Before we look at code, we must understand the context. The 42 curriculum is divided into ranks (Rank 00 to Rank 04 for the common core). Exam 05 typically corresponds to the end of Rank 03 / beginning of Rank 04.
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Unlike previous exams where you could climb from Easy to Hard, Exam 05 is a single-file, multi-class monster. You don’t get to pick your favorite exercise.
You are given one rigid subject.
You have 4 hours.
You must write a program that compiles with -Wall -Wextra -Werror and passes a memory-leak-free battery of tests. 42 exam 05
The twist? The subject is usually a variation of the "Bureaucracy" exercise (Interns, ShrubberyCreationForm, RobotomyRequestForm, PresidentialPardonForm).
Is Exam 05 hard? Yes. Is it fair? Absolutely. Is it worth the gray hairs? Definitely.
Now go get your grade. Good luck, cadet. Before we look at code, we must understand the context
Have you taken Exam 05? Did you suffer more or less than I did? Let me know in the comments—or cry with me on the 42 Slack.
If you're looking at or preparing for Exam 05 from 42, here are a few general suggestions on how to approach it:
Before your exam date, make sure you have reviewed: Have you taken Exam 05
Before you attempt the exam, you must have these concepts memorized and practiced. You will not have internet access to look them up.
Let’s solve a likely 42 exam 05 question: ft_list_sort (Sort a linked list by integer data without allocating new nodes).
You will have a base class (usually AForm) and three derived classes (ShrubberyForm, RobotomyForm, PresidentialForm). The tricky part: The execute() method behaves completely differently for each.
I wasted 45 minutes because I forgot to include <cstdlib> for std::rand().