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WorksheetsA Level Computer Science - Paper 1 (All Key Terms)
Total questions: 100
Worksheet time: 55mins
What is the function of the Accumulator (ACC) in a computer?
It carries the memory location address of the register.
It performs arithmetic calculations and logical operations.
It temporarily stores the results of operations performed by the ALU.
It stores instructions and data that are accessed regularly.
Which bus carries the memory location address of the register the data is being carried to or from?
Data Bus
Address Bus
Control Bus
System Bus
What does the Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU) do?
It stores instructions and data that are accessed regularly.
It performs arithmetic calculations and logical operations on data.
It carries control signals from the CU to synchronize access and use of data.
It temporarily stores data to be read from or written to the computer’s memory.
What is the primary function of the Cache in a CPU?
To carry data and instructions between the processor and memory.
To store the memory address of the next instruction to load or data to use.
To store instructions and data that are accessed regularly.
To control the execution of instructions and coordinate execution.
What does Clock Speed control in a CPU?
How often instructions are executed and data is fetched per second.
The memory location address of the register.
The process of fetching from memory and executing the instruction.
The storage of the current instruction being executed and decoded.
What is Concurrent Processing?
The process of fetching from memory and executing the instruction.
More than one task happening ‘in progress’ at the same time.
A modern computer architecture combining elements of both Von Neumann and Harvard architectures.
A bi-directional bus carrying control signals from the CU to synchronize access and use of data.
What is the function of the Control Unit (CU) in a CPU?
It stores the current instruction being executed and decoded.
It carries data and instructions between the processor and memory.
It controls and manages the execution of instructions.
It stores the memory address of the next instruction to load or data to use.
What is the purpose of the Memory Address Register (MAR)?
To temporarily store data to be read from or written to the computer’s memory.
To store the memory address of the next instruction to load or data to use.
To carry data and instructions between the processor and memory.
To store instructions and data that are accessed regularly.
What is a core in the context of computer processors?
A. A special memory cell that can be accessed quickly.
B. A processing unit that handles instructions with its own fetch-execute-decode cycles.
C. A special purpose register that stores the address of the next instruction to execute.
D. A computer architecture where a single control unit manages program control.
What is parallel processing?
A. The simultaneous decoding of several instructions.
B. A special form of concurrency where tasks are processed simultaneously with multiple cores/processors.
C. A special purpose register that stores the address of the next instruction to execute.
D. A computer architecture where data and instructions are stored in a shared memory space.
What does the program counter (PC) do?
A. It handles instructions with its own fetch-execute-decode cycles.
B. It is a special memory cell that can be accessed quickly.
C. It stores the address of the next instruction to execute.
D. It allows efficient parallel computation for tasks such as computer graphics.
What is the Von Neumann architecture?
A. A computer architecture where a single control unit manages program control via a linear sequence of fetch-execute-decode cycles.
B. A more complicated and expensive processor design that can execute a series of tasks in a single complex instruction.
C. A specialised processing unit with a huge number of small cores.
D. A simpler processor design that can only execute a single simple instruction each clock cycle.
What is a Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC)?
A. A simpler processor design that can only execute a single simple instruction each clock cycle.
B. A more complicated and expensive processor design that can execute a series of tasks in a single complex instruction.
C. A specialised processing unit with a huge number of small cores.
D. A computer architecture where data and instructions are stored in a shared memory space.
What is a Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) used for?
A. To handle instructions with its own fetch-execute-decode cycles.
B. To store the address of the next instruction to execute.
C. For efficient parallel computation for tasks such as computer graphics, machine learning, and data mining.
D. To temporarily store data and control information.
What is a Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC)?
A. A more complicated and expensive processor design that can execute a series of tasks in a single complex instruction.
B. A simpler processor design that can only execute a single simple instruction each clock cycle.
C. A specialised processing unit with a huge number of small cores.
D. A computer architecture where a single control unit manages program control.
What is flash storage?
A. A solid state technology that stores data on a collection of memory chips.
B. A technology that relies on the polarisation of magnetic particles.
C. A technology where data is stored in the reflectivity of a surface.
D. Peripheral devices that allow the user to communicate with the computer.
What is magnetic storage?
A. A solid state technology that stores data on a collection of memory chips.
B. A technology that relies on the polarisation of magnetic particles to store bits on a magnetic material.
C. A technology where data is stored in the reflectivity of a surface.
D. Peripheral devices that allow the user to communicate with the computer.
What is optical storage?
A. A solid state technology that stores data on a collection of memory chips.
B. A technology that relies on the polarisation of magnetic particles.
C. A technology where data is stored in the reflectivity of a surface and is read and written to by a laser.
D. Peripheral devices that allow the user to communicate with the computer.
What is the function of Output Devices in a computer system?
Store data permanently
Convert signals from a computer into a human-readable form
Manage memory allocation
Control peripheral devices
Which type of memory is used to store programs and data in use by the computer and is volatile?
Read-Only Memory (ROM)
Random Access Memory (RAM)
Virtual Storage
Storage Device
What is the primary characteristic of Read-Only Memory (ROM)?
It is volatile
It can be written to
It is non-volatile and used to boot up the computer
It is used for temporary storage
What is the purpose of Virtual Storage?
To store data permanently
To use the hard disk as an extension of memory
To manage input and output devices
To translate high-level code to machine code
What does the Basic Input Output System (BIOS) do?
Manages memory allocation
Loads the operating system from the hard disk into RAM
Controls peripheral devices
Schedules processes in a queue
What is the role of Device Drivers?
To manage memory allocation
To control and communicate with peripheral devices
To translate high-level code to machine code
To handle interrupts
What is a characteristic of Distributed Operating Systems?
They are used to control a single machine
They use multiple computer servers on a network to process jobs
They use a single queue for scheduling
They are used for temporary storage
What is the First Come First Served scheduling algorithm?
Processes are dealt with in the order they arrive
Processes are prioritized based on importance
Processes are handled by multiple queues
Processes are executed simultaneously
What is the function of Interrupt Service Routines (ISR)?
To manage memory allocation
To handle higher priority interrupts
To translate high-level code to machine code
To control peripheral devices
What is the purpose of Multi-level Feedback Queues?
To use the hard disk as an extension of memory
To use multiple queues with different priorities for scheduling
To control and communicate with peripheral devices
To manage memory allocation
What is a Multi-User Operating System?
An operating system that allows multiple users to access the computer's resources.
An operating system that only one user can access at a time.
An operating system that does not support multitasking.
An operating system that is used only for gaming.
What is the primary function of an Operating System?
To manage the operation of the computer and bridge the user to the hardware.
To only run applications.
To provide internet access.
To serve as a word processor.
What is Paging in the context of memory management?
Partitioning memory into fixed sized physical divisions called pages.
Allocating processor time to each application.
Partitioning memory into variable sized logical divisions called segments.
A scheduling algorithm that picks the process with the shortest estimated running time.
Which scheduling algorithm gives each process an equal time slice and deals with them on a first in first out basis?
Round-Robin
Shortest Job First
Shortest Remaining Time
Real Time Operating Systems
What is the purpose of Virtual Memory?
To allocate an area of secondary storage where pages of inactive jobs are swapped into to free up enough RAM for the current job.
To run an operating system within another.
To convert assembly language into machine code.
To manage the operation of the computer.
What is an Assembler?
A translator in low level language, which converts assembly language into machine code.
A program that can be run on a computer, allowing the user to carry out specific tasks.
The third and final stage of compilation.
The process of analyzing high level language source code and converting it into machine code.
What is Closed Source software?
Proprietary software sold with a license and restrictions on how and how many users can use it.
Software that is freely available for anyone to use and modify.
Software that is used to run virtual machines.
Software that is used for compiling code.
What is the role of a compiler in programming?
It checks a source program for syntax errors line by line.
It converts high-level language to machine code.
It loads the executable object program into memory.
It places the appropriate machine addresses in the call and returns instructions.
Which stage of compilation involves removing extra spaces and comments from the source code?
Syntax Analysis
Code Generation
Lexical Analysis
Linking
What is the purpose of a linker in the compilation process?
To load the executable object program into memory.
To check for syntax errors in the source code.
To place the appropriate machine addresses in the call and return instructions.
To convert high-level language to machine code.
What is the definition of open source software?
Software that is only available to the original developers.
Software whose source code is freely available to view, redistribute, or modify.
Software that is optimized for performance.
Software that is used for system maintenance.
Which of the following best describes Agile Methodologies?
A method that converts high-level language to machine code.
An iterative process that produces incremental prototypes of software over short, fast-paced sprints.
A method that loads the executable object program into memory.
A process that checks for syntax errors in the source code.
What is the main characteristic of Extreme Programming?
It involves long development cycles and infrequent software releases.
It is a type of Agile Methodology that is more responsive to changing user needs with short development cycles and very frequent software releases.
It focuses on optimizing the performance of the computer.
It involves removing redundancies to produce efficient code.
What is the Spiral Model in software development?
A method that converts high-level language to machine code.
A method capable of speedy responses to changes in technologies and user requirements.
An iterative version of the Waterfall model where stages are refined and repeated until the final product is complete.
A process that checks for syntax errors in the source code.
Which lifecycle model involves each stage of development being completed one at a time in a linear order?
Prototyping Lifecycle
Waterfall Lifecycle
Spiral Lifecycle
Agile Lifecycle
What is Assembly Language closely related to but more advanced than?
High-level language
Machine code
Object-oriented language
Procedural language
What is the simplest addressing mode in assembly language where the operand stores the memory address of the value to be operated on by the operator?
Direct Addressing
Immediate Addressing
Indexed Addressing
Indirect Addressing
Which concept involves subclasses inheriting the methods and attributes of its parent class?
Encapsulation
Polymorphism
Inheritance
Abstraction
What is a program subroutine that represents an action an object can perform?
Class
Method
Attribute
Object
Which addressing mode in assembly language involves the operand storing the address of the location holding the memory address of the required data?
Direct Addressing
Immediate Addressing
Indexed Addressing
Indirect Addressing
What is the term for a method of maintaining data integrity by only allowing class methods to access data in an object’s attributes?
Inheritance
Encapsulation
Polymorphism
Abstraction
What type of languages are made of units called objects, which are instances of a class?
Procedural Languages
Assembly Languages
Object-Oriented Languages
Functional Languages
What is Asymmetric Encryption?
An encryption technique where the same key is used to encrypt and decrypt data.
An encryption technique where a public key is used to encrypt the data, and the data is decrypted by the paired private key.
A type of lossless compression where text is searched for entries that match the entries in a dictionary.
A one-way transformation of data into an abbreviated form called a hash value.
Which of the following is a type of lossless compression?
Lossy Compression
Symmetric Encryption
Dictionary Coding
Hashing
What is the purpose of Hashing?
To encrypt data using a public key.
To compress data by removing non-essential data.
To transform data into an abbreviated form called a hash value.
To store repeated occurrences of the same data as single data values.
Which compression algorithm retains all the data in the file by only storing the instructions needed to reconstruct the original file?
Lossy Compression
Lossless Compression
Ren-Length Encoding
Dictionary Coding
What is the main characteristic of Lossy Compression?
It retains all the data in the file.
It removes non-essential data leading to a noticeable decrease in accuracy of the data.
It uses a public key to encrypt data.
It transforms data into a hash value.
What is Ren-Length Encoding?
A type of lossless compression where repeated occurrences of the same data are stored as single data values with their counts.
An encryption technique where the same key is used to encrypt and decrypt data.
A one-way transformation of data into an abbreviated form called a hash value.
A compression algorithm that removes non-essential data from a file.
What is the main principle of Atomicity in transactions?
What does Consistency in transactions ensure?
What is Entity-Relationship Modelling used for?
To transform data into an abbreviated form called a hash value.
To describe the data tables and the relationships between them visually.
To store repeated occurrences of the same data as single data values.
To encrypt data using a public key.
What is a Flat File Database?
A database where a single table data structure is used to store all the data.
A table with no repeating attributes.
A linking attribute that joins two tables in a relational database.
A method of abstractly describing the data tables and the relationships between them visually.
What is a Foreign Key in a relational database?
A table with no repeating attributes.
A database where a single table data structure is used to store all the data.
A linking attribute that joins two tables by being a primary key in one and a foreign key in the other.
A method of abstractly describing the data tables and the relationships between them visually.
What is the process of creating an index of primary keys such that the location of any record can be retrieved given its primary key?
Isolation
Indexing
Normalisation
Redundancy
Which term describes the process where no transaction should overwrite other transactions that are simultaneously occurring?
Isolation
Referential Integrity
Record Locking
Redundancy
What is the formal process of optimally designing data tables by reducing data redundancy and repetition by converting them into normal forms?
Indexing
Normalisation
Referential Integrity
Transaction Processing
What is a unique identifier that identifies each record in a table?
Secondary Key
Foreign Key
Primary Key
Composite Key
Which technique is used to prevent simultaneous access to data in a database by locking a record when it is being edited or updated?
Referential Integrity
Record Locking
Isolation
Redundancy
What is the unnecessary repetition of a field in multiple tables called?
Referential Integrity
Redundancy
Isolation
Normalisation
What is the idea of keeping a database consistent by ensuring that any changes made to data or relationships associated with a table are accounted for in all the linked tables?
Referential Integrity
Isolation
Record Locking
Redundancy
What type of database has separate tables made for each entity, and relationships between entities are represented by foreign keys?
Flat File Database
Hierarchical Database
Relational Database
Network Database
What is a key that can be used as an alternative index to access or sort records in the table in a quicker, but less accurate way than the primary key?
Primary Key
Foreign Key
Composite Key
Secondary Key
Which normal form (NF) has data that repeats across multiple records removed and put into a new table with appropriate relationships (no partial dependencies)?
First Normal Form (1NF)
Second Normal Form (2NF)
Third Normal Form (3NF)
Boyce-Codd Normal Form (BCNF)
Which normal form (NF) has all attributes that are not the primary key fully dependent on the primary key (no non-key dependencies)?
First Normal Form (1NF)
Second Normal Form (2NF)
Third Normal Form (3NF)
Boyce-Codd Normal Form (BCNF)
What is the idea of making sure that any logical operation or change in state of a database (transaction) conforms to ACID rules for reliable processing?
Referential Integrity
Transaction Processing
Record Locking
Isolation
What method is used for sending data between two nodes on a network by creating a dedicated communication channel first?
Packet Switching
Circuit Switching
Message Switching
Cell Switching
What type of network organisation involves networked computers (clients) connecting to one or more powerful central computers (servers) that handle service requests and resources?
Peer-to-Peer Network
Client-Server Network
Mesh Network
Star Network
What is the primary function of the Domain Name System (DNS)?
To encrypt data for secure transmission
To map human-readable domain names to IP addresses
To monitor incoming and outgoing network traffic
To connect a group of computing devices on a single geographical area
Which process converts plaintext into ciphertext using an encryption algorithm?
Packet Switching
Protocol Layering
Encryption
Proxies
What is the purpose of firewalls in a network?
To connect devices over a large geographical area
To prevent external users from gaining unauthorized access
To break data into several packets
To write the contents of webpages
What does a Local Area Network (LAN) connect?
Devices over a large geographical area
Devices on a single geographical area/site
Devices using third party carriers
Devices using encryption algorithms
Which method involves breaking data into several packets for transmission over a network?
Packet Switching
Peer-to-Peer Network
Protocol Layering
Proxies
What is a Peer-to-Peer Network?
A network where devices are connected over a large geographical area
A network where devices are connected to each other without a central server
A network where data is encrypted for secure transmission
A network where data is processed on the client side
What does Protocol Layering simplify in network design?
The encryption of data
The connection of devices over a large area
The division of a complex system into functional layers
The writing of webpage contents
What is the role of Proxies in a network?
To encrypt data for secure transmission
To intercept and hide the true network addresses of data packets
To connect devices on a single geographical area
To write the contents of webpages
What does the Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Stack consist of?
2 connected layers
3 connected layers
4 connected layers
5 connected layers
What is a Wide Area Network (WAN)?
A network connecting devices on a single geographical area
A network connecting devices over a large geographical area
A network where data is processed on the client side
A network where data is encrypted for secure transmission
What is the purpose of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)?
To encrypt data for secure transmission
To define the layout, design, and presentation of a webpage
To connect devices over a large geographical area
To write the contents of webpages
What is Client-Side Processing?
Data processing performed by the server
Data processing performed by the client’s browser
Data processing performed by a central server
Data processing performed by third party carriers
What is HyperText Markup Language (HTML) used for?
To encrypt data for secure transmission
To write the contents of webpages
To connect devices over a large geographical area
To process data on the client side
What is JavaScript primarily used for?
To encrypt data for secure transmission
To connect devices over a large geographical area
To create interactive elements within web browsers
To define the layout of a webpage
What is the PageRank Algorithm used for?
To rank websites in search results by their usefulness
To store data in a database
To encrypt data for secure transmission
To create web pages
What does Search Engine Indexing involve?
Collecting, parsing, and storing data from websites
Encrypting data for secure transmission
Creating web pages
Ranking websites by their usefulness
What is Server-Side Processing?
Data processing performed by the web server
Data processing performed by the client's browser
Encrypting data for secure transmission
Ranking websites by their usefulness
What does the logical operator AND (∧) return?
TRUE if all inputs are TRUE
TRUE if any one input is TRUE
FALSE if all inputs are TRUE
FALSE if any one input is TRUE
What is ASCII used for?
Representing alphanumeric characters or symbols as a set of 8 bits
Storing floating point numbers
Encrypting data
Ranking websites by their usefulness
What is a Binary number system?
A number system that only uses ones and zeros
A number system that uses 10 characters
A number system that uses 16 characters
A number system that uses floating point numbers
What is a Boolean data type?
A data type that can only store one of two possible values (1 or 0, TRUE or FALSE)
A data type for storing a letter, number, or special character
A data type for storing whole number values
A data type for storing numbers with decimal or fractional parts
What is a Denary number system?
A number system that uses 10 characters (0 to 9)
A number system that uses ones and zeros
A number system that uses 16 characters
A number system that uses floating point numbers
What is a Hexadecimal number system?
A number system that uses 16 characters (0 to 9 and A to F)
A number system that uses 10 characters (0 to 9)
A number system that uses ones and zeros
A number system that uses floating point numbers
What is an Integer data type used for?
Storing whole number values (positive or negative) with no decimal parts
Storing numbers with decimal or fractional parts
Storing a sequence of alphanumeric characters or symbols
Storing a letter, number, or special character
What is a String data type used for?
Storing a sequence of alphanumeric characters or symbols
Storing whole number values
Storing numbers with decimal or fractional parts
Storing a letter, number, or special character
