exam jan/feb 2010

Hi all

What exactly is required from Question 3.2 which is allocated 8 marks. It cannot only be effort there must be something more.

Think the key sentence here is "The system interface requirements are flexible" so you need to choose the correct System type.
Organic - straight forward simple spec
Embedded - strict, complex
Semi-detached - hybrid.

Since the requirements are flexible I would assume they mean Semi-detached, so would use those values for the constants.

effort = c(size)^k

SLOC is 120,000 so size is 120, c = 3 and k = 1.12

effort = 1 person month = 152 working hours

effort = 3* (120) ^1.12
effort = 639.447 pm
effort = 97,195.88 hours


The items that are relevant are:
The answer must be in hours,
Understanding that effort is in pm which is usually 152 hours. (confirmed by 8*19)
Size is KLOC and not SLOC
Flexible Requirements = Semi-detached (this point is up for discussion as I might just be talking campies)

Thoughts?

Well, how I see it is as follows:

• Determine what method to use (I.e.: Organic, Semi-Detached or Embedded)
• Show relevant formula
• Perform calculation of effort (in person months)
• Perform calculation, showing formula to get person hours

So,

They say that the requirements are flexible, so one can assume the system is Organic...(Mark awarded)

The forumla is thus:

effort = c(size)^effort...(2x Mark awarded)

effort = (2.4 * (120000 / 1000)^1.05))...(2x Mark awarded, 1 for the formula, 1 for recognizing (SLOC / 1000) is kdsi)
effort = 365.89 person months...(Mark awarded)

Working Hours = Effort * 8
Working Hours = 365.89 * 8...(Mark Awarded)
Working Hours = 2927.13 Person Hours...(Mark Awarded)

That tally's up to 8 marks.

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EDIT: I see Darren used the Hybrid. I interpreted the "flexibility", as being able to be changed into whatever specification is needed. I suppose that's where one can be easily caught-out. In the book it says for Organic:

- This would typically be the case when relatively small teams developed software in a highly familiar in-house environment and when the system being developed was small and the interface requirements were flexible.

Question 2.1 in the jan/feb paper...

Discuss four different criteria that can be used in assessing and evaluating a project?

What is the answer to this question and which pages in the prescribed book can I find the answer?

Please help

@Kyle ... and that is why I still need to do some learning, knew it was not Embedded, so took a chance with Semi, I also thought that maybe since the volume of code is quite large, might have moved it out of the Organic type, but then again I dont remember the book ever mentioning that the volume of code having any bearing on the type.

Here is what I found on the subject of Q3.2 (boehm's cocomo) for the jan/feb 2010 paper

In basic COCOMO three classes of projects are distinguished:“organic”(small development team and flexible project requirements),“semi-detached”(medium team, flexible and rigid requirements),“embedded”(large team, rigid requirements).

And someone please assist with Q2.1 in the jan/feb 2010 paper

@Darren - Hey, that's why we're here to help each other

@Punk -

This is a bit of a tricky question. Projects must be evaluated in respect of their strategic, technical and economic grounds.

That being said, that is not the answer. Looking at the question:

Discuss four different criteria that can be used in assessing and evaluating a project?

I have bolded the text I think is important in the question. That being said, it could be the following:

• The Cost-Benefit Evaluation techniques, pages 28-34
• The Risk Evaluation Techniques, pages 36-37

If we got this type of question in the exam, I would sure be writing a lot though (as well as mentioning the ambiguity in the question).

@ punk
On time
On budget
Correct specs
Good Quality.
Correct me if I'm wrong.

@ jojenkinson
I think that would be the answer for Q6.2 in the jan/feb paper

I would agree with what Kyle has said about Q2.1 (keeping in mind the ambiguity in the question)

@Jo - Three of those, "on time, within budget and with the required quality" are traits indicating a successful project - I don't think they indicate evaluation techniques.

Better make sure I read the question carefully tomorrow.

Remember, questions tend to follow the same trend. I.e.: Question 2 - covers chapters 2/3. That type of thing.

Q4.1 jan/feb 2010 paper

In the prescribed book page 144, the labelling conventions is divided into 7 areas

Q4.1 says a block is divided into 9 areas
Should I just ignore that and use the labelling conventions (7 areas) in the prescribed book?

Will the paper tomorrow be more like the oct/nov 2009 paper or the jan/feb 2010 paper?

What do you guys think?

@Punk - Use the common convention. That would be the one with 7 partitions.

As for your second question, if it's anything like what it's been like so long, neither. Don't ever depend on the past exams.

@kyle

Ok, thanks!

And yeah I don't depend on past exams. That's really dangerous!

Good luck to everyone!

@Kyle, LOL pity u couldnt have reminded me that on Thursday, thats why I battled so much with COS311, spent too much time going over the past papers.

@Punk Have been looking around and can only find examples of 7, thought 9 might have been used in the previous set book but there is no reference to it. So def go with 7

Hi, someone please assist urgently?

How do you work out the total duration and total float for a project?

I'm loathe to answer this question because I always seem to get it wrong.
But...
The float is the difference between the start date and projected start date as given by the forward and backward passes respectively.
For total duration you sum the critical path.

Hope this is (a) right and (b) understandable and (c) not too late.

Total Duration is easy - it's the total length of the critical path. However you get these figures after completing the forward pass.

Total Float - I don't think one looks at this from the point of the entire project, but activity by activity, as the total float is the maximum length an activity can be delayed without delaying the project. If that was indeed your question, then the total float: Float = Latest Finishing Time - Earliest Finish Time. Again, this is worked out after completing the backward pass.

Read TUT102 page 26.

Thanks for the help and judging from the papers i wrote last week, i doubt the past papers.It was completely different. we can only hope. goodluck everyone.

I think the format of the paper will be different. I you look at the mark allocation for last years paper of 80 marks vs 100 this year.
I just hope its not too bad.
Just as long as they still ask the activity on node or activity on arrow diagram and the calculation of net profit etc. we should be ok