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Honour School of Computer Science

A

In the following, ‘the Course Handbook’ refers to the Computer Science Undergraduate Course Handbook and any supplements to this published by the Computer Science Undergraduate Supervisory Committee and also posted on the website at http://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/currentstudents/.

  • 1. The subject of the Honour School of Computer Science shall be the theory and practice of Computer Science.

  • 2. No candidate shall be admitted to examination in this School unless he or she has either passed or been exempted from the First Public Examination.

  • 3. The Examination in Computer Science shall be under the supervision of the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Board. The Board shall have the power from time to time to frame and vary regulations for the different parts and subjects of the examination.

  • 4.

    • (a) The examination in Computer Science shall consist of three parts (A, B, C) for the four-year course, and of two parts (A, B) for the three-year course.

    • (b) Parts A, B, and C shall be taken at times not less than three, six, and nine terms, respectively, after passing or being exempted from the First Public Examination.

  • 5. The Examiners shall classify the results and publish the degree classification after the candidates have taken the examinations in Part B, and in respect of candidates taking the four-year course shall separately classify and publish results in Part C.

  • 6.

    • (a) Part A shall be taken on one occasion only. No candidate shall enter for Part B until he or she has completed Part A of the examination.

    • (b) In order to proceed to Part C, a candidate must achieve upper second class Honours or higher in Parts A & B together.

    • (c) A candidate who obtains only a pass or fails to satisfy the Examiners in Part B may retake Part B on at most one subsequent occasion; a candidate who fails to satisfy the Examiners in Part C may retake Part C on at most one subsequent occasion. Part B shall be taken on one occasion only by candidates continuing to Part C.

  • 7. A candidate adjudged worthy of Honours on both Parts A and B together, and on Part C may supplicate for the degree of Master of Computer Science provided that the candidate has fulfilled all the conditions for admission to a degree of the University.

  • 8. A candidate in the final year of the four-year course, adjudged worthy of Honours in both Parts A and B together, but who does not enter Part C, or who fails to obtain Honours in Part C, is permitted to supplicate for the Honours degree of Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science with the classification obtained in Parts A and B together; provided that no such candidate may later enter or re-enter the Part C year or supplicate for the degree of Master of Computer Science; and provided in each case that the candidate has fulfilled all the conditions for admission to a degree of the University.

  • 9. All candidates will be assessed as to their practical ability under the following provisions:

    • (a) The Head of the Department of Computer Science, or a deputy, shall make available to the examiners evidence showing the extent to which each candidate has pursued an adequate course of practical work. Only that work completed and marked by noon on Friday of the fifth week of the Trinity Term in which the candidate takes the examination shall be included in these records.

    • (b) Candidates shall submit their reports of practical exercises completed during their course of study, as described in their Course Handbook, by the date given in the Course Handbook.

    • (c) The examiners shall take the evidence (a) and the report (b) into account in assessing a candidate's performance.

    • (d) Candidates whose overall performance on practical work is not satisfactory may be deemed to have failed the examination or may have their overall classification reduced.

B

The syllabus for each of Parts A, B, and C will be published by the Department of Computer Science on the website of the Department of Computer Science by the beginning of Michaelmas Full Term in the academic year of the examination concerned. The duration of each paper will be specified in the Course Handbook.

The use of calculators is generally not permitted but certain kinds may be allowed for certain papers. Specifications of which papers and which types of calculators are permitted for those exceptional papers will be announced by the examiners in the Hilary Term preceding the examination.

The examiners shall have the power to combine two papers on related optional subjects into a single paper for those candidates who offer both the optional subjects concerned.