CHAPTER 1: SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST

AN INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION SYSTEMS

1. A(n) _________________ is a set of interrelated components that collect, manipulate,

and disseminate data and information and provide a feedback mechanism to meet an
objective.

2. Numbers, letters, and other characters are represented by _____________.

a. image data
b. numeric data
c. alphanumeric data
d. symmetric data

3. Knowledge workers are usually professionals in science, engineering, business, and other
areas.
True or False?

4. A(n) _______________ is a set of elements or components that interact to accomplish a

goal.

5. A measure of what is produced divided by what is consumed is known as __________.

a. efficiency
b. effectiveness
c. performance
d. productivity

6. A specific objective of a system is called effectiveness.

True or False?

7. A(n) ______________ consists of hardware, software, databases, telecommunications,

people, and procedures.

8. Computer programs that govern the operation of a computer system are called
_____________.
a. feedback
b. feedforward
c. software
d. transaction processing systems

9. Payroll and order processing are examples of a computerized management information

system.
True or False?

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10. What is an organized collection of people, procedures, software, databases, and devices
used to create, store, share, and use the organization’s experience and knowledge?
a. TPS (transaction processing system)
b. MIS (management information system)
c. DSS (decision support system)
d. KM (knowledge management)

11. _________________ involves anytime, anywhere commerce that uses wireless

communications.

12. What defines the problems and opportunities of the existing system?
a. systems analysis
b. systems review
c. systems development
d. systems design

13. ______________ literacy is a knowledge of how data and information are used by
individuals, groups, and organizations.

CHAPTER 1: SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST ANSWERS

(1) information system

(2) c
(3) True
(4) system
(5) a
(6) False
(7) computer-based information system (CBIS)
(8) c
(9) False
(10) d
(11) Mobile commerce (m-commerce)
(12) a
(13) Information systems

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CHAPTER 2: SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST
INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN ORGANIZATION

1. Customer relationship management can help a company determine what supplies and
equipment are required for the value chain.
True or False?

2. A(n) _________________ is a formal collection of people and other resources

established to accomplish a set of goals.

3. User satisfaction with a computer system and the information it generates often depends
on the quality of the system and the resulting information.
True or False?

4. The concept in which organizations adapt to new conditions or alter their practices over
time is called _________________.
a. organizational learning
b. organizational change
c. continuous improvement
d. reengineering

5. _________________ involves contracting with outside professional services to meet

specific business needs.

6. Today, quality means _________________.

a. achieving production standards
b. meeting or exceeding customer expectations
c. maximizing total profits
d. meeting or achieving design specifications

7. Technology infusion is a measure of how widely technology is spread throughout an

organization.
True or False?

8. Reengineering is also called __________________.

9. What is a measure of the output achieved divided by the input required?

a. efficiency
b. effectiveness
c. productivity
d. return on investment

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10. _________________ is a measure of the additional profits or benefits generated as a
percentage of the investment in IS technology.

11. Who is involved in helping users determine what outputs they need and constructing the
plans required to produce these outputs?
a. CIO
b. applications programmer
c. systems programmer
d. systems analyst

12. An information center provides users with assistance, training, and application
development.
True or False?

13. The _________________ is typically in charge of the IS department or area in a

company.

CHAPTER 2: SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST ANSWERS

(1) False
(2) organization
(3) True
(4) a
(5) Outsourcing
(6) b
(7) False
(8) process redesign
(9) c
(10) Return on investment
(11) d
(12) True
(13) chief information officer (CIO)

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CHAPTER 3: SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST
HARDWARE: INPUT, PROCESSING, AND OUTPUT DEVICES

1. Organizations typically make a one-time investment in the computer hardware necessary

to meet their needs with little need for future changes and upgrades.
True or False?

2. The computer hardware that most nonprofit organizations choose is virtually identical.
True or False?

3. The overriding consideration for a business making hardware decisions should be how
the hardware meets specific ________ and ________ requirements.

4. Which represents a larger amount of data — a terabyte or a gigabyte?

5. Which of the following components performs mathematical calculations and makes

logical comparisons?
a. control unit
b. register
c. ALU
d. main memory

6. Executing an instruction by the CPU involves two phases: the instruction phase and the
___________ phase.

7. ___________ involves capturing and editing data when it is originally created and in a
form that can be directly input to a computer, thus ensuring accuracy and timeliness.

8. Some organizations are exploring the use of ___________ to replace major components
of their infrastructure.

9. There are few examples of companies in the computer industry collaborating to create a
new product or service.
True or False?

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CHAPTER 3: SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST ANSWERS

(1) False
(2) False
(3) user and business requirements
(4) terabyte
(5) c
(6) execution
(7) Source data automation
(8) cloud computing
(9) False

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CHAPTER 4: SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST
SOFTWARE: SYSTEMS AND APPLICATION SOFTWARE

1. Which of the following is an example of a command-driven operating system?

a. Windows XP
b. Leopard
c. MS-DOS
d. Windows Vista

2. Application software such as Microsoft Office Excel manipulates the computer hardware
directly.
True or False?

3. Today’s operating systems support _______________, the ability to run multiple

processes seemingly simultaneously.

4. The file manager component of the OS controls how memory is accessed and maximizes
available memory and storage.
True or False?

5. The primary function of system software is to apply the power of the computer to give
people, workgroups, and the entire enterprise the ability to solve problems and perform
specific tasks.
True or False?

6. Software that enables users to improve their personal effectiveness, increasing the amount
of work they can do and its quality, is called _______________.
a. personal productivity software
b. operating system software
c. utility software
d. graphics software

7. Optimization can be found in which type of application software?

a. spreadsheets
b. word processing programs
c. database programs
d. presentation graphics programs

8. Software used to solve a unique or specific problem that is usually built in-house but can
also be purchased from an outside company is called _______________.

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9. A program to detect and eliminate viruses is an example of what type of software?
a. personal productivity software
b. operating system software
c. utility software
d. applications software

10. Most software purchased to run on a personal computer uses a ___________ license.
a. site
b. concurrent-user
c. multiuser
d. single-user

11. A class of application software that helps groups work together and collaborate is called
__________.

12. Each programming language has its own set of rules, called the __________ of the
language.

13. A special software program called an interpreter performs the conversion from the
programmer’s source code into the machine-language instructions consisting of binary
digits, and results in a machine-language program.
True or False?

CHAPTER 4: SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST ANSWERS

(1) c
(2) False
(3) multitasking
(4) False
(5) False
(6) a
(7) a
(8) proprietary software
(9) c
(10) d
(11) workgroup application software
(12) syntax
(13) False

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CHAPTER 5: SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST
DATABASE SYSTEMS AND BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE

1. A group of programs that manipulate the database and provide an interface between the
database and the user of the database and other application programs is called a(n)
_______________.
a. GUI
b. operating system
c. DBMS
d. productivity software

2. A(n) _______________ is a skilled and trained IS professional who directs all activities
related to an organization’s database.

3. Data redundancy is a desirable quality in a database.

True or False?

4. A(n) _______________ is a field or set of fields that uniquely identifies a database

record.
a. attribute
b. data item
c. key
d. primary key

5. A(n) _______________ uses basic graphical symbols to show the organization of and
relationships between data.

6. What database model places data in two-dimensional tables?

a. relational
b. network
c. normalized
d. hierarchical

7. _______________ involves combining two or more database tables.

8. After data has been placed into a relational database, users can make inquiries and
analyze data. Basic data manipulations include selecting, projecting, and optimizing.
True or False?

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9. Because the DBMS is responsible for providing access to a database, one of the first steps
in installing and using a database involves telling the DBMS the logical and physical
structure of the data and relationships among the data in the database. This description of an
entire database is called a(n) _______________.

10. The commands used to access and report information from the database are part of the
_______________.
a. data definition language
b. data manipulation language
c. data normalization language
d. schema

11. Access is a popular DBMS for _______________.

a. personal computers
b. graphics workstations
c. mainframe computers
d. supercomputers

12. A new trend in database management, known as Database as a Service, places the
responsibility of storing and managing a database on a service provider.
True or False?

13. A(n) _______________ holds business information from many sources in the enterprise,
covering all aspects of the company’s processes, products, and customers.

14. An information-analysis tool that involves the automated discovery of patterns and
relationships in a data warehouse is called _______________.
a. a data mart
b. data mining
c. predictive analysis
d. business intelligence

15. _______________ allows users to predict the future based on database information from
the past and present.

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CHAPTER 5: SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST ANSWERS

(1) c
(2) database administrator
(3) False
(4) d
(5) entityrelationship diagram
(6) a
(7) Joining
(8) False
(9) schema
(10) b
(11) a
(12) True
(13) data warehouse
(14) b
(15) Predictive analysis

Prepared by Dr. Vasanthi Muniasamy

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CHAPTER 6: SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST
TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKS

1. Videoconferencing is an example of asynchronous communications.

True or False?

2. Gbps stands for billions of bytes per second.

True or False?

3. A simplex channel can transmit data in only one direction and is seldom used for business
communications.
True or False?

4. Two broad categories of transmission media are _______________.

a. guided and wireless
b. shielded and unshielded
c. twisted and untwisted
d. infrared and microwave

5. Verizon has been replacing its traditional twisted-wire pair network with an all ________
network in hopes of winning new customers from the cable companies.

6. Many wireless communications options are available.

True or False?

7. Which of the following is a telecommunications service that delivers high-speed Internet

access to homes and small businesses over existing phone lines?
a. BPL
b. DSL
c. Wi-Fi
d. Ethernet

8. A device that encodes data from two or more devices onto a single telecommunications
channel is called a(n) _____________.

9. A(n) ________ is a network that can connect technology devices within a range of 33 feet
or so.

10. ______________is a way to route communications between network nodes by allowing

for continuous connections and reconfiguration around blocked paths by “hopping” from
node to node until a connection is established.

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11. Telecommuting enables organizations to save money because less office space, parking
space, and office equipment is required.
True or False?

12. ______ is a system of transferring money from one bank account directly to another
without any paper money changing hands.

CHAPTER 6: SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST ANSWERS

(1) False
(2) False
(3) True
(4) a
(5) fiber-optic
(6) True
(7) b
(8) multiplexer
(9) personal area network, or PAN
(10) mesh networking
(11) True
(12) Electronic funds transfer

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CHAPTER 7: SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST
THE INTERNET, INTRANETS, AND EXTRANETS

1. The ________________ was the ancestor of the Internet and was developed by the U.S.
Department of Defense.

2. On the Internet, what enables traffic to flow from one network to another?
a. Internet Protocol
b. ARPANET
c. Uniform Resource Locator
d. LAN server

3. Each computer on the Internet has an address called the Transmission Control Protocol.
True or False?

4. What organization is responsible for managing Internet addresses?

a. Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
b. Internet Society (ISOC)
c. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
d. America Online (AOL)

5. A(n)____ is a company that provides people and organizations with access to the Internet.

6. A podcast is an online Web site that people can create and use to write about their
observations, experiences, and opinions on a wide range of topics.
True or False?

7. Which technology helps you easily specify the visual appearance of Web pages in a Web
site?
a. HTML
b. XHTML
c. XML
d. CSS

8. _____________ refers to the Web as a computing platform that supports software

applications and the sharing of information between users.

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9. What is the standard page description language for Web pages?
a. Home Page Language
b. Hypermedia Language
c. Java
d. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

10. Digg and del.icio.us are examples of _________________ Web sites.

a. media sharing
b. social network
c. social bookmarking
d. content streaming

11 A(n) ___________________ is a network based on Web technology that links

customers, suppliers, and others to the company.

12. An intranet is an internal corporate network built using Internet and World Wide Web
standards and products.
True or False?

CHAPTER 7: SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST ANSWERS

(1) ARPANET
(2) a
(3) False
(4) a
(5) Internet service provider (ISP)
(6) False
(7) d
(8) Web 2.0
(9) d
(10) c
(11) extranet
(12) True

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CHAPTER 8: SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST
SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT: INVESTIGATION AND ANALYSIS

1. __________________ is the activity of creating or modifying existing business systems.

It refers to all aspects of the process - from identifying problems to be solved or
opportunities to be exploited to the implementation and refinement of the chosen solution.

2. Which of the following people ultimately benefit from a systems development project?
a. computer programmers
b. systems analysts
c. stakeholders
d. senior-level manager

3. _______________ requires unbiased and careful questioning of whether systems

elements are related in the most effective or efficient ways.

4. Like a contractor constructing a new building or renovating an existing one, the

programmer takes the plans from the systems analyst and builds or modifies the necessary
software.
True or False?

5. The term __________________ refers to the translation of strategic and organizational

goals into systems development initiatives.

6. What involves investigating new approaches to existing problems?

a. critical success factors
b. systems analysis factors
c. creative analysis
d. critical analysis

7. What employs tools, techniques, and methodologies designed to speed application

development?
a. rapid application development
b. joint optimization
c. prototyping
d. extended application development

8. System performance is usually determined by factors such as fixed investments in

hardware and related equipment.
True or False?

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9. ____________________ takes an iterative approach to the systems development process.
During each iteration, requirements and alternative solutions to the problem are identified
and analyzed, new solutions are designed, and a portion of the system is implemented.

10. Joint application development (JAD) employs tools, techniques, and methodologies
designed to speed application development.
True or False?

11. What consists of all activities that, if delayed, would delay the entire project?
a. deadline activities
b. slack activities
c. RAD tasks
d. the critical path

12. The systems request form is a document that is filled out during systems analysis.
True or False?

13. Feasibility analysis is typically done during which systems development stage?
a. investigation
b. analysis
c. design
d. implementation

14. Data modeling is most often accomplished through the use of _______________,
whereas activity modeling is often accomplished through the use of ___________________.

15. The overall purpose of requirements analysis is to determine user, stakeholder, and
organizational needs.
True or False?

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CHAPTER 8: SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST ANSWERS

(1) Systems development

(2) c
(3) Critical analysis
(4) True
(5) information systems planning
(6) c
(7) a
(8) False
(9) Prototyping
(10) False
(11) d
(12) False
(13) a
(14) entityrelationship (ER) diagrams, data-flow diagrams
(15) True

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CHAPTER 8: SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST [CONTINUE]
SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT: DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, MAINTENANCE
AND REVIEW

1. ________________ details system outputs, inputs, and user interfaces; specifies

hardware, software, databases, telecommunications, personnel, and procedures; and shows
how these components are related.

2. Determining the hardware and software required for a new system is an example of
____________.
a. logical design
b. physical design
c. interactive design
d. object-oriented design

3. Disaster planning is an important part of designing security and control systems.

True or False?

4. ________________ involves systems development efforts that slash power consumption

and require less physical space.

5 Scenarios and sequence diagrams are used with ________________.

a. object-oriented design
b. point evaluation
c. incremental design
d. nominal evaluation

6. Near the end of the design stage, an organization prohibits further changes in the design
of the system. This is called ___________________.

7. In object-oriented systems design, a sequence of events is called a scenario and can be

diagrammed in a sequence diagram.
True or False?

8. ASP is an example of an IS vendor that offers hardware and software solutions.

True or False?

9. _____________ software can make computers act like or simulate other computers,
reducing costs and space requirements.

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10. What type of documentation is used by computer operators to execute a program and by
analysts and programmers?
a. unit documentation
b. integrated documentation
c. technical documentation
d. user documentation

11. _________________ testing involves testing the entire system of programs.

12. The phase-in approach to conversion involves running both the old system and the new
system for three months or longer.
True or False?

13. A(n) _______________ is a minor change to correct a problem or make a small

enhancement to a program or system.

14. Many organizations require a request for maintenance form to authorize modification of
programs.
True or False?

15. A systems review that is caused by a problem with an existing system is called
____________.
a. object review
b. structured review
c. event-driven review
d. critical factors review

16. Corporate mergers and acquisitions can be a reason for systems maintenance.
True or False?

17. Monitoring a system after it has been implemented is called _________________.

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CHAPTER 8: SELF-ASSESSMENT TEST ANSWERS

(1) Systems design

(2) b
(3) True
(4) environmental design
(5) a
(6) freezing design specifications
(7) True
(8) False
(9) virtualization
(10) c
(11) System
(12) False
(13) patch
(14) True
(15) c
(16) True
(17) system performance measurement

Prepared by Dr. Vasanthi Muniasamy

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