The final exam (250 points) will cover all the materials in units 9-16 of the course.
You must pass the two exams in the course with a combined score of at least 240 points out of the possible 350. If you fail to achieve that total score, then you will fail the course. You may not take a required midterm or final exam late.
The final will consist of five parts: map quiz (25 points); five identification questions (50 points); surprise question (25 points); timeline (50 points) and essay (100 points).
The map portion of the exam will be automatically graded by Canvas as soon as you complete the exam. Your instructor will then log in and grade the remaining portions of the exam.
For the Map quiz, you already have a copy of the Russia Outline Map (The printable version, which is a *.jpg file, will be the one used on the exam although the exam copy will be a bit larger.) and the list of HIS 242 Map Items to be located on the map. On the exam, when you log into Blackboard, you will see a blank map with numbers on it, and you will have a list of map locations. You have to choose a map location for each of the numbers on the map. Sometimes the map might look a little complicated or different when displayed in Blackboard; do the best that you can. (I have available a copy of my old study map of Russia, which I have scaled down in size if you wish to use it as a reference. The original map was about 18x28 which made it much easier to locate the items, but that meant I had to scan pieces of it and then splice the pieces together.).
The identification items will be taken from the Key Terms listed in the units. In a few sentences of about a paragraph length for each historical term, you will be asked to completely identify that term and note its importance.
The surprise question will be taken from the Questions to Consider listed in the units. The surprise question will require about a long paragraph to complete.
For the timeline, in chronological order, indicate what you would identify as the ten most important events in Russian history since 1900. Briefly explain your selection of each event. (You do need to give approximate dates.)
See the Example Assignments and Sample Test Items for examples of some good test answers.
The Essay, approximately 400 to 600 words in length, that you will write in the testing lab is as follows:
Way back in 1969, Andrei Amalrik posed the question, "Will the Soviet Union Survive until 1984?" Well, it is now more than thirty years after 1984, and the question that you will answer on the final exam is, "Will Russia Survive until 2034? You should analyze Russia's present condition, identifying some of Russia's strengths and weaknesses and noting some of the problems that Russia faces. Given your knowledge of Russian history in the twentieth century, you should then explain what you think will happen to Russia.
Please take the time to organize your thoughts in a logical manner to support your analysis. Please be sure to read the short background information about Andrei Amalrik and watch the short video before you take your exam. You might also with to review the remarks on Putin and Medvedev.
Directions for Taking the Final Exam
Please review the NOVA Online policies and procedures for the exams and the information on the course page (Exams) in Canvas about taking the course exams. You will find your EXAM PASSES in the Canvas Syllabus under the Taking Exams and Exam Passes section.
If you live outside metropolitan Washington or are incarcerated or handicapped, see the information in the general NOVA Online Policies and Procedures for exam proctors.
You are also able to use ProctorU, an online proctoring service, for the exam. See the directions on Canvas.
Please do not let fear of the exams stop you from completing the course. If you have great difficulty getting to a Testing Center, or are concerned about taking exams, or are worried about something going wrong with Canvas while you are taking your exam, please contact your instructor. We will never penalize you, if there is a Canvas or computer crash while you are taking your exam.
You have 2 hours to complete the exam.
THIS IS A CLOSED BOOK EXAM, NO NOTES.