TrialRun Software Engineering Trial Exam 2025

Question 1 (1 mark)

Which of the following best describes the goal of “privacy by design”?

Privacy controls are added after system testing
Privacy features are embedded in software from the start
Privacy is achieved by encrypting database backups only
Privacy is handled by end-user agreements

Question 2 (1 mark)

Which of the following is an example of client-side programming?

SQL queries to a database
CSS styling rules for a webpage
Flask route logic on a server
Bash script for log monitoring

Question 3 (1 mark)

Which of the following best describes how machine learning (ML) supports automation in modern software development?

ML provides secure encryption protocols to protect data in transit
ML enables software to adapt automatically by identifying patterns that inform tasks in DevOps, RPA, and BPA
ML replaces all human decision-making in automated workflows to increase productivity
ML tools are only used during the testing phase to detect bugs in source code

Question 4 (1 mark)

Which of the following best describes how data is transferred across the internet?

Data is sent in large continuous streams over a single direct path
Data is encrypted and stored in a central DNS server before delivery
Data is broken into packets, each of which may take different routes to the destination
Data is only transferred between devices using IPv6 addresses

Question 5 (1 mark)

What is the primary purpose of a digital signature?

Ensure the authenticity and integrity of data
Encrypt the file Manage session cookies Increase page load speed

Question 6 (1 mark)

Select all correct features of progressive web apps (PWAs).

Can work offline Installable on devices
Requires native Android or iOS development
Sends push notifications
Only works with HTTP

Question 7 (1 mark)

Match the web protocol to its correct function.

	DNS	FTP	SFTP	HTTP
Transfers files without encryption
Resolves domain names to IPs
Sends web requests
Secure file transfer

Question 8 (1 mark)

Sort the following software development steps in the correct order.

≡ Development
≡ Requirements definition
≡ Testing and debugging
≡ Design
≡ Maintenance
≡ Integration
≡ Determining specifications
≡ Installation

Question 9 (2 marks)

Match the correct description for each security term.

	Confidentiality	Integrity	Availability	Authentication	Authorisation	Accountability
Ensures data is accurate and has not been tampered with
Ensures data is only accessible to authorised users
Determines what a user is allowed to do
Ensures authorised users can access data and systems when needed
Confirms the identity of a user or system
Tracks user actions to ensure responsibility and traceability

Question 10 (1 mark)

Match each description to either artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML).

	ML	AI
Enables systems to improve from data without explicit programming
Broader concept of simulating human thinking
Often used for classification and prediction
Includes decision-making, perception, and reasoning

Question 11 (1 mark)

A restaurant database includes a table named
menu_items
with fields: id, name, price, and category.

Fill in the blank to display all menu items in the Dessert category.

SELECT *
FROM menu_items
WHERE category = ;

Question 12 (2 marks)

Select all strategies that help to reduce webpage load times.

Minify CSS and JavaScript
Host images on the same server as CSS
Compress large media files
Use inline CSS instead of stylesheets
Load all scripts synchronously at the top of the page
Lazy-load images so they load only when needed
Include large video backgrounds using autoplay and loop

Question 13 (2 marks)

You are programming a scoreboard for a school athletics carnival. The scoreboard must display the current lap number followed by the word "Lap" - from lap 1 through to lap 5.

Arrange the steps so that the program works correctly.

≡ Set number = 1 ≡ WHILE number <= 5 ≡ Display number ≡ Display "Lap" ≡ Set number = number + 1 ≡ END WHILE	BEGIN Scoreboard






	END Scoreboard

Question 14 (2 marks)

Match the security management strategy to its correct description.

	Code review	SAST	DAST	Penetration testing	Vulnerability assessment
Scans and evaluates software to identify and prioritise known security weaknesses
Tests a running application to identify real-time issues and security vulnerabilities from the outside
Performed manually by humans to inspect code for bugs, logic errors, or security flaws
Scans source code or bytecode without executing it to detect potential vulnerabilities early in development
Simulates real-world cyberattacks to evaluate the system’s defence mechanisms and uncover exploitable vulnerabilities

Question 15 (6 marks)

(a)

Describe two benefits of developing secure software for a large enterprise. Provide an example for each. (4 marks)

0 / 110 words

(b)

Explain one way that the capabilities of end users can influence the secure design features of software. (2 marks)

0 / 50 words

Question 16 (4 marks)

Explain how TWO specific defensive data input handling practices help protect a web application from security threats such as XSS or CSRF. Use an example to support your answer.

0 / 110 words

Question 17 (8 marks)

You are designing a secure login screen for a health record management system that will be used by hospital staff. Staff must use their username and password to login to their account. Failed login attempts are logged by the system to detect potential security issues.

(a)

Design a user interface for logging into an account. Include at least one feature that improves security or usability. Clearly label all features. (3 marks)

(b)

Write a function in Python that takes a list of login attempts and returns a list of usernames who had at least two failed login attempts within any 5-minute window (300 seconds).

The output list should not contain duplicate usernames, and the order of usernames does not matter. (5 marks)

Start your program with:

login_attempts = [
    ("alice", 100, False),
    ("bob", 120, False),
    ("alice", 200, False),
    ("carol", 1000, False),
    ("alice", 600, False),
    ("bob", 350, False)
]

# Output

Question 18 (4 marks)

A company uses a trained machine learning model to determine whether to recommend a smart home device to customers based on various factors.

The decision tree used by the model is shown below:

(a)

Using the decision tree, determine the outcome of each of the following situations. (1 mark)

	Recommend	Do not recommend
Household Size = 5, Wi-Fi Speed = 120 Mbps, Compatible App = No
Household Size = 2, Wi-Fi Speed = 40 Mbps, Compatible App = Yes
Voice Assistant = No, Wi-Fi Speed = 200 Mbps, Compatible App = Yes

(b)

The decision tree can be simplified without compromising its logic.

Redraw the decision tree to reduce the number of branches. (3 marks)

Question 19 (6 marks)

(a)

Compare and contrast supervised learning and unsupervised learning in the context of machine learning. Provide an example of each. (4 marks)

0 / 110 words

(b)

Identify one type of algorithm used in supervised learning and describe what it is used for. (2 marks)

0 / 50 words

Question 20 (6 marks)

(a)

Explain the role of encryption algorithms and SSL certificates in protecting web data during transmission. (3 marks)

0 / 75 words

(b)

Explain the effects of big data on modern web architecture. Include one relevant example. (3 marks)

0 / 75 words

Question 21 (4 marks)

Explain two strategies developers can use to test and evaluate the security of their software before deployment.

0 / 110 words

Question 22 (3 marks)

You are working on a database for a university library system. The contents of the Students, Borrowings and Books tables during testing are shown.

Students

StudentID	Name	YearLevel
1	Alice Chen	3
2	Ben Aziz	2
3	Carla Gray	3
4	David Lee	1

Borrowings

BorrowID	StudentID	BookID	DaysOverdue
101	1	201	0
102	2	202	5
103	1	203	3
104	3	204	0
105	2	205	0

Books

BookID	BookTitle
201	Database Systems
202	Learning Python
203	Web Security Principles
204	Cloud Infrastructure
205	AI and Ethics

The contents of the Borrowings table need to be displayed as follows.

Name	BookTitle	DaysOverdue
Alice Chen	Web Security Principles	3
Ben Aziz	Learning Python	5

Requirements:

the name of students in Year 2 or 3
the titles of books they have borrowed that are currently overdue
the number of days overdue

Write a SQL query that can produce this result.

Query

Question 23 (3 marks)

A community centre is hosting a series of workshops. A list contains the number of attendees at each workshop session held this week. However, some sessions had technical issues and are marked as cancelled (using the value -1).

The organiser wants to know how many non-cancelled sessions had more than 20 attendees.

Write a function in Python that takes a list of integers and returns the number of valid sessions with more than 20 attendees.

# Output

Question 24 (3 marks)

A company is developing a secure browser-based banking app.

Explain how both cryptography and sandboxing contribute to the security of the app. Include one benefit of each.

0 / 75 words

Question 25 (4 marks)

A data science team is designing a machine learning model to support a virtual personal assistant. One of the tasks is to determine whether a user’s message is a question, a command, or a greeting, based on features like punctuation, length, and key phrases.

(a)

Which machine learning algorithm is most appropriate for this task? (1 mark)

Linear regression
Logistic regression
K-nearest neighbour
Polynomial regression

(b)

Justify how a machine learning model could correctly classify user input in this scenario. In your answer, refer to how the system might decide between a question, a command, or a greeting, and what kind of data it would use. (3 marks)

0 / 75 words

Question 26 (3 marks)

You are working on a project to design a progressive web app for a national online learning platform. The application must comply with international standards and support high reliability when transferring data across devices and networks.

(a)

Identify one role of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that ensures accessibility or international use of your application. (1 mark)

0 / 20 words

(b)

Outline two features of the TCP/IP model that support reliable data transfer for a web application. (2 marks)

0 / 50 words

Question 27 (8 marks)

You have been asked to assess the effects of a newly implemented AI-based recruitment system at a large multinational company.

The system automatically shortlists candidates by analysing resumes, social media profiles, and video interview responses using trained ML models.

Assess the impact of automation through AI and ML in recruitment on individuals and society. Support your answer with information from the slideshow.

0 / 280 words

General Instructions

Topics Assessed

Total marks: 80

Question 1 (1 mark)

Question 2 (1 mark)

Question 3 (1 mark)

Question 4 (1 mark)

Question 5 (1 mark)

Question 6 (1 mark)

Question 7 (1 mark)

Question 8 (1 mark)

Question 9 (2 marks)

Question 10 (1 mark)

Question 11 (1 mark)

Question 12 (2 marks)

Question 13 (2 marks)

Question 14 (2 marks)

Question 15 (6 marks)

Question 16 (4 marks)

Question 17 (8 marks)

Question 18 (4 marks)

Question 19 (6 marks)

Question 20 (6 marks)

Question 21 (4 marks)

Question 22 (3 marks)

Question 23 (3 marks)

Question 24 (3 marks)

Question 25 (4 marks)

Question 26 (3 marks)

Question 27 (8 marks)

General Instructions

Topics Assessed

Total marks: 80

Question 1 (1 mark)

Question 2 (1 mark)

Question 3 (1 mark)

Question 4 (1 mark)

Question 5 (1 mark)

Question 6 (1 mark)

Question 7 (1 mark)

Question 8 (1 mark)

Question 9 (2 marks)

Question 10 (1 mark)

Question 11 (1 mark)

Question 12 (2 marks)

Question 13 (2 marks)

Question 14 (2 marks)

Question 15 (6 marks)

Question 16 (4 marks)

Question 17 (8 marks)

Question 18 (4 marks)

Question 19 (6 marks)

Question 20 (6 marks)

Question 21 (4 marks)

Question 22 (3 marks)

Question 23 (3 marks)

Question 24 (3 marks)

Question 25 (4 marks)

Question 26 (3 marks)

Question 27 (8 marks)

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