Characteristics of students who failed (or succeeded) the introductory CS course

The Open University of Israel, with its policy of open admissions, offers an undergraduate program of study in Computer Science. At the beginning of their studies, students take mathematics courses and the CS1 course "Introduction to Computer Science" which many students fail. This study attempts to identify characteristics which can predict success or failure in the course in order to identify students who are likely to fail. Assuming that students' background knowledge is a predictor of success, we chose to examine the relationship between students' prior knowledge and their success in the course. On the basis of our findings we will suggest ways to increase the pass rate in the course.