INFORMATION SYSTEMS EXAM KASNEB MAY 2013

KASNEB ICTT LEVEL II

INFORMATION SYSTEMS

THURSDAY: 30 May 2013.                                                                                                                    Time Allowed: 3 hours.

Answer any FIVE questions.                                                                                                                   ALL questions carry equal marks.

QUESTION ONE

(a)           Briefly explain the following information systems:

(i)            Expert system.                                                                            (2 marks)

(ii)           Decision support system.                                                              (2 marks)

(iii)          Transaction processing system.                                                                                                        (2 marks)

(b)           "An organisation is considered to be a system"

Justify the above statement.                                                                      (10 marks)

(c)            Identify the functions of the output component in a computer system.                                                         (4 marks)

(Total: 20 marks)

QUESTION TWO

(a)           Appraise four advantages of outsourcing software.                                                                               (8 marks)

(b)           Evaluate three system changeover strategies giving an advantage and a disadvantage of each.                         (12 marks)

(Total: 20 marks)

QU ES HON THREE

(a)            Highlight four components of each of the following aspects of an information system:

(i)            Technological.                                                                                         (4 marks)

(ii)           Organisational.                                                                                         (4 marks)

(b)           Outline four methods commonly used in data collection.                                                                               (8 marks)

(c)           Differentiate between "systems security" and "data security".                                                                      (4 marks)

(Total: 20 marks)

QUESTION FO R

(a)            Systems analysts develop data flow diagrams (DFDs) as part of a system's development.

Reqnired:

(i)            Explain the meaning of DFDs.                                                                                                         (2 marks)

(ii)           Using illustrations, label four types of diagrams used in data flow diagramming system's technique. (4 marks)

(b)           List six data validation checks.                                                                                                        (6 marks)

(c)            (i)            Define the term "coding   relation to system design.                                                                         (2 marks)

(ii)           Highlight six characteristics of a good program code.                                                                        (6 marks)

(Total: 20 marks)

QUESTION FIVE

(a)            Regardless of the kind of data processed or kind of equipment or device used, all data processing systems involve at

least three basic steps.

Required:

Summarise the three basic steps of data processing.                                                                                      (6 marks)

(b)           Describe five basic components of a decision support system (DSS).                                                          (10 marks)

(c)           Outline four qualities of good information.                                                                                                    (4 marks)

                                                                                                                                                                                     (Total: 20 marks)

QUESTION SIX

(a)            Highlight four reasons why one would either hire or lease computers and related equipment.                        (4 marks)

(b)           Outline six types of errors that could occur during data entry.                                                                         (6 marks)

(c)            Explain four characteristics of an executive information system (EIS).                                                           (4 marks)

(d)           Illustrate the operational section of an information technology (IT) department of a medium size organisation showing at

least six operators.                                                                                        (6 marks)

(Total: 20 marks)

QUESTION SEVEN

(a)            Each stage of systems development ends with a tangible product.

With reference to the above statement, state the products of the following stages:

(i)             Problem definition.                                                                     (1 mark)

(ii)           Feasibility study.                                                                                                                           (1 mark)

(iii)          System design.                                                                                                                               (I mark)

(iv)          System analysis.                                                                                                                          (1 mark)

(b)            Identify four contents of the product of each of the stages in (a) above.                                                     (16 marks)

(Total: 20 marks)