The world of computers has really diversified in the last few years. The fact that the different computer programmes serve different purposes may be the reason. The computers are everywhere and so are the software running them. The product of the human geniuses in the form of software is actually really intriguing. Everyday there are new mysteries that are to be solved and new innovations that are incorporated.  It is one of the reasons that it is a really sought after branch.

Importance of the paper

Since the main aim of the subject is for the students to learn to design different software for different applications like data management, calculation, etc. It therefore not only needs for a student to know the different pros and cons of the subject but at the same time the student should also be creative to be able to design the required software. Thus the paper is exhaustive and gives the students a lot of space to think and bring in new ideas that he or she may find fit to solve a given problem.

Format

The paper is of 100 marks and consists of a total of seven questions in all.

Paper pattern

There are seven questions that are asked in the paper. However the candidate taking the exam is expected to answer the first question only and is free to pick any four from the rest and answer them correctly.

Marking

The first question is of 28 marks and the marks carried by all the other questions are indicated against each question itself. The different parts of a question should be answered together.

Some questions from the question paper

1.a. Differentiate between evolutionary and throw-away prototyping.

b. Why Spiral model is considered as a meta model? Explain.

c. Differentiate between functional and non functional requirements of a software?

d. Define the term cohesion in the context of object-oriented design.

e. Describe in brief four basic principles of software engineering.

f. Differentiate between software reengineering and reverse engineering.

g. Explain Equivalence Class Partitioning and Boundary value analysis techniques for software testing.

2.  a.  Discuss the differences between Structured Analysis and Object Oriented Analysis.

b. Mention the problems that might be faced by an organization if it does not follow any software life cycle model.

c. Verify the statement “Spiral model is not suitable for products that are vulnerable to large number of risks”.

Time allotted

The candidate is given 3 hours to complete the entire paper.

Recommended books

The number of books in this field in particular is large depending upon the different computer languages that might be used to write a specific computer code. However some of the common books like Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction by Steve McConnell and Head First Design Patterns by Elisabeth Freeman are most commonly used.