100+ Free Ruankao System Architect (Senior) Practice Questions

Prepare for the Computer Technology and Software Professional Qualification (Level) Examination — Senior System Architect (计算机技术与软件专业技术资格（水平）考试 — 高级系统架构设计师) exam with instant access — no signup required.

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: Ruankao System Architect (Senior) Exam

45/75

Passing score required on each of the three subjects in the same sitting

National 软考 relative fixed passing standard (60% of 75) cited in provincial 2026 notices including 深人考发〔2026〕7号

240 + 120 minutes

综合知识+案例分析 combined CBT time, then 论文

软考 computer-based sitting rules for senior qualifications (e.g. 2026 upper-half batch notice)

150 / 120 minutes

综合知识 maximum / minimum within the 240-minute combined session

工业和信息化部教育与考试中心 2026年上半年批次安排通告

23–26 May and 24–27 Oct 2026

Both 2026 sitting windows for 系统架构设计师

计考办〔2026〕1号 / 深人考发〔2026〕7号

RMB 73/subject

Guangdong/Shenzhen fee example (three subjects for senior)

粤发改价格函〔2024〕1073 via 深人考发〔2026〕7号

No score rollover

All three subjects must be passed together

软考 senior three-subject sitting rule

软考 Senior System Architect is a Chinese three-subject CBT qualification: knowledge MCQs plus architecture cases in one 240-minute session, then a 120-minute thesis, 45/75 on each subject, no score rollover. 2026 windows are 23–26 May and 24–27 October. This 100-question English MCQ bank adapts architecture knowledge and case/paper judgment; it is not an official paper or thesis simulation.

Sample Ruankao System Architect (Senior) Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Ruankao System Architect (Senior) exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A 软考 storage design needs one-disk-failure tolerance with block striping and distributed parity. Which RAID level matches that requirement?

A.RAID 0

B.RAID 1

C.RAID 5

D.RAID 6

Explanation: RAID 5 stripes data and distributes parity across member disks, so the array can reconstruct data after a single disk failure. RAID 0 has no parity, RAID 1 mirrors without distributed parity, and RAID 6 uses dual parity to survive two failures.

2Dijkstra’s banker’s algorithm is used in operating-system teaching to do which of the following?

A.Detect a deadlock after a circular wait already exists

B.Avoid deadlock by granting a request only when the resulting allocation remains safe

C.Preempt CPU time slices to prevent starvation

D.Replace pages using a least-recently-used stack

Explanation: The banker’s algorithm is a deadlock-avoidance method. Each process states a maximum claim; a request is granted only if there is still a sequence in which all processes can finish with the remaining resources (a safe state). Detection algorithms look for a cycle after deadlock exists; bankers do not schedule CPU or replace pages.

3In classic semaphore teaching used by 软考, what does a P (wait) operation on semaphore S do when S is already 0?

A.Increment S and continue immediately

B.Decrement S below zero and continue without blocking

C.Block the calling process until a later V operation makes a unit available

D.Destroy the semaphore and wake every waiter

Explanation: P (wait/down) tries to acquire one unit. If S is 0, no unit is available, so the caller blocks until some other process executes V (signal/up) and increments S. P does not increment S, and it does not continue while S is 0.

4In the TCP/IP model used on 软考 papers, TCP belongs to which layer?

A.Network (internet) layer

B.Transport layer

C.Application layer

D.Data-link layer

Explanation: TCP provides end-to-end reliable byte-stream service and is a transport-layer protocol. IP is the internet/network layer, HTTP/SMTP are application protocols, and Ethernet framing is data-link.

5A campus LAN uses 192.168.10.0/26. How many usable host addresses are in one of these subnets?

A.62

B.64

C.30

D.126

Explanation: A /26 prefix leaves 6 host bits, so 2^6 = 64 addresses per subnet. Subtract network and broadcast addresses to get 62 usable hosts. /27 would be 30 usable; /25 would be 126 usable; 64 counts every address including network and broadcast.

6Belady’s anomaly, as tested in OS items, can appear with which page-replacement policy?

A.Least recently used (LRU)

B.Optimal (OPT/MIN)

C.FIFO

D.Clock with a referenced-bit approximation of LRU

Explanation: Belady’s anomaly is that more page frames can increase page faults. FIFO can exhibit it. Stack algorithms such as LRU and OPT never do, because the pages in a smaller memory are always a subset of those in a larger one.

7A repairable service has MTTF = 99 hours and MTTR = 1 hour. Using the 软考 availability identity A = MTTF / (MTTF + MTTR), what is the steady-state availability?

A.0.99

B.0.90

C.0.01

D.99

Explanation: Availability is the fraction of time the system is up: A = 99 / (99 + 1) = 99/100 = 0.99. 0.90 would be 90/(90+10); 0.01 is the downtime fraction; 99 is MTTF, not a dimensionless availability.

8Two concurrent database transactions must not see each other’s uncommitted writes. Which ACID property is that requirement?

A.Atomicity

B.Consistency

C.Isolation

D.Durability

Explanation: Isolation (隔离性) means concurrent transactions behave as if serialized, so one does not read another’s dirty uncommitted data. Atomicity is all-or-nothing, consistency is invariant preservation, and durability is surviving a crash after commit.

9A relation is in 2NF but a non-prime attribute depends on another non-prime attribute that itself depends on the primary key. Which normal form is violated?

A.1NF only

B.3NF

C.BCNF is satisfied whenever 3NF is violated

D.5NF only

Explanation: Third normal form forbids transitive dependencies of non-prime attributes on the key. 1NF only concerns atomic values. BCNF is stricter than 3NF, so a 3NF violation is also a BCNF problem, not a sign that BCNF holds. 5NF concerns join dependencies, not this transitive case.

10An architect must keep a log volume online after any two disks fail. Which RAID level is the standard match?

A.RAID 0

B.RAID 1 with two disks only

C.RAID 5

D.RAID 6

Explanation: RAID 6 stores two independent parity sets, so any two disks can fail without data loss. RAID 0 has no redundancy. Two-disk RAID 1 survives only one disk failure. RAID 5 survives one failure, not two.

About the Ruankao System Architect (Senior) Exam

The Ruankao Senior System Architect exam (软考高级系统架构设计师) is a national computer-technology qualification under MIIT and MOHRSS. Official 考试说明 (https://www.ruankao.org.cn/article/content/bkzn/03_03.html) requires computer hardware/software/network foundations, the information-system development process, IS/IT standards, mainstream middleware and application servers, software modeling and architecture-design techniques, information-security technology/strategy/management, informatization and IT law, industry-aware architecture, applied mathematics, and English reading. Passing personnel should design a correct, reasonable software architecture from a requirements specification under real constraints, describe/analyze/design/evaluate project architectures, write design documents to relevant standards, and collaborate with 系统分析师 and 项目管理师 at 高级工程师 level. The 2026 sittings are 23–26 May and 24–27 October per 计考办〔2026〕1号 / 深人考发〔2026〕7号. Delivery is computer-based in Chinese: 综合知识+案例分析 240 minutes (综合知识 max 150 / min 120) plus 论文 120 minutes. All three papers must reach 45/75; scores do not roll. There is no education or experience restriction. Fees are set provincially. This OpenExamPrep bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation, not an official translation or a substitute for the written case or thesis papers.

Assessment

Computer-based sitting of three subjects. 综合知识 and 案例分析 are consecutive with a combined 240 minutes: 综合知识 maximum 150 minutes and minimum 120 minutes; leftover time may be used on 案例分析. After submitting 综合知识, candidates who will not sit 案例分析 may leave; those continuing may leave 60 minutes before the end of the combined session. 论文 is 120 minutes and may not be submitted early. All three subjects must reach 45/75 in the same sitting; scores do not roll.

Time Limit

240 minutes (综合知识+案例分析) plus 120 minutes (论文)

Passing Score

45/75 each of three subjects

Exam Fee

Provincially set (e.g. Guangdong/Shenzhen RMB 73/subject per 粤发改价格函〔2024〕1073 and 深人考发〔2026〕7号) (MIIT & MOHRSS / ruankao.org.cn)

Ruankao System Architect (Senior) Exam Content Outline

12%

computer-hw-sw-network

Computer organization, OS (process/memory/deadlock), storage, reliability, TCP/IP/LAN, and database foundations from the official 考试说明

12%

development-process-and-standards

Information-system development process, life-cycle models, CMMI, and commonly tested IS/IT standards (including GB/ISO software-process documents)

12%

middleware-and-platforms

Mainstream middleware, application servers, CORBA/J2EE/.NET, MOM, ESB, and Web-service/SOA platforms named in 软考 architecture teaching

28%

modeling-and-architecture-design

Quality attributes, architecture styles and patterns, 4+1 views, tactics, ATAM/SAAM-style tradeoffs, and architecture documentation used in 软考

16%

information-security-and-management

Information-security technology, security strategy, and security management, including cryptography, access control, 等保, and incident judgment

20%

industry-math-law-english-case-judgment

Industry-aware architecture, applied mathematics, informatization and IT law, English architecture terms, and 案例分析/论文 rubric judgment

How to Pass the Ruankao System Architect (Senior) Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 45/75 each of three subjects
Assessment: Computer-based sitting of three subjects. 综合知识 and 案例分析 are consecutive with a combined 240 minutes: 综合知识 maximum 150 minutes and minimum 120 minutes; leftover time may be used on 案例分析. After submitting 综合知识, candidates who will not sit 案例分析 may leave; those continuing may leave 60 minutes before the end of the combined session. 论文 is 120 minutes and may not be submitted early. All three subjects must reach 45/75 in the same sitting; scores do not roll.
Time limit: 240 minutes (综合知识+案例分析) plus 120 minutes (论文)
Exam fee: Provincially set (e.g. Guangdong/Shenzhen RMB 73/subject per 粤发改价格函〔2024〕1073 and 深人考发〔2026〕7号)

Keys to Passing

Work through all 100 available questions
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Ruankao System Architect (Senior) Study Tips from Top Performers

1Memorize Bass-style quality attributes used in 软考 (performance, availability, security, modifiability) and map each requirement sentence to one attribute before choosing a tactic.

2On ATAM items, distinguish a sensitivity point (affects one quality attribute) from a tradeoff point (a sensitivity point for more than one attribute).

3Drill Shaw/Garlan style families: data-flow, call-and-return, independent components, virtual machine, and repository — 软考 cases ask you to name the style that fits the constraint.

4Treat 案例分析 as constraint matching: name the quality attribute, the tactic or style, and the risk/tradeoff in one short chain.

5For 论文, the rubric rewards a real project, architecture views, quality-attribute decisions, and measured effects — not a technology-name dump. This bank trains that judgment; it does not replace writing timed Chinese theses.

6Do not skip 了解-level law, math, and English items — they are short but scored, and all three subjects must hit 45 together.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Ruankao Senior System Architect qualification?

It is the Senior System Architect subject (高级系统架构设计师) in the Computer Technology and Software Professional Qualification (Level) Examination (软考). Official 考试说明: https://www.ruankao.org.cn/article/content/bkzn/03_03.html. Passing confers the corresponding senior professional qualification (高级工程师 level).

How is the official exam structured and scored?

Three subjects are taken in one sitting. 综合知识 and 案例分析 are consecutive for 240 minutes (综合知识 maximum 150 minutes, minimum 120 minutes). 论文 is 120 minutes and may not be submitted early. Each subject is scored out of 75; all three must reach 45 in the same sitting. Scores do not roll.

Who may sit the exam, and what does it cost?

There is no education or experience restriction under 国人部发〔2003〕39号. Fees are set by each province. Shenzhen/Guangdong charge RMB 73 per subject (深人考发〔2026〕7号 citing 粤发改价格函〔2024〕1073). Senior qualifications have three subjects.

When are the 2026 sittings?

System Architect is offered in both half-year windows. 深人考发〔2026〕7号 implementing 计考办〔2026〕1号 places the 2026 sittings on 23–26 May and 24–27 October 2026. Register through https://www.ruankao.org.cn/.

Why are these practice questions in English?

The official exam is in Chinese (officialLanguages: zh). 案例分析 is a written short-answer paper and 论文 is a thesis paper. This OpenExamPrep bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation of syllabus knowledge and architecture judgment. It is not an official translation, not a CBT simulation, and not a substitute for practicing Chinese case write-ups or thesis writing.