What are the rules for the cheatsheets for the SDS Capstone Exam?

The SDS Capstone Exam allows learners to make use of prepared "Cheat Sheets" for reference during their exams.

Cheat Sheets are optional. Learners may use them during the Capstone Exam, but learners are not required to use Cheat Sheets.

The SDS Team sets the following specific rules regarding how Cheat Sheets must be constructed and prepared, and how they can be used during the exams. These rules are designed to ensure fairness and provide a consistent framework for all learners taking the SDS Capstone Exam.

The following is a general description of how SDS Capstone Exam Cheat Sheets work. More specific information details, including exact deadlines and submission/access instructions, will be available within the Capstone Exam Courseware. Learners should always rely first and foremost on the specific, authoritative information presented within the Courseware.

Generally, Cheat Sheets must be:

• prepared beforehand, according to the rules below
• uploaded to the Courseware before the exams, as PDFs
• accessed during the exams only via the Courseware

Quantity

Learners may prepare up to two sets of Cheat Sheets. Only one set will be available during the Part 1 Exams. Both sets will be available during the Part 2 Exams.

Each set of Cheat Sheets may contain up to four pages of content (two double-sided sheets). Consequently, learners may use up to four pages during the Part 1 Exams, and up to eight pages during the Part 2 Exams (for a total of eight pages).

Size and Format

Cheat Sheets must be prepared as either Letter (8.5 inches by 11 inches) or A4 size. They may be typed or handwritten—but must be converted to PDF documents before submission. Cheat Sheets may contain text and images. Text size and style are not generally restricted, but use your best judgement.

Cheat Sheet Upload Submission and Deadlines

Cheat Sheets must be uploaded into the Courseware, as PDFs, following the instructions within the Capstone Exam, before each Part of the exams. Generally, the first set of Cheat Sheets must be uploaded before the Part 1 Exams open, and the second set of Cheat Sheets must be uploaded before the Part 2 Exams open.

If you fail to upload a set of Cheat Sheets before the Part 1 Exams, you will lose the opportunity to do so. You won't be able to upload two sets of Cheat Sheets before the Part 2 Exams; you'll have to make do with one set of Cheat Sheets.

Cheat Sheet Access During the Exam

If you create and submit Cheat Sheets according to the rules, you will be able to access them during the Capstone Exams. Cheat Sheets may only be accessed via the Courseware. You cannot use handwritten or printed Cheat Sheets, or digital Cheat Sheets hosted on your computer—you must use your Cheat Sheets via the Capstone Exam Courseware.

You may submit up to four pages of Cheat Sheets before the Part 1 Submission Deadline, and you will be able to access them during the Part 1 Exams and also during the Part 2 Exams.

You may submit up to another four pages of Cheat Sheets before the Part 2 Submission Deadline, and you will be able to access them during the Part 2 Exams only.

General Advice

The SDS Team allows Cheat Sheets as a means for learners to review, connect, and summarize ideas to aid understanding of the key concepts and provide a helpful quick reference during the exams.

Only Cheat Sheets that have been intentionally designed by the learner with information they have fully processed and digested are expected to be useful during the 2-hour exams.

The SDS Team generally recommends that Cheat Sheets be designed to provide quick reference, rather than in-depth details. and be organized by topic—rather than by course. For example, you might include sections on:

• Bayesian statistics: including and connecting material learned during both 6.431x Probability and 18.6501x Fundamentals of Statistics
• Linear regression: including and connecting theory from 18.6501x Fundamentals of Statistics and implementation, practical issues, and regularization from 14.310x Data Analysis for Social Scientists and 6.86x Machine Learning with Python

(Note: These are examples, and not intended to be exhaustive or exclusive. Learners completing different SDS Program Tracks may draw the same material from different courses)