Unit 3: A3 Databases

Topic 3.1: Relational databases Questions

Practice 20 exam-style questions for IB Computer Science Topic 3.1. Review the question stems below, then unlock the full Question Bank to access markschemes, model answers, and AI grading.

1Identify1 mark
2026
Identify the type of relationship between Students and Subjects when each student takes several subjects and each subject is taken by several students.
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2Explain4 marks
2026
Explain why a many-to-many relationship cannot be implemented directly with two tables.
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3Outline3 marks
2026
Outline the structure of the link table needed between Students and Subjects.
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4Suggest3 marks
2026
Suggest one situation in which a spreadsheet is the better choice.
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5Outline2 marks
2026
Outline what is meant by a database management system.
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6Explain3 marks
2026
Explain why a database separates the logical structure of the data from how it is physically stored.
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7Define1 mark
2026
Define the term database.
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8Define1 mark
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Define the term relational database.
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9Outline2 marks
2026
Outline the difference between a record and a field.
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10Outline2 marks
2026
Outline what is meant by a primary key.
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11Explain3 marks
2026
Explain why a database designer would add a StudentID field rather than using a student's name as the primary key.
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12Outline2 marks
2026
Outline what is meant by a foreign key.
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13Explain3 marks
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Explain how a foreign key enforces referential integrity.
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14Explain3 marks
2026
Explain what would happen without referential integrity when a book is deleted from a library database.
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15Outline2 marks
2026
Outline what is meant by a composite key.
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16Explain4 marks
2026
Explain two advantages of a relational database over storing the same data in one large spreadsheet.
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17Explain4 marks
2026
Explain two functions a database management system performs that an application would otherwise have to implement.
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18Suggest4 marks
2026
Suggest why a bank's database must not allow two simultaneous withdrawals to both succeed against insufficient funds.
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19Choose1 mark
2026
Choose what a foreign key does.
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20Choose1 mark
2026
Choose the field that would make the best primary key for a table of library books.
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