ta Organization and Data Control

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following is not a kind of error C. Scanner with OCR

source caused by manual input? D. Bar code reader D

A. Data source error

5. Arrange the following storage media in
B. Transposition error
descending order of their data accessing speeds.
C. Truncation error
(1) Magnetic tape
D. Transcription error C
(2) CompactFlash card
2. Arrange the following levels of data hierarchy (3) DVD-R
in descending order. (4) Floppy disk
(1) Field A. (1) > (2) > (3) > (4)
(2) Database B. (2) > (1) > (3) > (4)
(3) Table C. (2) > (3) > (4) > (1)
(4) Record D. (3) > (2) > (4) > (1) C

A. (1) ➔ (2) ➔ (3) ➔ (4)

B. (2) ➔ (3) ➔ (4) ➔ (1)
C. (3) ➔ (1) ➔ (4) ➔ (2)
D. (4) ➔ (2) ➔ (1) ➔ (3)
3. Which of the following can be taken as the key
field of the ‘Customer’ database table of a video
rental shop?
A. Customer’s name
B. Customer’s date of birth
C. Customer’s ID number
D. Customer’s phone number
4. Which of the following devices is the most
reliable for data entry?
A. Keyboard
B. Joystick
6. Which of the following errors about inputting
an HKID card number cannot be identified by
using check digit?
B
A. A digit is missing.
B. Person A types an HKID card number for
person B.
C. ‘7’ is typed mistakenly as ‘1’.
D. The order of two adjacent numbers is
reversed. B
7. Which of the following statements about parity
C check is incorrect?
A. Parity check cannot identify all kinds of
data error.
B. The use of a parity bit lowers the efficiency
of system operation.

6
 2 Data Organization and Data Control

C. A parity bit can be any number from 0 to 9. A. 4

D. Even parity check has the same efficiency B. 1
as odd parity check. C. 2
C
D. 8 A

8. Which of the following statements about parity 11. Which of the following cannot be a field name
check is correct? of a database table?
(1) The numbers of ‘1’ bits of all data A. Length
sequences are the same if they are being
transmitted correctly. B. Height

(2) Parity check can only be used to verify C. Boolean

binary data. D. File C

(3) Parity check can be used in data

transmission between computers. 12. Which of the following operations may change
the data in a database table permanently?
A. (1) only
(1) Calculate and display the average mark
B. (2) only of Class 1A.
C. (1) and (2) only (2) Delete outdated records from a database
D. (2) and (3) only D
table.
(3) Sort the records according to students’
9. Which of the following methods can help dates of birth.
reduce the chance of errors?
A. (1) and (2) only
(1) Inputting data twice
B. (1) and (3) only
(2) Data validation
C. (2) and (3) only
(3) Double data entry
D. (1), (2) and (3) C
A. (1) and (2) only
B. (1) and (3) only
C. (2) and (3) only
D. (1), (2) and (3) D

10. In the following database table, how many

fields are there in one record?

ID Year Subject Mark

K123456(0) 2004 Chinese 90
D345678(2) 2004 English 93

7
 ormation Processing

Short Questions

1. The following table shows a data sheet of new customers. The data is about to be inputted into a computer
database table.

Name Sex HKID Date_of_birth Contact_no

Chan Tai Man Mole A341793(9) 12/06/1983 9054193
Lam Chi Wai Male Z893172(X) 29/02/1987 61245974
Lee Yi Wah Female C765890(6) 11/09/1992 31246319
Yung Siu Fan Female B897421(9) 30/12/1990 26972365

(a) In the above table, find out one error that can be checked by each of the following methods.

(i) Fixed value check (1 mark)

Chan Tai Man’s sex is wrongly inputted as ‘Mole’. (1)

(ii) Range check (1 mark)

Lam Chi Wai’s date of birth is invalid since there are no 29 days in February in 1987. (1)

(b) Find out all other errors and state the validation techniques needed to locate them. (4 marks)
• The last digit of Lam Chi Wai’s HKID is invalid. (1) Validation technique: check digit (1)

• Chan Tai Man’s contact number contains only seven digits. (1) Validation technique: field length check (1)

2. (a) State the difference between data verification and data validation. (4 marks)
Data verification is a control used to check whether the inputted data matches that in the source document (2) while data validation is the

process of comparing data with a set of rules or values to make sure that the data is reasonable and valid (2).

(b) Name two data verification techniques and two data validation techniques. (4 marks)
Data verification techniques:

• Input the same set of data by two persons. (1)

• Input the same set of data twice by the same person. (1)

Data validation techniques:

Field presence check / field length check / range check / fixed value check / format check / type check / check digit (any two × 1)

8
 2 Data Organization and Data Control

3. (a) Describe how data is retrieved in sequential access mode and direct access mode. (2 marks)
In sequential access mode, data records are stored one by one and accessed in an ordered sequence. (1) In direct access mode, it is no

need to access data in an ordered sequence. (1)

(b) Complete the following table by comparing external USB hard disks with magnetic tapes. (3 marks)

Feature External USB hard disk Magnetic tape

Mode of access Direct access (0.5) Sequential access
Seek time Short and predictable (0.5) Long in average and unpredictable (0.5)

Reliability High (0.5) Average (0.5)

Application Secondary storage for data files Data backup (0.5)

(c) A company in Hong Kong wants to back up 10 GB of data from its file server every two weeks. The
backed-up copies will be sent to the London headquarter by ship. Which storage media, external USB
hard disks or magnetic tapes, should be used? Give two reasons to support your choice. (3 marks)
Magnetic tapes. (1) It is because the cost of magnetic tapes is lower than that of hard disks. (1) Besides, magnetic tapes are not brittle, so

they are suitable to be conveyed by ship. (1)

4. (a) What is the use of even parity check? (1 mark)

Even parity check uses an even parity bit to validate data after transmission from one media to another. (1)

(b) Is there any difference between even parity check and odd parity check? (1 mark)
No (1)

(c) Add one even parity bit to each of the following data. (2 marks)
00111010 10001100 11111110 11010010
001110100 (0.5) 100011001 (0.5) 111111101 (0.5) 110100100 (0.5)

(d) Suggest one situation that parity check cannot detect the occurrence of errors. (2 marks)
When an even number of bits are interchanged, parity check will be unable to detect the occurrence of the errors. (2)

5. (a) Give two unique features of a database management system that cannot be found in other application
software. (2 marks)
Query form / report / data entry form (any two × 1)

9
 ormation Processing

(b) Briefly describe how database management systems are involved in daily life.

(i) Checking webmail (2 marks)

The mail server accepts and checks the login information of the user with the records in its database. (1) It then retrieves mails from

the database and downloads them to the authenticated user. (1)

(ii) Paying by EPS (2 marks)

The EPS card holder is requested to input the password to verify his or her identity with the login database in the bank server. (1) The

bank server then updates the user’s bank account in the account database. (1)

Long Questions

1. Ms Wong is an English teacher. She has marked the final examination papers of all the Secondary 3 students
and written the examination marks onto a marking sheet as shown below.

English Exam Paper 1

Class: 3A Class number: 1

Mark: 80 Marking Sheet of English Exam Paper 1

English Exam Paper 1 Class: 3A

Class: 3A Class number: 2 Class number Exam mark

66
1 80
Mark: 2 6

English Exam Paper 1 3 85

Class: 3A Class number: 3 ... ...

Mark: 85
(a) (i) State what source of error has Ms Wong made in producing the marking sheet? Suggest how the
mistake can be corrected. (3 marks)
Transcription error. (1) She should correct the second examination mark from 6 to 66. (2)

(ii) Suggest one method for data verification which can be used to spot the mistake mentioned above.
(1 mark)
Inputting data twice (1)

10
 2 Data Organization and Data Control

(b) Ms Wong does not know she has made the mistake in the marking sheet. She is then required to enter
the data into a database system herself for printing the examination reports. The mistake therefore
continues.
Can the data verification method answered in part (a)(ii) be used to avoid the mistake to continue?
Explain your answer briefly. (2 marks)
No. (1) It is because the concerned mark is already wrong. (1)

(c) Which student(s) will be affected by the mistake? Explain your answer briefly. (3 marks)
All the Secondary 3 students (Remark: ‘All Class 3A students’ is also accepted.) (2)

This is because the form position (or class position) of all the Secondary 3 (Class 3A) students will be affected by this piece of incorrect data.

(1)

(d) The school principal is unhappy after finding such careless mistake made by Ms Wong. He then asks
the IT teacher to modify the database system to avoid this kind of mistake in the future. In responding
to the principal’s request, the IT teacher produces a query form to list out all the records which are
required for double check. Describe, in plain English, the condition which should be set in the query
form. (1 mark)
You can start by writing:
Filter out the records with the examination marks less than the passing mark (1) (or any reasonable answer) .

2. (a) New ISBNs consist of 13 digits instead of 10, for example, 978-988-00-5252-1.
The last digit (known as the check digit) is calculated in the following steps:
1. For the first 12 digits, start counting from the left, multiply odd-positioned digits by 1 and even-
positioned digits by 3, where 1 and 3 are the weights for the ISBN digits.
2. Sum up the products calculated in step 1.
3. Divide the sum by 10.
4. The check digit will be the value obtained from subtracting the remainder in step 3 from 10.

(i) Complete the following table and evaluate whether the ISBN 978-988-00-5252-1 is valid.
(3 marks)

ISBN digit 9 7 8 9 8 8 0 0 5 2 5 2

Weight 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 3 (0.5)

ISBN × Weight 9 21 8 27 8 24 0 0 5 6 5 6 (0.5)

11
 ormation Processing

The sum = 119 (0.5)

The remainder of 119 ÷ 10 is 9 . (0.5)

The check digit = 10 – 9 = 1 (0.5)

Conclusion: The ISBN is valid (0.5) .

(ii) Evaluate the missing check digit X of ISBN 978-988-97-1223-X. (2 marks)

The sum = 145 (1)

The remainder of 145 ÷ 10 is 5 . (0.5)

The check digit = 10 – 5 = 5 (0.5)

(b) Given that ISBN 978-988-00-5252-1 is incorrectly recorded as ISBN 978-988-00-5294-1.

Can the check digit be used to identify the error? Explain your answer briefly. (3 marks)
No. (1) It is because the sum of the wrong ISBN is 129, which produces a remainder 9 after being divided by 10. Hence, the check digit

evaluated will be 1. This shows that the check digit is unable to identify this error. (2)

(c) When an ISBN contains exactly one error, can the check digit always identify the occurrence of it?
Explain your answer briefly. (4 marks)
Case 1: the error takes place in the first 12 digits of an ISBN

The resultant sum of products can never have an increment (for the wrong digit being larger than the correct one) or decrement (for the

wrong digit being smaller than the correct one) which is a multiple of 10. Therefore, the evaluated check digit must not be the same as the

stated check digit. In order words, the occurrence of the error can be identified in this case. (1.5)

Case 2: the error takes place at the check digit of an ISBN

If the only error in the ISBN takes place at the check digit, this means that the first 12 digits are all correct. Then, the evaluated check digit

can never be the incorrect one. In order words, the occurrence of the error can be identified in this case. (1.5)

In conclusion, combining the two cases, a check digit can always identify the occurrence of exactly one error in an ISBN. (1)

12