MERU UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

P.O. Box 972-60200 – Meru-Kenya.

Tel: +254(0) 799 529 958, +254(0) 799 529 959, +254 (0)712 524 293
Website: www.must.ac.ke Email: [email protected]

UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS 2021/2022

SECOND YEAR, FIRST SEMESTER EXAMINATION FOR DEGREE OF BACHELOR

OF SCIENCE IN COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN
COMPUTER SCIENCE, BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN DATA SCIENCE, BACHELOR
OF SCIENCE IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, BACHELOR OF EDUCATION
SCIENCE, BACHELOR OF EDUCATION ARTS AND BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN
COMPUTER SECURITY AND FORENSICS
AND
FOURTH YEAR, FIRST SEMESTER EXAMINATION FOR DEGREE OF BACHELOR
OF SCIENCE IN MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE

CCS 3201: SOFTWARE ENGINEERING

DATE: OCTOBER 2022 TIME: 2 HOURS

INSTRUCTIONS: Answer Question ONE and any other TWO questions.

QUESTION ONE (30 MARKS)

a) How would you define the terms software and software process? (4 Marks)
b) Why “engineering” in the term software engineering? (2 Marks)
c) In your view, what is the single most important goal of software engineering? (2 Marks)
d) Distinguish between the following. (2 Marks)
i. Prescriptive and Agile process models
ii. Upper-CASE and Lower-CASE tools
e) State and explain the five key components/stages of the generic software process
framework. (5 Marks)
f) Briefly distinguish between algebraic and model-based formal specification techniques.
(4 Marks)
g) How would you describe equivalence partitioning, a popular black-box testing strategy.
(4 Marks)

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h) Present an argument against Gantt-charts as a project scheduling tool. (4 Marks)
i) Maria is the project manager for a software project charged with developing and delivering
a word processing application for a key client. The client wishes to start using the products
for basic word processing tasks within two months. However, Maria estimates the fully-
fledged application will take at least six months to complete. As an IT strategy consultant,
what would your advice Maria to adopt in terms of process model or process in order to
satisfy the client? Why? Assume she has no immediate staffing limitations. (3 Marks)

QUESTION TWO (20 MARKS)

a) “The seeds of major software disasters are usually sown in the first three months of
commencing the software project” – Capers Jones. What do you think Jones was referring
to in this statement? (2 Marks)
b) List and briefly discuss the five main tasks carried out in a typical requirements
engineering exercise. (10 Marks)
c) Problem Statement on a Pool Centre Management System: the players of the Pool Centre
can be either members or non-members of the Pool Centre. The details of members such
as name, address and phone number are already stored in database and they are provided
with identification number. Non-members have to provide their name and address before
starting playing. The players may request a catalogue showing table numbers and the
availability of tables in terms of hours. Players can select tables and should specify the
hours they want to play. The player is intimated once the time is over. They have the
option to either extend the game if there are no waiting members or stop the game. The
registration system sends information to the billing system so that the buyer can pay the
bill. If all the play boards are occupied incoming players are kept in the waiting list.
Players can book the table or cancel the table in advance. The main functions of the
system could be envisioned as:
• Maintaining current players information
• Waiting list of the players who would like to lay next
• Membership provision – becoming a member at the centre
• Booking provision at the centre
• Billing system to deliver the charges for the facilities availed at the centre
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Required:
Provide a first-cut analysis model of the above existing system using a Level 1 DFD.
(8 Marks)

QUESTION THREE (20 MARKS)

a) The first phase of architectural design involves system structuring. Outline two main
structure models, while giving some of their respective pros and cons. (6 Marks)
b) Component-level design is an important stage in software design
i. State and briefly discuss any two class-based component design principles, detailing
any heuristics that have been suggested as aids to achieve them. (4 Marks)
ii. State and briefly explain FOUR types of cohesion that a software designer may
come across in the component-level design exercise? (4 Marks)
c) Interface design is one of the core framework activities involved in user interface design.
Outline the FOUR steps involved in this activity. (4 Marks)
d) Juma has been commissioned as a software engineer to recommend an architectural design
for an upcoming software product. He knows that the subsystems will need to be loosely
coupled and that data interchange between the subsystems will be rare and therefore a non-
issue. What structural model would you recommend and why? (2 Marks)

QUESTION FOUR (20 MARKS)

a) Distinguish between
i. Verification and Validation (2 Marks)
ii. Smoke testing and regression testing (2 Marks)
iii. Alpha testing and beta testing (2 Marks)
b) List and describe the steps involved in a conventional software testing strategy?
(4 Marks)
c) Give at least two examples in which black-box testing might give the impression that
“everything is OK” while while box tests might uncover an error. Give at least two
examples in which white-box testing might give the impression that “everything is OK”
while black-box tests might uncover an error. (4 Marks)

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d) Situation:
A program reads three integer values. The three values interpreted as representing the
lengths of the sides of a triangle. The program prints a message that states whether the
triangle is scalene, isosceles or equilateral.
Required:
Develop a set of test cases that you feel will adequately test this program. (6 Marks)
[Note: For full credit, please specify the class and type of each test case.]

QUESTION FIVE (20 MARKS)

a) LOC (Lines of Code) is a popular software metric:

i. What two arguments do its proponents propose in its support? (2 Marks)
ii. What two criticisms are levelled against LOC? (2 Marks)
b) State and briefly explain any two object oriented metrics. (2 Marks)
c) Outline an approach used for estimation for object oriented projects. (3 Marks)
d) Use the COCOMO II model to estimate the effort required to build software for a simple
ATM that produces 12 screens, 10 reports and will require approximately 80 software
components. Assume average complexity and average developer/environment maturity.
Use the application composition model with object points. (4 Marks)
e) In project scheduling, the project manager has to be aware of the tasks/activities that lie in
the critical path of the task/activity network. What do we mean by critical path? Can you
identify and explain 2 tasks in your current 4th year IS project that may lie in the critical
path? (3 Marks)
f) What are the four elements that exist when an effective SCM system is implemented?
Discuss each briefly. (4 Marks)

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