Gambella University

Department of Computer Science

Database Systems questions for Exit-exam preparation 2016 E.C

Choose the best answer for the following multiple choice questions.
1. Which of the following best defines a database?
a) A collection of related tables b) A collection of files stored on a computer
c) A collection of data stored in memory d) A collection of programming code

Answer: a) A collection of related tables

2. Which of the following is a key component of a database system?
a) Data entry forms b) Database tables c) Operating system d) Application software

Answer: b) Database tables

3. What is the purpose of normalization in database design?
a) To eliminate redundancy and improve efficiency b) To store large binary objects
c) To enforce data integrity constraints d) To improve query performance

Answer: a) To eliminate redundancy and improve efficiency

4. Which of the following is a primary key in a relational database?
a) A column that uniquely identifies each row in a table
b) A column that allows NULL values
c) A column that stores numeric values
d) A column that stores character strings

Answer: a) A column that uniquely identifies each row in a table

5. Which of the following best describes normalization in database design?
a) The process of breaking down a large database into smaller, manageable parts
b) The process of ensuring data is accurate and consistent
c) The process of organizing data to eliminate redundancy and improve efficiency
d) The process of securing a database from unauthorized access

Answer: c) The process of organizing data to eliminate redundancy and improve efficiency
6. In the context of a database system, which of the following best describes a user?
a) An individual who interacts directly with the database system
b) A program or application that accesses the database
c) A database administrator responsible for managing the system
d) A hardware component used to store the database

Answer: a) An individual who interacts directly with the database system

PREPARED BY: MR. AKLILU THOMAS (MSC), GAMBELLA UNIVERSITY, ETHIOPIA 1

7. Which of the following is an example of an external user of a database system?
a) Database administrator b) Application programmer
c) End user performing data entry d) System analyst

Answer: c) End user performing data entry

8. Which of the following is an example of an indirect user of a database system?
a) Database administrator b) Data analyst generating reports
c) End user querying the database d) Middleware application accessing the database

Answer: d) Middleware application accessing the database

9. What is the purpose of the DBMS in a database system architecture?
a) To store and retrieve data from the database
b) To manage the hardware components of the system
c) To provide a graphical user interface for database operations
d) To enforce security and access control policies

Answer: a) To store and retrieve data from the database

10. Which of the following components is responsible for managing concurrent access to the
database?
a) Query optimizer b) Transaction manager c) Buffer manager d) Database administrator

Answer: b) Transaction manager

11. What is the function of the query optimizer in a database system architecture?
a) To interpret SQL queries and generate query execution plans
b) To manage the storage of database files on disk
c) To enforce data integrity constraints
d) To provide a user interface for querying the database

Answer: a) To interpret SQL queries and generate query execution plans

12. Which component of the database system architecture is responsible for managing the
physical storage of data on disk?
a) Query processor b) Buffer manager c) Storage manager d) Transaction manager

Answer: c) Storage manager

13. What is the role of the database administrator (DBA) in a database system architecture?
a) To design and create the database schema
b) To manage and monitor the performance of the database system
c) To enforce security policies and manage user access
d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above

PREPARED BY: MR. AKLILU THOMAS (MSC), GAMBELLA UNIVERSITY, ETHIOPIA 2

14. Which of the following best describes a data model?
a) A visual representation of data stored in a database
b) A set of rules for organizing and representing data
c) A collection of database tables
d) A programming language for querying databases

Answer: b) A set of rules for organizing and representing data

15. Which data model represents data as a collection of objects with properties and behaviors?
a) Relational data model b) Object-oriented data model
c) Hierarchical data model d) Network data model

Answer: b) Object-oriented data model

16. What is the primary purpose of SQL in a database system?
a) Defining the structure and organization of the database
b) Manipulating and retrieving data from the database
c) Implementing security measures in the database
d) Optimizing query performance in the database

Answer: b) Manipulating and retrieving data from the database

17. Which of the following components is responsible for managing the physical storage of
data on disk in a database system?
a) Query optimizer b) Transaction manager
c) Buffer manager d) Storage manager

Answer: d) Storage manager

18. Which of the following is an example of a database system environment?
a) Hardware components such as servers and storage devices
b) Database administrators and end-users
c) Database management system (DBMS) software
d) All of the above

Answer: d) All of the above

19. What is the purpose of the database catalog or data dictionary in a database system
environment?
a) To store the actual data in the database
b) To manage user access and security
c) To provide metadata about the database objects and their relationships
d) To optimize query execution performance
Answer: c) To provide metadata about the database objects and their relationships

PREPARED BY: MR. AKLILU THOMAS (MSC), GAMBELLA UNIVERSITY, ETHIOPIA 3

20. Which of the following is a characteristic of a relational database management system
(RDBMS)?
a) Stores data in a hierarchical structure
b) Supports complex object-oriented data models
c) Organizes data in tables with relationships between them
d) Stores and retrieves data using NoSQL technology

Answer: c) Organizes data in tables with relationships between them

21. Which type of database management system is optimized for handling large volumes of
data stored across multiple servers?
a) Relational DBMS b) Object-Oriented DBMS
c) Distributed DBMS d) Hierarchical DBMS

Answer: c) Distributed DBMS

22. Which type of database management system is designed for managing unstructured or
semi-structured data like documents, images, and multimedia?
a) Relational DBMS b) NoSQL DBMS c) Object-Oriented DBMS d) Distributed DBMS

Answer: b) NoSQL DBMS

23. Which type of database management system is used for real-time applications and is
capable of handling high-speed data streams?
a) Relational DBMS b) Time-Series DBMS
c) Object-Oriented DBMS d) Hierarchical DBMS

Answer: b) Time-Series DBMS

24. What is the purpose of database modeling?
a) To design user interfaces for database applications
b) To create a physical implementation of the database
c) To represent the structure and relationships of data in a database
d) To optimize query performance in the database

Answer: c) To represent the structure and relationships of data in a database

25. Which of the following is a primary goal of entity-relationship (ER) modeling?
a) To define the physical storage structure of the database
b) To identify and represent entities, attributes, and relationships
c) To generate SQL queries for data retrieval
d) To enforce security measures in the database

Answer: b) To identify and represent entities, attributes, and relationships

PREPARED BY: MR. AKLILU THOMAS (MSC), GAMBELLA UNIVERSITY, ETHIOPIA 4

26. What is the purpose of normalization in database modeling?
a) To eliminate redundancy and improve efficiency b) To store large binary objects
c) To enforce data integrity constraints d) To improve query performance in the database

Answer: a) To eliminate redundancy and improve efficiency

27. What is the purpose of an attribute in the entity-relationship (ER) model?
a) To represent a relationship between entities
b) To define the physical storage structure of the database
c) To identify a primary key for an entity
d) To describe a characteristic or property of an entity

Answer: d) To describe a characteristic or property of an entity

28. What is the purpose of a weak entity in the entity-relationship (ER) model?
a) To represent an entity that cannot exist without a related entity
b) To represent a many-to-many relationship between entities
c) To enforce referential integrity in the database
d) To define the primary key for an entity

Answer: a) To represent an entity that cannot exist without a related entity

29. What is the purpose of a relationship attribute in the entity-relationship (ER) model?
a) To describe a characteristic or property of a relationship
b) To connect two entities in a relationship
c) To enforce referential integrity constraints
d) To define the primary key for a relationship

Answer: a) To describe a characteristic or property of a relationship

30. What is a relational schema?
a) A graphical representation of table relationships
b) A collection of tables and their attributes
c) A set of rules for data manipulation
d) A formal language for defining database queries

Answer: b) A collection of tables and their attributes

31. Relational algebra is a(n) ___________ language for manipulating relational data.
a) Object-oriented b) Procedural c) Declarative d) Imperative

Answer: c) Declarative

PREPARED BY: MR. AKLILU THOMAS (MSC), GAMBELLA UNIVERSITY, ETHIOPIA 5

32. The projection operation in relational algebra is used to:
a) Combine tuples from two relations based on a common attribute
b) Remove duplicate tuples from a relation
c) Select specific columns or attributes from a relation
d) Perform arithmetic operations on attribute values

Answer: c) Select specific columns or attributes from a relation

33. Which of the following is a relational calculus operator that defines the condition for
selecting tuples from a relation?
a) JOIN b) PROJECT c) SELECT d) WHERE

Answer: d) WHERE
34. Which of the following normalization forms ensures that each non-key attribute is
functionally dependent on the entire primary key?
a) First Normal Form (1NF) b) Second Normal Form (2NF)
c) Third Normal Form (3NF) d) Boyce-Codd Normal Form (BCNF)

Answer: c) Third Normal Form (3NF)

35. In database normalization, the process of breaking down a table into multiple tables to
eliminate data redundancy is known as:
a) Normalization b) Decomposition c) Denormalization d) Aggregation

Answer: b) Decomposition
36. Which of the following normalization forms addresses the issue of transitive functional
dependencies?
a) First Normal Form (1NF) b) Second Normal Form (2NF)
c) Third Normal Form (3NF) d) Boyce-Codd Normal Form (BCNF)

Answer: c) Third Normal Form (3NF)

37. Which of the following file organizations is based on a sequence of fixed-length records
and allows direct access to any record using a unique record identifier?
a) Heap file organization b) Sequential file organization
c) Hash file organization d) Indexed file organization

Answer: d) Indexed file organization

38. Which file organization is most suitable for applications that require frequent insertion
and deletion of records, as well as dynamic record length?
a) Heap file organization b) Sequential file organization
c) Hash file organization d) B-tree file organization
Answer: a) Heap file organization

PREPARED BY: MR. AKLILU THOMAS (MSC), GAMBELLA UNIVERSITY, ETHIOPIA 6

39. In which file organization are records physically ordered based on the values of a
specified field or set of fields?
a) Heap file organization b) Sequential file organization
c) Hash file organization d) B-tree file organization

Answer: b) Sequential file organization

40. Which file organization is commonly used for indexing in database systems and provides
efficient access to records based on search keys?
a) Heap file organization b) Sequential file organization
c) Hash file organization d) B-tree file organization

Answer: d) B-tree file organization

41. SQL stands for:
a) Standard Query Language b) Structured Query Language
c) System Query Language d) Sequential Query Language

Answer: b) Structured Query Language

42. Which of the following SQL statements is used to retrieve data from a database?
a) INSERT b) UPDATE c) SELECT d) DELETE

Answer: c) SELECT
43. The SQL statement "SELECT * FROM Customers" retrieves:
a) All columns from the Customers table
b) Only the primary key from the Customers table
c) All rows from the Customers table
d) Only the first row from the Customers table

Answer: a) All columns from the Customers table

44. The SQL statement "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM Orders WHERE OrderDate > '2024-
01-01'" returns:
a) The total number of orders b) The average order value
c) The number of orders placed after January 1, 2024 d) The maximum order date

Answer: c) The number of orders placed after January 1, 2022

45. Which of the following is a key characteristic of a distributed database system?
a) Centralized storage and processing b) Data redundancy and inconsistency
c) Data fragmentation and distribution d) Limited scalability and availability

Answer: c) Data fragmentation and distribution

PREPARED BY: MR. AKLILU THOMAS (MSC), GAMBELLA UNIVERSITY, ETHIOPIA 7

46. What is the purpose of a database transaction in a database system?
a) To provide security and access control b) To manage data concurrency and consistency
c) To enforce data integrity constraints d) To optimize query performance

Answer: b) To manage data concurrency and consistency

47. Which of the following is an example of a NoSQL database model?
a) Relational database model b) Hierarchical database model
c) Document database model d) Network database model

Answer: c) Document database model

48. Which database technology is designed to handle large volumes of unstructured and
semi-structured data?
a) Relational database management system b) Object-oriented database management system
c) Data warehousing system d) Big data platform

Answer: d) Big data platform

49. What is the purpose of a data warehouse in a database system?
a) To store and manage operational data
b) To provide real-time data processing capabilities
c) To support online transaction processing (OLTP)
d) To facilitate business intelligence and analytics

Answer: d) To facilitate business intelligence and analytics

50. What is the purpose of a data replication strategy in a distributed database system?
a) To improve query performance by caching data locally
b) To ensure data availability and fault tolerance
c) To enforce data consistency across distributed sites
d) To facilitate data integration and consolidation

Answer: b) To ensure data availability and fault tolerance

PREPARED BY: MR. AKLILU THOMAS (MSC), GAMBELLA UNIVERSITY, ETHIOPIA 8

Advanced Database Questions

51. What is the main advantage of an object-oriented database over a relational database?
a) Improved query performance
b) Enhanced data security
c) Support for complex data types and relationships
d) Simplified data modeling

Answer: c) Support for complex data types and relationships

52. Which of the following is a key feature of an object-oriented database?
a) Tabular data representation
b) Structured Query Language (SQL) support
c) Class-based data modeling
d) Normalization and referential integrity

Answer: c) Class-based data modeling

53. Which of the following is a benefit of encapsulation in object-oriented databases?
a) Data redundancy reduction b) Improved data integrity
c) Enhanced data security d) Simplified data access and manipulation

Answer: c) Enhanced data security

54. In an object-oriented database, inheritance allows:
a) Data redundancy elimination b) Data sharing and reusability
c) Data normalization and optimization d) Data indexing and sorting

Answer: b) Data sharing and reusability

55. Object-oriented databases are particularly suitable for applications that involve:
a) Simple and static data structures b) Large-scale transaction processing
c) Complex and dynamic data relationships d) Tabular data storage and retrieval

Answer: c) Complex and dynamic data relationships

56. Which of the following is the correct order of the basic steps in query processing?
a) Parsing, optimization, execution b) Execution, optimization, parsing
c) Optimization, parsing, execution d) Parsing, execution, optimization

Answer: a) Parsing, optimization, execution

57. The process of transforming a high-level SQL query into a more efficient representation
that can be executed by the database is called:
a) Parsing b) Optimization c) Execution d) Compilation
Answer: b) Optimization

PREPARED BY: MR. AKLILU THOMAS (MSC), GAMBELLA UNIVERSITY, ETHIOPIA 9

58. Which component of a database system is responsible for parsing and validating SQL
queries?
a) Query optimizer b) Query executor c) Query compiler d) Query scheduler
Answer: c) Query compiler
59. Which of the following techniques is used in query optimization to determine the most
efficient execution plan for a given query?
a) Indexing b) Join techniques c) Cost estimation d) Query rewriting
Answer: c) Cost estimation
60. Which of the following is a goal of query optimization?
a) Minimizing the number of queries executed
b) Maximizing the number of indexes used
c) Minimizing the time taken to execute a query
d) Maximizing the size of the result set

Answer: c) Minimizing the time taken to execute a query

61. The cost-based query optimization approach involves:
a) Using predefined rules and heuristics to generate execution plans
b) Estimating the execution time and choosing the plan with the lowest cost
c) Enumerating all possible execution plans and selecting the best one
d) Optimizing queries based on the size of the result set

Answer: b) Estimating the execution time and choosing the plan with the lowest cost
62. In query optimization, cardinality estimation refers to:
a) Estimating the number of tables in a database
b) Estimating the number of columns in a table
c) Estimating the number of rows in a table or result set
d) Estimating the number of joins in a query

Answer: c) Estimating the number of rows in a table or result set

63. In the context of databases, a transaction refers to:
a) A collection of SQL queries b) A unit of work that is performed on a database
c) A database schema definition d) A database backup operation

Answer: b) A unit of work that is performed on a database

64. ACID stands for:
a) Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability
b) Accuracy, Completeness, Integration, Durability
c) Atomicity, Concurrency, Integrity, Durability
d) Availability, Consistency, Isolation, Durability
Answer: a) Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability

PREPARED BY: MR. AKLILU THOMAS (MSC), GAMBELLA UNIVERSITY, ETHIOPIA 10

65. The atomicity property of a transaction ensures that:
a) The transaction can be rolled back if an error occurs
b) The transaction's changes are consistent with the database's integrity constraints
c) The transaction's changes are isolated from other concurrently executing transactions
d) The transaction's changes are permanently stored in the database

Answer: a) The transaction can be rolled back if an error occurs

66. The isolation property of a transaction ensures that:
a) Concurrently executing transactions do not interfere with each other
b) The transaction's changes are permanently stored in the database
c) The transaction can be rolled back if an error occurs
d) The transaction's changes are consistent with the database's integrity constraints

Answer: a) Concurrently executing transactions do not interfere with each other

67. Which of the following is a basic concurrency control technique that ensures exclusive
access to data?
a) Two-Phase Locking (2PL) b) Timestamp Ordering
c) Optimistic Concurrency Control (OCC) d) Multi-Version Concurrency Control (MVCC)

Answer: a) Two-Phase Locking (2PL)

68. Which concurrency control technique allows transactions to proceed without acquiring
locks and checks for conflicts at the time of committing?
a) Two-Phase Locking (2PL) b) Timestamp Ordering
c) Optimistic Concurrency Control (OCC) d) Multi-Version Concurrency Control (MVCC)

Answer: c) Optimistic Concurrency Control (OCC)

69. In Timestamp Ordering, how are conflicting transactions resolved?
a) The transaction with the highest timestamp is rolled back.
b) The transaction with the lowest timestamp is rolled back.
c) Both conflicting transactions are rolled back.
d) The conflicting operations of one transaction are delayed until the other completes.

Answer: a) The transaction with the highest timestamp is rolled back.

70. Multi-Version Concurrency Control (MVCC) allows concurrent transactions to:
a) Access and modify the same data simultaneously.
b) Read consistent snapshots of the database.
c) Acquire exclusive locks on data items.
d) Execute in a serial order.

Answer: b) Read consistent snapshots of the database.

PREPARED BY: MR. AKLILU THOMAS (MSC), GAMBELLA UNIVERSITY, ETHIOPIA 11

71. A deadlock in concurrency control occurs when:
a) Two or more transactions are waiting for each other to release resources.
b) Transactions access inconsistent data.
c) Transactions violate integrity constraints.
d) The system crashes during transaction execution.

Answer: a) Two or more transactions are waiting for each other to release resources.
72. Which of the following is a database recovery technique that brings the database to a
consistent state after a system failure?
a) Checkpointing b) Logging c) Rollback d) Restart

Answer: c) Rollback
73. Logging in database recovery involves:
a) Creating a backup of the database
b) Storing a record of all changes made to the database in a log file
c) Rebuilding the database from scratch
d) Performing periodic integrity checks on the database

Answer: b) Storing a record of all changes made to the database in a log file
74. Checkpointing in database recovery refers to:
a) Creating a copy of the database at a specific point in time
b) Storing a record of all changes made to the database in a log file
c) Rebuilding the database from scratch
d) Performing periodic integrity checks on the database

Answer: a) Creating a copy of the database at a specific point in time

75. The process of applying logged changes to the database during recovery is called:
a) Rollback b) Redo c) Undo d) Restore

Answer: b) Redo
76. In database recovery, the undo phase involves:
a) Reapplying changes made by a committed transaction
b) Rolling back changes made by an incomplete or failed transaction
c) Creating a backup of the database
d) Performing integrity checks on the database

Answer: b) Rolling back changes made by an incomplete or failed transaction

PREPARED BY: MR. AKLILU THOMAS (MSC), GAMBELLA UNIVERSITY, ETHIOPIA 12

77. Database security refers to:
a) Protecting the physical infrastructure of a database
b) Securing the network connections to a database
c) Protecting the data stored in a database from unauthorized access
d) Ensuring high availability and performance of a database

Answer: c) Protecting the data stored in a database from unauthorized access

78. Authentication in database security refers to:
a) Encrypting data to prevent unauthorized access
b) Verifying the identity of users or applications accessing a database
c) Granting or denying privileges to users or roles to access or modify data
d) Protecting the database from hardware failures or natural disasters

Answer: b) Verifying the identity of users or applications accessing a database

79. Encryption in database security refers to:
a) Verifying the integrity of data stored in a database
b) Restricting access to a database based on IP addresses
c) Encoding data to prevent unauthorized reading or modification
d) Protecting the database from power outages or system crashes

Answer: c) Encoding data to prevent unauthorized reading or modification

80. Role-based access control (RBAC) in database security involves:
a) Encrypting all data stored in a database
b) Restricting access to a database based on user roles or job functions
c) Monitoring and logging all activity in a database
d) Protecting the database from hardware failures or natural disasters

Answer: b) Restricting access to a database based on user roles or job functions

81. Database auditing in database security refers to:
a) Encrypting sensitive data in a database
b) Monitoring and logging all activity in a database
c) Verifying the integrity of data stored in a database
d) Protecting the database from network attacks
Answer: b) Monitoring and logging all activity in a database
82. Which of the following is a key advantage of distributed database systems?
a) Improved data security
b) Reduced hardware costs
c) Enhanced data availability and reliability
d) Simplified data management
Answer: c) Enhanced data availability and reliability
PREPARED BY: MR. AKLILU THOMAS (MSC), GAMBELLA UNIVERSITY, ETHIOPIA 13
83. In a distributed database system, data fragmentation refers to:
a) Breaking data into smaller pieces and storing them at different locations
b) Encrypting data to ensure its security during transmission
c) Replicating data across multiple servers for redundancy
d) Combining data from different sources to create a unified view

Answer: a) Breaking data into smaller pieces and storing them at different locations
84. Concurrency control in distributed database systems refers to:
a) Ensuring that multiple transactions can access and modify the same data concurrently
b) Managing the distribution of data across multiple sites
c) Coordinating the execution of distributed transactions to maintain data consistency
d) Encrypting data to prevent unauthorized access

Answer: c) Coordinating the execution of distributed transactions to maintain data consistency

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The End !!!
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Prepared By: Mr. Aklilu Thomas (MSc.)
01/08/2016 E.C
Gambella University
Ethiopia

PREPARED BY: MR. AKLILU THOMAS (MSC), GAMBELLA UNIVERSITY, ETHIOPIA 14