Question 5
A class captain was asked to create a database in MS Access for all the student in the class without using any template and name it Student_Record. The table created is to be named Students and should have five columns/fields with the following names:
ID_Number
Full Name
Date of Birth
Age
Home_Address
- Highlight the procedures the captain will follow to create the database.
- List the step the captain would take to create the table in Design View.
- Give the data type suitable for each column/field provided.
- Which field can be used as the primary key?
- Mention one importance of primary keys.
- List three SQL command statements the class captain can perform on the database.
- Give the SQL query the captain will use to display all the columns in table Students.
Observation
The question tested candidates’ skills on database management system.
The Chief Examiner reported that candidates’ responses in this question revealed poor practical skills in DBMS among majority of those who attempted the question.
The expected answer is:
(a) Procedures for creating database
- Open the MS Access
- On the File tab/Office button, click New and then click Blank Database
- Type “Student_Record” in the file name box
- Click Create
OR
- Open the MS Access
- Click Blank desktop database
- Type “Student_Record” in the file name box
- Click Create
(b) Steps for creating the table in Design view
- Click on “Create” on the Menu bar
- Click on “Table Design”
- Type the field name and select appropriate data type
- Save the table as Students.
OR
- Click on “create table” in design view
- Click on design view icon on the menu bar.
- Type the field name and select appropriate data type
- Save the table as Students
OR
- Double click on “create table ”in design view
- Type the field name and select appropriate data type
- Save the table as Students.
(c) Data types suitable for the columns/fields provided
ID- Number ---------- Number/ Auto Number
Full Name ----------------Text/ Short Text
Date of Birth -------------Date/ Time
Age ----------------------- Number
Home Address ----------- Long Text/Memo
(d) Importance of primary key
ID- Number field can be used as primary key
(e) Field used as primary key
- It is used for secondary index
- It uniquely identifies a record in a database
- It stands as a common link between two or more tables in relational database.
- It cannot contain Null value
- Values in the primary key field cannot be duplicated
(f) SQL command statements that could be performed on the database
- SELECT
- UPDATE
- INSERT
- APPEND/ INSERT INTO
- DELETE
- CREATE DATABASE
- INNER JOIN
- ALTER DATABASE
- CREATE TABLE
- ALTER TABLE
- DROP TABLE
- CREATE INDEX
- DROP INDEX
(g) SQL Query used to display all the columns in table Students
- SELECT * from Students