DECISION TABLE:

It is used for more complex circumstances where several criteria (conditions)

determine an action. Let us consider as a student course grading policy for the following
details:

Student has scored a total number lower than 90 percent on the first three assignments
AND exams AND received a score no lower than 70 percent on the fourth assignment
THEN receive an initial grade of A for the course.

Student has scored a total number lower than 90 percent but no lower than 80 percent
on the first three assignments AND exams AND received a score number lower than 70
percent on the fourth assignment THEN receive an initial grade of B for the course.

Student has scored a total number lower than 80 percent but no lower than 70 percent
on the first three assignments AND exams AND received a score no lower than 70
percent on the fourth assignment THEN receive an initial grade of C..

Student has scored a total number lower than 70 percent but no lower than 60 percent
on the first three assignments AND exams AND received a score no lower than 70
percent on the fourth assignment THEN receive an initial grade of D.

Student has scored a total number lower than 60 percent on the first three assignments
AND exams AND received a score lower than 70 percent on the fourth assignment
THEN receive and final grade of F.

The student’s final course grade will be the same as his or her initial course grade IF no
more than three class periods during the semester were missed. OTHERWISE, the
student’s final course grade will be one letter grade lower than his or her initial course
grade (for example, an A will become a B)

This statement are creates complex decision which can become more complex as more
clauses are added to in course grading policy. DFD is not a suitable tool for such a level
of detail. A decision table is a particularly used for such some decision rules.
A decision table is a matrix of rows and columns. The table is divided into 4 parts as
shown in the following figure. The left hand parts denote possible conditions and
actions. The right hand parts define the rules. Condition is a possible state of an entity.
As conditions vary, they are also called decision variables. An alternative step or
procedure that an individual takes or follows when confronted with a condition is called
an action. A rule defines an action to be, taken corresponding to a defined combination
of conditions.

Decision table for the above stated course grading policy or statement is given in the
following figure:

Condition Condition Entries

Statements

Action Action Entries

Statements

STEPS FOR DRAWING A DECISION TABLE:

o Identify all the conditions and the actions.

o Identify the possible entries for each condition statement.
o Workout the total number of decision rules by multiplying the number of
Possibilities.
 o Create the conditions and actions.
o Fill up all the condition entries to ensure that all possible combinations of
conditions have been filled up.
o Identify the actions corresponding to each combination of the conditions.
o Check the rule table to remove contradictory rules, if any.
o Remove redundant rules, if any.

Applying these rules, the decision table for the grading policy can be created as in
figure below. The rules have been given serial numbers 1 to 8. Rules 1 and 5 have
been marked to grading loopholes that could be used against the instructor. The
instructor would need to determine how to handle those rules.To further refine this table,
rule 4 and 8 can be combined, as the action is determined irrespectively.

IMPLIMENTATION.

1. A B C D is indicating to the grading policy of the students (Exams

+ 3 Assignments).
2. F indicates to the Failure.
3. R Indicates the percentage above 70% 4th Assignment
4. N indicates the percentage lower than 70% for 4 th Assignment
5. X indicates for Action.
6. P indicates for present.
7. T indicates for terminate/due to absences.
8. The modified table is shown in the following figure.
 DECISION TABLE.

CONDITIONS /COURSE RULES.

GRADING&ACTION.

 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

C1:Grading for the first A A A A B B B B C C C C D D D D F F F F

3 assignments or exams
C2:Grading for the R R N N R R N N R R N N R R N N R R N N
fourth assignment
C3: Absences during in P T P T P T P T P T P T P T P T P T P T
semester.
 ACTION OF                                        
GRADING.
Grade A X                                      

Grade B    X      X                          

Grade C                                    
X X
Grade D                  X      X            

Grade F     X X   X X   X X   X X X  X  X X X

NOT APPLICABLE/
NO ACTION.
 CONSOLIDATED DECISION TABLE.

 CONDITIONS. RULES
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
(1) (2) (5) (6) (9) (10) (13)
C1: A A B B C C D E

L
C2: R R R R R R R S

C3: P T P T P T P E

 ACTION.                    

Grade A X                  

Grade B    X  X          

Grade C      X  X        

Grade D          X  X    

Grade F           X    

NOT APPLICABLE/
NO ACTION.

DATA FLOW CHART.

 GRADE FOR EXM +3
ASSIGNMENT

GRADE FOR 4TH

ASSIGNMENT

NUMBER OF ABSENCES

GRADING EXAM OR
3ASSIGNMENT<100&> YES YES
90 ASSIGNMENT 4TH NUMBER OF
&>70 GRADE A
ABSENTEES >3

NO

GRADE B FINISHED

<89 OR>89 4TH YES YES

ASSIGNMENT >70 NUMBER OF
ABSENTEES >3 GRADE B

NO

GRADE C FINISHED

<79 OR >70 YES YES

ASSIGNMENT 4TH >70 NUMBER OF
GRADE C
ABSENTEES >3

NO

GRADE D FINISHED

YES YES
< 69 OR >60 NUMBER OF
GRADE D
ASSIGNMENT4TH >70 ABSENTEES >3

F / FAILURE FINISHED

YES
<59 ASSIGNMENT 4TH
>70 F /FAILURE

NO

F /FAILURE FINISHED