MOS Access: Database Fundamentals 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a primary key in an Access table?
- To sort records alphabetically
- To uniquely identify each record in the table (Correct answer)
- To create relationships between tables
- To set a default value for a field
Correct answer: To uniquely identify each record in the table
A primary key uniquely identifies each record in a table, ensuring no two records have the same key value.
Question 2: Which data type should you use to store a phone number like '(555) 123-4567' in an Access table?
- Number
- Currency
- Short Text (Correct answer)
- Long Text
Correct answer: Short Text
Short Text is used for alphanumeric data like phone numbers that contain non-numeric characters and are never used in calculations.
Question 3: What is the maximum number of characters allowed in a Short Text field in Microsoft Access?
- 128
- 255 (Correct answer)
- 512
- 1,024
Correct answer: 255
Short Text fields in Access support a maximum of 255 characters.
Question 4: Which Access view allows you to add, edit, and delete table records directly?
- Design View
- Datasheet View (Correct answer)
- Layout View
- PivotTable View
Correct answer: Datasheet View
Datasheet View displays records in a row-and-column grid and allows direct data entry and editing.
Question 5: What happens when you set a field's Required property to 'Yes' in Access?
- The field is filled with a default value automatically
- The field cannot contain duplicate values
- The field must have a value before the record can be saved (Correct answer)
- The field is hidden from users in forms
Correct answer: The field must have a value before the record can be saved
Setting Required to 'Yes' forces users to enter a value in that field; the record cannot be saved if the field is left empty.
Question 6: Which of the following is NOT a valid data type in Microsoft Access?
- AutoNumber
- Hyperlink
- Formula (Correct answer)
- OLE Object
Correct answer: Formula
'Formula' is not a data type in Access; fields that compute values use the 'Calculated' data type instead.
Question 7: What is the purpose of the AutoNumber data type in Access?
- To automatically calculate totals for a field
- To automatically assign a unique sequential integer to each new record (Correct answer)
- To format numbers with a specified number of decimal places
- To store very large numerical values beyond standard integer range
Correct answer: To automatically assign a unique sequential integer to each new record
AutoNumber automatically generates a unique sequential (or random) number for each new record, making it ideal for use as a primary key.
MOS Access: Database Fundamentals 1
What is the primary purpose of a primary key in an Access table?