EXAM
.NET — Topic-wise Frequency Analysis & Priority List
Based on 5 relevant old question sets. Unit references link to Syllabus.
⚠️ 2076 is excluded from the counts below. It tests classic ASP (VBScript, ADO classic, IIS, request/session/application/server objects) — a completely different, outdated technology stack that does not appear anywhere in the current Syllabus (which is entirely ASP.NET Core / C# / EF Core / MVC). Treat 2076 as historical only — don't spend prep time on it.
Tier 1 — Most Important (recurring practical/coding + conceptual staples, 4–5 of 5 sets)
| Topic | Unit / Syllabus Topic | Appeared In | Count | Typical Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Management (Session, TempData, Cache, Cookies, Hidden Fields, stateless HTTP) | Unit 6 – Server-side & Client-side Strategies | 2078 (×2), 2079 (×2), 2080 (×2), 2081, Model (×2) | 5/5 | Explain stateless HTTP handling; differentiate Session/TempData/Cache; manage session state with an example |
| Controllers, Razor Views, Tag Helpers, Model Binding (MVC building blocks) | Unit 4 – Controllers and Actions, Razor Syntax, Tag Helpers, Model Binding | 2079, 2080 (×2), 2081, Model (×2) | 5/5 | Create a controller; explain Razor/tag helpers; explain model binding & validation |
| Database Access — Entity Framework Core & ADO.NET (CRUD, ORM, Connection/Command/Reader/Adapter) | Unit 5 – ADO.NET Basics, Entity Framework Core, ORM | 2078 (×2), 2079, 2080 (×2), 2081 (×2), Model | 5/5 | Write EF Core CRUD code; write ADO.NET program; explain ORM/EF advantages over ADO.NET |
| C# Language Constructs (exceptions, structs/enums, collections/generics, abstract/sealed/interface, polymorphism, delegates/events) | Unit 1 – Language Preliminaries | 2078 (×3), 2079 (×3), 2080 (×3), 2081 (×3), Model (×5) | 5/5 | Write a program using exceptions/structs/generics/inheritance; differentiate two OOP constructs |
| Client-side Validation & SPA (jQuery form validation, Angular/React) | Unit 7 – JQuery, Forms and Validation, SPA Frameworks | 2078, 2079 (×2), 2080, 2081, Model | 5/5 | Write jQuery form-validation code; compare Angular vs React for SPA |
| Hosting & Deployment (deploy .NET core app, IIS/Nginx/Kestrel, Docker, Azure) | Unit 9 – Hosting Models, Docker, Publish to Azure | 2078 (×2), 2079 (×2), 2080, 2081 (×2), Model (×3) | 5/5 | Explain steps to deploy a .NET core app; discuss Docker/containerization |
| Web Security Vulnerabilities (SQL Injection, XSS, CSRF, Open Redirect) | Unit 8 – Common Vulnerabilities | 2078 (×3), 2079 (×2), 2080 (×2), 2081 | 4/5 | Write a program showing/preventing SQL injection; define CSRF or open redirect attack |
| HTTP, MVC Pattern & ASP.NET Core Architecture | Unit 3 – HTTP, MVC Pattern, ASP.NET Core Architecture | 2078, 2079, 2080, Model | 4/5 | Explain request/response format; describe importance/role of MVC pattern |
Tier 2 — Important (moderate repetition, 3 of 5 sets)
| Topic | Unit / Syllabus Topic | Appeared In | Count | Typical Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorization (Roles, Claims, Policies) & Authentication (Identity) | Unit 8 – Authentication, Authorization | 2079, 2080, 2081, Model | 4/5 | Distinguish roles vs policies; explain ASP.NET Core Identity |
| Dependency Injection & IoC Container | Unit 4 – Dependency Injection and IOC Containers | 2079, 2080, 2081 | 3/5 | Explain DI/IoC container; describe service registration/lifecycle |
| .NET Framework Comparisons (.NET vs .NET Core vs Mono vs ASP.NET) & Architecture/Design Principles | Unit 2 – .NET and ASP.NET Frameworks, Architecture and Design Principles | 2078, 2079, Model | 3/5 | Differentiate frameworks; explain CLI/MSIL/CLR compilation process |
| URL Routing | Unit 4 – URL Routing and Features | 2078, 2080 | 2/5 | Explain URL routing / list its features |
Tier 3 — If Time Remains (appeared once or twice)
| Topic | Unit / Syllabus Topic | Appeared In | Typical Ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Async/Await Pattern | Unit 1 – Asynchronous Programming | Model | Explain async/await with a simple example |
| Indexers vs Properties | Unit 1 – Indexers | Model | Explain indexers with an example |
| Attributes (Named & Positional Parameters) | Unit 1 – Attributes | 2078, 2081 | Explain named vs positional attribute parameters |
| TempData vs Session vs ViewData | Unit 6 – TempData | Model | Differentiate the three and when to use TempData |
| Method Hiding vs Method Overriding | Unit 1 – Method Hiding and Overriding | Model | Short note distinguishing the two |
| Action Result Types & Web API Controllers | Unit 4 – Action Results Types, Web API Applications | Model | Design an API controller with GET/POST/PUT/DELETE returning JSON |
Study Priority Summary
- Master first: State Management (Unit 6), Controllers/Razor/Tag Helpers/Model Binding (Unit 4), Database access via EF Core & ADO.NET (Unit 5), core C# language constructs — exceptions, generics, OOP features (Unit 1), jQuery validation & SPA frameworks (Unit 7), Hosting/Deployment (Unit 9), Security vulnerabilities — especially SQL injection (Unit 8), and HTTP/MVC Pattern basics (Unit 3) — every one of these appears in 4–5 of the 5 relevant papers.
- Then cover: Authorization/Authentication (Unit 8), Dependency Injection & IoC (Unit 4), .NET framework comparisons and architecture (Unit 2), URL routing (Unit 4).
- Last, if time remains: Async/await, indexers, attributes, TempData vs Session vs ViewData, method hiding vs overriding, and Web API action result types — these are newer additions (mostly from the Model set) that may signal where upcoming exams are heading, but haven't repeated across older years yet.
Note: This subject leans heavily on hands-on coding questions (write a program / create a class / write EF Core or ADO.NET code / write jQuery validation) rather than pure theory — practice writing actual C#/Razor/jQuery snippets for each Tier 1 topic instead of only memorizing definitions. Also note the Model set introduces several topics not seen in 2078–2081 (async/await, indexers, TempData, Web API Action Results, method hiding vs overriding) — these look like likely additions for the upcoming exam given the syllabus already covers them in detail.
Related: Syllabus · 2076 · 2078 · 2079 · 2080 · 2081 · Model