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Advice in Preparing for and Writing Tests
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-IAN! idallen@ncf.ca

How to succeed on tests:

Do the text and note examples:

    Type in the examples and do them to develop "muscle memory" about what
    the commands do.  Don't just read the book and notes!  If you never
    type in the "finger" command, you won't realize that you mis-spell
    it until the test.  If you never use the "man" command, you'll get
    stuck at the "(END)" prompt in the test, and then it's too late.

    Type in the sample commands given in the book as you review the
    posted chapter review questions.  Make sure your output is what
    you expect it to be.

Do the Labs:

    Do the Floppix labs, and record your answers.  Don't just read the
    labs.  Some questions come from the labs, and you don't have time to
    do the lab online for the first time during the test.

    Make sure your output is what you expect it to be.  Asking questions
    about how something works during the test is too late.

Watch your prompts:

    Look at your screen and the prompt to know what program is expecting
    command input from you.

    This is not a shell prompt:

        ftp> date
	?Invalid command

    Invalid command: You can't type Unix commands into the FTP program.

    This is not an FTP prompt:

        $ put penguin
	put: Command not found

    Command not found: You can't type FTP commands into the Unix shell.

    This is not a login prompt for a telnet session:

        $ abcd0000
	abcd0000: Command not found

    Command not found: You can't type a login userid (or your password
    or PIN number) into the shell.

Prepare your computer:

    You may have to work on several computers at once.  You will save time
    if you know how to use telnet on Floppix to get to other machines,
    instead of having to reboot into Windows to use telnet and then
    reboot back into Floppix.

    Under Linux, you can see previous screens of text that have scrolled
    up by holding down the SHIFT key and using the PageUp and PageDown
    keys.

    Remember - Linux runs the BASH shell (and you can use BASH on
    ACADAIX too).  Don't waste time retyping your commands when you can
    use the arrow keys to scroll back up and edit them or re-execute them.

    Knowing how to switch among the several Floppix consoles will
    save you time.

    You run the risk of deleting your entire file if you use Windows
    TELNET without reading my "Using Telnet" web page first.

Answer what you know first:

    You will not have enough time to try every question on the computer
    or to look up all the terms in the textbook.

    Most of the questions can be answered quickly from the knowledge
    you have acquired in lectures and by doing the weekly readings and
    homework material.

    Do the answers that you know first.  Come back later to the questions
    that require computer work or fishing in documentation.

    Do not attempt every question on the computer; you will run out of time.

Think!

    Think before you type something into the computer - you could wipe
    out your files or render your session unusable.  If you don't know
    what it means, don't do it!