4002-320: Introduction to Multimedia
4004-741: Fundamentals of Web-based Multimedia

Overview

Every term, the Information Sciences and Technologies Department at RIT offers students the opportunity to test out of the 4002-320/4004-741 Multimedia courses. This opportunity is provided due to the number of students who already possess development skills and in-depth knowledge of this area of study.

If you are interested in the 320/741 Test Out, the information below is provided to assist you in preparing for the examination(s).

Please note: To take this exam, you need both an enabled RIT user account (e.g. the one you use for myCourses and e-mail), as well as an IT department user account.  You will find more information about RIT user accounts at http://start.rit.edu.  You can obtain an IT department account at https://ist.rit.edu/~itaccounts.

Exam reservation requests should be sent to Theresa Pozzi at tapast@rit.edu.

The Examinations

Testing out of 320/741 requires passing two examinations (one written and one practical) with a score of 80% or better on each examination.

The Written Examination

The written examination is normally given first and consists of approximately 50 questions. These questions may be any combination of the following question types: multiple-choice, matching, ordering, short answer, and true/false.  The exam is administered using the myCourses on-line quiz feature.  To access myCourses, you must have a functional RIT user ID and password.

You may not use notes or any other supplemental materials during the written examination. Subjects covered on the written examination may include, but are not limited to:

• Network Protocols
• Internet and Web History - key figures, events
• Electronic Information and Searching
• Unix File and Directory Commands
• Unix Permissions
• HTML (version XHTML 1.1)
• CSS 2.1 for formatting and basic positioning
• Using W3 validators for HTML and CSS
• Design and Navigation
• Digital images (optimization and photo retouching)

Practical Examination

The practical examination is taken upon successful completion of the written examination and during the same examination period.

NOTE: If you do not pass the written examination, (e.g., receive a score of 80% or better) you will not be allowed to take the practical examination.

The practical examination is given in a PC and Mac lab. It requires a hands-on demonstration of your skills and abilities with a variety of software tools including but not limited to a text editor, the UNIX operating system (using student space on gibson.rit.edu) and graphics editing software like Photoshop and Fireworks (current versions). The specific software tools available will depend on the platform/operating system being used.  Please refer to Hardware/Software Resources at the end of this document for more information.

You may bring books or notes to assist you in the practical examination.  You may not, however, engage in any conversation or receive support from another individual whether directly, electronically, or via the Web or email. In addition, you may not copy code (e.g., "View Source") from other web pages to complete the practical.

The practical examination requires:

• A demonstration of your ability to perform basic functions and operations within a UNIX environment. This demonstration requires that you know and understand the correct usage of a variety of UNIX commands inluding those that:
  • Navigate through the directory structure,
  • List and create directories,
  • List and create small text files,
  • Copy or move directories or files, and
  • Set permissions for UNIX directories and files.

IMPORTANT: This section of the exam will be performed using a secure terminal client (SSH or Putty).  All commands executed will be entered at the UNIX command prompt.

• A demonstration of your ability to construct a web page using valid XHTML 1.1 and CSS 2.1 structures and techniques.  To do so, you will be using a text editor (not a graphical environment such as Dreamweaver). Additionally, you must demonstrate that you can:

  • Upload the page to the UNIX server (gibson.rit.edu) using an FTP client,
  • Set permissions correctly so the page can be viewed with a web browser.
• A demonstration of your ability to use products such as Photoshop or Firefox to perform basic image manipulation such as:
  • Adjusting image size,
  • Selecting appropriate file types/options to reduce file size,
  • Adjusting image appearance (image correction), and
  • Creating composite images from two or more provided images.
    

     

Examination Dates

Examination dates vary from term to term. Please contact the School of Informatics Student Services Office at 585 475-2700 for more information.

Examination Times

You will be allotted 1 hour to complete the written examination and 2 hours to complete the practical examination.

Preparing for the Examinations

The following textbooks contain more than adequate information to review, prepare and pass both the written and practical examinations for this test out. Again, you may wish to consult other books or materials based on your own preferences and background. Be forewarned that the questions on the written examination are text specific and based on the materials below:

• Learning Web Design — A Beginner's Guide to (X)HTML, Style Sheets, and Web Graphics (3rd Edition) by Jennier Niederst Robbins (current course text)

Additional References

• Unix: Visual Quickstart Guide by Deborah and Eric Ray
• HTML for the WWW: Visual Quickstart Guide by Elizabeth Castro
• The Non-Designer's Web Book by Robin Williams and John Tollett

Hardware/Software Resources

As mentioned above, this examination is normally given in an IT Mac lab.  Depending on student needs, the examination may be offered in a combined Mac/PC lab.  The machines in these labs provide the following resources: