Question Bank

UNIT–1: INTRODUCTION, GENERIC VIEW OF PROCESS

1. Define software. Explain different types of software.

2. What are the Characteristics of the Software?
3. Explain how software is different from hardware.
“Software is not merely a collection of programs- Is programming systems product”.
4.
Elucidate.
5. Define Software Engineering (IEEE Def).
6. State & Explain various areas of Software Applications.
7. Explain the changing nature of software.
8. Explain four significant attributes that every software product should posses.
9. How software engineering is different from traditional engineering approach?
10. Explain the failure curve for software and hardware.
Define what do you mean by Legacy Systems and list out the drawbacks of the legacy
11.
systems.
12. What is software myth? Explain about various categories of software myths in detail.
The software myths are slowly fading as the years pass, but others are taking their
13.
place. Attempt to add one or two “new” myths to each category
14. Explain about software process and its framework activities.
15. Explain about process framework.
Discuss the statement “Reusability is an important characteristic of a high quality software
16.
component”.
Describe process framework. When we say that framework activities are applicable to all
17. projects, does it mean that the same work tasks are applied for all projects, regardless of size
and complexity? Explain.
Umbrella activities occur throughout the software process. Do you think they are applied
18.
evenly across the process or are some concentrated in one or more framework activities?
19. Develop a task set for Communication activity.
20. What is CMMI? Explain different levels in Continuous CMMI.
21. Explain different levels in Staged CMMI.
22. Explain about CMMI levels and list out the key process areas under various levels.
23. Differentiate between Staged model and Continuous model of CMMI.
How would you describe a design pattern? Discuss the template for describing process
24.
pattern.
25. What formal techniques are available for assessing the software process?
26. Compare personal with team software process models.
Discuss the statement: “PSP and TSP are rigorous approaches to software engineering that
27.
provides distinct and quantifiable benefits in productivity and quality”.
28. Differentiate between Process, Product and project.
UNIT–2: PROCESS MODELS, REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING PROCESS
1. Define Process model.
2. Explain Waterfall Model by its merits and demerits.
3. Explain Incremental Process Models.
4. Explain Evolutionary Process Models.
5. Explain prototyping model.
Give a brief description of prototype model and briefly discuss the various prototyping
6.
techniques.
Explain the spiral model. Discuss the features of a software project for which the spiral model
7.
could be a preferred model. Justify your answer.
8. Explain Agile Process model.
9. Explain Unified Process model.
Describe the following process models with their relative merits and demerits
i. Waterfall model
10.
ii. Incremental Models
iii. Evolutionary development models
11. Compare the software development models.
B. Srinivas Reddy, Dept. of Information Technology, Vidya Jyothi Institute of Technology
 Which process model can be used for
a) A simple data processing system
12.
b) An outline reservation system
C) University database model
13. Select a process model and explain when the requirements are complex.
14. Select a process model and explain when the requirements are not clear.
Discuss about concurrent development model. Explain how it is different from incremental
15.
model.
16. Explain the real life situations where waterfall model can be applied.
Explain how both waterfall model of software process & the prototyping model can be
17.
accommodated in the spiral process model.
18. Compare and contrast the incremental models and evolutionary process models.
19. What is requirement engineering? What are the problems with user requirements?
20. Define user requirements and system requirements.
21. Describe functional requirements and non-functional requirements.
22. Discuss the classification of non-functional requirements
23. Discuss the problems of using natural language for defining user and system requirements.
24. Explain about structured language specifications for writing system requirements.
25. How do you specify system requirements using a standard form?
26. Write short notes on structure charts and PDL.
27. List and explain different types of interfaces in Interface Specification.
28. Specify the IEEE structure of the requirements document.
29. Describe Requirement Engineering Process.
30. Elaborate on requirements elicitation and analysis process in detail.
31. Discuss various techniques for requirements elicitation & analysis
32. Explain in detail how ethnography is useful for requirements analysis.
33. Write a short note on Verification and Validation.
34. Discuss various techniques for requirements elicitation and analysis.
What is the need for validating the requirements? Explain any requirement validation
35.
techniques.
36. Write about requirements management.
Suggest who might be stakeholders in a University student system. Explain why it is almost
37.
predictable that the requirements of different stakeholders will conflict in some way.
38. Write a SRS for the following: a) Student registration system b) Railway Reservation System
Explain the following terms
a) Ethnography
39. b) Data dictionary
c) COTS
d) Stake holder
40. What are the differences between requirements definition and requirements specification?
41. Differentiate between fault and failure.

UNIT – 3: DESIGN ENGINEERING

1. Explain Context models with an example.

What is a behavioral model? Discuss various types of behavioral models with examples for
2.
each.
3. Discuss about context model
4. Discuss about data model
5. Compare data models with object models
6. Explain various software design fundamentals in detail. Also explain the merits of each.
7. Explain the DFD.
8. Develop a zero level and first level DFD for banking system with suitable specifications
How are cohesion and coupling related? Give an example of where cohesion increases and
9.
coupling decreases.
10. Discuss coupling and cohesion.
What is the difference between functional abstraction and data abstraction? Explain with
11.
suitable example.

B. Srinivas Reddy, Dept. of Information Technology, Vidya Jyothi Institute of Technology

 Explain why maximizing cohesion and minimizing coupling leads to more maintainable
12.
systems.
13. Define refactoring? Explain its intent.
14. What is a Component?
15. Discuss the golden rules for performing user interface design.
16. Discuss the user interface design process.
17. Define Software Architecture.
18. List and Explain different Architectural Styles.
Discuss why software architecture plays important role during development and discuss
19.
various architectural styles.
How are changes in software specifications monitored at various stages of software
20.
development?
What is the fundamental difference between the approaches of structured design and object
21.
oriented design?
Write a short note on
a. data dictionary
b. Modularity
c. Patterns
22. d. Functional Independence
e. Transaction Flow
f. Transform flow
g. Transform mapping
h. Transaction mapping
23. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of modularization.

UNIT-4: SOFTWARE TESTING & METRICS

1. Differentiate between verification and validation.

2. Describe software testing process.
3. What guidelines lead to a successful software testing strategy?
4. What errors are commonly found during unit testing?
5. Why is a highly coupled module difficult to unit test?
6. Explain bottom up and top down testing.
7. Differentiate between top down approach and bottom approach for Integration Testing.
8. Discuss test strategies for Object-Oriented software.
9. Why is Debugging so difficult?
10. Discuss Black-box testing in detail.
11. Discuss White-box testing in detail.
12. Differentiate black box and white box testing.
13. Define error, fault and failure; bring out the difference between each with a suitable example.
14. Discuss the various levels of testing?
15. What is a test plan and what does a typical test plan contains?
16. What is software reliability? Explain reliability metrics.
17. Explain briefly the various software reliability metrics.
18. List and Explain McCall’s Quality Factors.
19. Define Measure, metrics and Indicator.
20. Explain metrics for the Analysis model.
21. Explain metrics for the Design model.
22. Explain metrics for the Coding.
23. Explain metrics for the Object-oriented design.
24. Explain metrics for the Testing.
25. Explain metrics for the Maintenance.
26. Describe the difference between process and project metrics.
27. Write a short note on
a. Unit Testing
b. Integration Testing
c. Validation Testing
d. System Testing
e. Equivalence partition
B. Srinivas Reddy, Dept. of Information Technology, Vidya Jyothi Institute of Technology
 f. Cyclomatic complexity
g. Function-Based Metrics
h. Size-oriented metrics
28. Explain the concept of debugging.
29. Explain about validation testing.

UNIT 5: RISK MANAGEMENT & QUALITY MANAGEMENT

1. Differentiate between Reactive Vs. Proactive Risk Strategies.

2. What types of risks are we likely to encounter as software is built?
3. Describe Risk Identification.
4. Describe Process Risks.
5. Describe Risk Projection.
6. Discuss the seven principles of risk management which were identified by SEI.
7. Distinguish between generic risks and product specific risks.
8. Explain about risk refinement.
9. Explain RMMM Plan.
10. Define Software Quality?
11. What is the role of an SQA group? List and Explain.
12. What are the things that are covered in SQA?
13. When do we conduct FTRs and what are the objectives of FTRs.
14. Discuss the importance of quality assurance.
15. Discuss the various quality factors for software.
16. Discuss in detail about software safety.
17. Discuss the ISO 9001:2000 Standards.
18. Explain Six-Sigma standard for Software Engineering.
19. What steps are required to perform statistical SQA?
20. Map the ISO 9000 quality standards with CMMI.
21. Do you think we have any benefits of Formal Technical Reviews? Explain briefly.
22. Explain briefly about quality management.
Explain in detail
a) Software metrics c) SEI-CMM Model
23. b) Quality Metrics d) CASE
e) Software Reliability f) SQA Plan
g) MTBF
24. Briefly explain how algorithmic cost can be used for estimating software cost.

B. Srinivas Reddy, Dept. of Information Technology, Vidya Jyothi Institute of Technology