AKTU Software Engineering · Important Questions 2026Source: ryzenstudy.com PYQs
BCS601 Software Engineering Important Questions 2026 (AKTU)
Repeat analysis + most-asked questions, unit-wise
What we did: built from all 4 AKTU Software Engineering papers (2021-22–2024-25): 96 questions grouped into 53 distinct questions, 24 of which were asked in more than one paper.
- of marks were repeat questions
- 69%
- of marks were repeat questions
- questions asked in 2+ papers
- 24
- questions asked in 2+ papers
- papers analysed (2021-22–2024-25)
- 4
- papers analysed (2021-22–2024-25)
- units, mapped to current syllabus
- 5
- units, mapped to current syllabus
How much of the paper repeats?
- Repeats are real: when we checked each newer BCS601 paper against the papers before it, on average 69% of its marks were questions already asked in an earlier paper.
- 2023-24 paper: 54% of marks were repeats (8 of 14 repeated questions were in our top list).
- 2024-25 paper: 84% of marks were repeats (13 of 19 repeated questions were in our top list).
- Topic weightage is a guide, not a guarantee: our Tier 1 + Tier 2 topics covered 61% of the next paper's marks — picking the same number of topics at random would have covered about 56%.
Across 10 subjects and 23 papers we tested, 43% of marks repeated earlier questions on average.
1.Unit-wise most-asked questions
Ranked by how many papers asked them, then by how recently. Click a paper to open it.
Unit 1: Introduction
24% of past marks| Question | Asked |
|---|---|
| Why is there a crisis in the software development industry? | Asked 4× |
| Justify the statement "Software does not wear out and is not manufactured". | Asked 4× |
| List various software quality attributes and discuss the procedure for assessment of software quality. Obtain the expression for Error Index (which acts as Quality Indicator for software) through the Statistical Quality Assurance procedure where the defect/error data is collected and categorized for a defined period of time. | Asked 3× |
| Draw a diagram to represent Spiral Model of software development and discuss it in detail. Also discuss the criteria for selection of model for software development. | Asked 2× |
Unit 2: Software Quality Assurance (SQA)
18% of past marks| Question | Asked |
|---|---|
| Discuss the Requirements Engineering Process. Write down the most generalized template used for describing Use Cases. Give description of its various components taking a suitable example. | Asked 3× |
| Discuss the SEI Capability Maturity Model and compare it with the ISO 9000 certification giving various distinctive features of each model. | Asked 3× |
| Suppose you have to develop Library Management Software with common functionalities such as authentication of the user, issue and return of books by the user, report generation by the librarian, and database maintenance by the library administrator etc. Draw a complete (at least up to 2-levels) Data Flow Diagram (DFD) and State Transition Diagram for this software. | Asked 2× |
| Explain the need of an SRS. | Asked 2× |
Unit 3: Software Design · Software Measurement and Metrics
23% of past marks| Question | Asked |
|---|---|
| Draw the Control Flow Graph (CFG) for the following program and calculate its Cyclomatic Complexity. Also write various independent/basis paths available in the program/CFG. int compute_gcd(x,y) int x,y; { while (x != y) { if(x>y) then x=x-y; else y=y-x; } return x; } | Asked 3× |
| List various drawbacks of the Line of Code (LOC) based size measure of software. Discuss the Albrecht Function Point count method. Show that the Complexity Adjustment Factor (CAF) adjusts the unadjusted value of Function Point (UFP) to +/- 35%. | Asked 2× |
| Write down various attributes/properties of a good/stable software design. Discuss the concept of coupling and cohesion measures and their use to determine strength of a software design. | Asked 2× |
| Explain the term Cohesion and Coupling. Also explain the various forms of cohesion and coupling. | Asked 2× |
Unit 4: Software Testing · Static Testing Strategies
17% of past marks| Question | Asked |
|---|---|
| Consider a program for determination of the nature of roots of a quadratic equation. Its input is a triple of positive integers (say a, b, c) and values may be from interval [0, 10]. The program output may have one of the following words: Not a quadratic equation, Real roots, Imaginary roots, Equal roots. Design the Boundary value and Equivalence Partitioning test cases for the program. | Asked 3× |
| Describe the importance of white box testing. | Asked 2× |
| Explain stubs and drivers. | Asked 2× |
| Discuss following type of testing techniques in details (see original paper) 7 marks2024-25 Q2(d) | Asked 1× |
Unit 5:
19% of past marks| Question | Asked |
|---|---|
| Write a brief description of various categories of software maintenance. Give a proportionate distribution of maintenance cost to these categories. Discuss the role of Reverse Engineering in software maintenance. | Asked 4× |
| Define software Re-engineering. | Asked 4× |
| What is Software Risk Analysis Management? | Asked 3× |
| Give the structure of CASE development environment and discuss its various components in brief. Write various benefits of using CASE tools. | Asked 2× |
2.Topic weightage: which topics carry the marks
Blue = Tier 1 + Tier 2 (topics that carried ~80% of past marks). Grey = the rest. It shows where marks have gone, not a promise of what comes next.
Black box testing · U4
6.4% (cum 6%)
Need and categories of maintenance · U5
6.4% (cum 13%)
Size-oriented and Halstead measures · U3
5.1% (cum 18%)
Requirement engineering process · U2
4.8% (cum 23%)
Software components and characteristics · U1
4.5% (cum 27%)
Design strategies · U3
4.5% (cum 32%)
ISO 9000 and SEI-CMM · U2
4.3% (cum 36%)
Software crisis · U1
4.1% (cum 40%)
Re-engineering and reverse engineering · U5
4% (cum 44%)
Software quality attributes · U1
3.9% (cum 48%)
Design concepts and principles · U3
3.7% (cum 52%)
Software engineering processes · U1
3.2% (cum 55%)
Cyclomatic complexity · U3
3.1% (cum 58%)
Prototype and evolutionary models · U1
3.1% (cum 61%)
DFD, ER and information modelling · U2
2.8% (cum 64%)
Testing objectives and levels · U4
2.8% (cum 67%)
Waterfall and iterative models · U1
2.7% (cum 69%)
Software risk management · U5
2.5% (cum 72%)
Integration, stubs and drivers · U4
2.5% (cum 74%)
Spiral model · U1
2.4% (cum 77%)
Coupling and cohesion · U3
2.3% (cum 79%)
COCOMO and cost estimation · U5
2.3% (cum 81%)
Modularization and structure charts · U3
2% (cum 83%)
White box testing · U4
1.9% (cum 85%)
SRS and IEEE standards · U2
1.8% (cum 87%)
CASE tools · U5
1.7% (cum 89%)
Configuration management · U5
1.5% (cum 90%)
Regression testing · U4
1.4% (cum 92%)
Feasibility study · U2
1.4% (cum 93%)
Formal reviews and inspections · U4
1.4% (cum 95%)
Function point measures · U3
1.3% (cum 96%)
Verification and validation · U2
1.2% (cum 97%)
Decision tables · U2
1.2% (cum 98%)
Pseudo code and flow charts · U3
0.7% (cum 99%)
Architectural design · U3
0.5% (cum 99%)
Alpha and beta testing · U4
0.5% (cum 100%)
| Topic | Papers | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Black box testing · Unit 4 · Tier 1 | 4/4 | 6.4% |
| Need and categories of maintenance · Unit 5 · Tier 1 | 4/4 | 6.4% |
| Size-oriented and Halstead measures · Unit 3 · Tier 1 | 3/4 | 5.1% |
| Requirement engineering process · Unit 2 · Tier 1 | 3/4 | 4.8% |
| Software components and characteristics · Unit 1 · Tier 1 | 4/4 | 4.5% |
| Design strategies · Unit 3 · Tier 1 | 2/4 | 4.5% |
| ISO 9000 and SEI-CMM · Unit 2 · Tier 1 | 4/4 | 4.3% |
| Software crisis · Unit 1 · Tier 1 | 4/4 | 4.1% |
| Re-engineering and reverse engineering · Unit 5 · Tier 1 | 4/4 | 4% |
| Software quality attributes · Unit 1 · Tier 1 | 3/4 | 3.9% |
| Design concepts and principles · Unit 3 · Tier 1 | 2/4 | 3.7% |
| Software engineering processes · Unit 1 · Tier 2 | 2/4 | 3.2% |
| Cyclomatic complexity · Unit 3 · Tier 2 | 3/4 | 3.1% |
| Prototype and evolutionary models · Unit 1 · Tier 2 | 2/4 | 3.1% |
| DFD, ER and information modelling · Unit 2 · Tier 2 | 2/4 | 2.8% |
| Testing objectives and levels · Unit 4 · Tier 2 | 2/4 | 2.8% |
| Waterfall and iterative models · Unit 1 · Tier 2 | 2/4 | 2.7% |
| Software risk management · Unit 5 · Tier 2 | 3/4 | 2.5% |
| Integration, stubs and drivers · Unit 4 · Tier 2 | 2/4 | 2.5% |
| Spiral model · Unit 1 · Tier 2 | 2/4 | 2.4% |
| Coupling and cohesion · Unit 3 · Tier 2 | 2/4 | 2.3% |
| COCOMO and cost estimation · Unit 5 · Tier 2 | 2/4 | 2.3% |
| Modularization and structure charts · Unit 3 · Tier 3 | 1/4 | 2% |
| White box testing · Unit 4 · Tier 3 | 2/4 | 1.9% |
| SRS and IEEE standards · Unit 2 · Tier 3 | 2/4 | 1.8% |
| CASE tools · Unit 5 · Tier 3 | 2/4 | 1.7% |
| Configuration management · Unit 5 · Tier 3 | 1/4 | 1.5% |
| Regression testing · Unit 4 · Tier 3 | 1/4 | 1.4% |
| Feasibility study · Unit 2 · Tier 3 | 1/4 | 1.4% |
| Formal reviews and inspections · Unit 4 · Tier 3 | 1/4 | 1.4% |
| Function point measures · Unit 3 · Tier 3 | 1/4 | 1.3% |
| Verification and validation · Unit 2 · Tier 3 | 2/4 | 1.2% |
| Decision tables · Unit 2 · Tier 3 | 1/4 | 1.2% |
| Pseudo code and flow charts · Unit 3 · Tier 3 | 1/4 | 0.7% |
| Architectural design · Unit 3 · Tier 3 | 1/4 | 0.5% |
| Alpha and beta testing · Unit 4 · Tier 3 | 1/4 | 0.5% |
3.Paper pattern (2024-25)
| Section | Questions | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| A | 7 × 2 marks | Attempt all |
| B | 5 × 7 marks | Attempt any 3 |
| C | 11 × 7 marks | Attempt any 1 |
4.In the syllabus, never asked yet
Low priority, but read them once — a new paper can always start here.
- SQA plans and quality frameworks · U2
5.Study order
- 1Black box testing (Unit 4, Tier 1)
- 2Need and categories of maintenance (Unit 5, Tier 1)
- 3Size-oriented and Halstead measures (Unit 3, Tier 1)
- 4Requirement engineering process (Unit 2, Tier 1)
- 5Software components and characteristics (Unit 1, Tier 1)
- 6Design strategies (Unit 3, Tier 1)
- 7ISO 9000 and SEI-CMM (Unit 2, Tier 1)
- 8Software crisis (Unit 1, Tier 1)
- 9Re-engineering and reverse engineering (Unit 5, Tier 1)
- 10Software quality attributes (Unit 1, Tier 1)
- 11Design concepts and principles (Unit 3, Tier 1)
- 12Software engineering processes (Unit 1, Tier 2)
- 13Cyclomatic complexity (Unit 3, Tier 2)
- 14Prototype and evolutionary models (Unit 1, Tier 2)
- 15DFD, ER and information modelling (Unit 2, Tier 2)
- 16Testing objectives and levels (Unit 4, Tier 2)
- 17Waterfall and iterative models (Unit 1, Tier 2)
- 18Software risk management (Unit 5, Tier 2)
- 19Integration, stubs and drivers (Unit 4, Tier 2)
- 20Spiral model (Unit 1, Tier 2)
- 21Coupling and cohesion (Unit 3, Tier 2)
- 22COCOMO and cost estimation (Unit 5, Tier 2)
FAQ
Which units of BCS601 carry the most marks?
Unit 1 (Introduction, 24% of past marks) and Unit 3 (Software Design · Software Measurement and Metrics, 23% of past marks).
Do AKTU Software Engineering questions repeat?
Yes. On average 69% of the marks in each newer BCS601 paper came from questions already asked in an earlier paper, and 24 questions have appeared in more than one paper.
How is this list made?
Every question from the 4 papers (2021-22–2024-25) was mapped to the current AKTU syllabus and grouped with the same question from other years. Questions are ranked by how many papers they appeared in, then by how recently.
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Note: this is based on past AKTU papers, not a guarantee. Questions are mapped to the current syllabus; topics that are no longer in the syllabus are left out.