CS 160 MIDTERM EXAM 2026 | ACTUAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS | VERIFIED ANSWERS | JUST RELEASED | BRAND
NEW VERSION!
Question 1
What is the fundamental concept of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)?
A) The study of computer hardware and its physical limitations.
B) The process where a user communicates a want to a computer, and the computer
communicates back the results.
C) The development of complex algorithms for artificial intelligence.
D) The analysis of computer network security protocols.
E) The optimization of database query performance.
Correct Answer: B) The process where a user communicates a want to a computer, and the
computer communicates back the results.
Rationale: HCI is fundamentally about the dialogue between a human and a computer. It
studies the design, prototyping, and evaluation of the user interfaces that facilitate this
interaction.
Question 2
What are the three core phases of the design cycle in HCI?
A) Design, Code, Ship
B) Research, Design, Test
C) Design, Prototype, Evaluate
D) Idea, Prototype, Release
E) Requirements, Build, Maintain
Correct Answer: C) Design, Prototype, Evaluate
Rationale: The HCI design process is an iterative cycle consisting of three main stages:
designing a solution, creating a tangible prototype of that design, and then evaluating the
prototype with users to inform the next design iteration.
,Question 3
Which of the following is the first step in a task-centered design process?
A) Create a mockup or prototype.
B) Figure out who's using the system and what they're using it for.
C) Test the design with users.
D) Choose representative tasks.
E) Build the final product.
Correct Answer: B) Figure out who's using the system and what they're using it for.
Rationale: The very first step in a task-centered design process is to perform user research to
identify and understand the target users and their goals. All subsequent design decisions are
based on this initial understanding.
Question 4
Fully fleshed-out fictional characters that represent major user groups are known as:
A) Scenarios
B) Stakeholders
C) Personas
D) Use Cases
E) Actors
Correct Answer: C) Personas
Rationale: Personas are detailed, fictional characters created from user research data. They
serve as a shared reference point for the design team, helping to keep the design focused on
the goals and needs of real users.
Question 5
What is the primary purpose of conducting a Contextual Inquiry?
A) To test a finished product for bugs.
B) To observe users in their natural environment to understand their work practices and needs.
C) To ask users a predefined list of questions in a lab setting.
,D) To have users evaluate a high-fidelity prototype.
E) To determine the market size for a new product.
Correct Answer: B) To observe users in their natural environment to understand their work
practices and needs.
Rationale: Contextual Inquiry is a user research method that involves going to the user's
actual workplace, observing them perform tasks, and asking questions to gain a deep
understanding of their work in its real-world context.
Question 6
Which relationship model should be used to govern the interaction between the researcher and
the subject during a Contextual Inquiry?
A) Interviewer/interviewee
B) Expert/novice
C) Guest/host
D) Master/apprentice
E) Doctor/patient
Correct Answer: D) Master/apprentice
Rationale: In the master/apprentice model, the user is the "master" of their work, and the
researcher is the "apprentice" who is there to learn. This model empowers the user and
encourages a collaborative partnership to uncover the details of their work process.
Question 7
Collaborating with the subject to understand their work is an example of which of the four
principles of Contextual Inquiry?
A) Context
B) Partnership
C) Interpretation
D) Focus
E) Observation
, Correct Answer: B) Partnership
Rationale: The Partnership principle emphasizes that the inquiry is a collaborative effort. The
researcher and the user work together to understand the user's tasks, motivations, and
challenges.
Question 8
In a Contextual Inquiry, when the researcher and the subject work together to assign meaning
to the observations, they are applying which principle?
A) Context
B) Partnership
C) Interpretation
D) Focus
E) Rationality
Correct Answer: C) Interpretation
Rationale: Interpretation is the process of making sense of the raw data collected. It is a
critical step where observations are turned into insights. This should be a collaborative
process with the user to ensure the interpretation is accurate.
Question 9
An interviewer who is too timid to ask probing questions for fear of being impolite is falling into
which bad relationship model?
A) Interviewer/interviewee
B) Expert/novice
C) Guest/host
D) Master/apprentice
E) Friend/friend
Correct Answer: C) Guest/host
Rationale: In the Guest/host model, the researcher acts like a polite guest who is afraid to "dig
in" and ask the important, detailed questions about the user's work, leading to superficial
observations.
CORRECT ANSWERS | VERIFIED ANSWERS | JUST RELEASED | BRAND
NEW VERSION!
Question 1
What is the fundamental concept of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)?
A) The study of computer hardware and its physical limitations.
B) The process where a user communicates a want to a computer, and the computer
communicates back the results.
C) The development of complex algorithms for artificial intelligence.
D) The analysis of computer network security protocols.
E) The optimization of database query performance.
Correct Answer: B) The process where a user communicates a want to a computer, and the
computer communicates back the results.
Rationale: HCI is fundamentally about the dialogue between a human and a computer. It
studies the design, prototyping, and evaluation of the user interfaces that facilitate this
interaction.
Question 2
What are the three core phases of the design cycle in HCI?
A) Design, Code, Ship
B) Research, Design, Test
C) Design, Prototype, Evaluate
D) Idea, Prototype, Release
E) Requirements, Build, Maintain
Correct Answer: C) Design, Prototype, Evaluate
Rationale: The HCI design process is an iterative cycle consisting of three main stages:
designing a solution, creating a tangible prototype of that design, and then evaluating the
prototype with users to inform the next design iteration.
,Question 3
Which of the following is the first step in a task-centered design process?
A) Create a mockup or prototype.
B) Figure out who's using the system and what they're using it for.
C) Test the design with users.
D) Choose representative tasks.
E) Build the final product.
Correct Answer: B) Figure out who's using the system and what they're using it for.
Rationale: The very first step in a task-centered design process is to perform user research to
identify and understand the target users and their goals. All subsequent design decisions are
based on this initial understanding.
Question 4
Fully fleshed-out fictional characters that represent major user groups are known as:
A) Scenarios
B) Stakeholders
C) Personas
D) Use Cases
E) Actors
Correct Answer: C) Personas
Rationale: Personas are detailed, fictional characters created from user research data. They
serve as a shared reference point for the design team, helping to keep the design focused on
the goals and needs of real users.
Question 5
What is the primary purpose of conducting a Contextual Inquiry?
A) To test a finished product for bugs.
B) To observe users in their natural environment to understand their work practices and needs.
C) To ask users a predefined list of questions in a lab setting.
,D) To have users evaluate a high-fidelity prototype.
E) To determine the market size for a new product.
Correct Answer: B) To observe users in their natural environment to understand their work
practices and needs.
Rationale: Contextual Inquiry is a user research method that involves going to the user's
actual workplace, observing them perform tasks, and asking questions to gain a deep
understanding of their work in its real-world context.
Question 6
Which relationship model should be used to govern the interaction between the researcher and
the subject during a Contextual Inquiry?
A) Interviewer/interviewee
B) Expert/novice
C) Guest/host
D) Master/apprentice
E) Doctor/patient
Correct Answer: D) Master/apprentice
Rationale: In the master/apprentice model, the user is the "master" of their work, and the
researcher is the "apprentice" who is there to learn. This model empowers the user and
encourages a collaborative partnership to uncover the details of their work process.
Question 7
Collaborating with the subject to understand their work is an example of which of the four
principles of Contextual Inquiry?
A) Context
B) Partnership
C) Interpretation
D) Focus
E) Observation
, Correct Answer: B) Partnership
Rationale: The Partnership principle emphasizes that the inquiry is a collaborative effort. The
researcher and the user work together to understand the user's tasks, motivations, and
challenges.
Question 8
In a Contextual Inquiry, when the researcher and the subject work together to assign meaning
to the observations, they are applying which principle?
A) Context
B) Partnership
C) Interpretation
D) Focus
E) Rationality
Correct Answer: C) Interpretation
Rationale: Interpretation is the process of making sense of the raw data collected. It is a
critical step where observations are turned into insights. This should be a collaborative
process with the user to ensure the interpretation is accurate.
Question 9
An interviewer who is too timid to ask probing questions for fear of being impolite is falling into
which bad relationship model?
A) Interviewer/interviewee
B) Expert/novice
C) Guest/host
D) Master/apprentice
E) Friend/friend
Correct Answer: C) Guest/host
Rationale: In the Guest/host model, the researcher acts like a polite guest who is afraid to "dig
in" and ask the important, detailed questions about the user's work, leading to superficial
observations.
