EDPT Reading Comprehension and Critical Analysis 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A manual reads: 'Source documents are the original records from which data is captured for entry into a computer system.' An analyst receives a printed sales receipt and manually keys its figures into a database. In this scenario, the printed receipt is best described as:
- A backup file
- A source document (Correct answer)
- An output report
- A data dictionary
Correct answer: A source document
The printed receipt is the original record from which data is captured, matching the passage's definition of a source document.
Question 2: A passage argues: 'Automating repetitive data-entry tasks reduces human error and increases throughput, making it the superior choice for high-volume environments.' A critic responds: 'Automation requires significant upfront investment and ongoing maintenance, which may outweigh benefits for small organizations.' The critic's response is best characterized as:
- An irrelevant attack on automation technology in general
- A valid counterargument that highlights a cost-benefit limitation omitted by the original claim (Correct answer)
- A complete refutation proving automation is never beneficial
- An agreement with the passage restated in different words
Correct answer: A valid counterargument that highlights a cost-benefit limitation omitted by the original claim
The critic does not deny automation's benefits but points out a real financial constraint that limits the claim's universal applicability.
Question 3: Read this excerpt: 'Volatile memory loses its contents when power is removed, while non-volatile memory retains data without a continuous power supply.' A power outage occurs while an employee is editing a spreadsheet stored only in RAM. Based on the excerpt, what happens to the unsaved changes?
- The changes are preserved because RAM is a form of non-volatile memory
- The changes are lost because RAM is volatile and loses its contents without power (Correct answer)
- The changes are automatically written to the hard drive when power fails
- The changes remain in RAM until the computer restarts
Correct answer: The changes are lost because RAM is volatile and loses its contents without power
RAM is volatile memory; the passage states it loses its contents when power is removed, so unsaved changes are lost during a power outage.
Question 4: A passage states: 'Verification confirms that a system was built correctly according to its specifications, while validation confirms that the correct system was built to meet user needs.' A software team finishes testing and confirms their application performs every function listed in the design document, but users report the application does not solve their actual problem. Which statement is most accurate?
- The team achieved both verification and validation
- The team achieved verification but failed validation (Correct answer)
- The team achieved validation but failed verification
- The team failed both verification and validation
Correct answer: The team achieved verification but failed validation
Meeting the design specification satisfies verification, but failing to meet actual user needs means validation was not achieved.
Question 5: An author writes: 'Structured programming improves code readability by limiting control flow to three constructs: sequence, selection, and iteration.' A reviewer claims the author implies that unstructured code is always unreadable. Does the passage support this inference?
- Yes, because the passage states structured programming improves readability, implying all other approaches fail to do so
- No, because the passage describes a benefit of structured programming without making a claim about the readability of all unstructured code (Correct answer)
- Yes, because the passage lists exactly three constructs, leaving no room for alternatives
- No, because the passage is only about iteration constructs
Correct answer: No, because the passage describes a benefit of structured programming without making a claim about the readability of all unstructured code
The passage claims structured programming improves readability but does not assert that unstructured code is always unreadable; the reviewer's inference goes beyond what the text states.
Question 6: A technical passage explains: 'A primary key uniquely identifies each record in a database table and cannot contain null values.' A database designer creates a table using an employee's first name as the primary key. Which problem does this MOST likely introduce?
- The table will be unable to store any employee data
- Two employees with the same first name cannot be uniquely distinguished, violating the uniqueness requirement (Correct answer)
- The primary key will automatically contain null values
- The table will store records in alphabetical order instead of insertion order
Correct answer: Two employees with the same first name cannot be uniquely distinguished, violating the uniqueness requirement
First names are not unique—multiple employees can share one—so using a first name as a primary key violates the uniqueness requirement defined in the passage.
Question 7: A passage reads: 'Throughput measures the amount of work a system completes in a given time period, while response time measures how long the system takes to reply to a single request. These two metrics can sometimes conflict.' In which scenario do throughput and response time MOST clearly conflict?
- A system processes one request per second with a one-second response time
- A system batches 1,000 requests together to maximize throughput, causing each individual user to wait several minutes for a response (Correct answer)
- A system upgrades its hardware, improving both throughput and response time simultaneously
- A system reduces its workload, causing both throughput and response time to decrease proportionally
Correct answer: A system batches 1,000 requests together to maximize throughput, causing each individual user to wait several minutes for a response
Batching boosts throughput by processing many requests together but forces individual users to wait longer, directly illustrating the conflict between the two metrics.
EDPT Reading Comprehension and Critical Analysis 5
A manual reads: 'Source documents are the original records from which data is captured for entry into a computer system.' An analyst receives a printed sales receipt and manually keys its figures into a database.
In this scenario, the printed receipt is best described as: