SOEN 6481 Software Systems Requirements Specification
Winter 2015/16
Midterm Exam I Example Questions
Name: Total Points:
ID: /
Instructions. This example SOEN 6481 Midterm contains questions from previous years that
you can use to test your preparation. Note that the midterm is a closed book exam. The
real exam will contain about 4-5 larger questions that you will need to solve in about 1015mins
each, plus some multiple-choice questions. Also, note that the actual midterm will not necessarily
cover the same questions as the ones here (or even the same type of questions)!
This is a closed book, 60 min. exam
Do not detach any pages from this exam!
Check if your booklet has all 9 pages
The only allowed tool is an ENCS-approved calculator
Provide all answers in this booklet
You will get marks for brief and precise answers. You will not get marks for long
essays or for information that is correct but does not answer the question.
If you leave the room, you must submit your exam and cannot return until the end
of the exam period
At the end of the exam, remain seated until all exams have been collected!
SOEN 6481 Page 2 of 9 Midterm Exam I Example
(2pts ) 1. Name five defects that can appear in a requirements document and provide a one-sentence
definition for each.
2 pts
1. Name:
Definition:
2. Name:
Definition:
3. Name:
Definition:
4. Name:
Definition:
5. Name:
Definition:
(1pt ) 2. When doing an interview with a stakeholder (e.g., user), the following is NOT recom-
mended: (Check only one answer)
1 pt
Preparing for the interview (e.g., review of domain documents)
Using an interview template
Asking the users directly about their needs
Starting by presenting a solution to the stakeholders problems
Asking context-free questions
(1pt ) 3. To be complete, a decision table with N input conditions must have: (Check only one
answer)
1 pt
N columns
2 N columns
N 2 columns
N
2 columns
2N columns
SOEN 6481 Page 3 of 9 Midterm Exam I Example
(3pts ) 4. Consider the following interaction matrix:
3 pts
Statement S1 S2 S3 S4 Total
S1 0 1000 1 1
S2 1000 0 0 1
S3 1 0 0 1
S4 1 1 1 0
Total
Here, Sij =
1: conflict
0: no overlap
1000: no conflict
(a) (1 pt) Compute the values for the total row and column and insert them in the table
above.
(b) (1 pt) Use the formula discussed in the
lecture to compute the total number of conflicts:
(c) (1 pt) Use the formula discussed in the lecture to
compute the total number of non-conflicting overlaps:
SOEN 6481 Page 4 of 9 Midterm Exam I Example
(7pts ) 5. Consider the following Defect Detection Prevention (DDP) risk-consequence table for a
library loan management system:
7 pts
Risks
Objectives Late returns Stolen copies Lost copies Long loan by staff Loss of
(likelihood: 0.6) (likelihood: 0.3) (likelihood: 0.1) (likelihood: 0.5) objective
Regular availability
of book copies 0.40 0.60 0.60 0.20
(weight: 0.4)
Comprehensive
coverage of library 0 0.20 0.20 0
(weight: 0.3)
Staff load
reduced 0.30 0.50 0.40 0.10
(weight: 0.2)
Operational costs
decreased 0.10 0.30 0.30 0.10
(weight: 0.1)
Risk criticality
With X
Criticality(r) = Likelihood(r) (Impact(r, obj) Weight(obj))
obj
and X
Loss(obj) = Weight(obj) (Impact(r, obj) Likelihood(r))
r
(a) (1 pt) What is the meaning of a single table entry, i.e., of each pair (obj, r)?
(estimated) loss of satisfaction of objective obj if risk r occurs
relative cost to recover objective obj if risk r occurs
this is the risk-reduction leverage (RRL)
the (estimated) reduction of risk r under objective obj
None of these options
(b) (2 pts) Compute the values for Loss of objective and enter them in the last column of
the table.
(c) (2 pts) Compute the values for Risk criticality and enter them in the last row of the
table.
(d) (1 pt) Which objective is most at risk?
Regular availability of book copies
Comprehensive coverage of library
Staff load reduced
Operational costs decreased
None of these options
(e) (1 pt) What is the highest risk overall?
SOEN 6481 Page 5 of 9 Midterm Exam I Example
(8pts ) 6. You are the requirements engineer in an information system project for a video rental store.
Simplifying assumptions and details:
8 pts
It is a stand-alone store, not part of a larger organization.
Rents only videos, not computer games or other items.
A video can be in any medium: tape, DVD, and so on.
The rental charge may vary by medium. For example, DVD rentals are more expensive
than tapes.
The store does not sell anything. For example, there are no sales of videos or food.
All transactions are rentals.
The input medium by which membership and video rentals are captured is not im-
portant.
Cash-only payments.
On completion of a rental, the customer receives a transaction report with typical
information on it (use your judgement).
Each renter has a separate membership.
(a) (1 pt) Identify 4 actors and give a brief description (35 words) for each
Actor 1: Name:
Description:
Actor 2: Name:
Description:
Actor 3: Name:
Description:
Actor 4: Name:
Description:
Continued on next page!
SOEN 6481 Page 6 of 9 Midterm Exam I Example
(b) (2 pts) Identify four primary (user-goal level) use cases and related actors (identified by
A1, A2 etc.):
UC1 Name: Actors:
UC2 Name: Actors:
UC3 Name: Actors:
UC4 Name: Actors:
(c) (1 pt) Draw the UML use case context diagram for your actors and use cases:
Continued on next page!
SOEN 6481 Page 7 of 9 Midterm Exam I Example
(d) (3 pts) Write the use case (steps only, no additional details like pre- and postconditions)
for Rent Video in essential style, for the main success scenario (basic flow):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11. . . .
(e) (1 pt) Write two extensions (alternative scenarios) for the Rent Video use case. Pro-
vide the step number in the main success scenario and a brief description.
:
SOEN 6481 Page 8 of 9 Midterm Exam I Example
(6pts ) 7. Consider the following requirements statements for a library:
6 pts
1. A book can have a printed or electronic edition (or both).
2. If a book has a printed edition, then we need bookshelves.
3. If a book has an electronic edition, then it is never unavailable.
4. A book is unavailable.
(a) (1 pt) Translate these requirements into propositional logic, using the abbreviations:
P: book has printed edition
E: book has electronic edition
B: bookshelves needed
U: book unavailable
1.
2.
3.
4.
(b) (1 pt) Consider the two requirements 1. and 3. together. Are they consistent? Prove
or disprove (Hint: you do not need to create a complete truth table):
(c) (4 pts) Using a proof by resolution, show that the statement
We need bookshelves.
logically follows from the requirements:
SOEN 6481 Page 9 of 9 Midterm Exam I Example
Note: This sheet will also be provided in the actual exam
Truth tables for , , and
p q pq p q pq
p p T T T T T T
T F T F F T F T
F T F T F F T T
F F F F F F
Truth tables for and
p q pq p q pq
T T T T T T
T F F T F F
F T F F T T
F F T F F T
Equivalence Rules
Equivalence Rule Name
p p double negation
p q p q implication
(p q) p q De Morgans laws
(p q) p q
pq qp commutativity
pq qp
p (q r) (p q) (p r) distributivity
p (q r) (p q) (p r)
p (q r) (p q) r associativity
p (q r) (p q) r
Inference Rules
Inference Rule Name
)
p
pq conjunction
q
)
p
q modus ponens
pq
)
q
p modus tollens
pq
)
pq
pr chaining
qr
)
pq
qr resolution
p r
pq p simplification
ppq addition
