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TDDD81 Database Technology

Examination


No examination found in the course database.

Assessment Criteria

ILO Criteria for Grade 3 Criteria for Grade 5
L1
(Design relational databases ...)
  1. Understand the meaning of the elements of both the EER model and the relational data model, including the types of constraints that can be expressed in these models
  2. Create an EER diagram that captures the data requirements (given in a textual form) for a typical database application
  3. Translate an EER diagram into a relational database schema
 Same as for Grade 3
L2
(Analyze and improve the quality of given ...)
  1. Recognize violations of functional dependencies (FDs)
  2. Formally show whether a relation is in Boyce-Codd Normal Form (BCNF), which includes using FDs and attribute closures to derive superkeys and candidate keys
 In addition to the criteria for Grade 3,
  1. Apply the Armstrong rules to derive FDs
  2. Apply the normalization algorithm to decompose a non-BCNF relation into a collection of relations that are in BCNF
L3
(Employ the SQL language to ...)
  1. Apply the data definition features of SQL to create, modify, and remove database objects such as tables, constraints, views, and triggers
  2. Apply the data manipulation features of SQL to insert, update, and delete the content of a database
  3. Apply basic query features of SQL to retrieve data from a database, where such basic features include selecting only specific columns, filtering rows based on conditions that may involve value comparisons and string matching, joining data from different tables using inner joins, and sorting of query results
 In addition to the criteria for Grade 3,
  1. Apply advanced query features of SQL to answer questions based on the data in a database, where such advanced features include outer joins, self joins, (potentially correlated) subqueries, set operations, aggregation, grouping, and filtering of groups
L4
(Explain and apply basic concepts and techniques that DBMSs use internally to provide their main functionalities)
  1. Describe and compare basic types of files that a DBMS may use to persistently store the data of a database, and calculate the cost of finding records in such files (without considering indexes)
  2. Explain and apply concepts that can be used to identify whether problems may occur when multiple users access a database concurrently (keyword: serializability)
  3. Describe the steps of query processing, including their purpose and the ways in which the given query is represented in each step
 In addition to the criteria for Grade 3,
  1. Describe and compare basic types of indexes that a DBMS may use to speed up the retrieval of relevant data, and calculate the cost of finding records when such indexes are present
  2. Explain and apply basic techniques that a DBMS may use to avoid problems that may occur when multiple users access a database concurrently (keywords: locking, 2PL)
  3. Analyze basic algorithms used for query execution in terms of their cost

Structure and organization of the written exam

  • The written exam consists of two parts.
  • The first part contains questions that focus only on the aforementioned criteria for grade 3. Each of the four learning objectives is covered by at least one question in this part of the exam. For all of these questions together, you can achieve a maximum of 20 points.
  • The requirement for grade 3 is that you must achieve at least 15 of these 20 points in the first part of the exam. Hence, the second part of the exam is irrelevant for grade 3 and, thus, students who do not want to achieve grade 4 or 5 can focus only on the first part.
  • The second part contains questions that focus only on the additional criteria for grade 5. Since learning objective L1 does not have any such additional criteria, it is not covered by any question in this part of the exam. Each of the other three learning objectives (L2-L4) is covered by at least one question in this part of the exam. For all questions in this part together, you can achieve a maximum of 10 points.
  • Hence, the total number of points that can be achieved in the exam is 30.
  • The requirement for grade 5 is that you must achieve at least 27 of these 30 points (which implicitly means that you also satisfy the requirement for grade 3).
  • The requirement for grade 4 is that you must both (i) achieve at least 15 of the 20 points in the first part of the exam (i.e., satisfy the requirement for grade 3) and (ii) achieve at least 21 points overall (for both parts together).
  • This grading scheme gives us the option to stop grading an exam after the first part if the number of points achieved in this first part is below the threshold of 15 points that is required for passing the exam. We will use this option to reduce our workload.

Relevant links and material

  • Find the dates for the written exams (TEN1)
  • Download a complete old exam
    - This is the format of how the usual on-campus exams used to look like earlier; I don't yet have any exam that is split into two parts as described above.
    - No need to ask, I don't have example solutions for the questions in this exam
    - Similarly, if you find any other old exams (other than the ones in the points below), I don't have a written-down version of example solutions because, for grading the exams, I don't need the correct solutions in a written form.
  • Another complete old exam: part 1,  part 2,  example solutions and grading remarks (these documents are accessible only to people at LiU)
    While this exam is also split into two parts, this is not the way the exams will be split into two parts from now on. (Instead, that's how the distance-mode exams during the Covid-19 pandemic were split up.)
    Attention: While I am providing solutions here, I strongly suggest you look at these solutions only after you have solved the exam questions yourself.
  • Additionally, here is a collection of exercises (including solutions) from old exams, and we have a frequently-asked-questions (FAQ) document for these old exam exercises.

Rules for examination of computer lab assignments at IDA

You are expected to do lab assignments in group or individually, as instructed for a course. However, examination is always based on individual performance.

It is not allowed to hand in solutions copied from other students, or from elsewhere, even if you make changes to the solutions. If there is suspicion of such, or any other form of cheating, teachers are obliged to report it to the University Disciplinary Board.

Be prepared to answer questions about details in specific code and its connection to theory. You may also be asked to explain why you have chosen a specific solution. This applies to all group members.

If you foresee problems meeting a deadline, contact your teacher. You can then get some help and maybe the deadline can be set to a later date. It is always better to discuss problems, instead of, e.g., to cheat.

Any kind of academic dishonesty, such as cheating (e.g., plagiarism, use of unauthorized assistance, and use of prohibited AI-based assistants) and failure to comply with university examination rules, may result in the filing of a complaint to the University Disciplinary Board. The potential penalties include suspension, warning.

Policy for handing in computer lab assignments at IDA

For all IDA courses having computer lab assignments there will be one deadline during or at the end of the course. If you fail to make the deadline, you must retake the, possibly new, lab course the next time the course is given.

If a course deviates from this policy, information will be given on the course web pages.


Page responsible: Olaf Hartig
Last updated: 2017-01-11