IS 312 – Midterm #2 Sample Questions
Important Note: This is NOT an all-inclusive list. These are only sample questions. You might see
some of the following questions but there will also be some other questions on the test.
Topic: Database Design
1. What is normalization?
Normalization is a process for evaluating and correcting table structures to minimize data
redundancies, thereby reducing the likelihood of data anomaly.
2. When is a table in 1NF?
1) All of the key attributes are defined.
2) There are no repeating groups in the table.
3) All attributes are dependent on the primary key.
3. When is a table in 2NF?
1) It is in 1NF, AND
2) It includes no partial dependencies; that is, no attribute is dependent on only a portion of
the primary key.
4. When is a table in 3NF?
When it is in 2NF and it contains no transitive dependencies.
5. When is a table in BCNF?
When every determinant in a table is a candidate key.
6. What is a partial dependency? With what normal form is it associated?
When an attribute is dependent on only a portion of the primary key. A partial dependency
is when exists when there is a functional dependence in which the determinant is only part
of the primary key. The 2NF would be associated with partial dependency.
7. What three data anomalies are likely to be the result of data redundancy?
How can such anomalies be eliminated?
Tables can contain insertion, update, or deletion anomalies. Normalizing the table structure
will reduce the data redundancies. Splitting up tables to divide the information into
separate relational groups reduces data redundancy.
8. Define and discuss the concept of transitive dependency
When there are functional dependencies such that X → Y, Y → Z, and X is the primary key.
X → Z is the transitive dependency because X determines the value of Z via Y. A transitive
dependency will only occur when a functional dependence exists among nonprime
attributes. A transitive dependency exists.
9. What is a surrogate key, and when should you use one?
A surrogate key is a system-defined attribute generally created and managed by the DBMS.
It is usually numeric, and its value automatically increments for each new row. Sometimes a
IS 312 – Systems and Technologies for Managers
Fall 2022
Midterm #2 Sample Question
composite primary key may become too cumbersome to use as the number of attributes
grows or it may simply have to, much descriptive content to be usable in which case a
surrogate key is used.
10. Why is a table whose primary key consists of a single attribute automatically in 2NF when it
is in 1NF?
A dependency based on only a part of a composite primary key is called a partial
dependency. Therefore, if the PK is a single attribute, there can be no partial dependencies,
thus, it will automatically be in 2NF.
11. How would you describe a condition in which one attribute is dependent on another
attribute when neither attribute is part of the primary key?
This condition is known as a transitive dependency. A transitive dependency is a
dependency of one nonprime attribute on another nonprime attribute. The problem with
transitive dependencies is that they still yield data anomalies.
12. You are told that in a database design, “an attribute that is part of a composite primary key
is also a candidate key”. How would you respond to that statement?
This argument is incorrect if the composite PK contains no redundant attributes. If the
composite primary key is properly defined, all the attributes that compose it are required to
identify the remaining attribute values. By definition, a candidate key is one that can be
used to identify all the remaining attributes, but it was not chosen to be a PK for some
reason. In other words, a candidate key can serve as a primary key, but it was not chosen
for that task for one reason or another. Clearly, a part of a proper (―minimal‖) composite
PK cannot be used as a PK by itself.
More formally, a candidate key can be described as a super key without redundancies, that
is, a minimal super key. Using this distinction, note that a table might contain the composite
key – for example:
STU_NUM, STU_LNAME
This composite key is a super key, but it is not a candidate key because STU_NUM by itself is
a candidate key! The combination
STU_LNAME, STU_FNAME, STU_INIT, STU_PHONE
might also be a candidate key, as long as you discount the possibility that two students
share the same last name, first name, initial, and phone number.
If the student’s Social Security number had been included as one of the attributes in this
example — e.g., named STU_SOCSECNUM — both it and STU_NUM would have been
candidate keys because either one would uniquely identify each student. In that case, the
selection of STU_NUM as the primary key would be driven by the designer’s choice or by
end-user requirements. Note, incidentally, that a primary key is a super key as well as a
candidate key.
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Systems and Operations Management
IS 312 – Systems and Technologies for Managers
Fall 2022
Midterm #2 Sample Question
Topic: Data Modeling
Go over your modeling question in our MySQL Workbench class activity, your team’s design,
and my feedback. Teams are encouraged to share the modeling questions, team designs, and
the instructor’s feedback with each other to learn the nuts and bolts of the data modeling using
ER diagram better. You will have at least one similar question in your midterm, that you must
solve individually.
Topic: Computer Networks and the Internet
1. In the client-server model, what is the primary protocol used for communication
between a browser and web server?
a. FTP
b. TCP
c. HTTP
d. SSL
2. Which two encryption protocols might be used to provide secure transmissions for
browser and web server communications?
a. HTTP and HTTPS
b. SSL and TLS
c. SSL and HTTP
d. TCP and UDP
3. Which email protocol allows an email client to download email messages to the local
computer?
a. IMAP4
b. SMTP
c. TCP
d. POP3
4. Which email protocol allows an email client to read mail stored on the mail server?
a. IMAP4
b. SMTP
c. TCP
d. POP3
5. Which application embedded in Windows operating systems allows remote control of a
computer and uses the RDP secure protocol for transmissions?
a. Telnet
b. Remote Desktop
c. SFTP
d. SSH
6. A network consists of five computers, all running Windows 10 Professional – No servers
are connected to this network. All the computers are connected to a switch, which is
connected to a router, which is connected to the Internet. Which networking model
does the network use?
a. Star-bus
b. Ring
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c. Hybrid
d. Peer-to-peer
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Systems and Operations Management
IS 312 – Systems and Technologies for Managers
Fall 2022
Midterm #2 Sample Question
7. In question 6, suppose one computer is upgraded from Windows 10 Professional to
Windows Server 2016. Which networking model can the network now support that it
could not support without the upgrade?
a. Hybrid
b. Client-server
c. Star-bus
d. Ring
8. A network consists of seven computers and a network printer, all connected directly to
one switch. Which network topology does this network use?
a. Hybrid
b. Mesh
c. Star-bus
d. Star
9. In question 8, suppose a new switch is connected to the first switch by way of a network
cable, and three computers are connected to the new switch. Which network topology
is used?
a. Hybrid
b. Mesh
c. Star-bus
d. Star
10. Which portion of the destination address on the receiving segment is used at the
Transport layer to identify the recipient application of that segment?
a. IP address
b. Port
c. MAC address
d. Protocol
11. Identify which of the following statements is correct.
a. The approximate number of possible networks in class B IPv4 is 126.
b. The first part of an IP4 address identifies the host, and the last part identifies the
network.
c. IPv4 is categorized into three classes.
d. A 32-bit IPv4 address is organized into four groups of 8 bits each.
12. Which of the following ports are used by applications such as Telnet, FTP, and HTTP?
a. Dynamic port
c. Registered ports
d. Private port
b. Well-known ports
13. You realize that the California State University, Northridge (CSUN)’s DHCP server has
given you the following IP address: 130.166.92.100. The assumption is that CSUN
network administrators know their job and assign private IP addresses according to the
existing standards. What IP class is CSUN assigned based on this information?
a. Class A
b. Class B
Fall 2022, CSUN Nazarian College of Business
c. Class C
d. Insufficient information to determine the IP class.
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Systems and Operations Management