Unit 3: A3 Databases
Topic 3.2: Database design and normalisation Questions
Practice 20 exam-style questions for IB Computer Science Topic 3.2. Review the question stems below, then unlock the full Question Bank to access markschemes, model answers, and AI grading.
1Outline2 marks
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Outline what is meant by a view in a database.
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Unlock Question2Explain3 marks
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Explain one cost of adding an index to a table.
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Suggest why a uniqueness constraint would be wrong on a student's date of birth but right on a student's email address.
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Explain why cardinality must be established before the tables are created.
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Define the term entity in database design.
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Unlock Question7Distinguish3 marks
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Distinguish between the schema and an instance of a database.
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Outline what is meant by a logical schema.
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Outline what is meant by a physical schema.
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Explain why separating the logical and physical schemas is useful.
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Explain two reasons a school might give teachers a view rather than direct access to the student table.
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Outline what is meant by a data dictionary.
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Explain why a database management system maintains a data dictionary.
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Outline what is meant by a constraint in a schema.
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Explain why constraints are better placed in the schema than checked in the application.
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Unlock Question16Determine3 marks
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Determine the entities needed for a database recording which teachers teach which classes in which rooms.
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Suggest three constraints appropriate for a field holding a student's date of birth.
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Unlock Question18Outline2 marks
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Outline what is meant by an index in a database.
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Unlock Question19Explain4 marks
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Explain why changing a schema on a live database is difficult.
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Unlock Question20State1 mark
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State two things a schema specifies about a field.
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