1.

INTRODUCTION
Online Examination System (OES) is need of the hour for various testing agencies,
educational institutes, e-Learning platforms etc. Given the various shortcomings of traditional
examination system (Pen and Paper based), it is expected to bring more efficiency to the
examination body. The aim of OES is not only to conduct examination but to carry out
performance evaluation of the students, statistical analysis of the performance and reflect on
their weaknesses.

Online Examination System (OES) will be an automated system to carry out computer based
examinations or tests. It will be used for student’s progress evaluation using modern
computer technology. It will replace the paper work and overcome the drawbacks of
traditional way of examination using Pen and Paper.

1.1 Existing System: Brief Study

In the traditional (or existing) examination system almost all the tasks and processes related
to the examination are done manually using physical resources. The eligible candidates are
issued hall tickets bearing their unique id. Candidates have to go through verification process
at the examination centre. Students are then provided with physical answer sheets and papers.
These answer sheets are collected manually and are sent to the nodal centre for their
evaluation. After evaluation has been completed manually the result is processed manually by
the system.

Drawbacks of Manual System

 The traditional examination system is very hectic and consumes a lot of time.
 It is very costly as more human resources are required to maintain the records.
 Result processing is very slow as evaluation is done manually.
 Less secure as anyone can access those registers which may lead to private and
confidential data leak of students and organisation.
 Since all the works are done manually so it is more prone to errors.
 Lesser transparency.
 Paper leak is a big issue.
 It is difficult to maintain the answer sheets and records of students physically.
 There is no facility for record updation. All you need to do is delete the old record
and create the old one.

1.2 Purpose of the project

The purpose of this project is to develop a computer based examination system to make the
functioning of existing manual pen and paper based examination system smooth. This system
will ensure transparency and save a lot of human and materialistic resources. It will provide
feel of equality to all the candidates and carry out evaluation automatically in a very fair

-1-
manner diminishing the possibility of any correspondence whatsoever. The system will carry
out all the provided services very quickly as compared to existing system.

1.3 Benefits
 This system takes very less time as manual work is minimal.
 Less human resources are required which in turn increase the revenue.
 It is very less prone to errors as almost all the tasks including evaluation are carried
out automatically.
 It is more transparent compared to existing system.
 It diminishes the possibility of paper leak.
 It won’t entertain any sort of correspondences and manipulation.
 Maintenance and safety of records is easy.
 It will produce result faster.
 It provides a feel of equality to all the students. Timely commencement and finishing
of exam can be ensured by this automated system.
 The privacy of confidential data is easy to maintain as only authorise users can access
the data.
 It diminishes the possibility of any Paper Leak.

1.4 Document Convention

This document uses the following conventions:

OES: Online Examination System

DB: Database
ER: Entity-relationship

-2-
 2. OVERALL DESCRIPTION
2.1 Product Perspective
This software is developed specifically to manage the students, their examinations and generate
various reports for performance assessment purposes. This OES is totally self-contained and
works efficiently. It provides simple database rather than complex ones for high requirements
and it provides good and easy graphical user interface to both new as well as experienced user of
the computer. The simplicity of the software lies in the fact that it doesn’t require especially
skilled user for the smooth functioning, even a naïve user will be able to work on it. The
graphical user interface of the software is self explanatory in itself.

2.2 Product Functional Features

To cater the needs of examination system the proposed system contains following modules:

 Register
The user can register through this module.

 Log in
Through this module the admin/user can log in the system to access its various functionalities by
providing its username and password.

 Profile:
The user can update his/her profile after login.

 Course
The admin can update/delete/search available courses.

 Questions
The admin can add/delete/update questions for a particular course in the database.

 Accounts
The admin can manage the accounts of registered users. He/she can update/delete these
records.

 Exams
The users can opt for any available exam to appear or enroll in.

 Results
The user can check his/her result history through this module.

-3-
2.3 User Characteristics
Examination system comprises of users which can be broadly classified into two categories
viz. Admin and Students. Admin is the community of users who are responsible for system
management and other administrative activities. While the students use this system for their
performance evaluation. Using this system the students can appear in the exam and can check
their performance report. So, the system is designed keeping in mind these two categories of
users. Only those functionalities are developed which can cater the needs of both categories
of users. However both the users are protected by means of a user_id and password.

However both categories of users don’t require special skills. Users having basic computer
skills and literacy can use the system. Both these specialisation can easily be met provided
the system is to be developed for an educational institute.

To cater the needs of all the users this system is divided into two panels namely Student
Panel and Admin Panel. Student Panel provide all the functionalities for the students and
Admin panel provide administrative functionalities to the management.

Using Admin Panel admin can-

 add users(Admin) of the system.

 create/delete/update student record.
 search the students by user id and update details there.
 add/delete/update a course.
 add/delete/update questions in a available courses.
 manage accounts of students.
 Process results.
 log off when don’t want to use the system.

Using Student panel the students can-

 register to access the services.

 choose from the available courses to appear in the exam.
 edit their profile.
 appear in the exam.
 check their result.
 logoff when don’t want to use the system.

2.4 Software and Hardware Requirements:

 Operating System : Windows 7/8/8.1/10.
 Front end : Java NetBeans
 Back end : MySql/Oracle.
 Server : Apache tomcat/WAMP/XAMPP.
 Processor : Pentium IV and above.
 RAM: : 512 MB

-4-
  Hard Disk Space : 1 GB.

2.5 Assumption and Dependencies:

 The product must have an interface which is simple enough to understand and self
explanatory in itself.

 All necessary hardware and software are available for implementing and use of the tool.

 The proposed system would be designed, developed and implemented based on the
software requirement specification document.

 End users should have basic knowledge of the computer and we also assure that the users
will be given software training documentation and reference material.

 The system will be distributed and use centralized database.

-5-
 3. SYSTEM FEATURES
3.1Functional Requirements:
In software engineering and systems engineering, a functional requirement defines a function
of a system or its component, where a function is described as a specification of behaviour
between outputs and inputs. Functional requirements may involve calculations, technical details,
data manipulation and processing and other specific functionality that define what a system is
supposed to accomplish.
Functional requirements are supported by non-functional requirements (also known as "quality
requirements"), which impose constraints on the design or implementation (such as performance
requirements, security, or reliability). Generally, functional requirements are expressed in the
form "system must do <requirement>," while non-functional requirements take the form "system
shall be <requirement>.
So in the case of Online Examination System, we have listed down all the functional
requirements of the system:

 The system must provide registration and log in facilities for the user.
 The system must provide administrative privileges to some users such as admin.
 The users must be able to add/delete/update their record.
 It must maintain the records of students and must provide update facility to student to
its details.
 The system must generate performance reports of students after successful completion
of the exam.
 It must also statistically compare the performance of students.
 The timer facility must be provided on the examination dashboard.
 It must enable admin to add/delete/view/update course.
 It must enable admin/teacher to store questions in the database along with correct
answer.
 The web application should select questions from the database randomly.
 The system should be capable of holding several exams at the same time.
 It must enable students to view all the available courses.
 The student should be able to take exam in specified courses.
 The students should be able to check his/her past results.

These functional requirements can also be modelled using various diagrams viz. DFDs and
UML diagrams for the better understanding of the user because it is the very famous old
saying that A picture is worth a thousand words. We will be discussing these diagrams for
the better understanding of the functional requirements and to model what we really want
from the system and how it should be done.

3.2 Data Flow Diagram (DFD)

DFD is a designing tool used in the top-down approach to Systems Design.

-6-
A data flow diagram (DFD) is a graphical representation of the "flow" of data through an
information system, modelling its process aspects. A DFD is often used as a preliminary step
to create an overview of the system without going into great detail, which can later be
elaborated. DFDs can also be used for the visualization of data processing (structured design).
The DFD basically models how data should flow in the proposed system to accomplish the
goals of the system/organisation.

A DFD shows what kind of information will be input to and output from the system, how the
data will advance through the system, and where the data will be stored.

Data flow diagrams are also categorized by level. Starting with the most basic, level 0, DFDs
get increasingly complex as the level increases. As you build your own data flow diagram,
you will need to decide which level your diagram will be.

3.2.1 Data flow diagram symbols and notation

Depending on the methodology (Gane and Sarson vs. Yourdon and Coad), DFD symbols
vary slightly. However, the basic ideas remain the same. There are four basic elements of a
data flow diagram: processes, data stores, external entities, and data flows.

According to Yourdon and Coad methodologies a circle is used to depict a process. Both
inputs and outputs to a process are data flows. Processes are numbered and given a name.
Data flows are represented by a line with an arrow. The arrow shows the direction of data
flow. Data flows are labelled. The external entities are represented by a rectangle such as the
accountant (or admin) in our case. A data store is depicted by parallel lines.

Data flow
Entity
Process

For the proposed system I have drawn various DFDs:

3.2.2 Data flow diagram levels

 Level 0 DFDs, also known as context diagrams, are the most basic data flow
diagrams. They provide a broad view that is easily digestible but offers little detail.
Level 0 data flow diagrams show a single process node and its connections to external
entities.

-7-
 fig.1-Level 0 DFD (Context Diagram)

The level 0 DFD gives brief overview of the system that’s why it is also called context
Diagram. This diagram shows that both student and user can use the system. The Admin can
add/delete/update an exam and its questions. While on the other hand system provides the
admin some useful informations like User report, Performance report of the students etc.

The student can provide registration details to the system to get him registered. The student
also provide answers to the exam questions while appearing in the exam. While on the other
hand students receives a number of useful informations like question set of the exam, result
etc.

 Level 1 DFDs are still a general overview, but they go into more detail than a context
diagram. In a level 1 data flow diagram, the single process node from the context diagram is
broken down into sub processes. As these processes are added, the diagram will need
additional data flows and data stores to link them together.

-8-
 fig.2-Level 1 DFD for OES

3.3 Use Case Diagram:

“A use case is a set of action performed by a system that produces an observable result of
value for a particular user or actor.”

It is used to document or model what the system does or expected to do. The purpose of this
diagram is to identify the uses of the new system or to identify how the system will be used.
It gives static user view of the system. The use diagrams are the starting point when
describing a new system using UML. It illustrates who will use the system and what they
will be able to do with it.

-9-
Symbols used in Use Case diagram are as follows:

fig.3 Use case symbols

The OES will have two use case diagrams because the users of the system are broadly
divided into two categories viz. Admin and student.

-10-
 fig.4-Use Case Diagram for Student
 The students which want to use the system can register by providing his/her details.
Online registered user can access the services.
 First of all the student has to login by providing valid username and password. Only
after successful login the students can avail intended functionalities.
 After successful login the students can edit their profile.
 Students can appear in any available or can get the information about forthcoming
exams.
 Students can check their result.
 Once the student is no more interacting with the system he/she can logoff.

-11-
 fig.5-Use Case Diagram for Admin
 First of all the admin has to login by providing valid username and password.
 Admin can add another user (or admin) of the system.
 Admin can manage students which includes add/delete/update students records.
 Admin can manage exam(s) i.e. admin can create/update/delete exam.
 Admin can add/delete/update questions for exam(s).
 Admin can evaluate conducted and process student’s results.
 Admin can logout when don’t want to use the system.

3.4 Class Diagram:

It helps to analyse the structure of the system. It shows the set of classes, interfaces,
collaboration and their relationships. Class diagrams are the most common diagram found in
modelling object oriented systems. Class diagram shows static view of the system.

In software engineering, a class diagram in the Unified Modelling Language (UML) is a

type of static structure diagram that describes the structure of a system by showing the

-12-
system's classes, their attributes, operations (or methods), and the relationships among
objects.

Representation:
In the diagram, classes are represented with boxes that contain three compartments:

 The top compartment contains the name of the class. It is printed in bold and centred,
and the first letter is capitalized.

 The middle compartment contains the attributes of the class. They are left-aligned and
the first letter is lowercase.

 The bottom compartment contains the operations the class can execute. They are also
left-aligned and the first letter is lowercase.

Class Diagram of OES:

The OES consists of following classes:

1. Admin
2. Student
3. Exam
4. Question
5. Result

 Admin class manages the Students, Exam as well as Question class. One or more admin can
manage many exams, their questions and students.
 One or more admin can also manage various results.
 A student can appear in one or more than one exam.
 An exam is composed of many questions.
 A student gets one result.

-13-
 fig.6-Class Diagram for OES

3.5 E-R DIAGRAM:

In software engineering, an ER model is commonly formed to represent things that a business
needs to remember in order to perform business processes. Consequently, the ER model
becomes an abstract data model that defines a data or information structure which can be
implemented in a database, typically a relational database.

E-R diagram of OES is given below:

-14-
 fig.8- E-R Diagram

3.6 Data Dictionary:

A data dictionary, or metadata repository, as defined in the IBM Dictionary of Computing, is
a "centralized repository of information about data such as meaning, relationships to other
data, origin, usage, and format".Oracle defines it as a collection of tables with metadata. The
term can have one of several closely related meanings pertaining to databases and database
management systems (DBMS):

 A document describing a database or collection of databases.

 An integral component of a DBMS that is required to determine its structure.

It is basically the collection of different types of tables which are created in the database to
store data. The tables contain all the information about fields, their data types and constraints
upon them. We have drawn all the tables below.

-15-
Student Table
Field Name Data Type Size Constraint
ID Integer 10 Primary Key
Password Varchar 20 Not Null
Name Varchar 50 Not Null
Address Varchar 100 Not Null
Mobile Integer 10 Not Null
Join date Varchar/Date 15 Not Null
Gender Varchar 10 Not Null
Education Varchar 50 Not Null
Age Integer 5 Not Null
DOB Varchar/Date 10 Not Null

Admin Table
Field Name Data Type Size Constraint
UserId Varchar 20 Primary Key
Password Varchar 20 Not Null
Name Varchar 50 Not Null
Designation Varchar 50 Not Null
Mobile Varchar 10 Not Null
Email Varchar 30 Not Null

Exam Table
Field Name Data Type Size Constraint
Exam code Varchar 10 Primary Key
Name Varchar 10 Not Null
Time Date/Time 25 Not Null
Date Date/Time 20 Not Null
Max. Marks Integer 5 Not Null
Obt. Marks Decimal 15 Not Null
Question Table
Field Name Data Type Size Constraints
Code Varchar 10 Primary Key
Exam Code Varchar 10 Foreign Key
Detail Varchar 500 Not Null
Opt1 Varchar 2 Not Null
Opt2 Varchar 2 Not Null
Opt3 Varchar 2 Not Null
Opt4 Varchar 2 Not Null
Answer Varchar 2 Not Null

-16-
Result Table
Field Name Data Type Size Constraints
ID Varchar 20 Primary Key
Exam Code Varchar 10 Foreign Key
Student ID Varchar 10 Foreign Key
Max. Marks Integer 10 Not Null
Obt. Marks Integer 10 Not Null
Grade Varchar 5 Not Null

-17-
 4. NON FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS
In systems engineering and requirements engineering, a non-functional requirement (NFR)
is a requirement that specifies criteria that can be used to judge the operation of a system,
rather than specific behaviours. They are contrasted with functional requirements that define
specific behaviour or functions. The plan for implementing functional requirements is
detailed in the system design. The plan for implementing non-functional requirements is
detailed in the system architecture, because they are usually Architecturally Significant
Requirements.

Some of the non functional requirements for the proposed OES are as follows:

 The proposed system should not be very costly to develop and operate. Project costs
must be within the budgeting costs of the organisation. We will be dealing with it in
the feasibility report.
 It should be reliable. The information entered should be there today. Accuracy is part
of the sense of reliability, so OES must me accurate while carrying exam, processing
result, evaluation etc. For e.g.- The exam must start and finish at specified time.
 System must be secure so as to keep the data safe and secure from unauthorised
access. A tricky part of security for OES is the process of backup, which should be
done regularly and be extremely secured, not allowing any data lose as well as
unauthorized access to the data.
 It must be flexible so that accommodate any changing requirements of the
organisation as well as technology.
 The system should be fast so as achieve the goals of organisation which were not
achievable in the case of manual system.
 The system should be able to handle the large amount of data comfortably.
 The system should be easy to use with self explanatory user interface.
 The system is designed to run for 24/7 so it must be available for use all the times.

4.1 Feasibility Study

Having drawn up the rough specification, the next step is to check whether it is possible to
implement the system a feasibility study takes into account various constraints within the
which the system should be implemented and operated. The resources needed for
implementation such as computing environment and cost are estimated based on the
specification the users’ requirement. These estimates are compared with the available
resources. A comparison of the cost of the system and the benefits which will accrue is also
made.

Available Resources: The users of the system and budget for the project.

Required Resources: Computers (as specified earlier), server, a printer, ink, paper etc.

-18-
Operational Feasibility: It is used to identify the importance of certain problem in
project and how it will be solved. It also measures how the solution of the problem will work
for any project or any organisation. It analyses the behaviour of the proposed system and
whether the proposed system is easier than the existing system for the users of the OES.

Yes, the solution of the problem is available and this solution will work for almost all types
of educational institutes with little or more modifications in the algorithm. The developed
system will bring a lot of ease in the examination system and it will be very easy compared to
existing system as there will be minimal manual work and materialistic requirement. Once
the system is developed and implemented successfully the operating cost will be minimal as
it will only require ink, paper and rare maintenance. Hence, this project is operationally
feasible.

Economic Feasibility: Within the limits of the organisation it is possible to buy the
required resources as specified and the budget is also sufficient to pay the analyst, system
designer, developer etc. So it is possible to implement the system within the limits of
monetary resources. Hence we can say that product is economically feasible.

Since it is not a very big project so the developers will take very less time (about 25-30) days
and hence not hefty amount is required to pay the developers.

Technical Feasibility: It is used to identify whether the technical resources are available
to form the project or system. It suggests efficient input and output devices to manage large
amount of data. It checks the available technology is within the given constraints such as
budget.

In the case of development of OES the technology required is basically JAVA which is easily
accessible in the given budget. There is enough expertise available in this technology for the
client. Moreover, the required equipments are already on the cards to purchase. So we can say
that technically there is no barrier for the development of the system.

Schedule feasibility: Given the complexity of the proposed system available resources
the developer can surely develop this project within 10-12 weeks. Which is not a big duration
and any organisation can wait for this time.

-19-
 fig-8. Gantt Chart

Cost Benefit Analysis: Once the OES start working in its full capacity, even a very few
administrators will be enough to manage the whole system which were not possible in the
case of existing Manual System. This will reduce the manpower and hence increase the
revenue of the organisation. It will also reduce the cost of physical answer sheets and their
printing cost. We can surely assure the client that there will be lot of benefits of the system in
comparison to the Cost incurred.

Considering all the factors we come to the conclusion that the project is feasible to undertake.

-20-
 5. Draft Model: The Waterfall Model
To design and develop this product I will be using Waterfall, which is the oldest SDLC
model. It is also referred to as linear-sequential life cycle model. It is very simple to
understand and use. In a waterfall model, SDLC is divided into several phase. Each phase
must be completed before the next phase can begin and there is no overlapping of phases.

The waterfall model illustrates the software development process in a linear sequential flow.
This means any phase in the development process begins only if the previous phase is
complete.

The sequential phases in Waterfall model are:

 Requirement Gathering and analysis − All possible requirements of the system to

be developed are captured in this phase and documented in a requirement
specification document.

 System Design − the requirement specifications from first phase are studied in this
phase and the system design is prepared. This system design helps in specifying
hardware and system requirements and helps in defining the overall system
architecture.

 Implementation − with inputs from the system design, the system is first developed
in small programs called units, which are integrated in the next phase. Each unit is
developed and tested for its functionality, which is referred to as Unit Testing.

 Integration and Testing − All the units developed in the implementation phase are
integrated into a system after testing of each unit. Post integration the entire system is
tested for any faults and failures.

 Deployment of system − Once the functional and non-functional testing is done; the
product is deployed in the customer environment or released into the market.

 Maintenance − There are some issues which come up in the client environment. To
fix those issues, patches are released. Also to enhance the product some better
versions are released. Maintenance is done to deliver these changes in the customer
environment.

-21-
 fig.9- Waterfall Model

Advantages of waterfall model:

Some of the major advantages of the Waterfall Model are as follows −

 Simple and easy to understand and use.

 Easy to manage due to the rigidity of the model. Each phase has specific deliverables
and a review process.
 Phases are processed and completed one at a time.
 Works well for smaller projects where requirements are very well understood.
 Clearly defined stages.
 Well understood milestones.
 Easy to arrange tasks.
 Process and results are well documented.

-22-
References:
 https://krazytech.com/projects/sample-software-requirements-specificationsrs-report-
airline-database
 V. Rajaraman, "Analysis and Design of Information System", PHI
 Elmsari and Navathe,"Fundamentals of Database Systems", 7th Edition, Pearson.

 https://en.wikipedia.org

-23-