Taking the CLD Exam - some questions

[BrianInTheForest]

I have some last minute questions about the CLD exam.

Are you or are you not given the Front Panel in LabVIEW when you take the exam or is the Front Panel just on paper?  I have read and seen conflicting info on this.

Do you save your exam on the  pc you are taking  it on or are you given disks to save it on?

In a webcast on taking the CLD exam and in some material I have read, mastering different timing techniques is critical for a functional program in most CLD exams - would other previous CLD exam takers agree?

I can develop many types of state machines so I feel comfortable with coming up with an architecture.  I am just concerned about the time of only 4 hours.   

So my plan for tomorrow  (based on what I have read in forums) is going to be:

1 Take time to read and understand the problem(5-10min)

2 Work out a solution on paper(20mins max)

3 Code the solution(2.5hours max)

4 Document and fine tune code(1 hour)

Is this a realistic strategy?

Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

[Wiebe@CARYA]

Well, I hope I'm not violating any non-disclosure rules here. I don't think
anybody is allowed to talk about the content of the exam. Your questions are
very basic, so I don't see any harm in sharing some thoughts...

"lach" <x@no.email> wrote in message
news:1228407022007-819144@exchange.ni.com...
> I have some last minute questions about the CLD exam.&nbsp;Are you or are
you not given the Front Panel in LabVIEW when you take the exam or
is&nbsp;the Front Panel&nbsp;just on paper?&nbsp; I have read and seen
conflicting info on this.&nbsp

You get a paper design, and need to make everything yourself.

>;Do you save your exam on the&nbsp; pc you are taking&nbsp; it on or are
you given disks to save it on?

This is explained on the exame. It might differ. For the CLA I had to copy
the project on a USB disk. I'd keep a copy on the PC. For new candidates the
PC is flushed/reinstalled, but if your copy fails at least you have a backup
for some time...

I think you can download the text explaining the procedure, but I don't know
where. You still need to read it when you get it, it might have changed...

>In&nbsp;a webcast on taking the CLD exam and in some material I have read,
mastering different timing techniques is critical for a functional program
in most CLD exams - would other previous CLD exam takers agree?

Yes, you need different techniques.

>I can develop many types of state machines so I feel comfortable with
coming up with an architecture.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Good. Being comfortable is important.

>I am just concerned about the time of only 4 hours.&nbsp;

As I understand, few people have a 100% working program at the end. A
working program is not the only ingredient for your grade. Just do the best
you can. Don't get the program working as fast as possible, documentation
and style are also important.

> &nbsp;So my plan for tomorrow&nbsp; (based on what I have read in forums)
is going to be:1 Take time to read and understand the problem(5-10min)

I think it took me 45-60 min just to read all of the text. But English is
not my native language.

>2 Work out a solution on paper(20mins max)

Might be a bit much. I usually skip this, even with real project. But if you
feel it might help, it is a good idea.

Also, I'd work on the main vi's architecture while I think about the rest.
Then I'd take a pause and reflect on my thoughts. That would be a better
time to do some designing. You do need to be sure your main is capable of
doing everything asked, of course.

>3 Code the solution(2.5hours max)
>4 Document and fine tune code(1 hour)

Document while you are programming. Give each VI a text icon when you create
or save it. Give controls proper names when you create them. Put mental
notes in the code when you create it. Etc. This is a lot more efficient,
since you don't need to reopen everything, and also because when you make a
copy of a VI, you copy all the documentation as well.

If you decide to document it at the end, 1 hour seems to be a lot of time to
document 2.5 hour of code. Remember that the main architecture will probably
take up a significant amount of the time, and it shouldn't need much
documentation. And a vi named "Convert X to Y" doesn't need much
documentation either...

Anyway, good luck!

Wiebe.

[Darren]

---

Are you or are you not given the Front Panel in LabVIEW when you take the exam or is the Front Panel just on paper? 

---

 The exam paper can potentially show you a sample front panel, but when you code your solution, you will start with a blank VI.

---

Do you save your exam on the  pc you are taking  it on or are you given disks to save it on?

---

To ensure no loss of work, your proctor will typically provide multiple storage mechanisms for your exam code, including disks, USB drives, and/or simply saving your work on the development machine.

---

In a webcast on taking the CLD exam and in some material I have read, mastering different timing techniques is critical for a functional program in most CLD exams - would other previous CLD exam takers agree?

---

Timing techniques is one of the skill areas listed in the CLD prep materials, so you'll want to be prepared in this area, just like all the others.

---

1 Take time to read and understand the problem(5-10min)

2 Work out a solution on paper(20mins max)

3 Code the solution(2.5hours max)

4 Document and fine tune code(1 hour)

Is this a realistic strategy?

---

If that's how you would code an app in the real world, then it's a realistic strategy.  Some other people may prefer to document the code as they write it...some might forego spending 20 minutes on a paper solution...as long as you're comfortable with your own strategy, that's what matters.

Good luck on the exam!

-D

[BrianInTheForest]

Thanks Weibe and Darren for yalls input.

[TCPlomp]

Like Wiebe said being able to read english good enough is quite important (sadly).

I was done with my CLD after 2 hours. (and it was documented). Be comfortable with LabVIEW, I specially practised in setting up LabVIEW the way I like.

Create a backup of your LabVIEW.ini, delete LabVIEW.ini. Start LabVIEW, do some coding, find out which items irritate you (auto-wiring, auto exploding structures) try to set these items to your liking. Such a thing costs just 2 minutes but can save you a lot of frustration.

One tip:

Don't do anything fancy.

Ton

[Wiebe@CARYA]

Well, I guess you are taking the exam right now, but anyway...

In addition, see if there are some templates you like (or learn to like
them). They could save you a lot of time! You can also make your own of
course.

You can also make structures you use a lot, and add them to your palette. I
did this for the standard error in/error out/ case structure. Save this as
vi, and add the vi to your control palette. When you select it, the
structure is dropped on the vi you are working on.

Regards,

Wiebe.

[BrianInTheForest]

Just finished the exam. 

My program was working according to spec.  Most everything has labels or documentation, still could of done a lot more.

Now the tough part - wating for the results. 

[Wiebe@CARYA]

"lach" <x@no.email> wrote in message
news:1228504206201-819960@exchange.ni.com...
> Just finished the exam.&nbsp; &nbsp;My program was working according to
spec.&nbsp; Most everything has labels or documentation, still could of done
a lot more.&nbsp;Now the tough part - wating for the results.&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;

Yes, and it might take a while... I'm waiting for my CLAD results. Over
here, it is expected to take 6 weeks, but with most of december lost on
holydays, I think it will become 10 weeks...

Regards,

Wiebe.

[BrianInTheForest]

Just got my results. 

I passed the CLD Exam!!! 

[Darren]

Congrats, Brian!

-D