Midterm Exam — Cumulative (Weeks 1–7) · Objectives 1–5

Course: Introduction to Computer Science — CS1 / Programming Fundamentals in Python (CSCI 1101) · Silver Oak University (fictional sample) · Prof. Okafor
Scope: Cumulative — Weeks 1–7, Objectives 1–5 (computing & first programs · variables, types, expressions, I/O & strings · Booleans & conditionals · while & for loops · functions).
Format: 20 items, 100 points (5 points each) · auto-gradable only (multiple-choice, multiple-answer, matching, true/false) with predict-the-output, debugging, and Boolean-result items. AI is not permitted on the midterm.
Points: 100 · Assignment group: Midterm (20% of the course grade) · Window: opens at the start of the module; due 6 days later · allowed attempts: 1.

Human-readable exam with its vetted answer key and one-line feedback. Import-ready Classic QTI 1.2 in L-midterm-week-08-qti.xml (generated by the validated script — parses with 20 items, every single-answer item exactly one correct). Execution gate: PASS — every keyed output/result was produced by running the code.

This is the live exam. Its paired ungraded rehearsal — O-practice-exam-week-08.md — mirrors this blueprint with fresh variants and shares none of these items.

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Blueprint

#	Type	Concept	Obj
1	Multiple choice	Algorithm (computational thinking)	1
2	Multiple choice	Operator precedence (predict output)	1
3	Multiple choice	Debugging — case sensitivity	1
4	Multiple choice	Floor division & modulo (predict)	2
5	Multiple choice	True division gives float (predict)	2
6	Multiple choice	String concatenation (predict)	2
7	Multiple choice	String slicing (predict)	2
8	Multiple choice	input() return type	2
9	Multiple choice	Boolean logic (predict)	3
10	Multiple choice	if/elif/else — which branch (predict)	3
11	True / False	= vs ==	3
12	Matching	Boolean expression results	3
13	Multiple choice	while accumulator (predict)	4
14	Multiple choice	range exclusive stop (predict)	4
15	Multiple choice	range with step (predict)	4
16	Multiple choice	for accumulator (predict)	4
17	Multiple choice	Debugging — infinite loop	4
18	Multiple choice	Function return (predict)	5
19	Multiple choice	return vs print → None (predict)	5
20	Multiple choice	Local scope	5

Objective totals: Obj 1 = 3 · Obj 2 = 5 · Obj 3 = 4 · Obj 4 = 5 · Obj 5 = 3 → 20 items, 100 points. The midterm does not reach collections, files, algorithms, recursion, or OOP (Weeks 9–15), which are on the cumulative final.

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Questions, key, and feedback

Q1 (Multiple choice). An algorithm is best described as —
- a programming language
- a step-by-step plan for solving a problem ✅
- an error message
- a type of loop
Feedback: An algorithm is the step-by-step plan; coding writes it in a language like Python.

Q2 (Multiple choice). What does this print?

print(10 - 2 * 3)

• 24
• 4 ✅
• 6
• 30
  Feedback: Multiplication before subtraction: 2*3=6, then 10-6=4. (Run-verified.)

Q3 (Multiple choice). This line crashes. Why?

Print("hi")

• missing a semicolon
• Python is case-sensitive; use lowercase print ✅
• the quotes are wrong
• nothing is wrong
  Feedback: Only lowercase print is the built-in; Print raises NameError. (Run-verified.)

Q4 (Multiple choice). What does this print?

print(7 // 2, 7 % 2)

• 3 1 ✅
• 3.5 1
• 1 3
• 3 0
  Feedback: // is floor division (3); % is the remainder (1). (Run-verified.)

Q5 (Multiple choice). What does this print?

print(10 / 2)

• 5
• 5.0 ✅
• 2
• 0.2
  Feedback: In Python, / always returns a float, so 10 / 2 is 5.0, not 5. (Run-verified.)

Q6 (Multiple choice). What does this print?

print("ab" + "cd")

• abcd ✅
• ab cd
• cdab
• an error
  Feedback: + joins strings (concatenation): 'ab'+'cd' is 'abcd'. (Run-verified.)

Q7 (Multiple choice). What does this print?

print("PYTHON"[1:4])

• PYT
• YTH ✅
• YTHO
• YT
  Feedback: Slice [1:4] takes indices 1,2,3 (stop is exclusive): Y, T, H. (Run-verified.)

Q8 (Multiple choice). What type does input() always return?
- int
- float
- str (a string) ✅
- bool
Feedback: input() always returns a string; convert with int(...) for math.

Q9 (Multiple choice). What does this print?

print(True and not False)

• True ✅
• False
• None
• an error
  Feedback: not False is True; True and True is True. (Run-verified.)

Q10 (Multiple choice). What does this print?

score = 75
if score >= 90:
    print('A')
elif score >= 70:
    print('C')
else:
    print('F')

• A
• C ✅
• F
• nothing
  Feedback: 75 is not >= 90 but is >= 70, so the elif runs: C. (Run-verified.)

Q11 (True / False). In Python, a single = compares two values for equality.
- True
- False ✅
Feedback: False. = assigns; == compares. Using = in an if condition is a SyntaxError.

Q12 (Matching). Match each expression to its value.
| Left | Correct match |
|---|---|
| 3 > 2 | True |
| 2 == 3 | False |
| 5 != 5 | False |
| not False | True |
Feedback: Comparisons evaluate to True or False; not flips the value. (All run-verified.)

Q13 (Multiple choice). What does this print?

total = 0
i = 1
while i <= 4:
    total = total + i
    i = i + 1
print(total)

• 4
• 10 ✅
• 6
• 16
  Feedback: It adds 1+2+3+4 = 10. (Run-verified.)

Q14 (Multiple choice). What does this print?

print(list(range(1, 5)))

• [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• [1, 2, 3, 4] ✅
• [0, 1, 2, 3, 4]
• [1, 5]
  Feedback: range(1,5) is 1,2,3,4 — the stop value 5 is excluded. (Run-verified.)

Q15 (Multiple choice). What does this print?

print(list(range(0, 10, 2)))

• [0, 2, 4, 6, 8] ✅
• [0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10]
• [2, 4, 6, 8]
• [0, 1, 2, ..., 10]
  Feedback: Start 0, step 2, stop 10 (exclusive): 0,2,4,6,8. (Run-verified.)

Q16 (Multiple choice). What does this print?

total = 0
for n in range(5):
    total = total + n
print(total)

• 15
• 10 ✅
• 5
• 0
  Feedback: range(5) is 0,1,2,3,4; their sum is 10. (Run-verified.)

Q17 (Multiple choice). Why does this loop run forever?

i = 0
while i < 3:
    print(i)

• i is never increased, so i < 3 stays true ✅
• print is misspelled
• the range is wrong
• it does not run forever
  Feedback: There's no i = i + 1, so i stays 0 and the condition never becomes false. Add the increment.

Q18 (Multiple choice). What does this print?

def add(a, b):
    return a + b
print(add(3, 4))

• 7 ✅
• 34
• None
• ab
  Feedback: add returns 3+4 = 7. (Run-verified.)

Q19 (Multiple choice). What does this print?

def greet(name):
    print('Hi ' + name)
result = greet('Sam')
print(result)

• Hi Sam then Hi Sam
• Hi Sam then None ✅
• Hi Sam then Sam
• None then Hi Sam
  Feedback: greet prints 'Hi Sam' but has no return, so result is None. (Run-verified.)

Q20 (Multiple choice). What happens here?

def f():
    x = 5
f()
print(x)

• prints 5
• prints None
• NameError: x is not defined (x is local to f) ✅
• prints 0
  Feedback: x is local to f and doesn't exist outside it, so print(x) raises NameError. (Run-verified.)

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Answer key (quick reference)

Q	Answer	Q	Answer
1	B	11	False
2	B	12	1-to-1 (see above)
3	B	13	B
4	A	14	B
5	B	15	A
6	A	16	B
7	B	17	A
8	C	18	A
9	A	19	B
10	B	20	C

Quality gate (self-checked)

• Structure: 20 items, 5 points each, 100 points; coverage Obj 1 = 3 · Obj 2 = 5 · Obj 3 = 4 · Obj 4 = 5 · Obj 5 = 3.
• Execution gate: PASS — all 16 predict-the-output / behavior items were re-run in Python and their keyed outputs confirmed (e.g. Q2 4; Q4 3 1; Q5 5.0; Q7 YTH; Q10 C; Q13 10; Q14 [1, 2, 3, 4]; Q18 7; Q19 None; Q20 NameError).
• Single-answer integrity: every multiple-choice and true/false item has exactly one correct option; matching items pair one-to-one; multiple-answer items key the exact set.
• Integrity vs. the practice exam: 0 items are shared with O-practice-exam-week-08.md (verified by full stem comparison — same concepts, different programs and values).

Canvas placement block

canvas_object             = Quizzes::Quiz
title                     = "Midterm Exam — Cumulative (Weeks 1–7)"
assignment_group          = "Midterm"
points_possible           = 100
grading_type              = points
available_from_offset_days = 0
due_offset_days           = 6
published                 = true
allowed_attempts          = 1
shuffle_answers           = true
ai_permitted              = false
provenance                = "~ Prof. Okafor's edition · Fall 2026 · built with thecoursemaker.com"