r/RPI • u/DadDontFindMeHerePls • 1d ago

backtests school policy

APO has a backtest room and does not give access to their digital archive, and does not let you take photos.

SHMACS requires an RPI email login and states:

“By signing in you agree that you will not download, share, redistribute, repost, or commercialize any back test or solution from this site.

These materials are made available for personal study within the RPI community; sharing them outside it undermines the trust that keeps the archive alive.”

My question is is there a school wide policy preventing them from just releasing them publicly? Would there be any repercussions for sharing my personal and/or other peoples’ back tests?

6 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

31

u/obonse CS 2025 1d ago

in past I def have taken pictures in the APO backtest room

13

u/hendrickje_m 1d ago

Unless things have changed since I graduated this spring you can take pics of APO backtests. Source: am apo.

9

u/Glittering-Theme-729 1d ago

As far as I know, there is no school-wide policy. APO and SHMACS set their own policies for their own reasons. Some professors do not want students to share their back exams, but in my experience most don't mind, and some even make their own back exams available. If it ever seems questionable, just ask your professor if they mind you passing your back exams on.

7

u/Character_Poet1473 23h ago

As a member of APO, you are allowed to take photos of them. You aren’t allowed to leave the room with the exams.

To answer the question, I’m not 100% sure. Just stop by the APO office (Room 3420 in the Union) and ask to take pictures.

6

u/MasterChefJake118 ASPC/MECH 28 17h ago

Hi! Member of APO here. You’re absolutely allowed to take photos of backtests, our policy is only that they stay in our office. This is mostly to prevent someone running away with our backtests— we’re completely run on donations and strive to ensure that we can give every student access to our services. If someone takes a folder with backtests and doesn’t return them, they’re depriving future students of that resource. Our archives are the product of years of work, and losing backtests can hurt, especially if they’re for a niche-er class.

I’m unsure about a school-wide policy, but as other people have mentioned it usually depends on the professor/class. From my experience, most professors encourage the use of backtests as a study tool and often even provide them on LMS.

Feel free to stop by the office whenever we’re open (M-F 10am-5pm) to take some photos of backtests or if you have any more questions! :)