SGE4166 GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS & REMOTE SENSING
COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS
Lecturer: NTAKIRUTIMANA Manassé ([Link])
Student Name and [Link]:
Part 1: Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of the following is generally recognized as the first operational GIS?
a) US Census DIME
b) Canada Geographic Information System (CGIS)
c) ESRI ARC/INFO
d) Google Earth
2. Who is frequently referred to as the "Father of GIS" for his work in the 1960s?
a) Jack Dangermond
b) Roger Tomlinson
c) Howard Fisher
d) John Snow
3. Which of the following is NOT one of the five core components of a GIS?
a) Hardware
b) Software
c) Internet Connectivity
d) People
4. In the context of GIS Data Models, a "Pixel" is the fundamental unit of which data type?
a) Vector
b) Attribute
c) Raster
d) Topology
5. Which vector geometry type is best suited to represent a river or a road?
a. Point
b. Line (Polyline)
c. Polygon
d. Grid
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6. Which of the following represents a "Heads-up" digitization method?
a. Tracing a map on a physical digitizing tablet using a puck.
b. Scanning a paper map into a .JPEG file.
c. Tracing features on a computer screen using a mouse over a scanned image.
d. Collecting coordinates using a handheld GPS.
7. Which GIS capability involves answering the question "What is at this location?"
a. Visualization
b. Query
c. Data Entry
d. Storage
8. Which of the following is an example of continuous data, best represented by a Raster model?
a. Elevation (Terrain)
b. Building footprints
c. Street centerlines
d. Fire hydrant locations
9. The process of converting analog (paper) maps into digital GIS data is primarily known as:
a. Rasterization
b. Digitization
c. Projection
d. Buffer analysis
10. Which component of GIS is widely considered the most important and often the most
expensive to maintain?
a. Hardware
b. Data
c. Software
d. Methods
11. A "Shapefile" is a common file format associated with which company/software history?
a. NASA
b. ESRI
c. QGIS
d. CGIS
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12. In a Vector data model, a specific location such as a hospital or a well is represented as a:
a. Cell
b. Polygon
c. Point
d. Lattice
13. Spatial Data Acquisition via "Primary Data Collection" includes:
a. Scanning an existing paper map.
b. Digitizing a satellite image.
c. Conducting a field survey using GPS.
d. Downloading census tables.
14. Which of the following best describes "Topology" in GIS?
a. The resolution of a satellite image.
b. The study of map colors.
c. The spatial relationships between features (e.g., adjacency, connectivity).
d. The hardware specifications of the computer.
15. Which application area of GIS would most likely use network analysis for routing emergency
vehicles?
a. Environmental Management
b. Transportation and Logistics
c. Natural Resource Inventory
d. Land Registry
Part 2: True or False
16. Raster data requires less storage space than vector data when storing simple, discrete features
like property boundaries.
a) True
b) False
17. The "Methods" or "Procedures" component of GIS refers to the business rules and models
unique to each organization.
a) True
b) False
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18. "Heads-down" digitization involves looking at the computer monitor while tracing on a
separate digitizing tablet.
a) True
b) False
19. Vector data has a structure that is resolution-dependent; meaning if you zoom in, the lines
become blocky/pixelated.
a) True
b) False
20. The Canada Geographic Information System (CGIS) was originally developed to assist with
land inventory and management.
a) True
b) False
21. A polygon feature in a vector model must be closed, meaning the first and last coordinates are
the same.
a) True
b) False
22. Scanned paper maps are automatically ready for analysis without any further processing or
georeferencing.
a) True
b) False
23. GIS is strictly a software tool and does not refer to the science behind the spatial analysis.
a) True
b) False
24. In a raster dataset, every cell (pixel) holds a value, even if that value is "No Data."
a) True
b) False
25. Data output in GIS is strictly limited to digital maps; charts and reports are not considered GIS
outputs.
a) True
b) False
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Part 3: Short Answer & Fill in the Blanks
26. Define GIS in your own words, ensuring you mention at least three of its key capabilities.
27. List the three fundamental geometric primitives used in the Vector data model.
28. Explain the difference between Data and Information in the context of GIS.
29. During the history of GIS, what role did Jack Dangermond play?
30. Name two distinct advantages of using Vector data over Raster data.
31. Name two distinct advantages of using Raster data over Vector data.
32. In the context of Spatial Data Acquisition, what is the difference between Analog and Digital
data sources?
33. What does the acronym GPS stand for, and how does it relate to GIS data collection?
34. Fill in the blank: The process of aligning a scanned map to a known coordinate system so it
can be used in a GIS is called __________.
35. Identify the five components of GIS: Hardware, Software, ______, ______, and ______.
36. Briefly explain what "Attribute Data" is and how it links to Spatial Data.
37. What is the main disadvantage of "Manual Digitization" (human tracing) compared to
automated scanning?
38. Give one example of how GIS is used in Urban Planning.
39. What is "Resolution" in the context of Raster data?
40. Why is the 1960s decade considered crucial in the history of GIS?
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Part 4: Long Answer & Descriptive Questions
41. Create a detailed comparison between the Vector and Raster data models. Discuss their data
structures, storage efficiency, and ideal use cases.
42. Describe the step-by-step workflow of a typical GIS operation, starting from the definition of
the problem to the final output generation.
43. Discuss the evolution of GIS from the 1960s to the present day. How has the shift from
mainframe computers to personal computers and the cloud impacted GIS capabilities?
44. You have been given a stack of historical paper maps of a city and asked to create a digital
vector layer of the roads. Explain the method of digitization you would choose (Heads-up vs.
Heads-down) and justify your choice. Describe the potential errors you might encounter.
45. "People are the most critical component of a GIS." Discuss this statement. Why can a GIS fail
even if the hardware and software are state-of-the-art?
46. Explain the difference between Primary and Secondary data acquisition techniques in GIS.
Provide two examples of each.
47. Select two different industries (e.g., Agriculture and Health). Detail how GIS applications are
utilized in those specific fields to solve real-world problems.
48. Explain the concept of a Database Management System (DBMS) in GIS. Why is it necessary
to separate spatial data (locational) from non-spatial data (attribute) in many historical systems?
49. Detailed the five basic capabilities of a GIS (Data Capture, Data Management, Data
Manipulation/Analysis, and Presentation). Give a practical example of an action performed under
each capability.
50. Explain why the choice of data model (Vector vs. Raster) is critical when deciding how to
visualize specific geographic phenomena (e.g., population density vs. rainfall distribution).
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