Computer Proficiency Exam Information
All students are required to demonstrate computer proficiency as a requirement for graduation. Students have the opportunity to meet this requirement through passing a basic computing skills test, the Computer Proficiency Exam (CPE). This exam covers basic computing skills as taught in CIS 150, including the Windows operating system, Word, Excel and the Internet. Students who do not receive a passing score on the CPE exam may take the test a second time in a future semester. Students not passing the exam in two attempts, or those choosing not to take the CPE, will be required to demonstrate computer proficiency using one of the following options prior to graduation:
- Complete CIS 150, Introduction to Computer Applications, or another CIS course as specified by their major, with a passing grade.
- Students who are pursuing a major leading to teacher certification must complete EDM 310, Microcomputing Systems in Education, with a passing grade. This course is required for all teacher certification programs.
The CPE exam is offered several times each semester. Students will register for the
CPE exam by enrolling in an open section of CIS 010 - Computer Proficiency Exam. CIS
010 is a zero credit course with no fee associated with either registering for or
taking the CPE. Students who twice fail to show up for the CIS 010 they registered
for will automatically be assigned a grade of U. Grade of U’ does not negatively impact
the students GPA however, this grade is not removed from students transcript when
they pass the CPE.
NOTE: Students are advised to complete the computer proficiency requirement in their
freshman or sophomore year as computer skills are required in most courses. A passing
score on the CPE exam or a passing grade in CIS 150 is a prerequisite for taking CIS
250.
Questions concerning scheduling, registration, or administration of the CPE should
be directed to the academic advisor, academic department, or contact School of Computing
(Shelby Hall, Suite 2101, (251) 460-6390).
The Computer Proficiency Exam (CPE) is only necessary for those students pursuing a Bachelor's degree and are under catalogs beginning Fall 2005. For students who are pursuing a major leading to teacher certification: passing EDM 310 Microcomputing Systems in Education will also satisfy this requirement. A passing score on the CPE will satisfy the prerequisite for CIS 250 Advanced Computer Applications.
The Computer Proficiency Exam is designed to assess proficiency in basic concepts, terminology, skill covering of the following areas :
- General computer concepts/Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Excel
- Internet/WWW/E-mail
The exam is administered by School of Computer & Information Sciences faculty in the CIS computer labs. The exam will be given thorough McGraw Hill’s SIMnet Online learning management system, which provides a simulated application interface for the testing environment. It is divided into 3 separate exam sections. Questions in each section will consist of performance-based questions, which require the student to perform a series of actions in the simulated environment to demonstrate they possess the specific skills being assessed. Students will have 100 minutes to complete all three sections of the exam. Upon completion of the exam, students are presented with their score. No outside materials or assistance from the applications' Help files are allowed.
Note: Only two (2) attempts are allowed for the CPE, and you may only take the CPE once each semester.
- File management functions and terminology
- General terminology relating to operating system concepts, Internet, WWW, and e-mail
- (i.e. objects, screen elements, etc.)
- Accessing context sensitive menus
- Open, Close, and Save files
- Print documents or selected areas of text
- Insertion of graphical and text elements into a document
- Create and save documents
- Import from an existing file
- Control the format of a document (i.e. alignment, headers and footers, bullet lists, visual display of text)
- Add visual objects such as charts and diagrams
- Create and edit tables
- Add, modify, or remove worksheets from a workbook
- Add data from the Clipboard to a worksheet
- Add or delete rows/columns
- Format cell contents
- Manually create formulas for simple mathematical expressions
- Use built-in functions to perform mathematical expressions
- Create visual elements such as charts to represent data
Shelby Hall
150 Student Services Drive
Lab 1300 - 1st Floor
Mobile, AL 36688
Room 1304
USA Campus Map (Click on Academic to get a list of buildings, then select Shelby Hall)
What to Bring to the Exam
Bring your Jag ID
Still Have Questions?
Contact the SoC Department at (251) 460-6390