← MES Jr. Grade
Past Questions — 2015
In DFDs, user interactions with the system is denoted by
A)
Circle
B)
Arrow
C)
Rectangle
D)
Triangle
In a Data Flow Diagram (DFD), the external entity or user interacting with the system is represented by a rectangle. Arrows show data flow, circles/ovals usually represent processes in some notations, and triangles are not used for user interaction in standard DFD symbols.
Which of the following is a top-down process?
A)
Specialisation
B)
Categorisation R S
C)
Generalisation
D)
None of these
In database design, a top-down process starts from a general entity and then moves toward more specific entities. This is called generalisation. Specialisation is the opposite, i.e., a bottom-up process where specific entities are combined into a more general one. Hence, the correct answer is Generalisation.
The model in which the requirements are implemented by category is
A)
Evolutionary Development Model
B)
Waterfall Model
C)
Prototyping
D)
Iterative Enhancement Model
In the Iterative Enhancement Model, the system is developed in small increments, and requirements are implemented category-wise or feature-wise in successive versions. This allows partial implementation and gradual refinement. The Waterfall Model follows a linear sequence of phases, the Prototyping Model focuses on building a prototype for requirement clarification, and the Evolutionary Development Model is broader but not specifically described as implementing requirements by category.
A quantitative measure of the degree to which a system, component, or process posses a given attribute
A)
Measure
B)
Measurement
C)
Metric
D)
None of these
In software engineering, a **metric** is defined as a quantitative measure of the degree to which a system, component, or process possesses a given attribute.
- **Measure** is a general term, not the specific software engineering definition.
- **Measurement** is the act or result of measuring, but the standard term for the quantitative indicator itself is **metric**.
- Therefore, the correct answer is **(c) Metric**.
In OSI model dialogue control and token management are responsibilities of
A)
Session Layer
B)
Network layer
C)
Transport layer
D)
Data link layer
In the OSI model, the Session Layer is responsible for establishing, managing, and terminating sessions between applications. It also handles dialogue control and token management. The Network layer deals with routing, the Transport layer with end-to-end delivery, and the Data Link layer with node-to-node transfer and error control.
What is normally considered as an adjunct to the coding step?
A)
Integration Testing
B)
Unit Testing
C)
Completion of Testing
D)
Regression Testing
In software engineering, unit testing is normally considered an adjunct to the coding step because it is done by the programmer while writing code to verify each module or unit immediately. Integration testing comes later, after multiple units are combined. Regression testing is performed after changes to ensure existing functionality still works. 'Completion of testing' is not a standard adjunct to coding.
Which one is not a size measure for software product?
A)
LOC
B)
Halstead’s program length
C)
Function Count
D)
Cyclomatic Complexity
Size measures of software product are used to estimate the amount of code or functionality. LOC (Lines of Code), Halstead’s program length, and Function Count are all size-oriented measures. Cyclomatic Complexity, however, measures the control-flow complexity of a program, not its size. Therefore, the correct answer is Cyclomatic Complexity.
FP-based estimation techniques require problem decomposition based on
A)
information domain values
B)
project schedule
C)
software functions
D)
process activities
Function Point (FP) estimation is a size estimation technique that decomposes the problem based on the software's functions or user-visible functionality. It measures what the system does, not how it is built. Therefore, the correct choice is software functions. The other options are incorrect because information domain values are used in LOC/size-related analysis, project schedule relates to planning, and process activities relate to process modeling rather than FP estimation.
A TCP/IP application service that converts user-friendly names to IP addresses is
A)
Browser
B)
Web-server
C)
Domain name system
D)
Domain name suit
The TCP/IP service that translates human-friendly domain names like www.example.com into IP addresses is the Domain Name System (DNS). It acts like the Internet's phonebook. Browser and web-server are not name-to-IP translation services, and 'Domain name suit' is an incorrect term.
DML is provided for
A)
Description of logical structure of database
B)
Addition of new structures in the database system
C)
Manipulation & processing of database
D)
Definition of physical structure of database system
DML stands for Data Manipulation Language. It is used to retrieve, insert, update, and delete data in a database, i.e., for manipulation and processing of database records. Option (a) refers to DDL/DB schema description, option (b) is about adding structures, and option (d) refers to physical database definition, not DML.
Which of the following is a procedural language?
A)
Domain relational calculus
B)
Tuple relational calculus
C)
Relational algebra
D)
Query language
Relational algebra is a procedural query language because it specifies a sequence of operations to obtain the result. In contrast, domain relational calculus and tuple relational calculus are non-procedural (declarative) languages—they describe what data is needed, not how to get it. 'Query language' is a broad term and not a specific procedural language here.
Statement and branch coverage metrics are part of
A)
Analysis Model
B)
Testing
C)
Design Model
D)
Source code
Statement coverage and branch coverage are code coverage metrics used during software testing to measure how much of the program has been executed by test cases. They are not part of the analysis model or design model. While they are applied to source code, they specifically belong to the testing phase as testing metrics.
A single channel is shared by multiple signals by
A)
Analog modulation
B)
Digital modulation
C)
Multiplexing
D)
Demultiplexing
A single communication channel can be shared by multiple signals using multiplexing. In multiplexing, several input signals are combined for transmission over one medium, and then separated at the receiver. Analog modulation and digital modulation are methods of encoding signals, while demultiplexing is the reverse process of separating combined signals.
The tuples of the relations can be of __________ order.
A)
Any
B)
Same
C)
Sorted
D)
Constant
In the relational model, a relation is a set of tuples, and sets do not have any inherent order. Therefore, the tuples of a relation can be in any order. 'Sorted' is not required, 'Same' is meaningless here, and 'Constant' is incorrect.
If the state of the database no longer reflects a real state of the world that the database is supposed to capture, then such a state is called
A)
Consistent state
B)
Parallel state
C)
Atomic state
D)
Inconsistent state
A database is said to be in an inconsistent state when its contents no longer correctly represent the real-world situation it is meant to model. By contrast, a consistent state accurately reflects the intended constraints and facts. 'Atomic state' refers to transaction properties, and 'parallel state' is not the correct DBMS term here.
In computer network, nodes are
A)
the computer that originates the data
B)
the computer that routes the data
C)
the computer that terminates the data
D)
All of these
In a computer network, a node is any device connected to the network. It can be the source/originator of data, an intermediate router that forwards data, or the destination/terminating computer. Therefore, all the given options are correct.
In a __________ topology, if there are n devices in a network, each device has n-1 ports for cables.
A)
Star
B)
Bus
C)
Mesh
D)
Ring
In a full mesh topology, every device is directly connected to every other device. So if there are n devices, each device needs n-1 ports to connect to the remaining n-1 devices. Star uses one central hub, bus uses a single backbone cable, and ring connects devices in a closed loop, so none of these require n-1 ports per device.
What would be investigated during Requirements analysis?
A)
System performance, Test Scheduling, Organisational Structure
B)
Languages, Platforms, Competition
C)
System Context, User Populations, User Tasks
D)
Verification, Formal Methods, Accuracy
Requirements analysis focuses on understanding what the system should do and the environment in which it will operate. This includes the system context, the different user populations, and the tasks users need to perform. Option (a) relates more to project management and testing, (b) to technology/market considerations, and (d) to verification and validation activities rather than requirements analysis.
A transaction is in __________ state after the final statement has been executed.
A)
partially committed
B)
active
C)
committed
D)
None of these
In DBMS, after the final statement of a transaction has been executed, the transaction enters the **partially committed** state. At this point, all operations are done, but the changes are not yet guaranteed to be permanent until the commit is completed.
- **Active**: the transaction is still executing its statements.
- **Partially committed**: final statement executed, waiting for commit to be made durable.
- **Committed**: the transaction has successfully completed and its effects are permanently saved.
- **None of these**: incorrect because the correct state is listed in option (a).
Which of the following ensures the atomicity of the transaction?
A)
Transaction management component of DBMS
B)
Application Programmer
C)
Concurrency control component of DBMS
D)
Recovery management component of DBMS
Atomicity means a transaction is treated as an all-or-nothing operation: either all its changes are committed, or none are applied. In a DBMS, the recovery management component ensures this by using mechanisms like logging, undo, and rollback after failures. The transaction management component coordinates transactions, and concurrency control mainly ensures isolation, not atomicity. The application programmer does not guarantee atomicity at the DBMS level.
The ____________ scheme uses a page table containing pointers to all pages; the page table itself and all updated pages are copied to a new location.
A)
Shadow copy
B)
Shadow paging
C)
Update log records
D)
All of these
Shadow paging is the scheme in which the page table contains pointers to all pages, and when updates occur, the page table and modified pages are copied to a new location. The original pages remain unchanged until commit.
Why not the others:
- Shadow copy: not the standard DBMS recovery term here.
- Update log records: this refers to log-based recovery, not copying page tables and pages.
- All of these: incorrect because only shadow paging matches the description.
In _______ transmission, the channel capacity is shared by both communicating devices at all times.
A)
Simplex
B)
Half-duplex
C)
Full-duplex
D)
Half-simplex
In full-duplex transmission, both devices can send and receive simultaneously, so the channel capacity is shared by both communicating devices at all times. In simplex, communication is only one-way. In half-duplex, both devices can communicate, but not at the same time. 'Half-simplex' is not a standard transmission mode.
Functional Dependencies are the types of constraints that are based on
A)
Key
B)
Key revisited
C)
Superset Key
D)
None of these
Functional dependencies are integrity constraints in a relational database that are based on the concept of a key. They describe how one set of attributes determines another set of attributes. Among the given options, 'Key' is the correct basis. 'Key revisited' and 'Superset Key' are not standard definitions for functional dependencies, and 'None of these' is incorrect.
When R∩S = Φ, then the cost of computing is
A)
the same as R × S
B)
greater the R × S
C)
less than R × S
D)
cannot say anything
If R ∩ S = Φ, the two relations have no common tuples. In such a case, the result of the operation is empty, so the computation can be done more cheaply than a full Cartesian product R × S. A Cartesian product always generates all pair combinations, which is the most expensive case. Therefore, the cost is less than R × S.
The total participation by entities is represented in E-R diagram as
A)
Dashed line
B)
Double line
C)
Double rectangle
D)
Circle
In an E-R diagram, total participation means every entity instance must participate in the relationship. It is represented by a double line connecting the entity set to the relationship set. A dashed line is not used for total participation, a double rectangle represents a weak entity, and a circle is used for attributes.