Computers and Microprocessors Quiz – Set 7
Attempt each question, then click “Show answer” to reveal the correct option and a brief explanation.
1. In computer networking, which model divides communication into seven conceptual layers?
Correct answer: B. OSI reference model — It has 7 layers from Physical to Application.
2. In the OSI model, which layer is primarily responsible for end-to-end logical addressing and routing?
Correct answer: B. Network layer — It handles logical addressing (e.g., IP addresses) and routing decisions.
3. Which of the following is an example of an application-layer protocol?
Correct answer: D. HTTP — IP, TCP, and UDP belong to lower layers in the TCP/IP stack.
4. In microprocessors, “instruction-level parallelism” (ILP) refers to:
Correct answer: B. Multiple instructions in parallel — Superscalar and pipelined CPUs exploit ILP.
5. Superscalar processors improve performance mainly by:
Correct answer: B. Multiple execution units — They can issue several instructions in the same cycle if no hazards arise.
6. In digital systems, the “flip-flop” is used primarily for:
Correct answer: B. Storing one bit — Flip-flops are building blocks of registers and sequential circuits.
7. Which of the following is a common use of “shifts” (shift instructions) in microprocessor programming?
Correct answer: B. Multiply/divide by 2ⁿ — Left shifts multiply by 2, right shifts divide (for unsigned integers).
8. Which of the following describes “endianness” correctly?
Correct answer: B. Byte order — Little-endian stores least significant byte first; big-endian stores most significant byte first.
9. Which of the following best describes a “watchdog timer” in embedded systems?
Correct answer: B. Hardware safety mechanism — It helps recover from software hangs or infinite loops.
10. In networking, which device operates mainly at the Data Link layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model?
Correct answer: B. Switch — Modern switches make forwarding decisions based on MAC addresses (Layer 2).
11. Which of the following is a primary role of the Transport layer in the TCP/IP model?
Correct answer: C. End-to-end reliability — TCP handles segmentation, acknowledgments, and flow control.
12. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a good cryptographic hash function used in computer security?
Correct answer: C. Small changes in input cause small changes — Good hashes produce large, unpredictable changes (avalanche effect).
13. In CPU performance analysis, MIPS stands for:
Correct answer: B. Million Instructions Per Second — It is a rough metric of processor speed.
14. Which of the following is a drawback of using MIPS as a sole performance metric?
Correct answer: B. Instruction-set dependent — Different ISAs and instruction mixes make MIPS misleading alone.
15. Which memory consistency technique ensures that multiple cores see memory writes in the same order?
Correct answer: B. Cache coherence protocol — Protocols like MESI maintain a consistent view of memory across caches.
16. Which of the following is a key difference between SRAM and DRAM at the circuit level?
Correct answer: B. Flip-flops vs capacitors — DRAM cells leak charge and need periodic refresh, SRAM cells do not.
17. Which of the following is a typical function of a “microcode update” in modern CPUs?
Correct answer: B. Fixing low-level CPU behaviour — Microcode patches adjust how certain instructions are internally executed.
18. Which of these is an advantage of “virtual machines” (VMs) in server environments?
Correct answer: B. Multiple isolated OS instances — VMs support consolidation, testing, and isolation.
19. Which of the following best describes “DMA controller” role in a system?
Correct answer: B. Manages direct memory access — This frees CPU cycles for other tasks.
20. In binary fixed-point numbers, what is the main effect of shifting a number left by one bit (for unsigned values)?
Correct answer: B. Multiply by 2 — Each left shift increases the value by a factor of two, if no overflow occurs.
