WGU C170 Focused on Chapter 6
Normalization Practice Study Guide
Questions with Distinction level Marking
scheme version 2024/2025
atomic attribute - correct answer An attribute that cannot be further subdivided to
produce meaningful components. For example, a person's last name attribute cannot be
meaningfully subdivided.
atomicity - correct answer The transaction property that requires all parts of a
transaction to be treated as a single, indivisible, logical unit of work. All parts of a
transaction must be completed or the entire transaction is aborted.
Boyce-Codd normal form (BCNF) - correct answer A special type of third normal form
(3NF) in which every determinant is a candidate key. A table in BCNF must be in 3NF.
denormalization - correct answer A process by which a table is changed from a higher-
level normal form to a lower-level normal form, usually to increase processing speed.
Denormalization potentially yields data anomalies.
dependency diagram - correct answer A representation of all data dependencies
(primary key, partial, or transitive) within a table.
determinant - correct answer Any attribute in a specific row whose value directly
determines other values in that row.
first normal form (1NF) - correct answer The first stage in the normalization process. It
describes a relation depicted in tabular format, with no repeating groups and a primary
key identified. All nonkey attributes in the relation are dependent on the primary key.
fourth normal form (4NF) - correct answer A table is in 4NF if it is in 3NF and contains
no multiple independent sets of multivalued dependencies.
, granularity - correct answer The level of detail represented by the values stored in a
table's row. Data stored at its lowest level of granularity is said to be atomic data.
nonkey attribute - correct answer An attribute that is not part of a key.
nonprime attribute - correct answer An attribute that is not part of a key.
normalization - correct answer A process that assigns attributes to entities so that data
redundancies are reduced or eliminated.
partial dependency - correct answer A condition in which an attribute is dependent on
only a portion (subset) of the primary key.
repeating group - correct answer In a relation, a characteristic describing a group of
multiple entries of the same type for a single key attribute occurrence. For example, a
car can have multiple colors for its top, interior, bottom, trim, and so on.
second normal form (2NF) - correct answer The second stage in the normalization
process, in which a relation is in 1NF and there are no partial dependencies
(dependencies in only part of the primary key).
third normal form (3NF) - correct answer A table is in 3NF when it is in 2NF and no
nonkey attribute is functionally dependent on another nonkey attribute; that is, it cannot
include transitive dependencies.
transitive dependency - correct answer A condition in which an attribute is dependent
on another attribute that is not part of the primary key.
False - correct answer (True or False) A determinant is any attribute whose value
determines other values within a column.
Normalization Practice Study Guide
Questions with Distinction level Marking
scheme version 2024/2025
atomic attribute - correct answer An attribute that cannot be further subdivided to
produce meaningful components. For example, a person's last name attribute cannot be
meaningfully subdivided.
atomicity - correct answer The transaction property that requires all parts of a
transaction to be treated as a single, indivisible, logical unit of work. All parts of a
transaction must be completed or the entire transaction is aborted.
Boyce-Codd normal form (BCNF) - correct answer A special type of third normal form
(3NF) in which every determinant is a candidate key. A table in BCNF must be in 3NF.
denormalization - correct answer A process by which a table is changed from a higher-
level normal form to a lower-level normal form, usually to increase processing speed.
Denormalization potentially yields data anomalies.
dependency diagram - correct answer A representation of all data dependencies
(primary key, partial, or transitive) within a table.
determinant - correct answer Any attribute in a specific row whose value directly
determines other values in that row.
first normal form (1NF) - correct answer The first stage in the normalization process. It
describes a relation depicted in tabular format, with no repeating groups and a primary
key identified. All nonkey attributes in the relation are dependent on the primary key.
fourth normal form (4NF) - correct answer A table is in 4NF if it is in 3NF and contains
no multiple independent sets of multivalued dependencies.
, granularity - correct answer The level of detail represented by the values stored in a
table's row. Data stored at its lowest level of granularity is said to be atomic data.
nonkey attribute - correct answer An attribute that is not part of a key.
nonprime attribute - correct answer An attribute that is not part of a key.
normalization - correct answer A process that assigns attributes to entities so that data
redundancies are reduced or eliminated.
partial dependency - correct answer A condition in which an attribute is dependent on
only a portion (subset) of the primary key.
repeating group - correct answer In a relation, a characteristic describing a group of
multiple entries of the same type for a single key attribute occurrence. For example, a
car can have multiple colors for its top, interior, bottom, trim, and so on.
second normal form (2NF) - correct answer The second stage in the normalization
process, in which a relation is in 1NF and there are no partial dependencies
(dependencies in only part of the primary key).
third normal form (3NF) - correct answer A table is in 3NF when it is in 2NF and no
nonkey attribute is functionally dependent on another nonkey attribute; that is, it cannot
include transitive dependencies.
transitive dependency - correct answer A condition in which an attribute is dependent
on another attribute that is not part of the primary key.
False - correct answer (True or False) A determinant is any attribute whose value
determines other values within a column.
