Component
Weightage
Topics tested
Homeworks
(not graded)
Buffer overflow exploits; attestation
Mid-term Exam/Quiz etc
40%
All papers covered until the midterm or quiz
Final Exam
35%
All papers (i.e., cumulative)
Project
25%
Your system building skills

Final letter grades for the course will be decided using your overall score in the course with the table below. I used to "curve" in the past (i.e., use relative grading based on scores received by students in class), but found that it leads to anxiety among students about the letter grade that they would receive, endless email exchanges at the end of the semester with questions about how I decided grade boundaries, and arguments along the lines of "I think I deserve a better grade" (who doesnt?!).

Thus, in the interest of clarity, and to allow students to gauge their performance throughout the semester, we will use the grading scheme in the table below.

Score range
Letter grade
90 ≤ score ≤ 100
A+
80 ≤ score < 90
A
70 ≤ score < 80
B+
60 ≤ score < 70
B
50 ≤ score < 60
C
40 ≤ score < 50
D
0 ≤ score < 40
F

POLICY ON ETHICS IN CLASS. We have a strict, zero-tolerance policy against cheating in class, based on CSA departmental guidelines. Both the cheater and enabler (or the corresponding teams) will be considered guilty. The consequences of getting caught cheating are:

Given these rather severe penalties, please consider whether the "benefit" that you obtain by cheating (a few points more) is worth the cost of cheating.