Home
Background
Level 1 Exam
Exam Sign-Up
Current Mentors
Mentor Area

Basic Skills Exam

The basic skills exam is a skill based exam. It requires a student to demonstrate skill in seven basic areas. Each are has a corresponding task that will be used to measure a student's competency in the skill.

Students taking the exam will be given a binder that contains:

  • A floppy disk that will be used to store student generated files
  • A CD-ROM that will contain files for use during the exam
  • Instructions for each task
  • Space for storing student generated print materials
  • A pair of walkman type headphones

Section 1: Using a Computer

    Skills Measured
  • Start up and shut down computer
  • Use icons, windows, and menus
  • Start an application and create a document
  • Name, save, retrieve, revise a document
  • Insert, access and eject a floppy disk and CD-ROM
  • Create, rename directories/folders
  • Save, open, place documents inside directories/folders
  • Open and work with more than one application at a time
  • Use media files like audio or video
    •
      Tasks
    • Turn on PC
    • Log onto PC using instructions
    • Insert floppy disk
    • Create directory called "task files"
    • Insert CD-ROM
    • Using a word processor open file called task1.txt on CD-ROM
    • Replace only the phrase "your name here" with your first name and last name
    • Save the file as task1.txt onto your floppy drive in the directory called task files
    • Plug your headphones into the appropriate place
    • Open the file in the movies directory of your CD-ROM called task1.mov
    • Based on the content of the movie, answer the question found in the file task1.txt
    • Save the file again

Section 2: Using a Word Processor

    Skills Measured
  • Enter and edit text
  • Copy and move blocks of text
  • Change text format and style
  • Check spelling and grammar
  • Save documents
  • Print documents
      • Tasks
    • Open a word processor
    • Open the file on the CD-ROM called task2.rtf
    • Save the document as task2.rtf to your floppy disk in the directory called task files
    • Using copy/paste re-arrange the paragraphs so they appear in the correct order
    • Add a new paragraph after the document heading of the document that contains your name, academic major, and hometown
    • Change the font and size of the document heading to Times New Roman and 24 pt
    • Make the heading bold
    • Remember to save the document as you work
    • Use the spell checker to correct spelling mistakes
    • Find the poem in section 2 of the document
    • Cut the poem out of task2.rtf and paste it into a new document
    • Put your first name, last name and today's date on the new document
    • Name the new document using your username as in edisonta.rtf and save it to the task files directory on your floppy disk
    • Print the document on printer 1.

Section 3: Using Email and Listservers

    Skills Measured
  • Compose, retrieve, send, and reply to email
  • Download attachments and attach documents to email
  • Join a listserv
  • Send a message to a listserv
      • Tasks
    • Open a web browser
    • Go to https://students.udmercy.edu
    • Login using your username and password
    • Go into your mailbox
    • Open the message from ilevel@students.udmercy.edu
    • Save the attached file to the task files directory on your floppy disk
    • Reply to the message from ilevel@students.udmercy.edu
    • In the message type your name, your email address, and what today's weather is like.
    • To this message attach the file task2.rtf to your message
    • Cc the message to stm@students.udmercy.edu
    • Send the message
    • Open a new browser window
    • Go to https://listserver.udmercy.edu and click on join a list
    • Click on the list named level1students
    • Join the list
    • Go to your email inbox and reply to the message from the listserver to finalize your joining the list
    • Send a message to the list. Include in the body of the message your name, your academic major, your hometown...

Section 4: Using the World Wide Web

    Skills Measured
  • Find information on the World Wide Web
  • Use web-based forms and applications
  • Use the library's electronic resources
      • Tasks
    • Go to your email inbox
    • Open the message from eticket@udmercy.edu
    • Go to the website listed in the eticket message
    • Put your eticket ID and email address into the web form and hit enter
    • Use web resources to answer the scavenger hunt questions found in the eticket site
    • Submit your answers to the eticket site including the url where you found the answer

Section 5: Using FTP

    Skills Measured
  • Log into an FTP server
  • Upload a file from an FTP server
  • Download a file from an FTP server
      • Tasks
    • Open WS_FTP LE from the start menu
    • Login to the ilevel.udmercy.edu server using the username ___ and password ____
    • Download the file ftp.txt to your floppy drive in the task files directory
    • Upload your "username".rtf file to the upload folder on the server

Section 6: Putting it All Together

    Skills Measured
  • Basic understanding of skills and concepts used in sections 1-5
      • Tasks
    • Go to the website https://ilevel.udmercy.edu/level1exam
    • Put your email address in the form and hit submit
    • Open up your email and read the message from ilevel@udmercy.edu
    • Follow the directions in the email message
    • Put your floppy disk and CD back in the binder
    • Return everything back to the exam proctor

Upon completion the Student Tech Mentors will grade the exams using a prescribed flowchart. (for example)

Is there a directory on floppy named task files
Is a file named task1.txt located on floppy in task files directory
Did student replace phrase "Your name here" with their own name. "your name here" still in document is allowable.

Students must pass each section for certification. Students may take or repeat sections individually. Once a student has completed a section they are not required to repeat that section.