis of the outcome, you will be notified the maximum score attainable in the oral exam (see below for the conditions to get up to +3 pt bonus). You will then decide whether or not to take the oral exam. You will then decide whether or not to take the oral exam. The oral examination is a standard Q&A interview of approximately 30 minutes. 

For all students: If you do not get 18 or higher marks at the MCT, you cannot sign up for the next session. You must take the exam at the second next session. The same is true for student who do not accept the mark at the oral exam.

Multiple Choice Test.

The MCT is a set of 15 questions, each with 4 or 5 answers. The duration of the test is 20 minutes. The score of the MCT is computed as

5 + 2 x (n. of correct answers) - (n. of wrong answers) / 2

The maximum score you can get at the oral exam is (MCT score) + 3. That is, the MCT score is a sort of starting point, which may be increased by up to 3 points if your oral exam is really good. Some examples:

- 5 correct answers, no wrong answer --> max score is (5+5x2+3) = 18

- 7 correct answers, 4 wrong answers --> max score is (5+7x2-4/2+3) = 20

- 10 correct answers, 2 wrong answers --> max score is (5+10x2-2/2+3) = 27

- 12 correct answers, 2 wrong answers --> max score is (5+12x2-2/2+3) = 31 (rounded to 30)

IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION: To avoid misunderstandings, the maximum mark indicated in the published results of the MCT does not include a +3 pt bonus that can be attained only if the oral exam is remarkably good and not in line with the MCT outcome. Statistically, we noticed that the final mark is close to the outcome of the MCT (without the +3 bonus). This shows that the MCT is a good indicator of your overall preparation, in a statistical sense. The MCT score is in no way taken into account during the oral exam, nor in the final mark, except for setting a hard clipping. It is not included in any average.

Milky Way from ALMA