ELEC4631 Chap.1 How This Course Is Marked: Lab 12, Quizzes 12, Midterm 20 and Final 56
How This Course Is Marked: Lab 12, Quizzes 12, Midterm 20 and Final 56
ELEC4631 has four individual components: a 12% laboratory, 12% quizzes, a 20% midterm and a 56% final. The Course Outline provides more than weights: it maps CLO1 and CLO3 to all four items, CLO2 to the quizzes and both examinations, CLO4 to the laboratory, quizzes and final, CLO5 to the laboratory and final, and CLO6 to the laboratory. Of the two examinations, CLO4 and CLO5 are mapped to the final but not the midterm. That map creates a rational revision plan without pretending to reveal a topic-by-topic mark split. The midterm is confirmed as a one-hour, Week 7, in-person, invigilated, closed-book examination; the final is confirmed as a two-hour written, centrally timetabled, in-person, invigilated, closed-book examination. A separate midterm note contains useful coverage and materials statements but also a stale year string, so its three-question, Lectures 1–8/Tutorials 1–5 and one-sided A4-note details remain attributed and should be confirmed on Moodle.
What this chapter covers
- 01Laboratory: 12%, individual, mapped to computational CLO6
- 02Quizzes: 12%, individual; current Quiz 1 demands analytical working and rejects MATLAB-only solutions
- 03Midterm: 20%, one hour, Week 7, in person, invigilated and closed book
- 04Final: 56%, two-hour written, centrally timetabled, in person, invigilated and closed book
- 05CLO1–3 are cumulative across midterm and final
- 06CLO4 feedback/tracking and CLO5 convex optimisation are mapped to the final but not the midterm
- 07No separate component hurdle is stated; live dates and equipment rules must be confirmed
Allocate a revision week from the CLO map
- evidenceReserve two hours for mixed CLO1–3 retrieval because all three outcomes remain mapped to the final; passing the midterm does not remove them.
- designAllocate three hours to CLO4: one observer/separation problem, one output-feedback tracking problem and one nonlinear derivative-shaping problem.
- convexAllocate three hours to CLO5: affinity diagnosis, Schur complement, state-feedback X/Y recovery and an observer-LMI comparison.
- transferUse one hour for integrated method selection—exact poles versus LQR versus LMI, and regulation versus tracking.
- boundaryUse the final hour for closed-book reconstruction and logistics confirmation. State explicitly that the allocation is based on outcome coverage and personal weakness, not predicted marks.
Key terms
- Course learning outcome (CLO)
- A capability the course assesses. Its assessment mapping is a reliable coverage signal, not a promise of marks per question.
- Invigilated
- Conducted under examination supervision. The midterm and final are both identified as in-person and invigilated.
- Closed book
- The official condition stated for both examinations. A separate attributed midterm note-sheet statement must be confirmed; it does not apply to the final.
- Hurdle
- A minimum requirement on a component separate from the overall pass threshold. No such component hurdle is stated in the Course Outline used here.
- Source hierarchy
- Use the current Course Outline for official structure, Moodle/timetable for live logistics, current assessment instructions for task conditions, and older solutions only for reusable answer shape.
How This Course Is Marked: Lab 12, Quizzes 12, Midterm 20 and Final 56 FAQ
Is the final really closed book and two hours?
Yes. Unlike many course builds where those details are absent, the official 2026 Course Outline explicitly states a two-hour written final that is centrally timetabled, in person, invigilated and closed book. It does not state the course-specific date, question count, per-topic marks or calculator rule. Those live details belong to the official timetable and Moodle.
May I take an A4 note into the midterm?
A separate midterm information file says one side of handwritten A4 notes, but the same file prints a stale 2025 year string. The Course Outline calls the midterm closed book and does not reproduce that allowance. Treat the note-sheet statement as attributed guidance and confirm the current instruction on Moodle before relying on it.
Does the midterm remove early topics from the final?
No. CLO1–3 are mapped to both examinations, and the final may assess any aspect of the course unless specifically excluded. Maintain early algorithms with short mixed drills while spending new time on CLO4 feedback/tracking and CLO5 convex synthesis.
What happens to very late work?
The Course Outline states that work submitted more than five days, or 120 hours, late is not accepted and receives zero. This does not replace component-specific due times, late-penalty rules before 120 hours or approved special consideration; check the current task page.
How should I turn the weights into a weekly plan?
Treat the 24% laboratory-and-quiz block as continuous evidence that protects the overall result and forces early fluency. Before Week 7, allocate most problem-solving time to CLO1–3 because those outcomes are mapped to the midterm and remain live in the final. After the midterm, do not repeat the entire early block at the expense of new content: preserve it with short mixed retrieval, while giving longer sessions to CLO4 observers/output feedback/tracking and CLO5 LMIs. The 56% final deserves sustained preparation, but its weight does not justify neglecting earlier components or inventing a hurdle. Use errors from current quizzes and tutorials to set priorities. A student who loses signs in e^At needs a different plan from one who cannot distinguish a BMI from an LMI. Revisit the dashboard every week and replace remembered logistics with the live Moodle due line.
What should a source-aware assessment note look like?
Use three columns: confirmed, attributed and unknown. Confirmed: official component weights, one-hour Week 7 midterm, two-hour final, both in-person/invigilated/closed-book, and the CLO mapping. Attributed: the separate midterm note’s three questions, Lectures 1–8/Tutorials 1–5 and one-sided handwritten A4 statement, because its stale year line creates a conflict. Unknown until live release: final date, question count, topic split, calculator/stationery details and exact midterm date/time. This structure is more useful than pretending uncertainty does not exist: it tells you what may shape study, what must be checked before the sitting and what should never be repeated as fact. If Moodle changes a logistics item, update the dashboard without rewriting the mathematical chapters.
Exam move
Create a four-row assessment dashboard with weight, confirmed format, mapped CLOs and one next action. Keep authoritative facts separate from attributed details: the Course Outline confirms both examination durations and closed-book conditions; the separate midterm note contributes tentative coverage, question-count and A4-note information because its year line conflicts. Study by outcomes. Before the midterm, connect linear algebra, state equations, Lyapunov analysis, rank tests and pole placement. After it, maintain those with brief retrieval while building observers/output feedback, LQR, LMIs, tracking and nonlinear feedback. For every practice response, use the current-quiz standard: analytical working first and computation as an independent check. Once a week, verify live due dates and examination announcements on Moodle rather than copying an old date into permanent notes.
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