Databases
December 2015
Sample Examination Paper
Answer ALL questions.
Clearly cross out surplus answers.
Time: 3 hours
The maximum mark for this paper is 100.
Any reference material brought into the examination room must be
handed to the invigilator before the start of the examination.
Answer ALL questions
Marks
Question 1
a) Identify FIVE (5) ways in which a large educational institution such as a university 5
might use data.
b) Explain what metadata means and provide THREE (3) examples of metadata 5
from the systems you identified in part (a).
Total: 10 Marks
Question 2
An online restaurant booking system allows customers to make a reservation for a
table. A table might be reserved by many customers over a period of time.
a) Draw an entity-relationship (ER) diagram for this scenario. 5
b) Identify attributes, including primary and foreign keys, for this ER model. 5
Total: 10 Marks
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Marks
Question 3
Consider the following relational model. In a property management company a
branch has many staff members who manage properties, but not every property must
be managed by someone.
a) This model is an example of a chasm trap. Explain what a chasm trap is. 3
b) How might this problem be resolved in the scenario shown? 2
c) Define the term tuple. 1
d) Explain what is meant by cardinality in the relational model and give THREE (3) 4
examples.
Total: 10 Marks
Question 4
a) Explain the term relation. 5
b) What is meant by the term data independence in the context of relational 5
databases?
Total: 10 Marks
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Question 5
a) List FOUR (4) data manipulation commands in SQL. 4
b) In what ways can SQL be used to enforce domains? 2
c) What issue with the CHAR data type does the use of the VARCHAR data type 2
overcome?
d) Explain how SQL does not support the full relational model. 2
Total: 10 Marks
Question 6
The table below is associated with customers and the products they have purchased. 10
Customer Customer Products Product Product Type
ID Name Purchased Type Description
Code
C1 Danny Lawnmower G Gardening
Whybrow
Rake G Gardening
Microwave Oven K Kitchen
C2 Anderson Saucepan Set K Kitchen
Smith
C3 Tommy West Chrome Book T Technology
C6 Charun Lawnmower G Gardening
Singh
Split the table into FOUR (4) third normal form (3NF) relations. You do not have to
show data or the steps that you took to normalise the table.
Total: 10 Marks
Question 7
a) Explain the role that prototyping can play in systems development. 4
b) Identify SIX (6) activities that could be involved in physical database design. 6
Total: 10 Marks
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Question 8
a) What activities need to be carried out during database design to understand how 6
transactions will interact with the database?
b) What is meant by the term performance with regard to data manipulation 2
statements?
c) Suggest TWO (2) ways in which a database developer might increase the 2
performance of database transactions.
Total: 10 Marks
Question 9
Consider the following tables for a vehicle hire company that operates largely online
and needs to keep a record of its customers and rentals.
a) Write the SQL statements to create the above tables. 5
b) Write an SQL statement to change the name of the vehicle ‘VW Camper’ to ‘VW 3
Luxury Camper’.
c) Write an SQL statement to delete Donald Smith as a customer. 2
Total: 10 Marks
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Question 10
Consider the entity-relationship (ER) diagram shown below for an events
management company.
a) Create a CRUD matrix to show the following transactions: 4
Transaction 1 – add a new event
Transaction 2 – delete a customer
Transaction 3 – record an event
Transaction 4 – show a list of events and the staff and customers they are for
b) Identify and explain the FOUR (4) basic properties of a transaction. 4
c) What are the concerns of the concept of authorisation with regard to transactions 2
in a relational database?
Total: 10 Marks
End of Examination Paper
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