EXAM
Software Engineering — Topic-wise Frequency Analysis & Priority List
Based on 7 old question sets. Unit references link to Syllabus.
Tier 1 — Most Important (appear in 5–7 of 7 sets)
| Topic | Unit / Syllabus Topic | Appeared In | Count | Typical Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COCOMO Model / Cost & Effort Estimation | Unit 10 – Estimation Techniques, COCOMO Cost Modeling | 2077, 2079, 2080, 2081, Mode_I, Model_II | 6/7 | Explain COCOMO / calculate effort & time from KLOC |
| Software Process Models (Waterfall, Spiral, V-shape, Incremental) | Unit 2 – Software Process Models | 2076, 2077, 2081, Mode_I (×2), Model_II | 6/7 | Explain model + merits/demerits; differentiate two models |
| Software Maintenance / Evolution / Legacy Systems / Reverse-Reengineering | Unit 9 – Evolution Process, Legacy Systems, Software Maintenance | 2076, 2079, 2080, 2081, Mode_I, Model_II | 6/7 | Justify importance of maintenance; differentiate reengineering vs reverse engineering; maintenance types |
| Software Configuration Management (SCM) | Unit 10 – Configuration Management | 2077 (×2), 2079, 2080, Mode_I | 5/7 | Explain SCM activities / how it facilitates change; version control |
| Agile Software Development | Unit 3 – Agile Methods, Plan-Driven vs Agile, Agile Techniques | 2077, 2079, 2080, 2081, Model_II | 5/7 | Explain agile dev; compare with prototyping/plan-driven; agile principles |
| Requirements Engineering Process / SRS / Elicitation | Unit 4 – Requirements Engineering Process, Elicitation, Specification | 2076, 2077 (×2), 2080, 2081, Model_II | 6/7 | Explain requirements process; SRS structure; elicitation techniques |
| Architectural Design (views, patterns, decisions, application architectures) | Unit 6 – Architectural Design Decisions, Views, Patterns | 2076 (×2), 2080, 2081, Model_II | 5/7 | Explain architectural views/patterns (layered, MVC, client-server, pipe & filter) |
| System Modeling Diagrams (Use Case, Class, Sequence, Context) | Unit 5 – Interaction Models, Structural Models | 2076, 2079, 2080, 2081, Model_II | 5/7 | Draw use case/class/sequence/context diagram for a given system |
| Component-Based / Reuse-Based Software Engineering | Unit 7 – Implementation Issues (Reuse) | 2077, 2079, Mode_I (×2), Model_II | 5/7 | Explain component-based SE / reuse advantages & drawbacks |
| SE Introduction Basics (good characteristics, SE vs CS, SE vs System Eng, SE ethics) | Unit 1 – Introduction | 2077, 2079, 2080, 2081, Mode_I | 5/7 | Differentiate SE vs CS/System Eng; characteristics of good software; SE ethics |
Tier 2 — Important (moderate repetition, 3–4 of 7 sets)
| Topic | Unit / Syllabus Topic | Appeared In | Count | Typical Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verification vs Validation / Software Inspection | Unit 8 – Validation and Verification Testing, Software Inspection | 2077, 2079, 2081, Mode_I | 4/7 | Differentiate V&V; why validation is difficult; inspection process |
| Functional vs Non-Functional Requirements | Unit 4 – Functional and Non-Functional Requirements | 2076, 2079, 2080, Mode_I | 4/7 | Differentiate + give examples for a given system |
| Behavioral vs Structural Models | Unit 5 – Structural Models, Behavioral Models | 2079, 2080, 2081, Mode_I | 4/7 | Explain / differentiate with example |
| Testing Types (release/system/development/TDD/alpha-beta) | Unit 8 – Development Testing, Release Testing, TDD, User Testing | 2077, 2080, 2081, Model_II | 4/7 | Differentiate testing types; explain TDD |
| Software Quality Assurance / Quality Management | Unit 10 – Quality Management | 2077, 2079, Mode_I, Model_II | 4/7 | Explain QA/QM/QC and their relationship |
| Prototyping Models (evolutionary / throw-away / rapid) | Unit 2 – Coping with Change (Prototyping) | 2076, 2079, 2080 | 3/7 | Explain prototyping; differentiate evolutionary vs throw-away |
| Risk Management | Unit 10 – Project Management Activities (Risk Management) | 2076, 2081, Model_II | 3/7 | Explain risk management process / risk analysis stage |
Tier 3 — If Time Remains (appeared once or twice)
| Topic | Unit / Syllabus Topic | Appeared In | Typical Ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design Patterns / OO Design using UML | Unit 7 – Object-Oriented Design using UML, Design Patterns | 2081 | Explain design patterns and their role in OO design |
| Modular Decomposition / Abstract Machine Model | Unit 6 – Architectural Design Decisions | 2076 (×2) | Explain decomposition styles / abstract machine model |
| Path Testing (white-box testing) | Unit 8 – Development Testing | 2076 | Explain with suitable example |
| Cleanroom Software Development | Not explicitly listed in Syllabus (extra/advanced topic, closest to Unit 2 process models / Unit 8 testing) | 2076 | Discuss characteristics |
| Formal Specification / Interface Specification | Unit 4 – Requirements Specification | 2076 | Discuss interface specification in detail |
| Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) | Unit 5 – Model-Driven Architecture | Model_II | Explain MDA concept, advantages/disadvantages |
| Open-Source Development | Unit 7 – Open-Source Development | Model_II | Short note |
| Incremental Development vs Integration & Configuration | Unit 2 – Software Process Models | Model_II | Differentiate; which suits large-scale systems |
Study Priority Summary
- Master first: COCOMO (Unit 10 — practice numericals for organic/semidetached/embedded), Process Models (waterfall/spiral/V-shape/incremental — Unit 2), Software Maintenance & Evolution (Unit 9), SCM (Unit 10), Agile Development (Unit 3), Requirements Engineering (Unit 4), Architectural Design patterns (Unit 6), UML diagrams (use case/class/sequence — Unit 5).
- Then cover: Verification vs Validation & testing types (Unit 8), Functional/Non-functional requirements (Unit 4), Behavioral/Structural models (Unit 5), Quality Assurance/Management (Unit 10), Prototyping models (Unit 2), Risk Management (Unit 10).
- Last, if time remains: Design patterns/OO UML design (Unit 7), path testing, cleanroom development, formal/interface specification, MDA, open-source development, incremental vs integration & configuration models.
Note: Diagram-based questions (use case, class, sequence, context) and numerical COCOMO problems show up almost every year — practice drawing diagrams for new hypothetical systems and solving COCOMO for different KLOC/modes, not just memorizing definitions.
Related: Syllabus · 2076 · 2077 · 2079 · 2080 · 2081 · Mode_I · Model_II