Semester 1 Rubric and Passing Standards
Per-item standard
Score each E01–E12 and each project category below separately: 0 missing or invalid; 1 partial, materially prompted or unsupported; 2 independently correct with assumptions and inspectable verification; 3 also defends a changed case and limitations. Every required item needs at least 2. Preserve the module-specific gates and delayed rechecks; these are not replaced by this exam.
| Project category | Evidence needed for 2 |
|---|---|
| Model and integrity | Explicit graph/sampling contract, provenance and assistance |
| Proof and combinatorics | Valid double-counting proof and exact oracle agreement |
| Probability and empirical practice | Unbiasedness/variance argument, retained runs, uncertainty, effect size and limits; reused inference appendix with likelihood/prior/assignment assumptions and PS9–PS12 evidence |
| Linear algebra and numerical judgment | Trace identity, geometric oracle, numerical-stability experiment and conditioning explanation |
| Interactive artifact | Working interaction, text interpretation, measured update/render behavior and a defended design choice |
| Integer arithmetic audit | Reused cycle report with gcd certificate, full solution set, unreachable target and output-size limitation |
| Calculus and approximation audit | Reused numerical report with analytic oracles, constrained assumptions, separate tail/quadrature bounds and failure cases |
| Reproduction and communication | Fresh-run instructions, evidence paths, changed-case analysis and honest handoff |
A missing category cannot be averaged away. A correct computed answer with an invalid proof is not a pass for a proof item. A screenshot is not reproduction. Undeclared generated evidence or invented observations fails the integrity gate. Ordinary mistakes can be repaired; preserve the original and fresh evidence.
Progression decision
All module gates, all twelve E items and all eight project categories must meet their standards. Use ready or repair required; if no external reviewer is available, label self-assessed ready; independent review pending. Do not use the former aggregate 70/80 percent thresholds or “conditional pass” to bypass a missing prerequisite. Optional reading, prose length and speed do not add credit.
Retention and reviewer calibration
After 7–14 days recheck the weakest topic and one other topic on a changed case, reusing module delayed checks when they cover the same evidence. A reviewer should solve selected prompts before consulting the key, record disagreements, and compare reasoning rather than exact wording. Report unresolved ambiguity as a curriculum defect, not automatically as learner failure.
Cross-module connections
Complete the model, units and error check during the existing integration review. Its four subchecks must each reach level 2 under the existing probability, numerical-judgment and calculus categories; no extra semester hours or replacement of module gates is implied.