ASU CIS 105: Computer Applications and Information Technology
CIS 105 is W. P. Carey's introduction to business information systems and computer applications — IT concepts, data and security basics, and substantial hands-on Excel work. It satisfies a computer/statistics general studies requirement and carries one of the largest enrollments at ASU, especially online.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with Arizona State University. This is an unofficial study guide.
Build my CIS 105 study planWhat makes it hard
Nothing in it is conceptually hard, which is the trap: the Excel assignments are precise and time-consuming, deadlines arrive weekly, and the 7.5-week online sessions double the cadence. Points are lost to mechanical slips — a wrong cell reference, a missed formatting requirement — and to the steady term-long drip of small deliverables that procrastination turns into zeros.
What you'll cover
- • Information systems in business
- • Spreadsheet skills and Excel functions
- • Data analysis basics
- • Databases and information management
- • Security and privacy fundamentals
The CIS 105 study guide
How to study for ASU CIS 105, step by step.
- 1
Map every deliverable in week one
CIS 105 is a drip of weekly assignments, quizzes, and Excel projects, and the grade is mostly accumulation. Calendar all of it up front — in a 7.5-week session the cadence doubles and surprises are expensive.
- 2
Do Excel work in two passes
Build the workbook, walk away, then re-check every requirement against the instructions line by line. Most lost points are mechanical — a wrong reference, a missed format — and the second pass catches them cheaply.
- 3
Learn the functions, don't just complete the steps
Tutorial-following gets the assignment done without building skill, and exams test the concepts. After each Excel unit, rebuild one exercise from a blank sheet to prove the functions are actually yours.
- 4
Treat the concept quizzes like real exams
The IT, data, and security terminology accumulates into exams that look easy and dock carelessness. Short flashcard reviews through the week beat skimming slides the night before.
- 5
Keep every deadline visible with Fennie
Upload your CIS 105 syllabus and Fennie's Daily Plan spaces the weekly deliverables and quiz prep across each week, paced to the session calendar, with flashcards and practice quizzes built from the actual course material. Free to start.
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How Fennie helps with CIS 105
Fennie's Daily Plans are built for courses like CIS 105 that are won on cadence: every weekly deliverable and quiz scheduled with margin, doubly valuable in 7.5-week online sessions. Flashcards from the actual IT and security material keep the concept quizzes easy, and chat explains any Excel function until it's genuinely yours.
FAQ
Is CIS 105 at ASU hard?
No — but it punishes disorganization. The Excel assignments are precise and time-consuming, deliverables arrive weekly, and most lost points are mechanical slips or missed deadlines rather than difficult concepts.
What do you actually do in CIS 105?
Hands-on Excel and applications work — functions, data analysis, projects — alongside IT concept units covering information systems, databases, and security, assessed through weekly assignments and quizzes or exams.
Is CIS 105 worth taking online?
It's one of ASU Online's most-taken courses and translates well to the format. The 7.5-week sessions double the weekly cadence, so the organized do fine and the deadline-driven feel squeezed — plan accordingly.
Pass CIS 105 with a plan, not a cram
Upload your CIS 105 materials and Fennie generates a Daily Plan paced to your deadline — plus chat, flashcards, and quizzes built from the actual course content.
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