DBMS Final Exam (1) 147-166
DBMS Final Exam (1) 147-166
85) The ORDER BY clause sorts the final results rows in ascending or descending order.
Answer: TRUE
LO: 6.3: Define a database using the SQL data definition language.
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
86) A single value returned from an SQL query that includes an aggregate function is called a
vector aggregate.
Answer: FALSE
LO: 6.3: Define a database using the SQL data definition language.
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
87) When a GROUP BY clause is included in an SQL statement, only those columns with a
single value for each group can be included.
Answer: TRUE
LO: 6.3: Define a database using the SQL data definition language.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
88) The HAVING clause and the WHERE clause perform the same operation.
Answer: FALSE
LO: 6.3: Define a database using the SQL data definition language.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
89) The following query totals sales for each salesperson.
90) The following query totals sales in state= 'MA' for each salesperson.
91) The ORDER BY clause is the first statement processed in an SQL command.
Answer: FALSE
LO: 6.3: Define a database using the SQL data definition language.
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
92) The WHERE clause is always processed before the GROUP BY clause when both occur in a
SELECT statement.
Answer: FALSE
LO: 6.3: Define a database using the SQL data definition language.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
93) The FROM clause is the first statement processed in an SQL command.
Answer: TRUE
LO: 6.3: Define a database using the SQL data definition language.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
94) When creating a table, it is not important to consider foreign key—primary key mates.
Answer: FALSE
LO: 6.5: Establish referential integrity using SQL.
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
95) A referential integrity constraint specifies that the existence of an attribute in one table
depends upon the existence of a foreign key in the same or another table.
Answer: FALSE
LO: 6.5: Establish referential integrity using SQL.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
96) Explain the three classes of SQL commands and when they would be used.
Answer: There are three classes or types of SQL commands. Data definition language
commands are used to create tables, alter and drop tables, views and indexes. These commands
are used to build the structure of the database as well as some additional objects. The next type is
Data Manipulation Language commands, which are used to maintain and query a database.
Commands in this class include select, update, delete and insert. The last type is the data control
language commands, which are used to grant and revoke privileges on tables and other objects in
the database.
LO: 6.1: Define key terms.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
99) What were the original purposes of SQL, and does SQL as we know it today live up to those
standards?
Answer: The following were the original purposes of SQL:
1. To specify the syntax and semantics of SQL data definition and manipulation languages
2. To define the data structures and basic operations for designing, accessing, maintaining,
controlling, and protecting an SQL database
3. To provide a vehicle for portability of database definition and application modules between
conforming DBMSs
4. To specify both minimal (Level 1) and complete (Level 2) standards, which permit different
degrees of adoption in products
5. To provide an initial standard, although incomplete, that will be enhanced later to include
specifications for handling such topics as referential integrity, transaction management, user-
defined functions, join operators beyond the equi-join, and national character sets
While SQL as we know it today does have some variants, there is a basic standard which is
adhered to. As mentioned in the text, it seems that industry lags behind the standards somewhat.
Each vendor has its own set of proprietary features which differ from the standard.
LO: 6.2: Interpret the history and role of SQL in database development.
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Synthesis
AACSB: Information Technology
101) What three clauses are contained in most SQL retrieval statements?
Answer: The SELECT clause, which lists the columns and calculated expression from base
tables. The FROM clause, which identifies tables and views which we want to gather data from
in the query. Finally, the WHERE clause, which is used to specify conditions for selection of
rows in the result set.
LO: 6.4: Write single-table queries using SQL commands.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
102) What are some of the standard SQL functions that can be used in the SELECT clause?
Answer: The standard functions can be broken down into 4 categories: Mathematical, String,
Date and Analytical. Mathematical functions include: Min, Max, Count, Sum, Round, Trunc and
Mod. String functions include lower, upper, initcap, concat, substr and coalesce. Date functions
are used for converting dates and calculating dates and include next_day, add_months and
months_between. Top (to find the top n values) is one of the analytical functions.
LO: 6.4: Write single-table queries using SQL commands.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
this would not work. However, with a GROUP BY and HAVING written as follows we would
get back all customers whose total purchases were greater than $100
105) What are some of the advantages and disadvantages to an SQL standard?
Answer: Some of the advantages are: reduced training costs, increased productivity, application
portability, application longevity, reduced dependence on a single vendor and cross-system
communication. Some disadvantages include: stifling creativity, difficulty in changing standard,
and loss of application portability when adding additional proprietary features.
LO: 6.6: Discuss the SQL:1999 and SQL:2011 standards.
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Synthesis
AACSB: Information Technology
Modern Database Management, 12e (Hoffer)
Chapter 5 Physical Database Design and Performance
3) Designing physical files requires ________ of where and when data are used in various ways.
A) maps
B) descriptions
C) keys
D) hints
Answer: B
LO: 5.2: Describe the physical database design process, its objectives, and its deliverables.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
5) A detailed coding scheme recognized by system software for representing organizational data
is called a(n):
A) DBMS code.
B) data type.
C) SQL.
D) DB layout.
Answer: B
LO: 5.2: Describe the physical database design process, its objectives, and its deliverables.
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
6) All of the following are objectives when selecting a data type EXCEPT:
A) represent all possible values.
B) improve data integrity.
C) support all data manipulations.
D) use a lot of storage space.
Answer: D
LO: 5.2: Describe the physical database design process, its objectives, and its deliverables.
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
14) The value a field will assume unless the user enters an explicit value for an instance of that
field is called a:
A) default value.
B) null value.
C) range control.
D) gurand.
Answer: A
LO: 5.2: Describe the physical database design process, its objectives, and its deliverables.
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
18) Within Oracle, the named set of storage elements in which physical files for database tables
may be stored is called a(n):
A) extent.
B) table.
C) tablespace.
D) partition.
Answer: C
LO: 5.3: Choose storage formats for attributes from a logical data model.
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
19) While Oracle has responsibility for managing data inside a tablespace, the tablespace as a
whole is managed by the:
A) user.
B) CEO.
C) XML.
D) operating system.
Answer: D
LO: 5.3: Choose storage formats for attributes from a logical data model.
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
21) A method to allow adjacent secondary memory space to contain rows from several tables is
called:
A) cluttering.
B) clustering.
C) concatenating.
D) compiling.
Answer: B
LO: 5.3: Choose storage formats for attributes from a logical data model.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
22) A(n) ________ is a field of data used to locate a related field or record.
A) key
B) index
C) lock
D) pointer
Answer: D
LO: 5.4: Select an appropriate file organization by balancing various important design factors.
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
23) A(n) ________ is a technique for physically arranging the records of a file on secondary
storage devices.
A) physical pointer
B) retrieval program
C) file organization
D) update program
Answer: C
LO: 5.4: Select an appropriate file organization by balancing various important design factors.
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
27) One field or combination of fields for which more than one record may have the same
combination of values is called a(n):
A) secondary key.
B) index.
C) composite key.
D) linked key.
Answer: A
LO: 5.4: Select an appropriate file organization by balancing various important design factors.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
30) A file organization where files are not stored in any particular order is considered a:
A) hashed file organization.
B) hash key.
C) multi- indexed file organization.
D) heap file organization.
Answer: D
LO: 5.5: Describe three important types of file organization.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
31) An index on columns from two or more tables that come from the same domain of values is
called a:
A) bitmap index.
B) multivalued index.
C) join index.
D) transaction index.
Answer: C
LO: 5.6: Describe the purpose of indexes and the important considerations in selecting attributes
to be indexed.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
32) A(n) ________ is a routine that converts a primary key value into a relative record number.
A) record index calculator
B) index pointer program
C) hashing algorithm
D) pointing algorithm
Answer: C
LO: 5.6: Describe the purpose of indexes and the important considerations in selecting attributes
to be indexed.
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
33) A method that speeds query processing by running a query at the same time against several
partitions of a table using multiprocessors is called:
A) multiple partition queries.
B) perpendicular query processing.
C) parallel query processing.
D) query optimization.
Answer: C
LO: 5.6: Describe the purpose of indexes and the important considerations in selecting attributes
to be indexed.
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
34) A command used in Oracle to display how the query optimizer intends to access indexes, use
parallel servers and join tables to prepare query results is the:
A) explain plan.
B) show optimization.
C) explain query.
D) analyze query.
Answer: A
LO: 5.6: Describe the purpose of indexes and the important considerations in selecting attributes
to be indexed.
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
41) All of the following are horizontal partitioning methods in Oracle EXCEPT:
A) key range partitioning.
B) hash partitioning.
C) multivalued partitioning.
D) composite partitioning.
Answer: C
LO: 5.7: Translate a relational data model into efficient database structures, including knowing
when and how to denormalize the logical data model.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
42) ________ partitioning distributes the columns of a table into several separate physical
records.
A) Horizontal
B) Crossways
C) Vertical
D) Final
Answer: C
LO: 5.7: Translate a relational data model into efficient database structures, including knowing
when and how to denormalize the logical data model.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
43) A form of denormalization where the same data are purposely stored in multiple places in the
database is called:
A) data duplication.
B) data replication.
C) advanced placement.
D) horizontal partitioning.
Answer: B
LO: 5.7: Translate a relational data model into efficient database structures, including knowing
when and how to denormalize the logical data model.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
44) Requirements for response time, data security, backup and recovery are all requirements for
physical design.
Answer: TRUE
LO: 5.2: Describe the physical database design process, its objectives, and its deliverables.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
46) The logical database design always forms the best foundation for grouping attributes in the
physical design.
Answer: FALSE
LO: 5.2: Describe the physical database design process, its objectives, and its deliverables.
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
47) Efficient database structures will be beneficial only if queries and the underlying database
management system are tuned to properly use the structures.
Answer: TRUE
LO: 5.2: Describe the physical database design process, its objectives, and its deliverables.
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
48) SOX stands for the Sorbet-Oxford Act.
Answer: FALSE
LO: 5.2: Describe the physical database design process, its objectives, and its deliverables.
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
49) Adding notations to the EER diagram regarding data volumes and usage is of no value to the
physical design process.
Answer: FALSE
LO: 5.2: Describe the physical database design process, its objectives, and its deliverables.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
53) VarChar2 would be appropriate for a user that wanted a text datatype for LastName that
would only consume the required space.
Answer: TRUE
LO: 5.2: Describe the physical database design process, its objectives, and its deliverables.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Application
AACSB: Information Technology
54) A default value is the value that a field will always assume, regardless of what the user enters
for an instance of that field.
Answer: FALSE
LO: 5.2: Describe the physical database design process, its objectives, and its deliverables.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
55) A range control limits the set of permissible values that a field may assume.
Answer: TRUE
LO: 5.2: Describe the physical database design process, its objectives, and its deliverables.
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
56) Sensitivity testing involves ignoring missing data unless knowing a value might significantly
change results.
Answer: TRUE
LO: 5.2: Describe the physical database design process, its objectives, and its deliverables.
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
58) An extent is a named portion of secondary memory allocated for the purpose of storing
physical records.
Answer: FALSE
LO: 5.3: Choose storage formats for attributes from a logical data model.
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology
59) A tablespace is a named set of disk storage elements in which physical files for the database
tables may be stored.
Answer: TRUE
LO: 5.3: Choose storage formats for attributes from a logical data model.
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Concept
AACSB: Information Technology