BCS The Chartered Institute for IT

THE BCS PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATIONS

BCS Level 6 Professional Graduate Diploma in IT

SOFTWARE ENGINEERING 2

Wednesday 28TH April 2010 - Afternoon

Answer any THREE questions out of FIVE. All questions carry equal marks.
Time: THREE hours

Answer any Section A questions you attempt in Answer Book A

Answer any Section B questions you attempt in Answer Book B

The marks given in brackets are indicative of the weight given to each part of the question.

Calculators are NOT allowed in this examination.

Section A
Answer Section A questions in Answer Book A

A1.

a) Provide a brief description of the V model and discuss its suitability for the software
development projects of today.
(16 marks)

b) Your Managing Director has asked you to recommend an evolutionary process model for an
online application project recently contracted to your firm. Give a brief outline of your
recommendation with justification of your choice.
(9 marks)

A2.

A local business has given you a 12-month contract to develop software for their existing
computer hardware platform. In appointing you, the Managing Director is particularly interested
in developing a customer record management system that is portable, reusable, and scalable,
but tailored to the needs of companies in the same line of business.

Using appropriate models and supporting notation identify and discuss some key design and
implementation techniques for:

a) the behavioral aspect of the software to satisfy the clients’ requirements for reuse and
portability;
(16 marks)
b) the structure and relationship aspect of the software in satisfying the clients’
requirements for portability and scalability.
(9 marks)
A3.

The success of software development as an engineering discipline can be measured by

production of quality software delivered on time, within budget, and satisfying users' needs.
Discuss how the following pairs of principles with supporting techniques and tools, can facilitate
the success of both the process and product of software development:

a) Modularity and decomposition;

(15 marks)
b) Formality and rigor.
(10 marks)

Section B
Answer Section B questions in Answer Book B

B4.

a) Discuss five factors that a software project manager should take into account when selecting
staff to form a software development project team. In each case explain the importance of the
factor in contributing to the project team’s success.
(10 marks)
b) Explain why good communication between members of a software development project team
is essential to the success of its work.
In your answer, identify four key factors that can influence the effectiveness of communication
within the project team, and describe ways in which the software project manager can enhance
communication within the team.
(10 marks)

c) In the light of the above factors related to staff selection and communication, what are the
extra considerations that would need to be considered when a part or all of the work on a
software project is outsourced?
(5 marks)

B5.

a) Explain the practice of software prototyping and identify how it can improve the quality of a
software system during the following phases of the software life cycle giving examples in each
case:
i) requirements analysis and specification
ii) design
iii) testing.
(20 marks)
b) The project team is sometimes pressured by managers and customers to deliver throw away
prototypes. Outline reasons why this is usually considered unwise.
(5 marks)