Computers and Microprocessors Quiz – Set 10
Attempt each question, then click “Show answer” to reveal the correct option and a brief explanation.
1. Which of the following is a primary benefit of using cache memory in a computer system?
Correct answer: B. Reduces access time — Cache exploits temporal and spatial locality in memory references.
2. Which of these best defines “bus arbitration” in a computer system?
Correct answer: B. Deciding bus master — Arbiter ensures only one device drives the bus at once.
3. In a typical microprocessor, which register is used to hold the result of arithmetic and logic operations?
Correct answer: C. Accumulator — Many architectures use an accumulator as the primary result register.
4. Which of the following is an example of an input/output port on a typical PC?
Correct answer: B. USB port — It is a standard interface for connecting external devices.
5. Which of the following is TRUE about “micro-operations” in a CPU?
Correct answer: B. Low-level register operations — Instructions are broken into a sequence of micro-operations.
6. Which of the following is a characteristic feature of “Harvard architecture” typically used in microcontrollers?
Correct answer: B. Separate instruction and data memories — Allows simultaneous access and can improve performance.
7. Which of the following statements about virtual memory is correct?
Correct answer: B. Extends apparent memory — Paging and swapping support larger address spaces.
8. In a memory hierarchy, which level typically has the highest capacity but lowest speed?
Correct answer: D. Secondary storage — It offers large capacity but slower access compared to RAM and cache.
9. Which of the following is an example of “static” scheduling in operating systems?
Correct answer: B. Pre-computed decisions — Common in some real-time systems where schedule is known in advance.
10. In digital logic, what is the output of an XOR gate when both inputs are the same?
Correct answer: B. Always 0 — XOR outputs 1 only when inputs are different.
11. In microprocessors, which address calculation uses a base register and an index register plus a constant displacement?
Correct answer: D. Base-index with displacement — Effective address = base + index + displacement.
12. Which of the following is a main advantage of using “set-associative” cache mapping over direct mapping?
Correct answer: B. Fewer conflict misses — It balances flexibility and complexity between direct and fully associative caches.
13. Which of the following is commonly used as a hardware performance counter in modern CPUs?
Correct answer: B. Hardware event counts — Performance counters help profile and optimize software.
14. In networking, which device typically works at multiple layers and can translate between different network protocols?
Correct answer: D. Gateway — It can operate at higher layers and perform protocol conversion.
15. Which of these is a characteristic of “peer-to-peer” (P2P) networks compared to client–server networks?
Correct answer: B. Nodes both client and server — P2P decentralizes resource sharing.
16. In computer security, a “firewall” is primarily used to:
Correct answer: B. Filter network traffic — Firewalls enforce access control policies between networks.
17. Which of the following is most closely associated with “symmetric multiprocessing” (SMP)?
Correct answer: B. Multiple identical processors sharing memory — SMP is common in modern multicore systems.
18. Which of the following best describes a “boot loader” (e.g., GRUB)?
Correct answer: B. Loads OS kernel — It is invoked by BIOS/UEFI during the boot process.
19. Which one of the following is the correct 2’s complement 8-bit representation of –1?
Correct answer: B. 1111 1111₂ — In two’s complement, all 1s represent –1 for any bit width.
20. In the context of microprocessors, “branch prediction accuracy” is important because:
Correct answer: B. Mispredictions flush pipelines — Good prediction keeps the pipeline full and improves performance.
