April 2012

(1)
IT Passport Examination

Questions must be answered in accordance with the following:

Question Nos. Q1 – Q100

Question Selection All questions are compulsory.
Examination Time 9:30 – 12:15 (165 minutes)

Instructions:
1. Use a pencil. If you need to change an answer, erase your previous answer completely
and neatly. Wipe away any eraser debris.

2. Mark your examinee information and your answers in accordance with the instructions
below. Your answer will not be graded if you do not mark properly. Do not mark nor
write on the answer sheet outside of the prescribed places.
(1) Examinee Number
Write your examinee number in the space provided, and mark the appropriate space
below each digit.
(2) Date of Birth
Write your date of birth (in numbers) exactly as it is printed on your examination
admission card, and mark the appropriate space below each digit.
(3) Answers
Select one answer (a through d) for each question.
Mark your answers as shown in the following sample question.

[Sample Question]
Q1. In which month is the spring IT Passport Examination conducted in 2012?

a) March b) April c) May d) June

Since the correct answer is “b)” (April), mark your answer sheet as follows:

[Sample Answer]
Q1 A ウ C D

Do not open the exam booklet until instructed to do so.

Inquiries about the exam questions will not be answered.

– 1–
Company names and product names appearing in the examination questions are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective companies. Note that the symbols ® and ™ are not used
within.

– 2–
 Answer questions Q1 through Q34 concerning technology.

Q1. In the worksheet of spreadsheet software shown below, rows 1 through 4 are sorted in
ascending order by using the last (or low order) two digits of each numeric value in
column A. When the numeric values of column B that are calculated from those of
column A are used as sort keys, which of the following is the appropriate calculation
result to be entered into column B?

A B
1 123411
2 156711
3 119813
4 123815

a) The quotient obtained when the numeric value in column A is divided by 10

b) The remainder obtained when the numeric value in column A is divided by 10
c) The quotient obtained when the numeric value in column A is divided by 100
d) The remainder obtained when the numeric value in column A is divided by 100

Q2. When a path goes from node A1 to node C2 in Fig. 1 and the passing nodes are counted
as shown in Fig. 2, it is found that there are three shortest paths with the minimum
number of passing nodes. How many shortest paths are there available to go from
node A1 to node D4 via node C2?

a) 6 b) 9 c) 12 d) 20

– 3–
Q3. Which of the following is an appropriate purpose of appending a check digit to a
customer code?

a) To check the customer code for input errors

b) To arrange customers in order of acquisition when a list of customers is created
c) To enable customers to be inferred easily and quickly
d) To enable the grouping of customers by geographical area or other attributes

Q4. Which of the following is an appropriate description concerning the characteristics of

EUC (End User Computing)?

a) EUC enables users to directly access, reference, and manipulate data that they need
for business operations.
b) EUC gives priority to system operation and maintenance, so it causes backlogs to
increase in the information systems department.
c) EUC requires more development staff members in the information systems
department, so it often leads to an increase in the operating costs of the department.
d) EUC allows the information systems department to take a leadership role in
application development, so it can reduce the workload of users.

Q5. The procedure described below is sequentially performed for two variables x and y,
starting with step (1). When the procedure is completed, what is the resulting value of
x?

[Procedure]
(1) Assign 2 to x and 3 to y.
(2) Subtract 1 from the value of y, and assign the resulting value to y.
(3) Add the values of x and y, and assign the resulting value to x.
(4) If the value of y is 1, complete the procedure. Otherwise, return to step (2).

a) 4 b) 5 c) 7 d) 8

– 4–
Q6. Which of the following refers to an XML-based document format that is used for
efficient information collection and distribution on Web sites such as a blog, a news site,
or an electronic bulletin board, and is also used for describing metadata such as page
header, abstract, and update time in a structured form?

a) CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)

b) DTD (Document Type Definition)
c) RSS (RDF(Resource Description Framework) Site Summary)
d) XSL (Extensible Stylesheet Language)

Q7. Which of the following is an appropriate description concerning a CPU?

a) The cache memory that is integrated into a CPU is used to virtually extend the
capacity of the main memory.
b) A CPU is equipped with the arithmetic and logical unit that should serve as part of
control functions.
c) A CPU is categorized as a 16-bit, 32-bit, or 64-bit CPU depending on the data
volume processed at a time, but the width in bits is not related to the performance.
d) For CPUs that have the same architecture, the higher the clock frequency, the faster
the response time.

Q8. Which of the following is an appropriate description concerning USB?

a) Some peripheral devices with low power consumption can receive power through a
USB cable without any additional power supply.
b) All peripheral devices connected to the USB port of a PC must be turned on before
the PC is powered on.
c) The data is transmitted in parallel over multiple data lines, in order to achieve high
speed data transfer.
d) The USB interface is suitable for a low speed peripheral device, such as a keyboard
or a mouse, rather than a high speed device like a hard disk.

– 5–
Q9. Which of the following is used for image sensors in digital cameras?

a) CCD b) PDP c) STN d) TFT

Q10. Which of the following is the interface that enables a PC and its peripheral devices to
be connected in the configuration shown in the diagram below? Here,
represents a hub.

a) SATA b) IrDA c) SCSI d) USB

Q11. Among the system configurations shown below, which of the following has the lowest
probability of causing the entire system to stop at the occurrence of a failure? Here,
represents an identical device. When the devices are connected in parallel,
only one device must be running, and when the devices are connected in serial, all
devices must be running.

a) b)

c) d)

– 6–
Q12. When a computer is installed under the conditions below, which of the following is an
appropriate graph to represent the relationship between the number of years of use
(horizontal axis) and the monthly costs (vertical axis)?

[Conditions]
(1) Computer costs
• For the initial five years, an amount that is calculated from a lease rate based
on the cost of purchasing the computer is paid in fixed monthly installments.
• From the sixth year on, an amount that is calculated from a lease rate based on
one tenth (1/10) of the cost of purchasing the computer is paid in fixed monthly
installments.
(2) Maintenance costs
• From initial installation, the maintenance fee is paid to a maintenance service
provider in fixed monthly installments.

a) b)
Monthly costs
Monthly costs

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Number of years of use Number of years of use

c) d)
Monthly costs

Monthly costs

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Number of years of use Number of years of use

– 7–
Q13. The graph below shows the relationship between the failure rate “λ(t)” of the devices
comprising the system and the time “t ” elapsed since the start of use. Which of the
following is a device that is expected to show the greatest increase in the failure rate
during the wear-out failure period?

λ(t)

t
Early Random Wear-out
failure failure failure

a) CPU b) Hard disk

c) Network adapter d) Memory

Q14. When a PC is powered on, which of the following is first activated to access a hard
disk or other bootable media before the OS is started?

a) BIOS b) POST
c) MBR d) Disk driver

– 8–
Q15. When print processing is executed using an application program such as word
processing software or spreadsheet software, there is a method that allows data for
printing to be stored temporarily on the hard disk without direct output to the printer,
and allows actual printer output to be performed by a dedicated program. Which of
the following is the advantage of separating actual printer output from application
execution in this way?

a) The time from the start of application execution until the end of printing can be
reduced.
b) The modification of a document that contains a large number of images becomes
possible.
c) The processing volume per unit time increases.
d) The font can be changed easily at the time of printer output.

Q16. In the description below concerning a file system, which of the following is an
appropriate combination of terms to be inserted into blanks A through C?

When files and directories on a PC are managed hierarchically, the directory at the
highest level is called the A directory, and the directory that a user is now
manipulating is called the B directory. A notation format that uses the
B directory as its starting point and shows the location of a file or a
directory is called a(n) C path.

A B C
a) current root absolute
b) current root relative
c) root current absolute
d) root current relative

Q17. When the log file of a Web server is analyzed as a part of daily system administration,
which of the following can be found?

a) Web pages accessed by Web site visitors

b) The model name of a computer used by each visitor
c) The speed of a Web browser on each visitor’s computer
d) Personal information about individual Web site visitors
– 9–
Q18. Which of the following is the expression to be entered into cell D4 in order to calculate
the tax-inclusive prices of the products shown in cells A4 and A5 by using the two
tentative sales tax rates that are set in cells D2 and E2? Here, the expression to be
entered into cell D4 is copied to cells D5, E4, and E5.

A B C D E
1 Sales tax rate 1 Sales tax rate 2
2 Tax rate 0.1 0.2
Product Before-tax
3 Tax-inclusive price 1 Tax-inclusive price 2
name price
4 Product A 500 550 600
5 Product B 600 660 720

a) B4 * (1.0 + D2) b) B$4 * (1.0 + D$2)

c) $B4 * (1.0 + D$2) d) $B$4 * (1.0 + $D2)

Q19. Which of the following is an appropriate description concerning the symptom and its
measures to be taken at the occurrence of file fragmentation?

a) Since more files are accessed simultaneously and the seek operation of the hard disk
takes more time, the efficiency of file access drops. The measure to be taken is to
store the simultaneously accessed files close together in the hard disk.
b) Since the recycle bin is full and an old file in the recycle bin is removed physically
each time a file is created or deleted, the efficiency of file access drops. The
measure to be taken is to remove the files in the recycle bin all together.
c) Since small separated areas, instead of a single contiguous area, are allocated when a
file is created, the efficiency of file access drops. The measure to be taken is to
reallocate contiguous areas to files and unused space.
d) The data area for files is large enough, but the control area for files is not sufficient
and it takes time to allocate the control area when a file is created. The measure to
be taken is to combine multiple files into one or to expand the control area.

– 10 –
Q20. Candidates for operating a new business are selected from all of the employees based
on the conditions below. When a decision table is used to represent the selection
process, which of the following is the appropriate “conditions table” to be inserted into
the decision table?

[Conditions for candidates]

(1) The employee has selected “I am interested in IT” in the questionnaire.
(2) The employee has a score of 85 or higher on the IT aptitude test.
(3) An employee with a test score lower than 85 can become a substitute candidate
if the employee has worked for five or more years in the current workplace.

Selected “I am interested in IT” in the

questionnaire
Conditions
Scored 85 or higher on the IT aptitude test
table
Has five or more years of working
experience in the current workplace
Candidate X – – –
Substitute – X – –
Not applicable – – X X

a) b)
N N Y Y N Y N Y
Y N N Y Y N N –
– Y N – – Y N –

c) d)
Y N N Y Y Y Y N
Y Y N N Y N N –
– – N Y – Y N –

– 11 –
Q21. In a company which has its offices dispersed in several buildings, it is decided to
construct a relational database to manage the locations where PCs are installed.
“Asset” table, “Room” table, and “Building” table are created, and these tables are
linked. When new data is entered, data in the table to be referenced should exist
beforehand. Which of the following is the appropriate sequence of entering data into
each table? Note that the underlined items in each table indicate the primary keys or
the foreign keys.

Asset
PCNo BuildingNo RoomNo ModelName

Room
BuildingNo RoomNo RoomName

Building
BuildingNo BuildingName

a) “Asset” table → “Building” table → “Room” table

b) “Building” table → “Room” table → “Asset” table
c) “Room” table → “Asset” table → “Building” table
d) “Room” table → “Building” table → “Asset” table

– 12 –
Q22. Which of the following is an appropriate explanation of the table obtained when the
SELECT statement shown below is executed?

SELECT Products.Product_code, SUM(Unit_price * Sales_volume)

FROM Products, Sales
WHERE Products.Product_code = Sales.Product_code
GROUP BY Products.Product_code
ORDER BY SUM(Unit_price * Sales_volume)

Products Sales
Product_code Product_name Unit_price Customer Product_code Sales_volume
A5023 Shampoo 500 Company K A5023 100
A5025 Rinse 400 Store S A5023 150
A5027 Soap 100 Company K A5025 120
Company K A5027 100
Store S A5027 160

a) A table with 3 rows and 2 columns containing total sales grouped by product code is
obtained.
b) A table with 1 row and 1 column containing total sales for all products is obtained.
c) A table with 2 rows and 2 columns containing total sales for each customer is
obtained.
d) A table with 15 rows and 2 columns containing a list of sales grouped by customer
and by product code is obtained.

– 13 –
Q23. When a database is used, the execution of a function that can update information
during search may cause data inconsistencies in the database. Which of the following
is an appropriate function to prevent this situation?

a) Commitment control b) Deadlock avoidance

c) Exclusive control d) Shared access

Q24. Which of the following is an appropriate description of VoIP?

a) It is a method that enables PC users to access data or applications available on the

Internet.
b) It is a technology that converts voice data into packets and transmits them in
real-time over an IP network.
c) It is a technology that ensures the security of communication by using authentication,
encryption, and decryption between network nodes.
d) It is a system that defines and manages a correspondence between a host name and
an IP address for a network-connected computer.

Q25. Which of the following prevents unauthorized external access by using packet filtering
at the connection point between a company’s internal network and the Internet?

a) DNS b) NAT c) Gateway d) Firewall

Q26. Which of the following is an appropriate explanation concerning the function of a

router?

a) It optically reads data such as picture and text and then converts it into digital data.
b) It converts analog signals to digital signals and vice versa.
c) It controls the communication path of data and relays data across networks.
d) It archives and provides data of Web pages by using networks.

– 14 –
Q27. Which of the following is an appropriate description concerning a cookie used in the
Web?

a) It is a standard that can be used for formatting the layout of an HTML document in
detail.
b) It is the HTTP protocol to which an encryption function is added for private
communications over the Internet.
c) It is a mechanism where a Web server interacts with external programs to create Web
pages dynamically.
d) It is a mechanism where information from a Web server is temporarily saved in a
browser that accesses the Web server.

Q28. Which of the following is a system configuration that introduces Internet technology
into a company’s information and telecommunication system and is used for
information sharing and business support?

a) EDI b) VAN c) Intranet d) Extranet

Q29. A PC was checked for computer viruses, and a certain number of infected files were
discovered. Which of the following is an appropriate course of action that should be
taken by the person who found the infected files?

a) Contacting the recipients to whom the files infected by an unknown virus were
forwarded, after identifying the virus so that they can take corrective action
b) Forwarding the infected files to the system administrator by e-mail so that the
administrator can promptly take measures
c) Disconnecting the infected PC immediately from the network in order to prevent
other PCs from being infected
d) Enabling the write protection of removable media that were used for a day-old
backup in order to prevent other files from being infected

– 15 –
Q30. There exists a model of communication from A to B based on public key cryptography
as shown below. Which of the following is an appropriate description concerning this
model?
The message sent by A is used to generate a message authentication code. This
authentication code is encrypted using A’s private key to generate a bit string that is
sent to B by e-mail along with the original message.
B obtains A’s public key from a trusted organization, and in addition to decrypting
the received bit string, B generates the message authentication code from the
received message to verify that both codes are the same before the message is used.

a) A can confirm that the message is delivered to B.

b) A can guarantee to B that the message is not wiretapped.
c) B is guaranteed to receive the message from A.
d) B can confirm that the message is from A and is not falsified.

Q31. Which of the following is an appropriate description concerning the information

security policy?

a) The security policy of a company is intended to define what should be set for each
security system, so its contents vary depending on the security-related product to be
installed.
b) The security policy of a company provides guidelines on the action and judgment to
be followed and does not cover the stance and direction on security measures.
c) It is desirable for top management of a company to disclose the vulnerability of the
information system that forces the company to create the security policy.
d) It is necessary to clarify the vision about the action and judgment to be followed to
achieve the target security level.

– 16 –
Q32. Which of the following is the term that refers to the act of setting up a bogus Web page
imitating a bank, a credit card company, or other organization, and tricking a user with
an e-mail disguised as an official message from the financial organization or a public
organization in order to guide a user to the bogus Web page and steal personal
information such as the personal identification number and credit card number?

a) Cracking b) Buffer overflow

c) Phishing d) Bot

Q33. Which of the following is an appropriate description concerning a macro virus?

a) It is a new virus that is created by combing multiple viruses into one.

b) It moves across computers connected via a network while replicating itself.
c) It is an executable file that is sent as an attachment to an e-mail message.
d) It infects data files used by word processing software or spreadsheet software.

Q34. Which of the following is a method that may cause a mail server to go down by
sending a large number of unsolicited e-mails to a lot of e-mail users in a short period
of time with the aim of advertising or selling goods or services?

a) Spam mail b) Chain mail

c) E-mail bomb d) Multi-posting

– 17 –
 Answer questions Q35 through Q56 concerning management.

Q35. Which of the following is an appropriate description concerning system maintenance?

a) In order to perform system maintenance in contrast to system design and

development, it is important to follow the manual without relying on knowledge of
the system.
b) When system maintenance is performed, it is important to respond appropriately to
improvement requests from users and to system failures, and also important to
record accurate response logs.
c) In order to efficiently perform system maintenance, it is preferable for the system
department to take the central role and execute the plan, and to avoid participation of
the user department as much as possible.
d) In order to handle system improvement requests from the user department efficiently
with the limited staff members of the system department, it is best to deal with
simple and easy-to-implement requests first.

Q36. In a DFD of sales management, which of the following is the data store that represents
“product inventory”? Here, each process corresponds to one of “inventory
allocation”, “order receipt”, order backlog”, “shipment”, and “order placement”.

(1)

Customer

(2)
Order
received (3)

Deliver of
Products
Supplier

Delivery
Instructions

Order backlog

(4)

a) (1) b) (2) c) (3) d) (4)

– 18 –
Q37. When system administrators participate in a system test in cooperation with the
information systems department, which of the following is test data that should be
prepared in advance?

a) Data handled as an exception and also used in actual business operations

b) Data to execute all instructions in the program one or more times
c) Data to detect errors related to interfaces between modules
d) Data to detect logical errors in program modules

Q38. When word processing software, spreadsheet software or other application software is
installed on multiple PCs, which of the following is an appropriate point to be
considered by the system administrator?

a) In consideration of data compatibility and license cost, the standardized software

should be installed.
b) If the software has an online help function, support from the vendor does not need to
be considered.
c) Users have their own preference on which software to use, so they should be
allowed to select the software to be installed.
d) Users should be allowed to install free software at their own discretion if it is
downloadable from the Internet.

Q39. Before migration, a newly developed online ordering management system is operated
in parallel with the existing system for two months. During that period, data is
entered into both systems, and output is checked. After parallel operation is started,
processing is initially smooth. However, just before migration to the new system, it is
discovered that response time increases if a large amount of data is entered into the
new system at a time. Which of the following is the test that is considered to be
insufficient as a cause of delay in discovering this problem?

a) Function test b) Fault recovery test

c) Regression test d) Load test

– 19 –
Q40. Which of the following is an appropriate description concerning the characteristic of
prototyping that is a software development method?

a) The phases of basic planning, external design, internal design, program design,
programming, and testing are conducted sequentially, so the entire project can be
overviewed and it is easy to make the schedule and allocate resources.
b) A trial model is created at an early stage of system development, so perception gaps
and ambiguities between the user department and the development department can
be eliminated early.
c) Software is divided into two groups with and without the possibility of specification
changes, and then the processes of programming, review, and change are repeated
for the group with the possibility of changes. .
d) A large-scale application is divided into highly independent parts, and the phases of
design, programming, and testing are repeated part by part while the development
scope is expanded gradually.

Q41. Which of the following is the most appropriate description concerning the role of the
user department in large-scale system development?

a) Without considering the effect of investment in the installed systems, user

department managers make efforts to have the development department accept
requests for additional features from the user department.
b) The user department is in the position of using systems developed by the
development department, so it is better to leave the development entirely to the
development department than to take part in it.
c) The user department checks the deliverables of system development from the
viewpoint of business operations, but details of program design are entrusted to the
development department.
d) The user department needs to actively participate in system development and to
provide advice, so its staff members who are unfamiliar with business processes but
knowledgeable about computers should participate in it at a higher priority.

– 20 –
Q42. There exist 50 work items, each having an equivalent workload, and a plan is made to
complete them in 10 days. However, at the end of the 5th day, only 20 items are
completed. If the delay in progress is to be represented as the difference between the
originally planned completion date and actual completion date for the work items that
are currently completed, how many days is the delay?

a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) 4

Q43. Company A in the manufacturing industry uses an NC machine tool to perform four
tasks A through D. The setup time between each task is as shown in the table below.
When the four tasks are performed so that the total setup time can be minimized, how
long is the total setup time in hours? Here, the tasks can be carried out in any order,
and the setup time between FROM and TO can be used for evaluation; for example, the
setup time from task A to task B is 2 hours.

Unit: hour
TO
Task A Task B Task C Task D
FROM
Task A – 2 1 2
Task B 1 – 1 2
Task C 3 2 – 2
Task D 4 3 2 –

a) 4 b) 5 c) 6 d) 7

Q44. Which of the following is an appropriate description concerning the component

breakdown of the WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) in project management?

a) The deepest level of detail of the component breakdown is the level that enables
more accurate project planning and cost estimation.
b) The deepest level of detail of the component breakdown is always the same level
regardless of the project scale.
c) The depth of the component breakdown is always the same depth for all component
deliverables.
d) The deeper the level of the component breakdown is, the higher the level of the
work efficiency becomes.
– 21 –
Q45. Five staff members with the same productivity are assigned to an activity that takes 20
days. Immediately before the start of the activity, three members have influenza and
are replaced by new members. When the new members’ productivity is 60% of the
original members’, what is the minimum number of new staff members that is needed
to complete the activity in 20 days or less?

a) 4 b) 5 c) 7 d) 9

Q46. In the arrow diagram shown below, Activity B is completed three days behind schedule.
In order to reduce the end-to-end delay to only one day, which activity should be
reduced by how many days?

a) Activity C should be reduced by one day.

b) Activity D should be reduced by two days.
c) Activity E should be reduced by one day.
d) Activity F should be reduced by two days.

– 22 –
Q47. Which of the following is the most appropriate description concerning the development
budget of a project?

a) A development plan is based on the total development budget, so the plan should not
be made by adding up the estimated costs of individual tasks.
b) The difference between the development budget and the actual cost should be
monitored, and then the plan should be reviewed and changed as necessary.
c) The development budget relates to the procurement of direct materials, so it should
not include the labor cost for the staff members who participate in the project.
d) A detailed estimate should be made using the FP (Function Point) method,
regardless of whether or not there is a similar project.

Q48. Which of the following is an appropriate description concerning the critical path in a
system development project?

a) When additional staff members are assigned in order to recover from a delay in
development, priority is given to activities on non-critical paths.
b) If an activity on the critical path is completed three days ahead of schedule, the
project is also completed three days earlier than expected.
c) If an activity on the critical path is delayed, completion of the project is also
delayed.
d) There exists only one critical path irrespective of the size, duration, or complexity of
the project.

– 23 –
Q49. Which of the following is the most appropriate description concerning system
operations?

a) There are many cases where problems and failures relating to system operations
cannot be realized until they actually occur, so it is better to take measures after
occurrence than to take proactive measures.
b) In order to perform system operations smoothly, it is preferable to strengthen the
authority of an operator and entrust the operator with a proper judgment relating to
the handling of a failure.
c) In order to perform system operations efficiently and effectively, it is better to
perform operational tests within the operations department than to request
participation from the development department and the user department.
d) Changes may occur after the system is put into full operation, so it is preferable to
define the standard of change management beforehand in order to ensure that all
changes are made in a controlled manner.

– 24 –
Q50. Mr. M was asked to prepare a management list of hardware, so he proposed a
management method using the table shown below.

ID number Product Serial number Purchase date Purchase price

• When a PC is purchased, a single entry including both the PC and its peripheral
devices is recorded in the list.
• When peripheral devices are purchased individually, an entry is recorded for each
device.
• A unique ID number sticker is attached to every device to be managed.

This method has a possibility that not all devices, including peripheral devices, can be
checked against the list. Which of the following is appropriate advice or guidance for
Mr. M?

a) There is no way to determine if someone maliciously switches the stickers on two

devices, so the stickers should indicate not only the ID number but also all
information from the list.
b) There is no way to distinguish devices purchased on the same day and to record
them in the list, so a record format with the “purchase date” column should be used
to distinguish those devices.
c) When PCs bundled with peripheral devices are purchased, it becomes impossible to
check whether or not there are peripheral devices. Therefore, ID numbers should
be assigned to all peripheral devices so that they can be managed individually.
d) When additional devices with the same product name are purchased, there is no way
to distinguish them. Therefore, an additional column for location should be
inserted to distinguish them.

Q51. Which of the following is an appropriate description concerning a benefit of

introducing and operating a service desk for a company.

a) Reducing the time before the release of a new version of software

b) Eliminating the use of software that is not approved
c) Reducing the out-of-service state caused by the failure of a system change
d) Responding to an inquiry as promptly as possible

– 25 –
Q52. Which of the following is the appropriate use of a security cable (or security wire)?

a) Preventing critical equipment from being destroyed in a fire

b) Preventing notebook PCs placed in the office from being stolen
c) Preventing the screens of mobile PCs used outside the office from being peeped at
d) Supplying alternative power to the system in the event of a power failure

Q53. Which of the following is the device that can cope well with a momentary loss of
electric power and can also supply alternative electric power for the period of time
required to shut down the system in the event of a power failure?

a) AVR b) CVCF
c) UPS d) Private power generator

Q54. As a result of the system audit on personal information protection, the sales department
is notified that a list of customers which is generated by an information system is not
handled properly in accordance with company-wide rules. Who is responsible for
making an improvement plan based on this notification?

a) The person in charge of the sales department

b) The person in charge of the audit department
c) The person in charge of the management planning department
d) The person in charge of the information systems department

Q55. When a function for internal control is established, which of the following means that
the distribution of roles and the authority of management are clarified?

a) Segregation of duties b) Internal audit

c) Activity-based management d) Risk control matrix

– 26 –
Q56. Which of the following is an appropriate description of internal control?

a) A process that is performed by all persons within a company in order to ensure the
effectiveness and efficiency of business operations, reliability of financial reporting,
compliance, and safeguarding of assets
b) A process where a manager who is entrusted with business management raises funds
from a financial institution and buys shares from the shareholders of a parent
company in order to obtain a controlling interest
c) An approach to both work and personal life outside of work where an attempt is
made to sacrifice neither work nor personal life and to keep a good balance between
both of them in a fulfilling way
d) A measure taken by an organization in order to achieve the target of organizational
activities, and a method that aims for the optimization of business activities and
systems

– 27 –
 Answer questions Q57 through Q88 concerning strategy.

Q57. Which of the following is the term that refers to the description below?

Establish and take a course of action, investigate the result, and if the expected result
is not obtained, reflect upon the cause and utilize the conclusion in the next task.

a) AIDMA b) PDCA
c) SWOT d) Brainstorming

Q58. Company A, in the manufacturing and sales industry, sells 30 products. Based on an
ABC analysis, products are to be narrowed down and then sales promotion is to be
performed for those products with high total sales. The table below shows total sales
by product. How many products are contained in “A group” that is subject to the
sales promotion? Here, “A group” represents approximately 70% of the company’s
total sales.

Unit: $1,000
Product Product Product Product Product Product Product Product Product Product
Other Total
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
182 136 120 120 98 91 83 80 65 35 290 1,300

(Other breakdowns) Unit: $1,000

Product Product Product Product Product Product Product Product Product Product
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
30 28 25 22 20 18 17 16 15 14
Product Product Product Product Product Product Product Product Product Product
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
13 13 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 3

a) 7 b) 8 c) 9 d) 10

– 28 –
Q59. The graph below shows the total sales transition over the past five years for a product
that was released by Company A five years ago. Which of the following is an
appropriate description concerning the analysis of the total sales?

a) Sales are expected to increase in the future, because the product is continuously
improved and brought to the market.
b) The product was released too early, so it was not initially well received by the
market. However, sales are expected to increase in the future.
c) Sales increased rapidly during the initial phase after the release, and after that, sales
grow at a sluggish pace.
d) Sales did not increase during the initial phase after the release, but then increased
rapidly for a while. After that, sales grow at a sluggish pace.

Q60. In order to evaluate groupware installed, an information systems department sends a

questionnaire to employees once every six months. The questionnaire has eight
evaluation items including the transmission speed, level of sharing, and recentness of
information. Employees evaluate each item on a scale of one to ten. Which of the
following is an appropriate chart or diagram for representing this evaluation result?

a) Bar chart b) Scatter diagram

c) Distribution chart d) Radar chart

– 29 –
Q61. The table below shows the monthly sales of a particular product at a retailer that sells
approximately 200 types of products. The product is replenished during the
beginning of each month according to the inventory quantity checked at the end of the
previous month. Which of the following is the appropriate order placement method
for this product? Here, the sales ranking is determined as the ranking of the product
when all the products are ranked by the amount of sales.

Quantity Month-end
Amount of sales Sales
Month replenished inventory
(dollars) ranking
this month quantity
January 50 45 100 150
February 0 25 400 90
March 10 0 700 45
April 50 0 1,000 23
May 100 5 1,900 8
June 200 20 3,700 3

a) The product shows stable sales, so a fixed quantity of the product should be ordered
at regular intervals.
b) The product shows a large fluctuation in sales, so a fixed quantity of the product
should be ordered only when the inventory becomes low.
c) The product is becoming a main product, so the quantity to be ordered should be
adjusted based on sales forecast with caution to avoid excessive inventory.
d) The product shows stable sales over a long term, so the quantity based on a
six-month sales forecast should be ordered at regular intervals.

– 30 –
Q62. A sales company records customer complaints in a complaint log. Which of the
following is an appropriate analysis material that is first created to reduce the number
of complaints?

a) Complaints are categorized, and the number of complaints is counted for each
category item. A Pareto chart is created using the category items and the number
of complaints as the axes.
b) The number of complaints is counted for each day of the week when a complaint is
received. A scatter diagram is created using the days of the week and the number
of complaints as the axes.
c) Regions of customers are categorized, and the number of complaints is counted for
each region. A histogram is created using the region categories and the number of
complaints as the axes.
d) Complaints that took long to respond are extracted into a list. Complaint items are
entered in the list so that the corresponding pages of the original complaint log can
be identified.

Q63. In cost accounting, which of the following is handled as a cost element?

a) Donation b) Material cost

c) Bond interest d) Extraordinary loss

Q64. Among actions concerning the creation of a computer program, which of the following
is a copyright violation?

a) Creating another Web page by using the source of HTML that was downloaded from
the Internet
b) Creating a program based on an idea that was discussed on a bulletin board on the
Internet
c) Creating a program to increase a company’s operational efficiency by using a
program that was created during one’s school days
d) Creating a program based on a flowchart that was shown in a purchased book

– 31 –
Q65. Which of the following is an international book code?

a) EAN b) ISBN c) ITF d) UPC

Q66. According to ISO 9000:2005 Quality management systems — Fundamentals and

vocabulary, quality is defined as the “degree to which a set of inherent characteristics
fulfills requirements.” When product evaluation is based on this definition, which of
the following is the most appropriate as a good quality product?

a) A product having few customer complaints and a high level of customer satisfaction
b) A product that a company produces without outsourcing manufacturing
c) A product designed and manufactured using CAD and CAM
d) A product utilizing materials and components of high quality

Q67. Which of the following is an appropriate description concerning the operations of a

quality management system in accordance with ISO 9001:2008?

a) Even if some different activities are performed by each department within an

organization, it is effective to define common quality objectives to achieve quality
assurance.
b) Even if there are many cases where the quality manual is not actually followed, the
manual should be continuously used during a certain period of time.
c) The quality management system is established in accordance with international
standards, so the operations of the currently existing quality management system
should be continued regardless of the implementation status of processes.
d) Even if a carefully designed quality management system is used, it should be
modified according to a formal procedure on occasions when a problem is identified
in the operational phase.

– 32 –
Q68. Product portfolio management is a method for analyzing the positioning of a product
within the market and reviewing the resource allocation. It uses a matrix chart
divided into four quadrants, with the market growth rate on the vertical axis, and the
market share on the horizontal axis. Which of the following refers to a product that is
categorized into the quadrant for low market growth rate and high market share?

a) Cash cow b) Star

c) Dog d) Question mark (problem child)

Q69. Which of the following is an explanation of affiliate that is one of the advertisement
methods on the Internet?

a) It is a method for sending advertisements of categories that recipients are interested

in, by e-mail with prior permission from them.
b) It is a method for displaying a company’s advertisement and Web link on a personal
home page, and for paying rewards based on the number of visitors attracted.
c) It is a method for making a company’s Web site visible near the top of the search
engine results.
d) It is a method for attracting users to a company’s Web site by placing a graphical
image on a large scale portal site as an entrance to the Web site.

Q70. Which of the following is an explanation of the maturity stage in the product life cycle?

a) It is a stage where there is a sudden increase in sales. Competition intensifies as

newcomers enter the market.
b) It is a stage where sales and profits suddenly drop. In this stage, withdrawal from
the market should be considered.
c) It is a stage where demand growth slows down. Measures such as product quality
improvement and style change are taken to maintain market share and secure profits.
d) It is a stage where the product is marketed to early adopters. Strategies to enhance
brand recognition are planned and implemented.

– 33 –
Q71. Which of the following is a method for analyzing the behavior of a visitor based on
information such as the number of accesses to a Web site and the browsing history
within the Web site?

a) Regression analysis b) Cluster analysis

c) Access log analysis d) Value chain analysis

Q72. There are two types of performance indexes: one to evaluate the achievement level of a
goal and the other to evaluate the method for achieving a goal. When the goal is to
“improve the English ability of employees,” which of the following is an appropriate
index to represent the achievement level of this goal?

a) The ratio of employees’ awareness of a message from the company president

concerning the importance of learning English is 80% or more.
b) The ratio of employees who get a mark of 650 or higher in an English test is 60% or
more.
c) The ratio of employees who participate in an English test is 90% or more.
d) The ratio at which a company’s monthly English training course is held as planned
is 90% or more.

Q73. Which of the following is an appropriate purpose of CRM?

a) To increase the level of customer satisfaction

b) To understand the purchasing trend of consumers
c) To gain the loyalty of new customers
d) To increase or retain market share

– 34 –
Q74. Which of the following is an appropriate description concerning a technology
roadmap?

a) It organizes the transition of past technology and does not show future trends.
b) It is created for the technology strategy of a company or an industry and is not
created by a government or an administration.
c) It represents milestones in technology development, and no review based on market
trends is carried out.
d) It shows a technology development strategy based on an enterprise strategy, and is
intended to be understood not only by engineers but also by other people.

Q75. Which of the following is an appropriate explanation of the POS terminal (or POS cash
register) in a supermarket and other such places?

a) It is a terminal of the system used for collecting and managing information such as
the product code and price at the time of a sales transaction (at the “Point of Sale”).
b) It is a terminal of the “Purchase Order System”, and is mainly used to automate
purchase orders for the replenishment of products.
c) It is a terminal of the strategic product management system developed for
monitoring the “Probability of Survival” of such products.
d) It is a terminal of the inventory management system first manufactured in “Port of
Spain”, and it holds an overwhelming market share.

– 35 –
Q76. Which of the following is the most appropriate explanation of ERP (Enterprise
Resource Planning)?

a) It is the technique and concept to improve management efficiency by planning the

company-wide management resources in an effective and integrated way.
b) It is the technique and concept to perform commercial transactions for consumers
and between companies by using electronic networks, such as the Internet.
c) It is the technique and concept to introduce IT into business activities with the aim
of improving not only efficiency and quality but also customer satisfaction.
d) It is the technique and concept where wholesalers and manufacturers support the
business activities of retail stores for increased turnover.

Q77. Among e-commerce categories, which of the following corresponds to the concept of
“B to C” transactions?

a) CALS b) Web-EDI
c) Virtual companies d) Virtual malls

Q78. Which of the following is supported by a CAD system?

a) Process design b) Production planning

c) Product design d) Delivery planning

– 36 –
Q79. Which of the following is the situation where an improvement can be expected by
installing an MRP (Material Requirements Planning) system?

a) Drawing information is managed using electronic files and hard copies, so the
design change history cannot be accurately known.
b) Information concerning materials necessary for manufacturing and their required
quantities is insufficient or incorrect, so production is being adversely affected.
c) There are too many design change requests, so production efficiency does not
improve.
d) High-mix, low-volume production is adopted, so the cost of installing production
equipment is increasing.

Q80. When the spreadsheet shown below is converted into CSV format, which of the
following is an appropriate list of data that is generated by spreadsheet software?
Here, records are separated by the carriage return code “CR”. The expression in a cell
is automatically recalculated, and the resulting value is written back into that cell.
Although the entered expressions are shown in row 3 and column C below, the
resulting values are actually displayed on the screen.

A B C
1 2 7 A1+B2
2 6 4 A2+B1
3 A1+A2 B1+B2 C2+B3

C C C
a) 2 , 6 , 8 R 7 , 4 , 11 R 6 , 13 , 24 R
C C C
b) 2 , 6 , 8 R 7 , 4 , 11 R 9 , 10 , 19 R
C C C
c) 2 , 7 , 6 R 6 , 4 , 13 R 8 , 11 , 24 R
C C C
d) 2 , 7 , 9 R 6 , 4 , 10 R 8 , 11 , 19 R

– 37 –
Q81. Which of the following is an appropriate explanation of a banner advertisement that is
one of the Internet advertisements?

a) When a Web site is being browsed, an advertisement from an advertiser is

automatically displayed in another new window.
b) When a Web page is accessed from another page, a page with an advertisement is
briefly shown before the accessed page is displayed.
c) When an advertisement image that is placed on part of a Web page is clicked, a page
created by an advertiser is displayed.
d) When keywords are entered into a search service site, an advertisement related to
the keywords is displayed on the page showing the search results.

Q82. When computerization is promoted, which of the following is an appropriate point to

be noted?

a) In order to understand the current status of business operations, the opinions of third
parties rather than staff members involved in the operations should be considered.
b) In order to make a computerization plan, more attention should be paid to “how to
do it” rather than “what to do”.
c) After the final decision on the hardware configuration of an information system, the
methodology of computerization should be investigated.
d) In order to evaluate a computerization plan, not only the occurrence of new
problems but also investment effect and feasibility should be considered.

Q83. Which of the following is an appropriate description concerning groupware?

a) It is software that has an animation or sound function and is helpful in effective

presentations by incorporating the output of spreadsheet software or database
software.
b) It is software that has functions, such as a format setting function used to define the
print layout and a function to change and edit text, and enters data to create a
document.
c) It is software that has functions, such as communication via e-mail and electronic
bulletin boards, data sharing, and schedule management, and supports collaborative
work.
d) It is software that is used to enter data into cells of a worksheet, create tables, and
tabulate data.

– 38 –
Q84. During business system development, it is effective to collect the meaning and usage of
language (such as words, terms, and phrases) used in the target business operations and
to create a glossary for smooth communication between users and developers, and
between developers themselves. Which of the following is an appropriate description
concerning the handling of this glossary?

a) The glossary should be created and updated from an early stage of development.
b) The manual writer should create the glossary in the final stage of development.
c) The glossary is not necessary for small scale systems.
d) Only technical terms related to the target business operations should be collected.

Q85. As shown in the figure below, there exists a business process consisting of activities A,
B, and C. When an information system is installed to achieve improvement, what is
the percentage of reduction in the person-hours required for manufacturing a product in
comparison with before the improvement? Here, the arrows in the figure indicate the
sequence of the activities, and the person-hours are calculated by multiplying the
number of staff members by the working hours.

[Before the improvement]

- The number of staff members required for each activity is 10.
- The working hours required per product are 3 hours for activity A, 3 hours for
activity B, and 4 hours for activity C.

[After the improvement]

- The number of staff members required for activity A is reduced by half.
- The working hours required per product in activity C are reduced by half.

a) 15 b) 20 c) 30 d) 35

– 39 –
Q86. When the software lifecycle is divided into four processes consisting of planning,
requirements definition, development, and operation, which of the following is an
appropriate result of the planning process?

a) The requirements of the software to be developed are defined and reviewed.

b) The requirements and constraints of the system are defined and agreed.
c) A development project to implement the system is scheduled and approved.
d) The database is designed at the highest level and is reviewed.

Q87. Which of the following is an appropriate description concerning risk analysis?

a) It takes too much time and cost to implement countermeasures against all possible
risks, so priority should be given based on the estimated amount of loss and
probability of occurrence.
b) For risks that are assessed with risk analysis, risk analysis should not be repeated
until all measures are completely implemented.
c) The purpose of risk analysis is to prevent loss in the future, so data that was
accumulated in similar projects in the past should not be referenced.
d) The purpose of risk analysis is to know the amount of loss caused by the occurrence
of a risk, and the cost of measures should be decided based on this amount of loss.

Q88. In the case of constructing a new system by either developing a new system or
adopting an existing package, when the initial investment amount, effect amount,
operational cost, and maintenance cost are as shown in the table below, which of the
following is the method for recovering the initial investment amount in the minimum
number of years?

System Operational Maintenance

Initial investment Effect amount
construction cost cost
amount (dollars) (dollars/year)
method (dollars/year) (dollars/year)
Developing a
a) 120,000 72,000 24,000 18,000
new system
Developing a
b) 90,000 55,000 16,000 9,000
new system
Adopting an
c) 80,000 44,000 12,000 16,000
existing package
Adopting an
d) 60,000 30,000 8,000 12,000
existing package

– 40 –
 Answer questions A through C, each of which has four questions.

Question A Read the following description concerning a contract for system development,
and then answer questions Q89 through Q92.

Company W manufactures everyday sundries and has a plan to construct a system for
managing sales (hereinafter referred to as sales management system) for business
expansion. Mr. G, a member of the system construction team, created an RFP under the
guidance of a supervisor and received a proposal from Company X. The overview of the
RFP and the proposal from Company X are as shown below.
In order to handle Company W’s important customer information, the necessary measures
are to be taken at the time of the conclusion of a contract.

[Overview of RFP]
System purpose: To manage an order from a customer for a manufactured
product from receipt of the order until shipment of the product
System requirements: The number of products to be managed is initially 2,000 with a
maximum of 5,000. The number of customers managed is
initially 500 with a maximum of 2,000. The maximum
number of orders placed per day is 200. An appropriate
software package suitable for the scale of Company W’s
activities is assumed to be used.
Delivery date: Within 6 months of order placement

[Proposal from Company X]

Implementation cost: 70,000 dollars
Preconditions: A software package for sales management from Company Y
and database software from Company Z are used, and any
functions that are lacking are developed. Two servers are
installed, and each has one CPU. One server is a production
server, and the other is a cold standby server that is used if a
fault occurs on the production server.
Contract conditions: The turnkey contract is applied to the system development
project including all phases from requirements definition to
system test. Company X provides 6-month warranty against
defects in deliverables after the receiving inspection.
Implementation period: 4 months
Maintenance: By concluding a maintenance contract, Company X deals with
inquiries and fault isolation of the implemented system.

– 41 –
[Strategy]
Q89. There is an insufficiency or omission in the overview of the RFP created by Company
W. Which of the following should be added to the RFP?

a) Company W’s business results achieved in the previous year

b) The number of products and the number of customers to be handled by the system
c) Requirements for the performance to be achieved by the system
d) Information about machines that are used to manufacture the products

[Strategy]
Q90. The license for the database software is determined by the number of CPUs on the
servers that are running, and the license for a software package of sales management is
determined by a combination of the maximum number of products handled and the
maximum number of customers. Which of the following is an appropriate
combination of licenses that Company W should purchase?

Database software Software package of sales management

Number of products Number of customers
Number of CPUs
(maximum) (maximum)
a) 1 2,000 500
b) 2 2,000 500
c) 1 5,000 2,000
d) 2 5,000 2,000

– 42 –
[Strategy]
Q91. In order to allow Company X to use customer information directly during development
of the sales management system, which of the following should Company W do in
advance?

a) Company W should conclude a turnkey contract for development with Company X

at once so that Company X can handle customer information at an early date.
b) Company W should hand over detailed customer information to Company X prior to
the conclusion of a formal contract so that development can be performed smoothly.
c) Company W should sign a nondisclosure agreement with Company X so that
customer information is not leaked or mishandled by Company X.
d) Company W should sign a license agreement based on the number of customers for
the software package of sales management with Company Y.

[Management]
Q92. Company W concludes a maintenance contract just after performing a receiving
inspection of the system delivered by Company X. If a failure occurs in the sales
management system in the next month, which of the following should Company W do?

a) Company W should investigate the cause of the problem and fix the problem
without any help from Company X even if the cause is a bug in the system
developed by Company X.
b) Company W should investigate the cause of the problem, and request that Company
X fix the problem for a fee if the cause is a bug in the system developed by
Company X.
c) Company W should request that Company X investigate the cause of the problem,
and have the problem fixed free of charge if the cause is a bug in the system
developed by Company X.
d) Company W should request that Company X investigate the cause of the problem,
and have the problem fixed for a fee if the cause is a bug in the system developed by
Company X.

– 43 –
Question B Read the following description concerning programming and testing, and then
answer questions Q93 through Q96.

Mr. R of Company Q is attempting to perform the programming and testing of a function

that is used for the development of a ticket sales system. This function calculates a total
amount based on the desired number of adult tickets and child tickets. An adult ticket
costs 30 dollars, and a child ticket costs 10 dollars. A maximum of 20 adult tickets and
20 child tickets can be purchased at one time, and the function checks if these conditions
of purchase are fulfilled. Furthermore, if a total of 20 tickets or more are purchased,
discount is given. The specifications and processing details for the function are as
shown below.

[Specifications of the function]

Arguments passed to the function
J: the desired number of adult tickets
K: the desired number of child tickets
(J and K are integers of 0 or greater)
Value returned from the function
L: total amount (L is an integer)

[Processing details]
(1) Based on the desired number of tickets, determine if the conditions of purchase
are fulfilled. If the conditions of purchase are not fulfilled, set the total amount
to “– 1”.
(2) If the conditions of purchase are fulfilled, the total amount is calculated as shown
below based on the arguments that are passed.
Total = the desired number of adult tickets × 30
+ the desired number of child tickets ×10
(3) If a total of 20 or more tickets are purchased, subtract a 10% discount from the
total amount.

– 44 –
[Technology]
Q93. The flow of processing for the function is shown in Fig. 1. Which of the following is
an appropriate conditional statement to be inserted into blank A in Fig. 1?

Fig. 1 Flowchart of processing for the function

a) 0 ≤ J ≤ 20 and 0 ≤ K ≤ 20
b) 0 ≤ J ≤ 20 or 0 ≤ K ≤ 20
c) 0 ≤ J + K ≤ 20
d) J > 20 and K > 20

– 45 –
[Management]
Q94. Table 1 below shows all combinations of conditions and their processing that are
organized in order to test the function. Which of the following is an appropriate
combination of symbols to be inserted into blanks B and C in Table 1?

Table 1 All combinations of conditions and their processing

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)
0 ≤ J ≤ 20 Y Y N N Y Y N N
Condition

0 ≤ K ≤ 20 Y Y Y Y N N N N
J + K < 20 Y N Y N Y N Y N
Calculate total amount X X
Process

Deduct 10% discount

− B
from total amount
Set total to – 1 − − C
Notes: 1. Values in the shaded area are not shown.
2. “Y” means that the condition is met, and “N” means that the condition is
not met. “X” indicates that the process is executed, and “−” indicates
that the process is not executed. For example, in the case of (1), this
shows that when the result of the three conditions is “Y, Y, Y”, the process
to calculate the total amount is executed.

B C
a) X X
b) X −
c) − X
d) − −

– 46 –
[Management]
Q95. Table 2 below shows part of the test data that is prepared in order to test the function
and expected results. Which of the following is the combination of values to be
inserted into blanks D and E in Table 2?

Table 2 Part of the test data and expected results

Test number J K L
1 3 2 110
2 15 15 D
3 20 0
4 10 30 E
…

…
Note: No value is shown in the shaded area.

D E
a) 540 540
b) 540 –1
c) 600 540
d) 600 –1

– 47 –
[Technology]
Q96. In order to make it possible to calculate the total amount for different types of tickets
such a one-day or two-day ticket, (2) of “Processing details” and “Specifications of the
function” are changed, and the argument M is added to represent the number of days of
a ticket. The number of days for which a ticket is valid is entered into M. The array
that defines the ticket prices by type is TP(M, N). N is set to 1 for an adult and 2 for a
child. The value of each array element is shown below. Which of the following is
the total amount in dollars when the arguments are J = 10, K = 20, and M = 2? Here,
the function references this array based on the arguments and determines the ticket
price.

[Values of array elements]

TP(1, 1) = 30, TP(1, 2) = 10,
TP(2, 1) = 40, TP(2, 2) = 15,
TP(3, 1) = 50, TP(3, 2) = 20

a) 450 b) 500 c) 630 d) 700

– 48 –
Question C Read the following description concerning the creation of a Web page, and
then answer questions Q97 through Q100.

Mr. D, a PR staff member at the town N store of a supermarket chain, is working with Mr.
E, a staff member in charge of the Web site of the company’s headquarters, to create an
introduction page for the town N store. A questionnaire with a gift included is to be
implemented with the aim of increasing the number of visitors to the introduction page
for the town N store. Mr. D created a proposal for a gift page as shown in Fig. 1 and
consulted Mr. E.

Note: [ ] is an input area, is a button, and < > explains that a component to
be displayed or content to be displayed is omitted.

Fig. 1 Proposal for a gift page

Mr. E checked the proposal for a gift page and gave the advice and instructions below to
Mr. D.

[Main advice concerning design]

(1) Adopting an input method with ease of operation, such as input by mouse
(2) Placing input areas and buttons in the order that operations such as responding are
easy to perform
(3) Using an input form depending on the data format in order to prevent input errors

– 49 –
 [Main instructions concerning creation]
(1) Creating the gift page in an HTML format file called “ank01.html”, and transferring
it to a specified directory on the Web server
(2) Using a relative path to specify a file
(3) Making the file size of each photograph that is used 200 KB or less

[Technology]
Q97. Mr. D considered the advice from Mr. E and decided to improve the design of the
proposal for the gift page shown in Fig. 1. Which of the following is an appropriate
improvement?

a) Placing the “Submit” button at the very top of the page so that the user does not
forget to press it
b) Using a check box so that the user can choose the “desired gift” with a click of a
mouse
c) Using a radio button for “Sex” so that the user can choose either “Male” or
“Female”
d) Placing questionnaire items on the assumption that the user responds to questions
sequentially from the top-right of the screen

[Technology]
Q98. Mr. D received permission from the manufacturer of the gifts, and decided to scan
photographs of the gifts from the manufacturer’s product catalog and then place these
images on the gift page. The photographs are scanned in a bitmap format at a size of
2 inches high × 3 inches wide and in 24-bit color. The images are then edited with
photo-retouching software.
When compression of an image with the photo-retouching software is not considered,
which of the following is the highest resolution in dpi (dots per inch) for the image
scanner that Mr. D can select in accordance with Mr. E’s advice or instructions?

a) 60 b) 100 c) 300 d) 1,200

– 50 –
[Technology]
Q99. In order to release the completed gift page to the public on the Web site of the
company’s headquarters, a link is placed on the site. When the page is published, the
implementation of a questionnaire that includes a gift is notified on the top page, with
the aim of increasing the number of visitors to the introduction page for town N store
and guiding visitors smoothly from the top page to the gift page. Which of the
following is the diagram that shows the most appropriate page structure?
A rectangular box “ ” in the diagrams represents one screen on the Web site, and
an arrow “ ” represents a link between pages.

a) b)
Top page Top page

Store list page Store list page Gift page

Introduction Introduction
page for page for
town N store town N store

Gift page

c) d)
Top page

Store list page

Introduction
page for
town N sotre

Gift page

– 51 –
[Technology]
Q100. Mr. D was instructed by Mr. E to transfer the completed “ank01.html” file to the
directory “store_n” on the Web server, and to transfer the data used on the gift page
such as photographs to the “image” directory before the release to the public. So,
Mr. D added a tag to display photographs to “ank01.html” so that the photographs of
the gifts are displayed correctly.
When the directory configuration and the file specification on the Web server are as
shown below, which of the following is a tag that is inserted into blank A to display a
photograph converted to the JPEG format (filename: s01.jpeg)? Here, the “img” tag
displays an image that is specified as src="filename".

[Directory configuration on the Web server]

[File specification]
(1) A file is referenced as “directory name\···\directory name\file name”, where the
directory names on the path are listed and separated with “\” in sequence,
followed by the file name.
(2) The current directory is represented by “.” (a period).
(3) The directory one level above is represented by “..” (two periods).
(4) When a reference begins with a backslash “\”, it is assumed that the root
directory is omitted from the beginning of the reference.
(5) When a reference does not start with “\”, “.” (a period), or “..” (two periods), it
is assumed that “ .\” for the current directory is omitted from the beginning of
the reference.

[Tag to display photograph 1]

<img src=" A \s01.jpeg" ··· >

a) ..\..\image b) ..\main\image
c) .\image d) \www\main\image

– 52 –
 Spreadsheet Software Functions and Terminology

The following defines the basic functions and technical terms of spreadsheet software.
In addition, when worksheet functions not described here, such as save, read, print, line creation, and graph
creation, are used, they are described in the exam question text.

1. Worksheets
(1) The work area that is composed of a grid of rows and columns is called a worksheet. A
worksheet has 256 columns and 10,000 rows.
(2) The position of each column and row in a worksheet is represented by a column letter and a row
number. The leftmost column letter is A, and all column letters are represented as A, B, ..., Z, AA,
AB, ..., AZ, BA, BB, ..., BZ, ..., IU, and IV. The uppermost row number is 1, and all row numbers
are represented as 1, 2, …, 10000.
(3) Multiple worksheets can be used. In this case, a unique name is assigned to each worksheet in
order to distinguish worksheets from one another.

2. Cells and cell ranges

(1) Each box-shaped area in the grid that constitutes a worksheet is called a cell. The position of a
cell is represented by a pair of the column letter and row number of the cell, and this is called a cell
address.
Example: The cell address at column A and row 1 is A1.
(2) When a group of all cells included in certain rectangular area of a worksheet is handled, the cell
addresses of the top left and bottom right cells of the group are used with a semicolon “ : ”, and the
group is represented as “top left cell address:bottom right cell address”. This is called a cell
range.
Example: The cell range with the top left cell at A1 and the bottom right cell at B3 is represented
as A1:B3 .
(3) When a cell address or a cell range in another worksheet is specified, the worksheet name and an
exclamation mark “!” are used, and they are represented as “worksheet name!cell address” or
“worksheet name!cell range” respectively.
Example: When the cell range B5:G10 in the worksheet “sheet1,”is specified from another
worksheet, it is represented as sheet1!B5:G10.

3. Values and expressions

(1) A cell holds a value, and this value can be referenced using the cell address. A value can be a
numeric value, a character string, a logical value, or a null value.
(2) A character string is enclosed in a pair of single quotation marks ‘ ’.
Example: The character strings “A” and “BC” are represented as ‘A’ and ‘BC’ respectively.
(3) A logical value is represented as true or false.

– 53 –
 (4) A null value is represented as null, and a cell that has a null value is called a blank cell. The
initial state of a cell is null.
(5) An expression can be entered into a cell. A cell holds the resulting value of an evaluated
expression.
(6) An expression is composed of constants, cell addresses, operators, parentheses, and functions. A
constant is a notation that represents a numeric value, a character string, a logical value, or a null
value. A cell address in an expression refers to the value held in the cell at that cell address.
(7) An expression can be an arithmetic expression, a character expression, or a logical expression.
An expression whose evaluation generates a numeric value is called an arithmetic expression, an
expression whose evaluation generates a character string is called a character expression, and an
expression whose evaluation generates a logical value is called a logical expression.
(8) When an expression is entered into a cell, it is evaluated immediately. When the value in a cell
that is referenced by an expression is changed, the expression is immediately re-evaluated.

4. Operators
(1) Unary operators are the plus sign “+” and the minus sign “−”.
(2) Arithmetic operators are addition “+”, subtraction “−”, multiplication “*”, division “/”, and
exponentiation “^”.
(3) Comparison operators are greater than “>”, less than “<”, greater than or equal to “ ≥ ”, less than or
equal to “ ≤ ”, equal to “=”, and not equal to “ ≠ ”.
(4) For grouping symbols, a pair of parentheses “( )” is used.
(5) When there are multiple operations and parentheses in an expression, the order of calculation is
prioritized as shown in the table below.

Type of operation Operator Priority

Parentheses () High
Exponentiation ^
Unary operation +，−
Multiplication and division *，/
Addition and subtraction +，−
Comparison operators >，<， ≥ ， ≤ ，=， ≠ Low

5. Copying of cells
(1) A value or expression in a cell can be copied into other cells.
(2) In a cell copy operation, when the source cell holds an expression containing a cell address, the cell
reference method that changes the cell address in the expression so that the difference in the cell
addresses of the source cell and destination cell can be maintained is called a relative reference.
In this case, the expression that is entered into the destination cell is the expression modified by

– 54 –
 adding the difference in column letter and row number between the source cell and destination cell
to each cell address in the expression that is entered into the source cell.
Example: When the expression A1 + 5 in cell A6 is copied into cell B8, the expression B3 + 5 is
entered into cell B8.
(3) In a cell copy operation, when the source cell holds an expression containing a cell address, the cell
reference method that does not change either of or both the column letter and row number of the
cell address is called an absolute reference. A dollar symbol “$” is placed immediately before
either of or both the column letter and row number to which an absolute reference is applied.
Example: When the expression $A$1 + $A2 + A$5 in cell B1 is copied into cell C4, the expression
$A$1 + $A5 + B$5 is entered into cell C4.
(4) In a cell copy operation, when the source cell holds an expression that refers to another worksheet,
the name of the referenced worksheet does not change at the copy destination.
Example: When the expression Sheet1!A1 in cell A6 of the worksheet “Sheet2” is copied into
cell B8 of the worksheet “Sheet3”, the expression Sheet1!B3 is entered into cell B8 of
“Sheet3”.

6. Functions
The functions defined in the table below are available for use in an expression.

Format Description
Returns the sum of the values in a specified cell range.
SUM(cell range1)) Example: SUM(A1:B5) returns the sum of the values in the cell range
A1:B5.
AVG(cell range1)) Returns the average of the values in a specified cell range.
SAMPLE_STD_DEV Sample standard deviation: Returns the standard deviation of the sample
(cell range1)) values in a specified cell range.
POPULATION_STD_D Population standard deviation: Returns the standard deviation of the
EV(cell range1)) population values in a specified cell range.
MAX(cell range1)) Returns the maximum value in a specified cell range.
MIN(cell range1)) Returns the minimum value in a specified cell range.
Returns the value of expression1 when the value of the logical expression is
IF(logical expression, true, and returns the value of expression 2 when it is false.
expression 1, expression Example: IF(B3 A4, ‘Chicago’, C4) returns the character string
2) “Chicago”, if the value in cell B3 is greater than the value in
cell A4. Otherwise, the value in cell C4 is returned.
COUNT(cell range) Returns the number of non-blank cells in a specified cell range.

– 55 –
 Returns the number of cells within a specified cell range that meet the
specified search condition. The search condition is described using a
combination of a comparison operator and an expression, and the value of
each cell contained in the cell range is evaluated using the specified
COUNTIF(cell range, comparison operator.
search condition) Example 1: COUNTIF(H5:L9, > A1) returns the number of cells in cell
range H5:L9 that hold a greater value than the value in cell
A1 .
Example 2: COUNTIF (H5:L9, = ‘ABC’) returns the number of cells in
the cell range H5:L9 that hold the character string “ABC”.
Integer: Rounds a value down to the maximum integer that is less than or
INT (arithmetic equal to the value of a specified arithmetic expression.
expression) Example 1: INTEGER(3.9) returns 3.
Example 2: INTEGER(−3.9) returns −4.
Modulo arithmetic: Returns the remainder after the value of arithmetic
expression 1 (dividend) is divided by the value of arithmetic expression 2
MOD(arithmetic (divisor). The equation below holds for functions MOD and INT.
expression 1, arithmetic MOD(x, y) = x − y * INT(x / y)
expression 2)
Example 1: MOD(10, 3) returns 1.
Example 2: MOD(−10, 3) returns 2.
Square root: Returns the non-negative square root of the value of a
SQRT(arithmetic
specified arithmetic expression. The value of the arithmetic expression
expression)
must be a non-negative numeric value.
AND(logical expression Returns true only when the values of logical expression 1, logical
1, logical expression expression 2, and all other logical expressions specified are true.
2, ...)2) Otherwise, it returns false.
OR(logical expression Returns true when the value of at least one expression out of logical
1, logical expression expression 1, logical expression 2, and all other logical expressions
2, ...)2) specified is true. Otherwise, it returns false.
NOT(logical Returns false when the value of a specified logical expression is true, and
expression) returns true when the value of the logical expression is false.
ROUNDUP(arithmetic Returns the value of a specified arithmetic expression that is rounded to the
expression, position) position specified. The function ROUNDUP rounds the value up,
ROUNDOFF(arithmetic ROUNDOFF rounds the value off, and ROUNDDOWN rounds the value
expression, position) down. Here, the position is the number of places as counted from left to
right with the first position being 0.
ROUNDDOWN
Example 1: ROUNDUP(−314.159, 2) returns −314.16.
(arithmetic expression,
Example 2: ROUNDUP(314.159, −2) returns 400.
position)
Example 3: ROUNDUP(314.159, 0) returns 315.
Treats the value of expression 1, expression 2, and all other expressions as
CONCATENATE a character string, and returns these as a single character string joined in
(expression 1, order of the arguments.
expression 2, ...) 2) Example: CONCATENATE(‘Chicago’, ‘Washington’, 123, 456) returns
the character string “ChicagoWashington123456”.
Returns the rank order of the value of a specified arithmetic expression in a
cell range in ascending order when the order option is 0, and in descending
RANK(arithmetic
1) order when the order option is 1. Here, if the same value occurs more
expression, cell range ,
than once in the cell range, these values are given the same rank order and
order option)
the subsequent rank order is set as this rank order plus the number of cells
in the same rank order.
Returns a uniform random number (real value) that is greater than or equal
RANDOM( )
to 0 and less than 1.
Table lookup: Counts each row and column from the top left position of a
TLOOKUP(cell range,
specified cell range as 1, 2, ..., and returns the value of a cell at the location
row position, column
specified using a row position and a column position.
position)
Example: TLOOKUP(A3:H11, 2, 5) returns the value of cell E4.

– 56 –
 Vertical lookup: Scans the leftmost column of a specified cell range
vertically from top to bottom, and searches for the first row with a cell that
meets the search option. For the row found, counts each column from the
leftmost column of the cell range as 1, 2, ..., and returns the value of the
cell in the column specified by the column position.
VLOOKUP • When the search option is 0: searches for values that matches the
(expression, cell range, expression value.
column position, search • When the search option is 1: searches for the maximum value that is less
option) than or equal to the expression value. Here, the leftmost column must
be sorted in ascending order from top to bottom in advance.
Example: VLOOKUP(15, A2:E10, 5, 0) searches the leftmost column in
the cell range from cell A2 to A10. Under this condition, if the
value 15 is first found in cell A6, the value in cell E6 is returned,
which is located at the 5th column E in the same row as cell A6.
Horizontal lookup: Scans the top row of a cell range horizontally from
left to right, and searches for the first column with a cell that meets the
search option. For the column found, counts each row from the top row of
the cell range as 1, 2, ..., and returns the value of the cell in the row
specified by the row position.
• When the search option is 0: searches for values that matches the
HLOOKUP
expression value.
(expression, cell range,
• When the search option is 1: searches for the maximum value that is less
row position, search
than or equal to the expression value. Here, the top row must be sorted
option)
in ascending order from left to right in advance.
Example: HLOOKUP(15, A2:G6, 5, 1) searches the top row in the cell
range from cell A2 to G2. Under this condition, if the
maximum value less than or equal to 15 is first found in cell D2,
the value in cell D6 is returned, which is located at the 5th row 6
in the same column as cell D2.
1)
Notes: Values other than numeric values contained in the cell range that is passed as an argument
are not processed.
2)
One or more expressions can be passed as a list of arguments.

– 57 –