ssc review materials

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1. When studying the detailed feasibility of a new project
a. prototyping does not affect the schedule feasibility analysis
b. the need for user training will influence the schedule feasibility analysis
c. protection from fraud and errors will influence the schedule feasibility analysis
d. a cost-benefit review will affect the schedule feasibility analysis
2. Protection from inadvertent disclosures of confidential information is part of the detailed
a. operational feasibility study
b. schedule feasibility study
c. legal feasibility study
d. economic feasibility study
3. A cost-benefit analysis is a part of the detailed
a. operational feasibility study
b. schedule feasibility study
c. legal feasibility study
d. economic feasibility study
4. Examples of one-time costs include all of the following except
a. hardware acquisition
b. insurance
c. site preparation
d. programming
5. Examples of recurring costs include
a. software acquisition
b. data conversion
c. personnel costs
d. systems design
6. Site preparation costs include all of the following except
a. crane used to install equipment
b. freight charges
c. supplies
d. reinforcement of the building floor
7. The testing of individual program modules is a part of
a. software acquisition costs
b. systems design costs
c. data conversion costs
d. programming costs
8. When implementing a new system, the costs associated with transferring data from one storage medium to another
is an example of
a. a recurring cost
b. a data conversion cost
c. a systems design cost
d. a programming cost
9. An example of a tangible benefit is
a. increased customer satisfaction

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b. more current information

c. reduced inventories
d. faster response to competitor actions
An example of an intangible benefit is
a. expansion into other markets
b. reduction in supplies and overhead
c. more efficient operations
d. reduced equipment maintenance
A tangible benefit
a. can be measured and expressed in financial terms
b. might increase revenues
c. might decrease costs
d. all of the above
Intangible benefits
a. are easily measured
b. are of relatively little importance in making information system decisions
c. are sometimes estimated using customer satisfaction surveys
d. when measured, do not lend themselves to manipulation
Which technique is least likely to be used to quantify intangible benefits?
a. opinion surveys
b. simulation models
c. professional judgment
d. review of accounting transaction data
The formal product of the systems evaluation and selection phase of the Systems Development Life Cycle is
a. the report of systems analysis
b. the systems selection report
c. the detailed system design
d. the systems plan
One time costs include all of the following except
a. site preparation
b. insurance
c. programming and testing
d. data conversion
Recurring costs include all of the following except
a. data conversion
b. software maintenance
c. insurance
d. supplies
All of the following are reasons why new systems fail except
a. the user is not involved in the development of the system
b. system requirements are not clearly specified
c. systems analysts rely on prototyping models
d. system development techniques are ineffective
The systems steering committee is responsible for all of the following except
a. assigning priorities
b. determining whether and when to terminate systems projects
c. analyzing the technical feasibility of the project
d. budgeting funds for systems development
Strategic systems planning is important because the plan

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a. provides authorization control for the Systems Development Life Cycle

b. will eliminate any crisis component in systems development
c. provides a static goal to be attained within a five-year period
d. all of the above
Project feasibility includes all of the following except
a. technical feasibility
b. conceptual feasibility
c. operational feasibility
d. schedule feasibility
The degree of compatibility between the firms existing procedures and personnel skills and the requirements of
the new system is called
a. technical feasibility
b. operational feasibility
c. schedule feasibility
d. legal feasibility
The ability of a system to protect individual privacy and confidentiality is an example of
a. schedule feasibility
b. operational feasibility
c. legal feasibility
d. economic feasibility
The systems project proposal
a. provides management with a basis for deciding whether or not to proceed with the project
b. supplies an input to the project planning activity
c. links the objectives of the proposed system to the systems scheduling requirements
d. prioritizes the proposal in relation to other system proposals
Which step is not used to evaluate a systems proposal? An analysis of the projects
a. feasibility factors
b. ability to eliminate nonessential activities and costs
c. ability to provide a competitive advantage to the firm
d. use of Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools in developing the system
proposal
Reasons that a new systems implementation may be unsuccessful include all of the following except
a. organizational restructuring required by the new system results in displaced workers
b. end users do not understand the strategic merits of the new system
c. employees are not trained to use the system
d. system development team members include representatives from end-user departments
Typically a systems analysis
a. results in a formal project schedule
b. does not include a review of the current system
c. identifies user needs and specifies system requirements
d. is performed by the internal auditor
A disadvantage of surveying the current system is
a. it constrains the generation of ideas about the new system
b. it highlights elements of the current system that are worth preserving
c. it pinpoints the causes of the current problems
d. all of the above are advantages of surveying the current system
Systems analysis involves all of the following except
a. gathering facts
b. surveying the current system

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c. redesigning bottleneck activities

d. reviewing key documents
The systems analysis report does not
a. identify user needs
b. specify requirements for the new system
c. formally state the goals and objectives of the system
d. specify the system processing methods
After the systems analysis phase of the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is complete, the company will
have a formal systems analysis report on
a. the conceptual design of the new system
b. an evaluation of the new system
c. users needs and requirements for the new system
d. a comparison of alternative implementation procedures for the new system
The accountants role in systems analysis includes all of the following except
a. specify audit trail requirements
b. prepare data gathering questionnaires
c. suggest inclusion of advanced audit features
d. ensure mandated procedures are part of the design
The role of the steering committee includes
a. designing the system outputs
b. resolving conflicts that arise from a new system
c. selecting the programming techniques to be used
d. approving the accounting procedures to be implemented
Project planning includes all of the following except
a. specifying system objectives
b. preparing a formal project proposal
c. selecting hardware vendors
d. producing a project schedule
Aspects of project feasibility include all of the following except
a. technical feasibility
b. economic feasibility
c. logistic feasibility
d. schedule feasibility
Which of the following is not a tool of systems analysts?
a. observation
b. task participation
c. audit reports
d. personal interviews
When developing the conceptual design of a system,
a. all similarities and differences between competing systems are highlighted
b. structure diagrams are commonly used
c. the format for input screens and source documents is decided
d. inputs, processes, and outputs that distinguish one alternative from another are identified
The role of the accountant/internal auditor in the conceptual design phase of the Systems Development Life Cycle
includes all of the following except
a. the accountant is responsible for designing the physical system
b. the accountant is responsible to ensure that audit trails are preserved
c. the internal auditor is responsible to confirm that embedded audit modules are included in
the conceptual design

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d. the accountant is responsible to make sure that the accounting conventions that apply to
the module are considered by the system designers
Which statement is not true?
a. prototypes do not include internal control features
b. a prototype is an inexpensive, simplified model of a system
c. a throwaway prototype is discarded after the requirements are established
d. systems designers always discard prototypes and do not develop them into finished
systems
Which statement is not true? Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) technology
a. is commercially available software
b. reduces the productivity but increases the quality of the work of systems professionals
c. expedites the System Development Life Cycle
d. consists of upper and lower tools
The central repository of the Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) system contains
a. the program code
b. user prototype screens
c. data flow diagrams
d. all of the above
Which is not a level of a data flow diagram?
a. conceptual level
b. context level
c. intermediate level
d. elementary level
Which level of a data flow diagram is used to produce program code and database tables?
a. context level
b. elementary level
c. intermediate level
d. prototype level
In a Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) environment, a structure diagram
a. presents an overview model of the primary transactions processed
b. graphically depicts the iceberg effect
c. presents a model of the program code that constitutes the physical system
d. is prepared by the systems analyst
An advantage of the Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) model tool, which transforms the structure
diagram into machine language, is
a. it facilitates the auditors review of the system
b. it ensures that firm will use a specific CASE tool and vendor
c. it forces all system changes to be made through the data flow diagrams
d. it reduces the analysis required in designing the system
When maintaining a system that was developed using Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools,
a. the programmer must thoroughly review the program code
b. changes should be made directly to the structure diagram
c. significantly less time is required compared to maintenance activities for a system
developed without using Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools
d. the need for testing the modified application is eliminated
Which of the following is an advantage of the Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) approach?
a. the ability to easily revise the model during the development stage
b. the requirement that all program code and documentation be regenerated for each module
c. the cost of software engineering programs

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d. user involvement is restricted to final stages of development

Which of the following is a disadvantage of the Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) approach?
a. source code produced by CASE tools is less efficient than code written by a skilled
programmer
b. alternative designs cannot be reviewed prior to implementation
c. system users are reluctant to become involved with the CASE approach
d. maintenance costs are increased
Which statement is not correct? The structured design approach
a. is a top-down approach
b. is documented by data flow diagrams and structure diagrams
c. assembles reusable modules rather than creating systems from scratch
d. starts with an abstract description of the system and redefines it to produce a more detailed
description of the system
The benefits of the object-oriented approach to systems design include all of the following except
a. this approach does not require input from accountants and auditors
b. development time is reduced
c. a standard module once tested does not have to be retested until changes are made
d. system maintenance activities are simplified
In the object-oriented systems design approach, the employee pay rate is an example of
a. an object
b. an attribute
c. an operation
d. a class
Ms. Andrews is a customer of the Edsell Company. In the object-oriented design approach
a. Ms. Andrews is an instance in the object class accounts receivable
b. the amount Ms. Andrews owes the Edsell Company is an operation
c. determining the amount past due is an attribute
d. the object class accounts receivable inherits all the attributes of Ms. Andrews
In the object-oriented systems design approach,
a. objects possess two characteristicsattributes and instances
b. an instance is a logical grouping of individual objects
c. inheritance means that each object instance inherits the attributes and operations of the
class to which it belongs
d. operations performed on objects always change attributes
Which statement is not correct? In the object-oriented design approach
a. a single change to an attribute or operation in one object class is automatically changed for
all the object instances and subclasses that inherit the attribute
b. each module can inherit from other modules the attributes and operations it requires
c. the entity relationship diagram is used to create a program which can be used in other
systems
d. the control module must be recreated for each program
Evaluators of the detailed feasibility study should not include
a. the internal auditor
b. the project manager
c. a user representative
d. the system designer
A commercial software system that is completely finished, tested, and ready for implementation is called a
a. backbone system
b. vendor-supported system

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c. benchmark system
d. turnkey system
Which of the following is not an advantage of commercial software? Commercial software
a. can be installed faster than a custom system
b. can be easily modified to the users exact specifications
c. is significantly less expensive than a system developed in-house
d. is less likely to have errors than an equivalent system developed in-house
Which step is least likely to occur when choosing a commercial software package?
a. a detailed review of the source code
b. contact with user groups
c. preparation of a request for proposal
d. comparison of the results of a benchmark problem
The output of the detailed design phase of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a
a. fully documented system report
b. systems selection report
c. detailed system design report
d. systems analysis report
The detailed design report contains all of the following except
a. input screen formats
b. alternative conceptual designs
c. report layouts
d. process logic
When each element of information supports the users decision or task, the output is said to possess
a. completeness
b. summarization
c. conciseness
d. relevance
There is often a conflict between the attributes of
a. timeliness and conciseness
b. accuracy and timeliness
c. relevance and summarization
d. completeness and exceptions orientation
A report of accounts that are past due has many information attributes. The most important attribute is
a. summarization
b. timeliness
c. conciseness
d. exception orientation
When hardcopy forms are used as the source for electronic data input,
a. a paper audit trail is maintained
b. economies of scale in data collection are avoided
c. input errors are reduced
d. a point-of-sale terminal is required
The most important design element for a hardcopy form that is used for electronic data input is that
a. the form is a standard size
b. the source document and the input screen are identical
c. instructions use active voice
d. sufficient copies of the form are prepared
Which is not true of direct data input forms?
a. errors caused by transcription are reduced

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b. calculations are automatically performed on intelligent forms

c. many data entry errors are detected and corrected immediately
d. workers who use direct data input forms must be highly trained and skilled
Which statement is not true?
a. loosely coupled modules are independent of other modules
b. cohesive modules perform a single, well-defined task
c. maintenance of a module with weak cohesion is simple
d. an error made in a tightly coupled module will affect other modules
Translating the system modules into pseudocode
a. occurs in the implementation phase of the Systems Development Life Cycle
b. expresses the detailed logic of the module in programming language
c. discourages end users from becoming actively involved in designing the system
d. permits individuals with few technical skills to understand the logic of the module
Which statement is not true? A systems design walkthrough
a. is conducted by a quality assurance group
b. occurs just after system implementation
c. simulates the operation of the system in order to uncover errors and omissions
d. reduces costs by reducing the amount of reprogramming
System documentation is designed for all of the following groups except
a. systems designers and programmers
b. end users
c. accountants
d. all of the above require systems documentation
Which type of documentation shows the detailed relationship of input files, programs, and output files?
a. structure diagrams
b. overview diagram
c. system flowchart
d. program flowchart
Typical contents of a run manual include all of the following except
a. run schedule
b. logic flowchart
c. file requirements
d. explanation of error messages
Computer operators should have access to all of the following types of documentation except
a. a list of users who receive output
b. a program code listing
c. a list of all master files used in the system
d. a list of required hardware devices
Which task is not essential during a data conversion procedure?
a. decomposing the system
b. validating the database
c. reconciliation of new and old databases
d. backing up the original files
When converting to a new system, which cutover method is the most conservative?
a. cold turkey cutover
b. phased cutover
c. parallel operation cutover
d. data coupling cutover
What is not true about data modeling?

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b.
c.
d.

Relationships are the degree of association between two entities.

Attributes are data that describe the characteristics or properties of entities.
Entities are resources, events, or agents involved in the business.
Modeling is the task of formalizing the data requirements of the business process as a
physical model.