WGU D426 DATA MANAGEMENT
FOUNDATIONS - VERSION B
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
1. Which normal form specifically addresses the issue of partial functional dependencies by
ensuring that all non-key attributes are fully functionally dependent on the entire primary
key?
A. First Normal Form (1NF)
B. Third Normal Form (3NF)
C. Second Normal Form (2NF)
D. Boyce-Codd Normal Form (BCNF)
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: Second Normal Form (2NF) requires a table to be in 1NF and
that all non-key attributes must be functionally dependent on the entire primary key, not
just a part of it (no partial dependencies).
2. In the relational model, what is the term for a set of one or more attributes that can
uniquely identify a tuple within a relation, but is not necessarily the chosen primary key?
A. Candidate Key
,B. Superkey
C. Foreign Key
D. Composite Key
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: A Candidate Key is a minimal superkey that uniquely identifies a
row. Any candidate key not chosen as the primary key is referred to as an alternate key.
3. Which SQL command is used to permanently remove all records from a table while keeping
the table structure intact, and typically cannot be rolled back in many DBMS configurations?
A. DELETE
B. TRUNCATE
C. DROP
D. REMOVE
Answer: B
Conceptual Explanation: TRUNCATE removes all rows from a table. Unlike DELETE, it is a
DDL operation in some systems and does not log individual row deletions, making it faster
but harder to undo.
4. According to the ACID properties of transactions, which property ensures that once a
transaction is committed, its changes survive even in the event of a system failure?
A. Atomicity
, B. Consistency
C. Isolation
D. Durability
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Durability guarantees that once a transaction has been
committed, it will remain so, even in the event of power loss, crashes, or errors.
5. Which component of the Database Management System (DBMS) is responsible for
ensuring that concurrent transactions do not interfere with each other?
A. Concurrency Control Manager
B. Query Processor
C. Storage Manager
D. Log Manager
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: The Concurrency Control Manager handles the simultaneous
execution of transactions to maintain isolation and data integrity.
6. A ‘Many-to-Many’ relationship between two entities in an ERD is typically resolved in a
physical relational database design by using:
A. An Associative Entity (Intersection Table)
B. A Surrogate Key
FOUNDATIONS - VERSION B
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
1. Which normal form specifically addresses the issue of partial functional dependencies by
ensuring that all non-key attributes are fully functionally dependent on the entire primary
key?
A. First Normal Form (1NF)
B. Third Normal Form (3NF)
C. Second Normal Form (2NF)
D. Boyce-Codd Normal Form (BCNF)
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: Second Normal Form (2NF) requires a table to be in 1NF and
that all non-key attributes must be functionally dependent on the entire primary key, not
just a part of it (no partial dependencies).
2. In the relational model, what is the term for a set of one or more attributes that can
uniquely identify a tuple within a relation, but is not necessarily the chosen primary key?
A. Candidate Key
,B. Superkey
C. Foreign Key
D. Composite Key
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: A Candidate Key is a minimal superkey that uniquely identifies a
row. Any candidate key not chosen as the primary key is referred to as an alternate key.
3. Which SQL command is used to permanently remove all records from a table while keeping
the table structure intact, and typically cannot be rolled back in many DBMS configurations?
A. DELETE
B. TRUNCATE
C. DROP
D. REMOVE
Answer: B
Conceptual Explanation: TRUNCATE removes all rows from a table. Unlike DELETE, it is a
DDL operation in some systems and does not log individual row deletions, making it faster
but harder to undo.
4. According to the ACID properties of transactions, which property ensures that once a
transaction is committed, its changes survive even in the event of a system failure?
A. Atomicity
, B. Consistency
C. Isolation
D. Durability
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Durability guarantees that once a transaction has been
committed, it will remain so, even in the event of power loss, crashes, or errors.
5. Which component of the Database Management System (DBMS) is responsible for
ensuring that concurrent transactions do not interfere with each other?
A. Concurrency Control Manager
B. Query Processor
C. Storage Manager
D. Log Manager
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: The Concurrency Control Manager handles the simultaneous
execution of transactions to maintain isolation and data integrity.
6. A ‘Many-to-Many’ relationship between two entities in an ERD is typically resolved in a
physical relational database design by using:
A. An Associative Entity (Intersection Table)
B. A Surrogate Key
