Question 1

In information security practice, encryption is primarily associated with protecting which activity within computing environments?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Encryption converts readable data (plaintext) into an unreadable format (ciphertext) that can only be reversed by authorized parties. It is fundamental to confidentiality and integrity across networks and storage. This question asks where encryption is primarily applied in typical computing operations. Given Data / Assumptions: Common encryption contexts: in transit (network communications) and at rest (stored data). Goal: prevent eavesdropping, tampering, or unauthorized disclosure. Focus: the mainstream, most common application across users and systems. Concept / Approach: The most widespread use of encryption is in data communication (e.g., TLS for web traffic, VPN tunnels, secure email), protecting data while it traverses untrusted networks. While encryption can also apply to stored files (at rest) and specific application fields, the archetypal, daily application is securing data in transit between clients, servers, and services. Step-by-Step Solution: Identify the protection target most exposed to interception: network traffic.Map common solutions: HTTPS/TLS, SSH, IPsec, WPA3.Confirm that transaction entry and local processing rely more on access controls and input validation than encryption by default.Choose “data communication” as the primary encryption use case. Verification / Alternative check: Industry standards (TLS everywhere) and regulatory guidance emphasize encrypting data in transit across public and internal networks. Why Other Options Are Wrong: File retention: Retention policies govern retention periods, not encryption per se. Transaction entry: Focuses on validation and authentication rather than encryption itself. Computer processing: Data is typically decrypted for processing; encryption is not the processing mechanism. None: Incorrect since encryption clearly applies to communications. Common Pitfalls: Conflating encryption at rest with retention or backups; they serve different controls and objectives. Final Answer: data communication

Question 2

In organizational practice, who typically conducts educational programs for labour union officials—focusing on policy communication, compliance, and industrial relations?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Training for labour union officials within or alongside an organization covers topics such as workplace policies, safety rules, grievance procedures, and collective bargaining frameworks. This sits squarely within human resources and industrial relations functions rather than information systems or purely technical domains. Given Data / Assumptions: Programs involve policy interpretation, employment law, and compliance. The target audience is labour union representatives and shop stewards. Objective: support constructive labour–management relations. Concept / Approach: Industrial relations (IR) teams are responsible for union interactions, contracts, and dispute resolution. They design or coordinate these educational programs, sometimes with legal counsel or external trainers. The vice-president of information systems is focused on IT strategy and operations, not labour policy training, thus not the principal party here. Step-by-Step Solution: Identify the functional domain of the training content: labour/HR/IR.Match to the organizational unit accountable for labour relations: IR department.Exclude IT leadership roles unrelated to labour relations.Select “the firm’s industrial relations department”. Verification / Alternative check: Standard HR/IR charters include union liaison, bargaining agreement education, and compliance training, validating this selection. Why Other Options Are Wrong: VP of IS: Focus is technology governance, not industrial relations. Both/neither/None: Do not reflect the typical accountability structure. Common Pitfalls: Assuming technical leadership handles cross-organizational training by default; topic domain should determine ownership. Final Answer: the firm's industrial relations department

Question 3

From a data systems design perspective in accounting, how many principal types of general ledger entries are commonly recognized for system handling and controls?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: General ledger (GL) systems classify journal entries to streamline controls, workflows, and reporting. While organizations may add sub-categories, systems design typically recognizes a concise set that dictates approval paths and posting logic. This question asks for that commonly referenced count from a systems viewpoint. Given Data / Assumptions: A GL entry records debits and credits that impact accounts. Design emphasizes consistent processing and audit trails. Common categories include regular/original, adjusting, and closing entries. Concept / Approach: Systems frequently group entries as: (1) original/regular (day-to-day operational postings), (2) adjusting (accruals/deferrals, estimates, corrections), and (3) closing (period-end transfers to retained earnings). This triad aligns with controls for period cut-off, segregation of duties, and financial statement preparation. Step-by-Step Solution: List widely used GL entry categories for system controls.Map each category to typical posting/approval rules.Confirm that these three drive most workflows and period-end processing.Select the count: “three”. Verification / Alternative check: Accounting systems and textbooks commonly feature original/adjusting/closing as core types; others (opening, reversing) are often treated as sub-types or specific timing mechanics rather than separate principal types. Why Other Options Are Wrong: One: Overly simplistic; does not reflect period-end processing realities. Four or six: Some organizations enumerate sub-types, but the common systems design view is a triad for core workflows. None: Incorrect; a recognized categorization exists. Common Pitfalls: Confusing detailed sub-types (e.g., reversing entries) with principal categories used for controls and reporting. Final Answer: three

Question 4

In operations research and inventory control, the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) formula is best characterized as what type of model?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: The Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) formula determines the order size that minimizes total inventory costs under specific assumptions. Understanding how to classify EOQ helps learners relate it to broader modeling categories used in operations research and supply chain analytics. Given Data / Assumptions: EOQ assumes constant demand and lead time. It balances ordering costs and holding costs. No stockouts or quantity discounts are assumed in the basic form. Concept / Approach: EOQ is an optimizing model because it minimizes a total-cost function. It is deterministic because key parameters (demand, costs) are assumed known and constant. It is also static because the model does not vary over time within its basic formulation—parameters do not change per period in the standard version. Step-by-Step Solution: Recognize objective: minimize total cost = ordering cost + holding cost.Note parameter certainty and time-invariance in the basic EOQ.Map definitions: optimizing + deterministic + static all apply.Select “All of the above”. Verification / Alternative check: Textbooks consistently present EOQ as a closed-form optimum under deterministic, steady-state assumptions—confirming all three classifications. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Choosing only one misses the comprehensive characterization of EOQ. None: Incorrect because EOQ clearly fits these categories. Common Pitfalls: Mixing EOQ with stochastic or dynamic models (e.g., newsvendor, time-varying demand) which alter these assumptions. Final Answer: All of the above

Question 5

Considering the impacts of computerization on business operations, which of the following is generally not recognized as a typical effect of using computers for data processing?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Information technology has transformed how companies operate. Automated data processing often reduces manual work and improves speed, quality, and scalability. This question asks you to identify which purported “impact” does not align with the typical benefits of computerization. Given Data / Assumptions: Automation replaces repetitive clerical tasks. Digital systems enable rapid reporting and analytics. Scale economies usually lower per-unit processing costs over time. Concept / Approach: Computerization commonly yields more and better information (accuracy, timeliness), enables easier growth (scalability), and requires fewer clerical workers (automation). While initial investment can be high, ongoing data-processing costs per transaction typically decrease relative to manual processes; hence “increased data-processing costs” is not a typical impact. Step-by-Step Solution: Compare each option with observed outcomes of automation.Identify contrary statement: increased costs are atypical once systems stabilize.Select “increased data-processing costs” as the exception.Confirm alignment with efficiency gains from IT adoption. Verification / Alternative check: Case studies show labor savings, faster cycle times, and reduced error costs; total cost per transaction drops despite capital outlays. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Easier growth, fewer clerical workers, more information: all are well-documented effects of computerization. None: Incorrect because one option clearly diverges. Common Pitfalls: Confusing short-term capital expenses with long-term processing costs; TCO analysis emphasizes per-unit efficiency gains over time. Final Answer: increased data-processing costs

Question 6

In cash management, what is the primary purpose of a bank 'lockbox' service offered to corporate customers?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: A lockbox is a treasury service wherein a company directs its payers to mail remittances to a special post office box monitored by the company’s bank. The bank collects, processes, and deposits the funds directly into the company’s account, accelerating cash availability and reducing internal handling time. Given Data / Assumptions: The “bank customer” is the company subscribing to the service. Customers (payers) send checks to the lockbox address. The bank credits the company’s account quickly after processing. Concept / Approach: The lockbox’s primary purpose is to deposit payments on behalf of the bank’s corporate customers, speeding cash application and improving cash flow. It is not a night depository for cash, not an automatic bill-pay system, and not a document storage vault service, even though related services may exist alongside lockboxes (e.g., remittance imaging and data transmission). Step-by-Step Solution: Identify the relationship: the bank provides services to a corporate client.Clarify “payments”: funds remitted by that client’s customers.Determine action: prompt deposit to the corporate client’s account.Choose “depositing payments to bank customers”. Verification / Alternative check: Treasury management references describe lockboxes as accelerating receivables by outsourcing mail receipt and deposit to the bank. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Night deposit (cash when closed) is a different service. Automatic bill payment pays out funds, not deposits incoming remittances. Vault storage is a safekeeping service, not receivables processing. None: Incorrect because the lockbox explicitly deposits payments for the bank’s customers (corporations). Common Pitfalls: Misreading “bank customers” as retail payers; here it refers to the corporate client using the lockbox service. Final Answer: depositing payments to bank customers

Question 7

When evaluating a Decision Support System (DSS) during development, which of the following is typically not a key component of the evaluation framework?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: DSS evaluation focuses on whether the system improves decision quality, usability, responsiveness, and stakeholder satisfaction. While project management metrics (like time spent) are useful for delivery oversight, they are not central to evaluating the effectiveness of the DSS itself. This question distinguishes product evaluation from project administration. Given Data / Assumptions: Evaluation criteria for DSS typically include accuracy, relevance, timeliness, usability, and impact on decisions. Monitoring progress and formal reviews help structure iterative improvements. Development time tracking is a project metric, not a direct quality metric of the DSS’s decision support. Concept / Approach: An effective evaluation framework specifies criteria (what “good” looks like), monitoring (how progress toward those criteria is tracked), and a formal review process (how findings drive decisions). Measuring development time is relevant to schedule and cost management, but it neither proves nor disproves the DSS’s utility in supporting decisions. Step-by-Step Solution: Separate product effectiveness (decision support outcomes) from project efficiency (time/cost).Identify elements integral to product evaluation: criteria, monitoring, reviews.Recognize that “time spent” is peripheral to system evaluation.Select “means of measuring system-development time spent on the project”. Verification / Alternative check: Best-practice frameworks (usability testing, KPI impact, A/B pilots) emphasize outcomes and user adoption, not engineering hours, when judging DSS success. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Criteria, monitoring, and formal reviews are core to systematic evaluation. “All of the above” is incorrect because one option is not key to evaluation proper. Common Pitfalls: Equating on-time delivery with effectiveness; a timely but unhelpful DSS still fails users. Final Answer: means of measuring system-development time spent on the project

Question 8

In management control terminology, what is the approach called when a manager focuses attention on exceptions—situations that deviate from plan or are out of control—rather than routine, in-tolerance operations?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Managers cannot scrutinize every detail continuously. A classic principle of managerial control is to focus scarce attention on anomalies—cost overruns, missed targets, and out-of-spec conditions—while letting stable processes run with minimal intervention. This approach improves efficiency and responsiveness. Given Data / Assumptions: Performance is tracked against plans, budgets, or control limits. Information systems can flag deviations using thresholds or statistical rules. The manager needs to prioritize corrective action where risk is highest. Concept / Approach: Management by exception is the practice of intervening when metrics fall outside acceptable ranges. Reports and dashboards surface exceptions through alerts, color coding, or exception reports. This allows leaders to concentrate on causes and countermeasures rather than routine, in-tolerance operations. Step-by-Step Solution: Define the control philosophy: act on deviations, monitor the rest.Identify artifacts: exception reports, alarms, and outlier lists.Map terminology: “management by exception” matches the described behavior.Select the term accordingly. Verification / Alternative check: Management accounting and quality control literature use this term for variance analysis and SPC-based interventions. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Control: Generic term; not specific to exceptions. Predictive reports: Concern forecasts, not deviations per se. Relevant: Not a recognized control approach label in this context. None: Incorrect because a standard term exists. Common Pitfalls: Chasing every metric change; only statistically significant or threshold-breaking deviations should trigger action to avoid over-control. Final Answer: management by exception

Question 9

In systems analysis and design, which statement about the role of a system analyst is most accurate for real-world software projects?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: A system analyst is central to translating business needs into implementable technical solutions. Understanding what they actually do versus common misconceptions helps clarify roles in software development and boosts team effectiveness. Given Data / Assumptions: The context is information systems projects (requirements, analysis, design, and transition to development). System analysts collaborate with end users, managers, and programmers. The phrase ‘‘system software’’ usually refers to low-level OS or utility software, typically engineered by systems programmers, not business system analysts. Concept / Approach: System analysts elicit and model requirements, specify processes and data, evaluate alternatives, and ensure solutions meet user needs. They ‘‘bridge’’ business stakeholders and technical teams, maintaining traceability from requirements to delivered features throughout the system development life cycle (SDLC). Step-by-Step Solution: Identify the core function: facilitating communication and translating user requirements into system specifications.Map duties across SDLC: feasibility, requirements, analysis, logical design, coordination during build, and validation.Differentiate between system analysts (application/system design at business level) and systems programmers (system software such as OS, drivers). Verification / Alternative check: Standard job descriptions and SDLC textbooks consistently describe the analyst as a liaison between users and developers, responsible for requirements quality and solution fitness. Why Other Options Are Wrong: ‘‘analyze and design system software’’: misleading; analysts focus on information systems and applications, not OS-level system software. ‘‘heavily involved with the SDLC’’: true, but the question asks for the most accurate single statement—being an intermediary succinctly captures the essence of the role. ‘‘both (a) and (c)’’: incorrect because (a) is not generally true for analysts. ‘‘None of the above’’: denied by the accurate intermediary description. Common Pitfalls: Confusing ‘‘system analyst’’ with ‘‘systems programmer’’; assuming analysts write most of the code instead of specifying what must be built. Final Answer: they may be looked upon as an intermediary between users and programmers

Question 10

In linear programming (LP), what do we call a constraint that does not change or restrict the feasible region at all?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: In linear programming models, constraints define the feasible region within which the objective is optimized. Sometimes a written constraint does not actually ‘‘bind’’ or change the region. Recognizing such constraints simplifies models and computation. Given Data / Assumptions: An LP model with an objective and linear constraints. Graphical or algebraic feasibility analysis applies. We are identifying the correct term for a nonrestrictive constraint. Concept / Approach: A redundant constraint is logically implied by other constraints and the variable bounds. Removing it leaves the feasible region unchanged. It does not create a binding boundary at the optimum and has no effect on the solution set. Step-by-Step Solution: Consider the intersection of all constraints; check whether removing one changes the feasible region.If the feasible region is identical with and without the constraint, it is redundant.Confirm that the optimal solution and objective value remain the same after removal. Verification / Alternative check: Run the LP with and without the candidate constraint; identical feasible sets or identical optimal bases indicate redundancy. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Slack variable: an artificial variable measuring unused capacity; not a constraint type. Unbounded solution: describes objective behavior, not a specific constraint. Surplus variable: measures excess over a ‘‘≥’’ constraint; again, not a constraint type. Common Pitfalls: Confusing redundant constraints with nonbinding constraints; a nonbinding constraint may still shape the feasible set even if it is not tight at the optimum. Final Answer: redundant constraint

Question 11

In transaction processing within accounting information systems, which of the following is one of the three most common payment subsystems?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Organizations rely on core financial subsystems to execute routine, high-volume transactions. Understanding the canonical payment subsystems helps categorize workflows and internal controls in enterprise systems. Given Data / Assumptions: We focus on standard, recurring payment processes found in most firms. ‘‘Three most common’’ refers to foundational subsystems (e.g., accounts payable, payroll, and cash disbursements). The question asks for one representative example. Concept / Approach: The accounts payable (A/P) system processes vendor invoices, matches them with purchase orders and receipts (three-way match), approves payments, and records liabilities and disbursements. It is unequivocally a core payment subsystem. Step-by-Step Solution: Identify standard payment flows: vendor payables, payroll, and expense reimbursements.Select the subsystem recognized across all industries: Accounts Payable.Exclude nonstandard or oddly named options. Verification / Alternative check: ERP modules (e.g., in SAP, Oracle) universally include Accounts Payable as a major payment component alongside Accounts Receivable and General Ledger. Why Other Options Are Wrong: ‘‘pinion fund transaction system’’: not a standard term. ‘‘travel expense reimbursement system’’: a narrower workflow often handled within A/P or T&E modules, not a top-level payment subsystem in all organizations. ‘‘All of the above’’: incorrect due to the first option's invalid term. Common Pitfalls: Equating specialized processes (expense reimbursement) with universal subsystems; the foundational module is A/P. Final Answer: accounts payable system

Question 12

Econometric modeling draws on which disciplines to build quantitative models for economic phenomena?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Econometrics quantifies economic relationships using data. Effective models require domain theory, mathematical structure, and statistical inference to estimate, test, and forecast behaviors in markets and organizations. Given Data / Assumptions: We seek the disciplinary mix underpinning econometrics. Models must be theoretically sound, mathematically specified, and statistically estimable. Applications include demand estimation, policy evaluation, and time-series forecasting. Concept / Approach: Economics provides theoretical constructs (utility, production, equilibrium). Mathematics formalizes models (functions, constraints, optimization). Statistics supplies estimation and hypothesis testing (OLS, MLE, inference, diagnostics). Step-by-Step Solution: Start with an economic theory to define variables and expected signs.Express relationships in mathematical form (e.g., linear or nonlinear equations).Use statistical methods to estimate parameters and evaluate model fit and assumptions. Verification / Alternative check: Econometric textbooks explicitly combine economic theory, mathematical modeling, and statistical estimation to make credible causal or predictive statements. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Each single-discipline option is incomplete; econometrics is inherently interdisciplinary. Common Pitfalls: Relying solely on statistical correlations without economic theory (spurious results), or purely theoretical models without empirical validation. Final Answer: All of the above

Question 13

In project network analysis (PERT/CPM), the ‘‘slack’’ of an event is defined as the calculated time span within which the event must occur. Is this statement correct?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Project scheduling relies on understanding floats or slack—the allowable delay without affecting subsequent events or the overall deadline. Clarity on this definition is essential for prioritizing activities and managing buffers. Given Data / Assumptions: Events (nodes) and activities (arcs) are defined in a PERT/CPM network. Early and late times for events are computed via forward and backward passes. Slack refers to timing flexibility for events or activities. Concept / Approach: Event slack equals Late Event Time minus Early Event Time. It is the permissible window for the event’s occurrence without delaying dependent events or the project completion. Step-by-Step Solution: Compute Early Event Times using forward pass (max of incoming activity early finishes).Compute Late Event Times using backward pass (min of outgoing activity late starts/finishes).Calculate slack: Slack(Event) = Late Time − Early Time. Verification / Alternative check: Where slack is zero, events lie on the critical path and must occur exactly at their early/late times to avoid project delay. Why Other Options Are Wrong: ‘‘false’’ and ‘‘cannot be said’’ contradict the standard CPM definition; ‘‘All of the above’’ is logically inconsistent. Common Pitfalls: Confusing activity float with event slack; while related, the formulas and interpretations differ. Final Answer: true

Question 14

Within an IT organization, who is primarily responsible for the analysis and design of application systems that satisfy business requirements?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Defining clear roles avoids confusion during system development. The analysis and design phases demand a role focused on requirements, modeling, and solution design rather than code implementation alone. Given Data / Assumptions: We distinguish between analysts (what to build) and programmers (how to code it). Operational roles (operators, data entry) are not design-centric. The target is application systems (business information systems). Concept / Approach: System analysts lead requirements elicitation, business process modeling, data modeling, and logical solution design. They validate feasibility and ensure that specifications align with stakeholder needs before development proceeds. Step-by-Step Solution: Identify the role owning requirements and design artifacts.Map responsibilities to SDLC phases (feasibility, requirements, logical design).Select the role that best matches: System Analyst. Verification / Alternative check: Standard SDLC and BABOK-aligned practices assign business/system analysis and design to analysts; programmers implement and unit test the design. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Programmers primarily code; operators maintain runtime; data entry clerks input data. Common Pitfalls: Assuming programmers should always gather requirements; this blurs separation of concerns and risks misalignment. Final Answer: System Analyst

Question 15

Historically, Operations Research (OR) emerged most prominently during which context, motivating its analytical methods and optimization focus?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Operations Research (OR) applies mathematical modeling, statistics, and optimization to decision-making. Its origins explain why OR emphasizes resource allocation, logistics, and strategy under constraints. Given Data / Assumptions: We seek the historical driver for OR's rapid development. Consider major 20th-century events that required systematic decision-making under uncertainty. The outcome influenced later civilian applications. Concept / Approach: OR crystallized during World War II to address radar placement, convoy routing, mission planning, and resource optimization. Post-war, techniques migrated to industry for inventory control, scheduling, and network design. Step-by-Step Solution: Identify wartime needs: maximize mission effectiveness and minimize losses with limited resources.Recognize the interdisciplinary teams combining math, engineering, and statistics.Connect to modern OR staples (linear programming, queuing, simulation). Verification / Alternative check: Historical accounts credit military operations as the catalyst; later sectors adopted OR due to demonstrated value. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Education, transportation, and medicine benefited later, but were not the primary originators of OR's intensive development. Common Pitfalls: Confusing earliest academic studies with the large-scale, organized practice that defined OR during wartime. Final Answer: military reasons

Question 16

In information quality terms, what do we call the ratio of correct information to the total amount of information produced over a period?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Organizations evaluate data quality using dimensions such as accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and consistency. A quantitative notion of how much of the information is correct directly impacts trust in reports and decisions. Given Data / Assumptions: Information items can be evaluated as correct or incorrect against ground truth. We examine a period output (reports, records, messages). We need the term for the proportion that is correct. Concept / Approach: Accuracy measures closeness to truth. When framed as a ratio, Accuracy = (Number of correct items) / (Total items produced). Higher accuracy implies fewer errors, rework, and misinformed actions. Step-by-Step Solution: Define correctness criteria (business rules, validations, reference data).Assess each record/item for compliance with truth or rules.Compute the ratio of correct to total across the period. Verification / Alternative check: Data quality scorecards and KPIs typically list accuracy as a percentage, often alongside completeness and timeliness. Why Other Options Are Wrong: ‘‘concise’’ refers to brevity; ‘‘simulation’’ is a modeling method; ‘‘decision’’ is an outcome, not a quality metric. Common Pitfalls: Confusing ‘‘accuracy’’ with ‘‘precision’’; precision relates to variability/consistency, not correctness. Final Answer: accuracy

Question 17

Inventory control: which managerial action will reduce the average inventory level held by a firm, all else being equal?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Average inventory influences working capital, storage costs, and service levels. In classic Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) logic and cycle stock analysis, average on-hand is driven primarily by order quantity and demand variability. Given Data / Assumptions: Deterministic demand, constant usage rate (EOQ assumptions). Replenishment in batches (lot sizing). We are isolating impact on average inventory, not safety stock alone. Concept / Approach: Average cycle stock in a simple lot-size model equals Q / 2, where Q is the order quantity. Reducing Q reduces the average on-hand. Reorder point and lead time affect when to order and influence safety stock or pipeline inventory more than the basic cycle stock component. Step-by-Step Solution: Define cycle stock average: Avg = Q / 2 under steady usage and instantaneous replenishment.Assess each lever's effect on Q: decreasing Q lowers Q / 2 directly.Note that lowering reorder point or lead time reduces safety or pipeline components, but the dominant cycle stock driver remains Q. Verification / Alternative check: EOQ formula Q* = sqrt( (2 * D * S) / H ). Reducing Q via smaller lots (e.g., through setup reduction) lowers both Q and average inventory. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Lowering the reorder point: can reduce safety stock slightly, but not the cycle stock component defined by Q. Increasing usage rate: tends to increase order frequency and may not lower average on-hand; can increase pipeline inventory. Decreasing vendor lead time: reduces pipeline/safety stock, but without changing Q, average cycle stock remains Q / 2. Common Pitfalls: Conflating safety stock and cycle stock; the most direct lever for average inventory is order quantity. Final Answer: decreasing the order quantity

Question 18

Ethics and computing: when computers are used to monitor most user activities, what essential personal right is most at risk?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Digital systems can log web activity, location, communications, and workplace behavior. While monitoring can improve safety and compliance, it raises ethical concerns about individual rights and organizational responsibility. Given Data / Assumptions: Computers can capture and retain detailed behavioral data. We consider the primary right threatened by pervasive monitoring. Laws and policies differ by jurisdiction, but the core concept is universal. Concept / Approach: Privacy is the right to control personal information about oneself—what is collected, how it is used, and with whom it is shared. Excessive or opaque monitoring intrudes on this right and may erode trust and autonomy. Step-by-Step Solution: Identify the monitored domains (browsing, keystrokes, geolocation, communications).Evaluate which personal right is directly impacted by such data capture.Select privacy as the principal right at risk. Verification / Alternative check: Common regulatory frameworks (e.g., data protection laws) are framed around privacy—collection limitation, purpose specification, consent, and access rights. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Security: relates to protection from harm or unauthorized access; monitoring can increase security but at privacy cost. Back log: operational term, not a personal right. Tapping: a method of surveillance, not the right in question. Common Pitfalls: Equating surveillance with ‘‘security’’ benefits without weighing privacy; ethical practice requires proportionality and transparency. Final Answer: privacy

Question 19

In systems analysis and information technology governance, a standards manual defines mandatory conventions and practices. Such a manual specifies standards that must be followed in both system design and ongoing system operation—confirming complian…

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: A standards manual is a governance artifact that codifies how teams should design, build, deploy, and run information systems. It improves interoperability, security, maintainability, and auditability by making expectations explicit for both design-time and run-time activities. Given Data / Assumptions: The organization maintains a written standards manual. Standards must be applied during solution architecture and during day-to-day operations. Consistency across projects and environments is a primary goal. Concept / Approach: Design standards define naming conventions, architectural patterns, data models, interface contracts, coding guidelines, and security-by-design practices. Operational standards define backup schedules, monitoring thresholds, incident response procedures, change management steps, and service-level objectives. Together, they cover the full system life cycle and are essential to compliance and quality management frameworks (for example, ISO, ITIL, COBIT). Step-by-Step Solution: Identify where standards apply at design time: architecture, code, data, and security requirements.Identify where standards apply at operation time: deployment, monitoring, patching, backup/restore, and incident handling.Conclude that a standards manual necessarily spans both system design and system operation. Verification / Alternative check: Review any mature organization’s SDLC and service management documents; they pair design standards (for building) with operational standards (for running), confirming the dual scope. Why Other Options Are Wrong: System design only: Ignores run-time governance and reliability. System operation only: Ignores architectural consistency and technical debt prevention. Neither/None: Contradicts the purpose of a standards manual. Common Pitfalls: Treating standards as a one-time design checklist and overlooking operational enforcement, leading to drift and compliance gaps. Final Answer: both (a) and (b)

Question 20

On personal computers, a financial modeling package resembles a spreadsheet but supports larger datasets and includes a built-in "goal seeking" function to back-solve inputs for a desired output value. Which term correctly completes this description?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Financial modeling tools extend spreadsheets by adding sensitivity analysis, scenario management, and optimization helpers. A classic capability is "goal seeking," where the software iteratively adjusts an input to achieve a specified output (for example, finding the interest rate that yields a given Net Present Value). Given Data / Assumptions: The package operates like a spreadsheet but at larger scale. It includes a built-in function that solves for an input given a desired output. The conventional name of that function is widely used across tools. Concept / Approach: Goal seek automates reverse calculation. Instead of trial-and-error, the tool iteratively updates a chosen variable to minimize the difference between a formula’s result and the target value. This is distinct from generic planning or aiming; it is a named feature in many spreadsheet and modeling systems and is specifically called "goal seek" or "goal seeking." Step-by-Step Solution: Identify the capability: back-solve an input for a desired formula result.Recall the industry term: goal seek.Choose the word that precisely names the function: "goal." Verification / Alternative check: Common office suites document this feature as Goal Seek; financial modeling platforms adopt the same naming convention. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Target/aim/plan: Related concepts but not the established function name. None of the above: Incorrect because "goal" is the conventional term. Common Pitfalls: Confusing goal seek with solver optimization; goal seek handles a single variable and single target, whereas solver can handle multi-variable constraints. Final Answer: goal

Management Information Systems Questions