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                                  AMENDMENT TO
                      CHANGE IN CONTROL SEVERANCE AGREEMENT

THIS AMENDMENT TO CHANGE IN CONTROL SEVERANCE AGREEMENT (this "Amendment"),
dated as of February 14, 2000, by and among Sterling Software, Inc., a
Delaware corporation (the "Company"), Computer Associates International,
Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Parent") and Mark A. Theel (the
"Executive").

                                   WITNESSETH:

         WHEREAS, the Company and the Executive are parties to a Change in
Control Severance Agreement, dated as of October 22, 1999 (the "Agreement");
and

         WHEREAS, the Company, the Parent and the Executive desire to amend
the Agreement as set forth in this Amendment;

         NOW THEREFORE, the Company, the Parent and the Executive agree as
follows:

         1.       This Amendment shall be of no force and effect if the Offer
                  (as defined in the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of
                  February 14, 2000, by and among the Parent, Silversmith
                  Acquisition Corp. and the Company) is not consummated.

         2.       The Agreement is hereby amended by replacing every occurrence
                  of the term "Employee Benefits" with the term "Medical
                  Benefits" and by the addition of a definition of Medical
                  Benefits as follows:

         (c)      "Medical Benefits" means the medical, dental, health,
                  hospital, disability and vision benefits provided under any
                  and all benefit policies, plans, programs or arrangements of
                  the Company that may now exist or any successor policies,
                  plans, programs or arrangements that may be adopted hereafter
                  by the Company in which the Executive is entitled to
                  participate or in which the Executive becomes entitled to
                  participate.


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         3.       Section 4(a)(i) is hereby amended to read as follows:

         (i)      pay to the Executive, within five (5) business days after the
                  Termination Date, a lump sum payment in an amount equal to
                  $921,118 as satisfaction in full for Executive's severance pay
                  and loss of certain perquisites and benefits that would
                  otherwise have been enjoyed by the Executive and for the
                  execution of the Executive's non-competition covenant in
                  Section 10 hereof. The parties agree that twenty-five (25)
                  percent of the lump sum payment shall be allocable to, and
                  deemed as consideration for, the Executive's non-competition
                  covenant in Section 10 hereof.

         4.       Section 4(a)(ii) is hereby amended in its entirety to read as
                  follows:

         (ii)     for 24 months following the Termination Date (the
                  "Continuation Period"), arrange at its sole expense, to
                  provide the Executive with Medical Benefits that are
                  substantially similar to the better of (when considered in the
                  aggregate) (x) those Medical Benefits which the Executive was
                  receiving or entitled to receive immediately prior to the
                  Change in Control, or (y) those Medical Benefits which the
                  Executive was receiving or entitled to receive immediately
                  prior to the Termination Date. If and to the extent that any
                  Medical Benefit described above in this Section 4(a)(ii)
                  cannot be provided under any applicable law or regulation or
                  under any policy, plan, program or arrangement of the Company,
                  then the Company will take all action necessary to ensure that
                  such Medical Benefit is provided through other means to the
                  Executive, his dependents and beneficiaries, as applicable.

         5.       The Company shall give the Executive the right to purchase
                  (such right to remain open until the expiration of thirty (30)
                  days from the Termination Date) at current book value, the
                  Company vehicle which was customarily provided to the
                  Executive as of immediately prior to the Executive's Date of
                  Termination.

         6.       The Agreement is hereby amended by the addition of a new
                  Section 10 (and amended as necessary in respect of required
                  renumbering):

10. NON-COMPETITION; CONFIDENTIALITY: (a) Executive agrees and acknowledges
that reasonable limits on his ability to engage in activities which are
competitive with


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the Company are warranted in order to protect the Company's trade secrets and
proprietary information and are warranted in order to protect the Company in
developing and maintaining its reputation, good will and status in the
marketplace. In that regard, during the Continuation Period, the Executive
will not directly or indirectly, on Executive's own behalf or in the service
of or on behalf of any other individual or entity, either as a proprietor,
employee, agent, independent contractor, consultant, director, officer,
partner or stockholder (other than a stockholder of a corporation listed on a
national securities exchange or whose stock is regularly traded in the
over-the-counter market, provided that the Executive at no time owns,
directly or indirectly, in excess of 5% of the outstanding stock of any class
of any such corporation):

         (i) participate or engage in any activities or business developing,
manufacturing, marketing or distributing any products or services offered by
the Company as of the Effective Time (as defined in the Agreement and Plan of
Merger, dated as of February 14, 2000, by and among the Parent, Silversmith
Acquisition Corp. and the Company), or any products or services offered by
the Company subsequent to the Effective Time and in which the Executive
actively participated, recognizing that the Company offers products and
services globally ("Competitive Activities"), including, without limitation,
(A) selling goods or rendering services of the type (or similar to the type)
sold or rendered by the Company, whether by means of electronic, traditional
or other form of commerce; (B) soliciting any person or entity that is a
current or prospective customer or has been a customer, in each case, of the
Company, while the Executive has been employed by the Company (provided that
it shall not be deemed a breach of this Agreement if the Executive solicits
such customers for goods or services unrelated to the Competitive Activities)
and (C) assisting any person in any way to do, or attempt to do, anything
prohibited by clauses (A) or (B) above; or

         (ii) solicit (other than pursuant to general, non-targeted
advertisements) any employee of the Company, who was an employee at or prior
to the Effective Time, to leave the employment of the Company.

         (b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Executive may
remain a director at those companies for which Executive is a director as of
the Effective Time, and may engage in any activities or businesses for which
the


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Company has given permission in writing, which shall not be unreasonably
withheld (or delayed) following the expiration of one year from the date the
Offer is consummated, provided Executive's engaging in such activities or
business would not have a material adverse impact on any of the Company's
lines of businesses.

         (c) (i) The Executive shall not, without the written consent of the
Company, disclose to any other person or use, whether directly or indirectly,
any Confidential Information (as hereinafter defined) relating to or used by
the Company, whether in written, oral or other form. "Confidential
Information" shall mean information about the Company, and its clients and
customers that is not disclosed by the Company for financial reporting
purposes and that was learned by the Executive in the course of employment
with the Company, including (without limitation) any proprietary knowledge,
product and service designs, trade secrets, manuals, technical information
and plans, contracts, systems, procedures, databases, electronic files, disks
and printouts, correspondence, internal reports, personnel files, information
about Company employees relating to their education, experience, skills,
abilities, compensation and benefits, and inter-personal relationships with
suppliers to and customers of Company, sales and advertising material,
business plans, marketing plans, financial data (including without limitation
the revenues, costs or profits associated with services), customer and
industry lists, customer information, customer lists coupled with product or
service pricing, customer contracts, supplier contacts and other contact
information, pricing policies, supplies, agents, risk analyses, engineering
information and computer screen designs and computer input and output
specifications, inclusive of any pertinent documentation, techniques,
processes, technical information and know how. The Executive acknowledges
that such Confidential Information is specialized, unique in nature and of
great value to the Company, and that such information gives the Company a
competitive advantage. The Executive's obligations under this Section 10(c)
shall survive the termination of the Continuation Period.

                  (ii) Confidential Information does not include information
which (A) is or becomes part of the public domain other than as a result of
the Executive's disclosure; or (B) becomes available to the Executive on a
non-confidential basis from a source other than the Company, provided that
source is not bound with respect to that information by a confidentiality
agreement with the Company or otherwise prohibited from transmitting that
information by a contractual, legal or other obligation.


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                  (iii) If the Executive is requested or (in the opinion of
Executive's counsel) required by law or judicial order to disclose any
Confidential Information, the Executive shall provide the Company with prompt
notice of any such request or requirement so that the Company may seek an
appropriate protective order or waiver of the Executive's compliance with the
provisions of this Section 10(c). The Executive will not oppose any
reasonable action by, and will cooperate with, the Company to obtain an
appropriate protective order or other reliable assurance that confidential
treatment will be accorded the Confidential Information. If, failing the
entry of a protective order or the receipt of a waiver hereunder, the
Executive is, in the opinion of Executive's counsel, compelled by law to
disclose a portion of the Confidential Information, the Executive may
disclose to the relevant tribunal without liability hereunder that portion of
the Confidential Information which counsel advises the Executive he is
legally required to disclose, and each of the parties hereto agrees to
exercise such party's best efforts to obtain assurance that confidential
treatment will be accorded such Confidential Information.

         (d) If an award by a court or arbitration panel declares that any
term or provision of this Section 10 is excessive in duration or scope or is
unreasonable or unenforceable, the parties agree that the court or
arbitration panel making such determination shall have the power to reduce
the scope, duration or area or the term or provision, to delete specific
words or phrases, or to replace any invalid or unenforceable term or
provision with a term or provision that is a valid and enforceable term or
provision, and this Section 10 shall be enforceable as so modified.

         (e) In the event of a breach or threatened breach by the Executive
of the provisions of this Section 10, the Company's remedies in respect of
such breach or threatened breach shall be limited to injunctive relief (and
the Executive acknowledges that the Company may not have an adequate remedy
at law and may seek injunctive relief without the requirement of posting
security) and the recovery of actual damages suffered by the Company as a
result of a breach of this Section 10 by the Executive. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, in no case shall any portion of the lump sum payment set forth in
Section 4(a)(i) or any Gross-Up Payment hereunder (or any other payments made
hereunder) be recoverable by the Parent or the Company (or subject to any
set-off, counterclaim or recoupment) in respect of damages resulting from a
breach of this Section 10.


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         (f) For the purposes of this Section 10, the term "Company" includes
not only Sterling Software, Inc., but also any subsidiary or affiliated
corporation of Sterling Software, Inc.

         7.       Parent shall guarantee the Company's obligations pursuant to
                  the Agreement, including without limitation, Sections 5 and 7
                  thereof. The Parent and the Company hereby acknowledge that
                  the obligations set forth in such Sections will survive any
                  termination or expiration of this Agreement or termination of
                  Executive's employment for any reason. Each party will notify
                  the other in writing of any claim by the Internal Revenue
                  Service or any other taxing authority that, if successful,
                  would require the payment by the Company of a Gross-Up
                  Payment. Such notification shall be given as soon as
                  practicable but no later than ten (10) business days after
                  such party is informed in writing of such a claim and such
                  party shall apprise the other party of the nature of such
                  claim and the date on which such claim is requested to be
                  paid. The Parent and the Company shall bear and pay directly
                  all costs and expenses (including legal fees and any interest
                  and penalties) incurred in connection with any such claim or
                  proceeding, and shall indemnify and hold the Executive
                  harmless, on an after-tax basis, as provided in Section 5(a),
                  for any Excise Tax or income tax (including interest and
                  penalties with respect thereto) imposed as a result of such
                  representation and payment of costs and expenses. The Company
                  and the Parent also shall pay to the Executive all legal fees
                  and expenses incurred by the Executive in connection with any
                  tax audit or proceeding to the extent attributable to the
                  application of section 4999 of the Code to any payment or
                  benefit provided hereunder. Such payments shall be made within
                  five (5) business days after delivery of the Executive's
                  written requests for payment accompanied with evidence of fees
                  and expenses incurred. The Company's and Parent's obligation
                  with respect to a Gross-Up Payment and reimbursement of
                  related legal fees and expenses shall be absolute and
                  unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstances,
                  including, without limitation, any setoff, counterclaim,
                  recoupment, defense or other right which the Company or the
                  Parent may have against the Executive or anyone else. Except
                  where provided herein to the contrary, all amounts payable by
                  the Company or the Parent hereunder shall be paid without
                  notice or demand. Each and every payment made hereunder by the
                  Company or the Parent


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                  shall be final, and the Company and the Parent will not seek
                  to recover all or any part of such payment from the Executive,
                  or from whomsoever may be entitled thereto, for any reason
                  whatsoever.

         8.       The Executive agrees as consideration for the Company's and
                  the Parent's entry into this Amendment that, effective upon
                  consummation of the Offer, the Executive shall be deemed to
                  have waived all rights the Executive may have pursuant to the
                  Executive's Severance Agreement with the Company dated
                  November 1, 1998 and that such agreement shall be terminated
                  as of the date of the consummation of the Offer.

         9.       Except as amended hereby, all other provisions of the
                  Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

         10.      The validity, interpretation, construction and performance of
                  this Amendment will be governed by and construed in accordance
                  with the substantive laws of Delaware, without giving effect
                  to the conflict of laws principles of such State.

         11.      This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts,
                  each of which shall be deemed to be an original but all of
                  which together will constitute one and the same agreement.


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         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Amendment to be
duly executed and delivered as of the first date first written above.

                                       STERLING SOFTWARE, INC.

                                       By /s/ Don J. McDermett, Jr.
                                          -----------------------------------
                                          Name: Don J. McDermett, Jr.
                                          Title: Senior Vice President &
                                                 General Counsel


                                       COMPUTER ASSOCIATES
                                       INTERNATIONAL, INC.

                                       By /s/ Steven M. Woghin
                                          -----------------------------------
                                          Name: Steven M. Woghin
                                          Title: Senior Vice President &
                                                 General Counsel


                                       /s/ Mark A. Theel
                                       --------------------------------------
                                                    Mark A. Theel


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