Ics 2302: Software Engineering Question Paper
Ics 2302: Software Engineering
Course:Software Engineering
Institution: Meru University Of Science And Technology question papers
Exam Year:2012
University Examinations 2012/2013
THIRD YEAR, FIRST SEMESTER EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF
SCIENCE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
ICS 2302: SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
DATE: APRIL 2013 TIME: 2 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer question one and any other two questions
QUESTION ONE – 30 MARKS
a. What is software engineering? Why is it regarded different from other engineering discipline
such as electrical or mechanical engineering? (2 Marks)
b. What is a software process model? (2 Marks)
c. Outline four generic activities that are common in all software processes. (8 Marks)
d. CASE tools are usually used to support both the analysis and design phases of system
development. Differentiate between UPPER case tools and LOWER case tools. (4 Marks)
e. Differentiate between quality factor and quality criterion. (4 Marks)
f. Discuss any two types of software maintenance. (4 Marks)
g. Differentiate between validation and verification. (2 Marks)
h. Debugging and configuration are two concepts that are often used interchangeably by students
in the computing field but which in reality have different meanings. Explain the core difference
between these terms. (4 Marks)
QUESTION TWO – 20 MARKS
a. Identify the five core activities that are performed during configuration management (10 Marks)
b. The independent electoral boundaries commission (IEBC) has asked you to gather system
requirements for an electoral management system. These management activities include
tallying of the final results at the county and national level, visual representation of the results in
different formats and allow querying of the results for the gubernatorial, senatorial and
presidential results.
i. Identify the stakeholders. (2 Marks)
ii. Enumerate three functional specifications for the system. (3 Marks)
iii. Identify two desirable characteristics of the user interface of your choice. Motivate the
reason for your choice. (2 Marks)
c. Discuss the requirements gathering technique that you would choose and motivate your answer.
(2 Marks)
d. What non-functional requirement would you include in the system specification and why.
(1 Mark)
2
QUESTION THREE – 20 MARKS
a. ISO 9126 defines six broad independent categories of software quality characteristics. Discuss
these characteristics. (12 Marks)
b. Briefly discuss the risk management process in software engineering and clearly identify its four
core activities. (8 Marks)
QUESTION FOUR – 20 MARKS
a. Discuss the following software process models. (6 Marks)
i. Exploratory development
ii. Throwaway prototyping
iii. Spiral development
b. Describe the software debugging process identifying its four main steps. (8 Marks)
c. Discuss the V-model of testing with the use of a well illustrated diagram. (6 Marks)
QUESTION FIVE – 20 MARKS
a. What is a process model? (2 Marks)
b. With the use of relevant examples, explain three benefits of CASE tools in software
engineering. (6 Marks)
c. You are required to model the following details in a system that allows a student to register in
Meru University. Use an appropriate modelling tool to capture the following details. (6 Marks)
? The student fills out a registration form and send it to the university
? If the form is incorrect it is sent back to the student with an explanatory note
? If the form is correct the registration form is sent to the library, the relevant department
and the student union
d. Discuss any other two modelling tools and explain why you did not use them in modelling the
above scenario. (6 Marks)
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