The IIT Madras BS Tools in Data Science (Tools in Data Science (TDS)) End Term paper sat on 13 Apr 2025, in the January 2025 term, set QDD1: 35 questions for 40 marks in 180 minutes. Every question is below with its answer. Take it as a timed mock test to be marked, or read it through first.
You receive a tab-delimited file where some numeric fields are interpreted as dates (e.g., "3/10" becomes "March 10" in Excel). What is the most effective way to handle this in Text to-Columns?
Change the delimiter to commas before opening the file
Format the column as Text before applying Text-to-Columns
Use the General data format option in Text-to-Columns
Manually change the affected cells back to numbers after splitting
Correct answer
Format the column as Text before applying Text-to-Columns
In Python, which statement correctly handles exceptions and ensures that cleanup code is executed?
Correct answer
A research team has a pandas dataframe of medical trial participants. To quickly identify how many different treatment groups exist, which Pandas method would be most efficient?
`len(set(column))`
`column.count()`
`column.nunique()`
`column.value_counts()`
Correct answer
`column.nunique()`
To track changes to specific files
To specify files that Git should not track
To define Git repository settings
To list contributors to the repository
Correct answer
To specify files that Git should not track
A developer wants to examine API request headers and responses to debug an issue with a failing API call. Where in Chrome DevTools should they look?
Console tab
Application tab
Network tab
Sources tab
Correct answer
Network tab
A pharmaceutical researcher is testing a new drug's effectiveness. If the p-value is 0.03 in a regression analysis, what can be concluded about the drug's impact?
The drug has no significant effect
The result is statistically significant at a 5% significance level
More data collection is needed
The sample size is too small
Correct answer
The result is statistically significant at a 5% significance level
A data analyst receives a messy dataset with inconsistent company names like "Apple", "Apple Inc.", and "Apple Incorporated". Which tool would best standardize these entries?
Excel's Find and Replace
OpenRefine's clustering feature
Python's string manipulation
Manual editing
Correct answer
OpenRefine's clustering feature
A web developer wants to analyze the load time and resources of a webpage. Which Chrome DevTools feature provides comprehensive network request information?
Console tab
Network tab
Elements tab
Sources tab
Correct answer
Network tab
Which of the following is NOT a feature typically found in modern IDEs?
Syntax highlighting
Integrated debugger
Version control integration
Native hardware virtualization
Correct answer
Native hardware virtualization
Which of the following describes the primary use of Kumu?
Building financial models
Creating system maps and visualizing relationships
Performing real-time data analysis
Designing geographic maps for navigation
Correct answer
Creating system maps and visualizing relationships
Which HTTP method is idempotent, meaning multiple identical requests have the same effect as a single request?
POST
PUT
GET
DELETE
Correct answer
PUT
A researcher needs to perform spatial data operations like buffering and visualize the results on an interactive map. Which libraries would be most suitable?
Geopandas
Folium
Matplotlib
Shapely
Correct answers
Geopandas
Folium
Scenario 1:
Sarah is working on a research paper about renewable energy technologies and decides to use an LLM to help her draft some sections.
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
Sarah prompts the LLM: "Write a comprehensive overview of solar energy advancements in the last decade."
The instructor wants to ensure that the LLM provides concise, clear, and helpful answers. What is the role of the system prompt in guiding the LLM's behavior?
It defines the LLM’s tone, behavior, and response style to align with the instructor's teaching goals.
It provides a list of pre-written responses to be used in all classroom scenarios.
It prevents the LLM from ever deviating from pre-determined responses, regardless of the context.
It configures the LLM to only respond to specific commands, disregarding any other input.
Correct answer
It defines the LLM’s tone, behavior, and response style to align with the instructor's teaching goals.
Scenario 1:
Sarah is working on a research paper about renewable energy technologies and decides to use an LLM to help her draft some sections.
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
When Sarah submits increasingly complex prompts about solar energy, which of the following statements are TRUE regarding LLM cost and usage
LLM costs are primarily calculated based on the number of tokens processed
LLM usage is always free for academic research
The total length of both input prompt and output response impacts the overall cost
LLM costs are fixed regardless of the complexity of the query
Token count has no relation to computational resources required
Correct answers
LLM costs are primarily calculated based on the number of tokens processed
The total length of both input prompt and output response impacts the overall cost
Scenario 1:
Sarah is working on a research paper about renewable energy technologies and decides to use an LLM to help her draft some sections.
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
Sarah wants to improve the specificity of her LLM prompt. Which prompt is likely to generate the most precise and useful response?
"Tell me about solar energy"
"Discuss solar energy advancements"
"Outline 4 key solar energy technological breakthroughs from 2014-2024, including specific efficiency improvements and implementation challenges"
"Write a paragraph about solar energy"
Correct answer
"Outline 4 key solar energy technological breakthroughs from 2014-2024, including specific efficiency improvements and implementation challenges"
Scenario 2
Wildfire Emergency Evacuation Planning
Background:
A wildfire is threatening a rural mountain region, and emergency services need to coordinate evacuation routes for four remote communities. The Emergency Management Center is located at a central command post, and must plan the most efficient evacuation route to ensure rapid and safe community evacuation.
The four communities are:
Pine Ridge Settlement (Latitude: 38.7456, Longitude: -120.8765)
Mountain View Village (Latitude: 38.6987, Longitude: -120.9234)
River Valley Community (Latitude: 38.7123, Longitude: -120.7654)
Forest Creek Hamlet (Latitude: 38.6789, Longitude: -120.8901)
Central Command Post Location:
(Latitude: 38.7200, Longitude: -120.8500)
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
During the wildfire emergency, multiple teams are updating evacuation plans. Which Git command would a team member use to get the latest evacuation route updates?
git commit
git checkout
git pull
git add
Correct answer
git pull
Scenario 2
Wildfire Emergency Evacuation Planning
Background:
A wildfire is threatening a rural mountain region, and emergency services need to coordinate evacuation routes for four remote communities. The Emergency Management Center is located at a central command post, and must plan the most efficient evacuation route to ensure rapid and safe community evacuation.
The four communities are:
Pine Ridge Settlement (Latitude: 38.7456, Longitude: -120.8765)
Mountain View Village (Latitude: 38.6987, Longitude: -120.9234)
River Valley Community (Latitude: 38.7123, Longitude: -120.7654)
Forest Creek Hamlet (Latitude: 38.6789, Longitude: -120.8901)
Central Command Post Location:
(Latitude: 38.7200, Longitude: -120.8500)
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
An emergency responder needs to search through evacuation logs to find all entries related to "Pine Ridge". Which command would be most useful?
Correct answer
Scenario 2
Wildfire Emergency Evacuation Planning
Background:
A wildfire is threatening a rural mountain region, and emergency services need to coordinate evacuation routes for four remote communities. The Emergency Management Center is located at a central command post, and must plan the most efficient evacuation route to ensure rapid and safe community evacuation.
The four communities are:
Pine Ridge Settlement (Latitude: 38.7456, Longitude: -120.8765)
Mountain View Village (Latitude: 38.6987, Longitude: -120.9234)
River Valley Community (Latitude: 38.7123, Longitude: -120.7654)
Forest Creek Hamlet (Latitude: 38.6789, Longitude: -120.8901)
Central Command Post Location:
(Latitude: 38.7200, Longitude: -120.8500)
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
In a resource-constrained emergency environment, which deployment method would be MOST appropriate for the Python-based evacuation management system?
Running scripts locally on a single emergency responder's laptop
Distributing Python source code to all emergency personnel
Containerized deployment with Docker for consistent execution across multiple devices
Full cloud migration requiring constant internet connectivity
Correct answer
Containerized deployment with Docker for consistent execution across multiple devices
Scenario 2
Wildfire Emergency Evacuation Planning
Background:
A wildfire is threatening a rural mountain region, and emergency services need to coordinate evacuation routes for four remote communities. The Emergency Management Center is located at a central command post, and must plan the most efficient evacuation route to ensure rapid and safe community evacuation.
The four communities are:
Pine Ridge Settlement (Latitude: 38.7456, Longitude: -120.8765)
Mountain View Village (Latitude: 38.6987, Longitude: -120.9234)
River Valley Community (Latitude: 38.7123, Longitude: -120.7654)
Forest Creek Hamlet (Latitude: 38.6789, Longitude: -120.8901)
Central Command Post Location:
(Latitude: 38.7200, Longitude: -120.8500)
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
Which computational tool would be MOST APPROPRIATE for optimizing the complex evacuation route considering multiple communities?
Microsoft Excel for manual distance calculations
Google Maps for route visualization
Python libraries like NetworkX or OR-Tools for route optimization
QGIS for static route mapping
Correct answer
Python libraries like NetworkX or OR-Tools for route optimization
Scenario 2
Wildfire Emergency Evacuation Planning
Background:
A wildfire is threatening a rural mountain region, and emergency services need to coordinate evacuation routes for four remote communities. The Emergency Management Center is located at a central command post, and must plan the most efficient evacuation route to ensure rapid and safe community evacuation.
The four communities are:
Pine Ridge Settlement (Latitude: 38.7456, Longitude: -120.8765)
Mountain View Village (Latitude: 38.6987, Longitude: -120.9234)
River Valley Community (Latitude: 38.7123, Longitude: -120.7654)
Forest Creek Hamlet (Latitude: 38.6789, Longitude: -120.8901)
Central Command Post Location:
(Latitude: 38.7200, Longitude: -120.8500)
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
What is the primary advantage of using the Haversine formula in emergency route planning?
Calculating exact road distances
Determining travel time under specific conditions
Computing great-circle distances on a spherical Earth
Measuring elevation changes in mountainous terrain
Correct answer
Computing great-circle distances on a spherical Earth
Scenario 3
You are provided with a Gzipped Apache log file from a website having the below data in each row.
The fields are separated by spaces and quoted by double quotes ("). Unlike CSV files, quoted fields are escaped via "and not". All data is in the GMT-0500 timezone and the questions were based in this same time zone.
Use the information given and answer the sub-questions.
Note: Assume that you are using Python codes for log analysis
Which of the following is a valid log entry based on the provided format?
192.168.1.1 - - [12/Dec/2024:14:05:59 -0500] "GET /image.jpg HTTP/1.1" 200 1234 "-" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/87.0.4280.88 Safari/537.36" www.s-anand.net 192.254.190.217
192.168.1.1 - - [12/Dec/2024:14:05:59 -0500] "POST /image.jpg INVALID" 200 1234 "-" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/87.0.4280.88 Safari/537.36" www.s-anand.net 192.254.190.217
192.168.1.1 - - [12/Dec/2024:14:05:59 -0500] "PUT /image.jpg HTTP/1.1" OK 1234 "-" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/87.0.4280.88 Safari/537.36" www.s-anand.net 192.254.190.217
203.0.113.7 - - [14/Dec/2024:16:45:11 -0500] "GET /index.html HTTP/1.1" 200 3500 "-" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/90.0.4430.93 Safari/537.36" www.s-anand.net 192.254.190.219
Correct answer
203.0.113.7 - - [14/Dec/2024:16:45:11 -0500] "GET /index.html HTTP/1.1" 200 3500 "-" "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/90.0.4430.93 Safari/537.36" www.s-anand.net 192.254.190.219
Scenario 3
You are provided with a Gzipped Apache log file from a website having the below data in each row.
The fields are separated by spaces and quoted by double quotes ("). Unlike CSV files, quoted fields are escaped via "and not". All data is in the GMT-0500 timezone and the questions were based in this same time zone.
Use the information given and answer the sub-questions.
Note: Assume that you are using Python codes for log analysis
Which of the following fields are necessary to filter "POST requests made for pages under /images/ from 15:00 to 18:00 on Mondays"?
Time, Request, Method, URL
Time, Method, Status, Size
Time, Method, URL, Referer
Time, Status, URL, Server
Correct answer
Time, Request, Method, URL
Scenario 3
You are provided with a Gzipped Apache log file from a website having the below data in each row.
The fields are separated by spaces and quoted by double quotes ("). Unlike CSV files, quoted fields are escaped via "and not". All data is in the GMT-0500 timezone and the questions were based in this same time zone.
Use the information given and answer the sub-questions.
Note: Assume that you are using Python codes for log analysis
If the time in the log is stored in the format [01/May/2024:00:00:00 -0500], which of the following time formats should you use to parse it correctly?
Correct answer
Scenario 3
You are provided with a Gzipped Apache log file from a website having the below data in each row.
The fields are separated by spaces and quoted by double quotes ("). Unlike CSV files, quoted fields are escaped via "and not". All data is in the GMT-0500 timezone and the questions were based in this same time zone.
Use the information given and answer the sub-questions.
Note: Assume that you are using Python codes for log analysis
Which of the following methods is best for identifying if a log entry’s timestamp corresponds to a Sunday?
Check if timestamp.dayname() == 'Sunday'
Check if timestamp.weekday() == 5
Check if timestamp.strftime('%A') == 'Sunday'
Check if timestamp.weekday() == 6
Correct answer
Check if timestamp.weekday() == 6
Scenario 3
You are provided with a Gzipped Apache log file from a website having the below data in each row.
The fields are separated by spaces and quoted by double quotes ("). Unlike CSV files, quoted fields are escaped via "and not". All data is in the GMT-0500 timezone and the questions were based in this same time zone.
Use the information given and answer the sub-questions.
Note: Assume that you are using Python codes for log analysis
How would you identify log entries where the time is between 16:00 and 18:59 on Sundays?
Check if 16 <= timestamp.hour < 18
Check if 16 <= timestamp.hour < 19
Check if 16 < timestamp.hour < 19
Check if timestamp.hour in range(16, 20)
Correct answer
Check if 16 <= timestamp.hour < 19
Scenario 3
You are provided with a Gzipped Apache log file from a website having the below data in each row.
The fields are separated by spaces and quoted by double quotes ("). Unlike CSV files, quoted fields are escaped via "and not". All data is in the GMT-0500 timezone and the questions were based in this same time zone.
Use the information given and answer the sub-questions.
Note: Assume that you are using Python codes for log analysis
How would you extract the HTTP protocol version (e.g., HTTP/1.1) from the Request field "GET /blog/ HTTP/1.1"?
Use request.split('/')[1]
Use request.split(' ')[2]
Use request.split(' ')[1]
Use request.split('/')[2]
Correct answer
Use request.split(' ')[2]
Scenario 3
You are provided with a Gzipped Apache log file from a website having the below data in each row.
The fields are separated by spaces and quoted by double quotes ("). Unlike CSV files, quoted fields are escaped via "and not". All data is in the GMT-0500 timezone and the questions were based in this same time zone.
Use the information given and answer the sub-questions.
Note: Assume that you are using Python codes for log analysis
Correct answer
Scenario 3
You are provided with a Gzipped Apache log file from a website having the below data in each row.
The fields are separated by spaces and quoted by double quotes ("). Unlike CSV files, quoted fields are escaped via "and not". All data is in the GMT-0500 timezone and the questions were based in this same time zone.
Use the information given and answer the sub-questions.
Note: Assume that you are using Python codes for log analysis
Correct answer
Scenario 3
You are provided with a Gzipped Apache log file from a website having the below data in each row.
The fields are separated by spaces and quoted by double quotes ("). Unlike CSV files, quoted fields are escaped via "and not". All data is in the GMT-0500 timezone and the questions were based in this same time zone.
Use the information given and answer the sub-questions.
Note: Assume that you are using Python codes for log analysis
How would you identify if the log entry’s HTTP status code indicates a redirection request? (Assume that status is correctly stored in the variable ‘status’)
status in [301, 302, 303]
200 < status < 400
300 <= status < 400
status in range(299, 400)
Correct answer
300 <= status < 400
Scenario 3
You are provided with a Gzipped Apache log file from a website having the below data in each row.
The fields are separated by spaces and quoted by double quotes ("). Unlike CSV files, quoted fields are escaped via "and not". All data is in the GMT-0500 timezone and the questions were based in this same time zone.
Use the information given and answer the sub-questions.
Note: Assume that you are using Python codes for log analysis
After filtering the log entries (in a list filtered_entries), which of the following is the best way to count the number of requests with a 404 status code for pages under /error/?
Use len(filtered_entries)
Use len(entries)
Use sum(1 for entry in entries)
None of these
Correct answer
None of these
Scenario 3
You are provided with a Gzipped Apache log file from a website having the below data in each row.
The fields are separated by spaces and quoted by double quotes ("). Unlike CSV files, quoted fields are escaped via "and not". All data is in the GMT-0500 timezone and the questions were based in this same time zone.
Use the information given and answer the sub-questions.
Note: Assume that you are using Python codes for log analysis
If the count of log entries appears much larger than expected, which of the following could be the reason?
The filter for Monday is incorrect.
The filter for time range is incorrect.
The filter for HTTP method is incorrect.
Any of these could be the reason.
Correct answer
Any of these could be the reason.
Scenario 4
A climate science professor is developing an AI-powered learning assistant called ClimateBot to help students understand complex climate modeling techniques and computational approaches to environmental data analysis.
Guidelines for ClimateBot:
- Engage students through thought-provoking questions
- Encourage independent problem-solving
- Guide students to discover solutions autonomously
- Provide conceptual insights, not direct answers
- Help students develop robust computational and analytical skills
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
What is the primary purpose of the system prompt in controlling an AI learning assistant's behavior?
To create a fixed set of predetermined responses for every possible student query
To define the core communication strategy, learning approach, and interaction guidelines
To replace the need for human instructor guidance completely
To limit the AI's ability to understand complex scientific concepts
Correct answer
To define the core communication strategy, learning approach, and interaction guidelines
Scenario 4
A climate science professor is developing an AI-powered learning assistant called ClimateBot to help students understand complex climate modeling techniques and computational approaches to environmental data analysis.
Guidelines for ClimateBot:
- Engage students through thought-provoking questions
- Encourage independent problem-solving
- Guide students to discover solutions autonomously
- Provide conceptual insights, not direct answers
- Help students develop robust computational and analytical skills
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
Choose the best system prompt that achieves the instructor's goals.
"You are a climate science assistant. Provide direct answers and complete code solutions whenever students ask."
"You are an interactive learning assistant for climate science. Guide students through complex concepts by asking reflective questions. Avoid giving direct solutions. Encourage independent thinking and help students develop problem-solving skills."
"You are a simple computational tool. Provide exact numerical answers and full code implementations for any climate modeling question."
"You are a climate science assistant. Help students and tell them to consult textbooks for all information."
Correct answer
"You are an interactive learning assistant for climate science. Guide students through complex concepts by asking reflective questions. Avoid giving direct solutions. Encourage independent thinking and help students develop problem-solving skills."
Scenario 4
A climate science professor is developing an AI-powered learning assistant called ClimateBot to help students understand complex climate modeling techniques and computational approaches to environmental data analysis.
Guidelines for ClimateBot:
- Engage students through thought-provoking questions
- Encourage independent problem-solving
- Guide students to discover solutions autonomously
- Provide conceptual insights, not direct answers
- Help students develop robust computational and analytical skills
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
A student asks: "How do I calculate the global warming potential of different greenhouse gases?" Choose the most pedagogically effective response:
"The global warming potential (GWP) is calculated by multiplying the gas's radiative efficiency by its atmospheric lifetime. Here's the exact formula: [provides complete formula and calculation method]"
"Global warming potential (GWP) is determined by factors like a gas's molecular structure, atmospheric lifetime, and interaction with radiation. Different gases have different GWPs based on these characteristics."
"Let's break this down. What do you already know about greenhouse gases and their impact on climate? Have you considered how different molecules might have varying abilities to trap heat?"
"I cannot help you with this calculation. Please refer to your textbook for a complete explanation."
Correct answer
"Let's break this down. What do you already know about greenhouse gases and their impact on climate? Have you considered how different molecules might have varying abilities to trap heat?"
Scenario 4
A climate science professor is developing an AI-powered learning assistant called ClimateBot to help students understand complex climate modeling techniques and computational approaches to environmental data analysis.
Guidelines for ClimateBot:
- Engage students through thought-provoking questions
- Encourage independent problem-solving
- Guide students to discover solutions autonomously
- Provide conceptual insights, not direct answers
- Help students develop robust computational and analytical skills
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
Assume that the ClimateBot, an advanced learning assistant for climate science students.Its primary mission is to foster critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and deep understanding of complex environmental systems by using a RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) system. The RAG system works as follows:
1. Climate Data Storage: Comprehensive climate research materials (like reports, research papers and notes) are split into smaller chunks. Each chunk is vectorized using an embedding model.
2. Vector Database: The vectorized chunks are stored in a FAISS or Weaviate vector database. 3. Retriever: When a student asks a question, the system retrieves the most relevant content (based on semantic similarity) from the vector database.
4. LLM Contextualization: The retrieved content is added as context in the assistant's prompt, which is then used by the LLM (like GPT-4) to generate a personalized, context-aware response. Which of the following correctly describes the process flow of a RAG-based system for the IITM TDS Teaching Assistant?
Correct answer
