The mystery of "b : = (b = false)"

This paper describes some unusual patterns that emerged from a statistical analysis of the 1988 Advanced Placement Exam in Computer Science. Most multiple-choice questions on the exam had few significant correlations with other parts of the exam. But a small set of five questions had a nontrivial correlation with many parts of the test. One question in particular demonstrated such correlations. It asked about the effect of the assignment statement "b := (b = false)" for a boolean variable b. One interpretation of this data is that these questions are testing general programming aptitude. The paper presents the analysis along with a discussion of the possible implications. Categories and Subject Descriptors K3.2 [Computers and Education]: Computer and Information Science Education

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2008
• Where: SIGCSE
• Authors: Stuart Reges
• Keywords: Computer Science, Education, Exam, Most Multiple-choice Questions, SIGCSE 2008