54) The data modeling perspective that derives the business rules for a data model from an
intimate understanding of the nature of the business, rather than from any specific information
requirements in screens, reports, or business forms, is referred to as the:
A) top-down approach.
B) bottom-up approach.
C) overview approach.
D) business approach.
E) conceptual approach.
Classification: Concept
55) Gathering the information you need for data modeling by reviewing specific business
documents handled within the system describes the:
A) bottom-up approach.
B) conceptual approach.
C) top-down approach.
D) investigative approach.
E) business approach.
Classification: Application
56) Reviewing computer screens, reports, and business forms for the purpose of gaining an
understanding of data is indicative of the:
A) investigative approach.
B) business approach.
C) bottom-up approach.
D) top-down approach.
E) conceptual approach.
Classification: Application
11
57) Asking system users and business managers, “What are the subjects of the business?” would
help determine:
A) the data entities and their descriptions.
B) the candidate key.
C) attributes and secondary keys.
D) relationships and their cardinality and degrees.
E) integrity rules, minimum and maximum cardinality, and time dimensions of data.
Classification: Application
58) Asking system users and managers, “Who is responsible for establishing legitimate values
for these data?” helps determine:
A) the candidate key.
B) security controls and understanding who really knows the meaning of data.
C) relationships and their cardinality and degrees.
D) attributes and secondary keys.
E) integrity rules, minimum and maximum cardinality, and time dimensions of data.
Classification: Application
59) On an entity-relationship diagram, a rectangle represents a(n):
A) data flow.
B) entity.
C) multivalued attribute.
D) repeating group.
E) relationship.
Classification: Concept
12
60) A person, place, object, event, or concept in the user environment about which the
organization wishes to maintain data refers to a(n):
A) attribute.
B) data element.
C) relationship.
D) entity.
E) process.
Classification: Concept
61) A product is an example of a(n):
A) data element.
B) attribute.
C) entity.
D) relationship.
E) process.
Classification: Application
62) A renewal is an example of a(n):
A) data element.
B) attribute.
C) entity.
D) relationship.
E) action stub.
Classification: Application
13
63) A collection of entities that share common properties or characteristics best defines:
A) entity type.
B) entity instance.
C) entity occurrence.
D) entity collection.
E) data set.
Classification: Concept
64) A single occurrence of an entity type defines:
A) entity instance.
B) entity appearance.
C) attribute.
D) data element.
E) multivalued attribute.
Classification: Concept
65) A named property or characteristic of an entity that is of interest to the organization defines:
A) attribute.
B) relationship.
C) instance.
D) associative entity.
E) data flow.
Classification: Concept
66) Vehicle identification number, color, weight, and horsepower best exemplify:
A) entities.
B) entity types.
C) data markers.
D) identifiers.
E) attributes.
Classification: Application
14
67) An attribute (or combination of attributes) that uniquely identifies each instance of an entity
type defines:
A) data element occurrence.
B) trigger.
C) candidate key.
D) associative entity.
E) data marker.
Classification: Concept
68) When selecting an identifier, one should:
A) use intelligent keys.
B) use large composite keys instead of single-attribute surrogate keys.
C) choose a candidate key that will not change its value over the life of each instance of the
entity type.
D) choose a candidate key such that for each instance of the entity, the attribute is guaranteed to
have valid values or is null.
E) choose a candidate key that allows for duplicate values.
Classification: Concept
69) A candidate key that has been selected as the unique, identifying characteristic for an entity
type is called a(n):
A) attribute.
B) identifier.
C) secondary key.
D) gerund.
E) index.
Classification: Concept
15
70) On an entity-relationship diagram, the entity’s identifier is:
A) identified by using a double-lined ellipse.
B) underlined on an E-R diagram.
C) bold on an E-R diagram.
D) written in all capital letters on an E-R diagram.
E) placed in italics.
Classification: Concept
71) An attribute that can have more than one value for each entity instance is referred to as:
A) a gerund.
B) a multivalued attribute.
C) a nonexclusive attribute.
D) a data replica.
E) composite attribute
Classification: Concept
72) If each employee can have more than one skill, then skill is referred to as a:
A) gerund.
B) multivalued attribute.
C) nonexclusive attribute.
D) repeating attribute.
E) data replica.
Classification: Application
73) A set of two or more multivalued attributes that are logically related defines:
A) relationship.
B) associative entity.
C) repeating group.
D) class.
E) repeating entity.
Classification: Concept
16
74) An association between the instances of one or more entity types that is of interest to the
organization best defines:
A) occurrence.
B) relationship.
C) natural connection.
D) cardinality.
E) entity link.
Classification: Concept
75) A relationship between the instances of one entity type is a:
A) unary relationship.
B) binary relationship.
C) ternary relationship.
D) singular occurrence.
E) partnership occurrence.
Classification: Concept
76) The number of entity types that participate in a relationship refers to:
A) cardinality.
B) association.
C) count.
D) degree.
E) normalization.
Classification: Concept
77) If STUDENT and COURSE participate in a relationship, this is an example of a(n):
A) unary relationship.
B) coupled relationship.
C) binary relationship.
D) ternary relationship.
E) extraordinary relationship.
Classification: Application
17
78) A ternary relationship occurs when a simultaneous relationship exists among instances of:
A) the same entity.
B) two entity types.
C) three entity types.
D) four entity types.
E) nine entity types.
Classification: Concept
79) A relationship between instances of two entity types is a:
A) unary relationship.
B) binary relationship.
C) ternary relationship.
D) multiple occurrence.
E) partnership occurrence.
Classification: Concept
80) The number of instances of entity B that can (or must) be associated with each instance of
entity A refers to:
A) cardinality.
B) domain.
C) ternary occurrence.
D) participation level.
E) join level.
Classification: Concept
81) The minimum number of instances of entity B that may be associated with each instance of
entity A defines the:
A) degree of the relationship.
B) minimum cardinality of the relationship.
C) maximum cardinality of the relationship.
D) domain of the relationship.
E) join level.
Classification: Concept
18