Practice A.3 Further aspects of database management with authentic IB Computer Science (CS) exam questions for both SL and HL students. This question bank mirrors Paper 1, 2, 3 structure, covering key topics like programming concepts, algorithms, and data structures. Get instant solutions, detailed explanations, and build exam confidence with questions in the style of IB examiners.
A school maintains a database of students' details and teaching resources on a central server. This data can be accessed by all teachers in the school.
Teachers may need to edit resources when preparing their lessons.
When storing student details, data security is an important consideration.
The school has appointed a database administrator (DBA).
A DBA is required to carry out tasks such as ensuring there is a strategy to recover the database if it becomes corrupted and that the data is shared ethically.
Suggest how the privacy of student data can be ensured.
Explain how concurrent use of the school database is possible in this situation.
Describe two ways that data security in the school's database can be maintained.
Describe one strategy that could be used to ensure the data can be recovered if the database becomes corrupted.
Define the term database management system (DBMS).
Identify two tasks that a database administrator carries out to ensure the security of the database.
Outline the purpose of a data definition language (DDL).
Identify three characteristics of logical schema.
Identify two different types of relationships within databases.
Define the term database transaction.
Explain the importance of durability in a database transaction.
Describe the nature of the data dictionary.
Identify four responsibilities of a database administrator.
A healthcare organization has a database with patient and treatment information.
Describe the role of the database administrator in this setting.
Explain two methods the DBA can use to ensure database availability.
A hospital database system is managed by a dedicated database administrator (DBA).
Define the role of a database administrator.
Outline two responsibilities of a DBA in maintaining a hospital database.
Explain why it is important for the DBA to regularly update access permissions for hospital staff.
Outline the difference between an information system and a database.
A bank maintains a database that stores details of clients and their accounts.
A client wants to transfer money between two accounts held at the same bank.
Explain how the ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) properties would apply in the context of this database transaction.
A bank holds large volumes of financial and personal information about its clients in its database.
Discuss whether this database should be open to interrogation by the police or the Government.
A company’s database has been corrupted, and data recovery is necessary.
Define data recovery.
Describe two recovery methods that could be used in this situation.
Explain the importance of the DBA in ensuring effective data recovery.
A retail company uses data matching to improve customer service and data mining to analyze sales trends.
Define data matching.
Define data mining.
Explain one difference between data matching and data mining.
Describe one application of data mining in retail.
Outline what is meant by a database management system.
Outline one advantage of using beta testing prior to the release of a new product.
A retail company allows end-users to access their sales database to monitor sales data.
Define the term end-user in a database context.
Describe two ways an end-user might interact with the company’s database.
Explain one potential security concern related to end-user access in this scenario.