Your final exam will consist of 4 parts. Parts 1,2, and 3 correspond to the material from exams 1, 2, and 3 respectively. Part 4 will be the new material, sections 11.8, 11.9, 11.10, and 11.12. Each part will be weighted equally, so each part is worth 1/4 of 25 per-cent, or 6.25 per-cent of your total course grade.
Now, in recognition of the fact that you have already been tested on Parts 1,2, and 3, I will not require you to take these parts. If you skip one of these parts, then the corresponding exam score percentage (after the curve) will be used instead. In addition, should you decide to take any (or all) of these 3 parts, then I will keep the greater score.
For example, imagine you have exam scores so far of 70, 52, and 96. You then decide
to take parts 1 and 2, but not part 3. You must take part 4. Suppose your final exam scores
were: part 1: 88 ; part 2, 30 ; part 3 (did not take) ; and part 4, 60. Then your final exam
total score would be:
So, briefly, parts 1, 2, and 3 are optional. Part 4 is not. There's no risk to taking any of the first 3 parts, but if your original score was good, there may be little possible benefit.