Hi all,

I've just returned from a job interview (little admin job) in which I was asked to add the following tables into this existing database:

Tbl_Department (I dont think this table is relevent to this problem)
Dept_ID - PK
Dept_Name
[etc etc]

Tbl_Programme (this is a University Course (EG

Law/Business)
Programme_ID - PK
Programme_Name
Dept_ID - FK
(etc etc)

Tbl_Student (this contains all the student information)
Student_ID - PK
Student_Name
Student_Sex
Student_DOB
Programme_ID - FK
(etc etc)

The relationship works as one department has many programmes, one programme contains many students.

The problem I was given was that I was asked to add the following table

Tbl_Module (each programme has many modules, for example the programme Law would contain Contract Law, Criminal Law, Constitutional Law etc etc as modules).
Module_ID - PK
Module_Name
Programme_ID - FK
etc etc

I thought this was simple so I attempted to create a relationship between the Module and Programme table. I realise now that this is probably not how it is suppose to be down.

Further problems will arise when they asked me to create another table that contained all the grades each student has recieved for each module - ARGH!

Needless to say I doubt I'll be getting a phone call tomorrow telling me I have the job.

I have another interview with the same company in two weeks for a similar role so I really need to get this problem sorted.

Any help you could offer would be most appriciated.

Many Thanks

Folly (will

It's all about granularity. If grades are recorded at the module level, your fear would actually be an appropriate way to model their data.

Honestly, the only thing I'd really change in the schema you have, is that you put ProgramID in your Student table, meaning a student can only be in one program.

do you have a website?

(yes)---> why not make money from it / more money?

(no)---> why not get one? it's cheap. annual cost is same as a single fastfood meal, or maybe 2 or 3.


sure sure, have your job interview, but if they are trying to reduce your ambition and self-worth, then they are fools and your higher priority is finding an altnernative path to stability, one that involves free spirit