Is it acceptable for a final exam to be just 13 questions?

<p>The teacher "didn't realize" finals week was near and covered the entire chapter in one week (we normally spent two to three per). Then he handed us our 25 question exams and proceeded to tell us which ones to cross off. Many of those I would have actually done well on! This is my first B (I had a 4.0 until now and would have had an A in the class if not for this test). I've written the Dean but he hasn't answered my 'questions' question and instead wants me to submit a grade review application to this same teacher who's been screwing up all semester long- couldn't solve equations in the book, etc. I included all this in the email to the Dean but his response was a generic "I see you're requesting a grade revision-please fill out attached form."<br>
13 questions doesn't give students much of a chance at all. Amiright?</p>

<p>13 questions sounds fine to me in all honesty. Yeah, it sucks you got a B. Move on and try to get an A in the next class. </p>

<p>In college?? Some of my sons’ exams have only four or five questions. He would be thrilled to get 13.</p>

<p>What subject, might I ask? I had 9 or 10 on all my Calc II tests this semester, and those seemed fair.</p>

<p>My three-hour programming final had thirteen questions and I thought it was rather long. Like someone else said, a lot of final exams will only have four or five questions (with the possibility of partial credit). If you’ve done well throughout a class, you can usually get an A just by getting a B or a C on the final, even if you’re in a class where the final exam counts for a high percentage of your grade. If this exam caused you to get a B in the class, it’s likely that you would have gotten a B anyway. </p>

<p>Yea, 13 questions is pretty normal for a final, especially in upper division classes. You got a B. Stuck it up and move on with your college career. </p>

<p>For what class? My differential equations final this semester only had 6 problems on it. The longest test in that course this entire semester had 7 problems on it. My Calc II tests averaged about 10-12 problems each. I think the final had 12 in that class. A professor can structure their final in whatever way they choose. B’s happen. It’s not the end of the world. </p>

<p>Suck it up, that’s totally fair. Most of my tests, including finals, only have 7-12 problems.</p>

<p>I haven’t had a single final exam this semester that was more than 10 questions. </p>

<p>My calculus and chemistry finals were both around 13 questions. It’s hard to ask any more than that if the questions are going to be appropriately challenging without requiring more than 2-3 hours. </p>

<p>C-C-C-Combo-breaker</p>

<p>If it was multiple choice I can understand what you’re saying. I guess i’m the only odd one in here, I haven’t had an actual test with less than 20 questions yet (whether or not it was multiple choice). I’m sure that will change with my classes next semester though. </p>

<p>Edit: The only exceptions being essay type questions in my American Government class, and programming projects. </p>

<p>I had an formal logic final when I was in college that had one question. My proof was three pages long and and I barely finished in time. Totally fair. </p>

<p>I know someone whose PhD dissertation was three pages long. Granted, it was all one mathematical equation, but still.</p>

<p>What kind of final is it? The number of questions on a final depends on what class it’s for. For example, for my Asian Art History take-home final, we were given 4 sets of 2 images that we had to compare, and my Asian American History final consisted of 4 parts: identification terms, short answer response, essay, and identifying certain countries/regions on a map.</p>

<p>It’s the prof’s exam, and he can design it however he chooses. What is the dean going to do? It’s not like you have been unjustly treated with respect to other students. No bias was involved. It’s understandable that you’re upset - I would be, too. But that does not mean that you deserve a grade revision. Profs will be profs, and exams will be (hard) exams.</p>

<p>I don’t think any of my biostats (in grad school) exams went beyond ~10 questions. Heck, I’ve had many a course where we were given two essay prompts, told to pick one, and write. </p>

<p>13 = more than enough. The Dean is likely not going to do a darn thing about this (and likely, (s)he shouldn’t). </p>