CSIS 3200 Sample Test 1 September 26, 2006

Section 1: True/False Questions

Please circle the correct answer:
1. Accurate, relevant, and timely information is the key to good decision making.

True False

2. Metadata provide the description of the data characteristics but do not describe the set
relationships that link the data found within the database.

True False

3. A database that is primarily designed to support a company’s day-to-day operations is called

a data warehouse.

True False

4. A record is a logically connected set of one or more fields that describes a person, place, or
thing.

True False

5. The final outcome of a natural JOIN operation yields a table that does not include the
unmatched row.

True False

6. In a relational table, each column represents an attribute and each column has a distinctive
name.

True False

7. In a relational table, each value in a column must conform to the same data format.

True False

8. A key consists of one or more attributes that determine other attributes.

True False

9. A primary key can be defined as a superkey with redundancies.

True False

10. To maintain entity integrity, a null value is permitted in the primary key.

True False

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CSIS 3200 Sample Test 1 September 26, 2006

Section 2: Multiple Choice Questions

Please select only one of the choices (If more than one is selected, it is considered as incorrect)

1. The DBMS allows you to extrapolate information from your data by using a(n) ____.
a. query language
b. table generator
c. security system
d. access control

2. A ____ system is composed of software, hardware, procedures, and people.

a. software
b. computer
c. file
d. database

3. ____ are the people who run the organization’s daily operations.
a. End users
b. Managers
c. Database programmers
d. Data practitioners

4. Data is/are:
a. information
b. raw facts
c. processed information
d. a DBMS

5. A telephone number, a birth date, and a customer name are all examples of:
a. data
b. a record
c. a file
d. a database

6. A logically connected set of one or more fields that describes a person, place, or thing is a(n):
a. data
b. a record
c. a file
d. a database

7. Metadata is:
a. raw facts
b. data about data
c. user created data
d. warehoused data

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CSIS 3200 Sample Test 1 September 26, 2006

8. SQL is:
a. a structured query language
b. a sequencing query language
c. a sequencing query listing
d. a structured query listing

9. A relational database is a group of ____.

a. common fields
b. field values
c. records
d. tables

10. Database models can be grouped into two categories: conceptual models and ____ models.
a. implementation
b. logical
c. physical
d. query

11. Each row in the relational table is known as an entity ____.

a. instance
b. relationship
c. attribute
d. model

12. Which model represents the end user’s view of the database?
a. Internal
b. Conceptual
c. Physical
d. External
13. Which model operates at the lowest level of abstraction?
a. Conceptual
b. Internal
c. External
d. Physical

14. What type of relationship is expressed with the phrase “Painter paints Painting”?
a. 1:M
b. 1:1
c. M:1
d. M:N

15. What type of relationship is expressed with the phrase “Employee manages Store”?
a. 1:M
b. 1:1
c. M:1
d. M:N

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CSIS 3200 Sample Test 1 September 26, 2006

16. What type of relationship is expressed with the phrase “Student takes Class”?
a. 1:M
b. 1:1
c. M:1
d. M:N

17. Which of the following is least likely to be a business rule as relates to data modeling?
a. A customer may make many payments on an account.
b. A machine operator may not work more than 10 hours in a 24-hour period.
c. A training session cannot be scheduled for fewer than 10 employees or more than 30
employees.
d. Casual Fridays take place in the summer.

18. The entity integrity rule requires that ____.

a. all primary key entries are unique
b. a part of the key may be null
c. foreign key values do not reference primary key values
d. duplicate object values are allowed

19. The referential integrity rule requires that ____.

a. every null foreign key value must reference an existing primary key value
b. an attribute have a corresponding value
c. every non-null foreign key value reference an existing primary key value
d. you delete a row in one table whose primary key does not have a matching foreign
key value in another table

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CSIS 3200 Sample Test 1 September 26, 2006

20. Each table must have a ____ key.

a. primary
b. secondary
c. foreign
d. logical

21. A primary key ____.

a. is a minimal superkey
b. is always the first field in each table
c. must be numeric
d. must be unique

22. A relational operator that yields values from all rows in a table is known as the ____
operator.
a. DIFFERENCE
b. PRODUCT
c. SELECT
d. PROJECT

23. A relational operator that yields all values from selected attributes is known as the ____
operator.
a. DIFFERENCE
b. PRODUCT
c. SELECT
d. PROJECT

24. A relational operator that allows for the combination of information from two or more tables
is known as the ____ operator.
a. SELECT
b. PROJECT
c. JOIN
d. DIFFERENCE

25. In a relationship, when a primary key from one table is also defined in a second table, the
field is referred to as a ____ in the second table.
a. combined key
b. redundant field
c. primary key
d. foreign key

26. A relational operator that yields all possible pairs of rows from two tables is known as the
____ operator.
a. UNION
b. INTERSECT
c. DIFFERENCE
d. PRODUCT

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CSIS 3200 Sample Test 1 September 26, 2006

27. Which of the following statements concerning the primary key is true?
a. All primary key entries are unique.
b. The primary key may be null.
c. The primary key is not required for all tables.
d. The primary key data do not have to be unique.

28. In the context of a database table, the statement “A determines B” indicates that ____.
a. knowing the value of attribute A, you cannot look up the value of attribute B
b. you do not need to know the value of attribute A in order to look up the value of
attribute B
c. knowing the value of attribute B, you can look up the value of attribute A
d. knowing the value of attribute A, you can look up the value of attribute B

29. A ____ is any key that identifies each entity uniquely. It functionally determines all of the
entity’s attributes.
a. superkey
b. primary key
c. foreign key
d. combined key

30. A superkey that does not contain a subset of attributes that is itself a superkey is called a
____.
a. candidate key
b. primary key
c. superkey
d. secondary key

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CSIS 3200 Sample Test 1 September 26, 2006

Section 3: Fill up the empty space with most appropriate word

1. A collection of programs that manages the database structure and controls access to the data
stored in the database is called a ______________________________.
DBMS

2. A DBMS that supports more than one user is classified as a ____________________ user.
Multi

3. ____________________, or data about data, through which the end-user data and are
integrated and managed.
MetaData

4. ____________________ exists when different versions of the same data appear in different
places.
Data inconsistency

5. ____________________ refers to the activities that focus on the design of the database
structure that will be used to store and manage end-user data.
Database design

6. The relationship described by the phrase “the Customer generates the Invoice” is
____________________.
one-to-many

7. A(n) ____________________ is a brief, concise, and unambiguous description of a policy.

business rule

8. The query language for a relational database is _________________________.

SQL, structured query language

9. A(n) ____________________ consists of one or more attributes that determine other

attributes.
key

10. Another form of JOIN, known as ____________________, links tables on the basis of an
equality condition that compares columns of each table.

equijoin

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CSIS 3200 Sample Test 1 September 26, 2006

Section 4:
Answer the following questions.

1. Explain why DBMSs are important in our information-based society.

Since data are important, we must have good ways of managing such data. Additionally, a
DBMS creates an environment with better access to more and better data, makes it possible for
end users to respond quickly to changes in their environment, and makes available data that can
be easily transformed into usable information.

2. Explain data redundancy and what it sets the stage for.

Data redundancy occurs when the same data is stored in different locations; Redundancy creates
data inconsistency, which results from different and conflicting versions of the same data in
different places, and data anomalies, as a result of the need to modify the same data in different
locations.

3. List the different types of relationships and provide an example of each.

There are three types of relationships:

1) One-to-One (1:1) relationships: Employee manages Store
2) One-to-Many (1:M) relationships: Painter paints Painting
3) Many-to-Many (M:N or M:M) relationships: Student takes Class