COMPUTING A LEVEL REVISION QUESTIONS
- What three factors comprise the ACCESS TIME for disk. Explain each briefly.
- A file has a high hit rate. Explain this and its significance in file design.
- Describe the three functional parts of a shared bus.
- Explain batch and transaction processing. Give a suitable application of each and suggest an advantage and disadvantage of one over the other.
- Explain buffering, why it is necessary and give two examples of its use.
- Define bit, byte and word.
- Explain cache memory.
- Explain character set and control characters (with examples).
- COM is a WORM method of storage. Explain this and state a more up to date example of a WORM.
- Name and briefly describe the five main functional parts of a computer.
- Define cylinder with respect to magnetic disk.
- Explain, with an example, the difference between data and information.
- Define a database and a DBMS. What are the advantages of a database over the conventional multiple file approach?
- Give four examples of data capture.
- Describe how records are organised in a) indexed sequential files b) direct access files
- How does overflow occur in direct access files?
- Explain EFTPOS. What is its main advantage to the customer over credit cards?
- State and briefly describe the five stages of the system life cycle.
- Explain security, privacy and integrity of data, making clear the difference between them. What measures may be taken to ensure each?
- Give two advantages and two disadvantages of sequential over direct access files.
- A particular indexed sequential file has a two level index. Explain how a record will be accessed, ignoring overflow.
- How does overflow occur in indexed sequential files and how may it be handled?
- Define hardware, peripheral, software and firmware.
- Explain how a hash table operates.
- Explain protocol in communications. What is a handshaking protocol?
- Describe a merge sort. Why may a merge sort be necessary instead of a sort such as an insertion or bubblesort?
- Which two methods are commonly used to control I/O transfers?
- What is a job control language and why is it needed?
- What is a key field?
- Give an advantage and a disadvantage of fixed length over variable length fields.
- Explain LAN and WAN with an example of where each might be used.
- Explain the difference between compilers and interpreters. What are the advantages of one over the other?
- Write in Reverse Polish notation:
i) (A + B)/C*D - B
ii) B + G*H -B*C/6
- Give the advantages and disadvantages of a laser printer over an inkjet printer
- Describe, with examples, a linear and a binary search. Give an advantage of each.
- Explain, with an example, master file and transaction file.
- Explain real-time processing, giving two different examples with different response times.
- Explain multi-access processing and how it is controlled.
- Explain serial and parallel transmission of data. What is the main problem with parallel transmission over anything other than short distances?
- Explain synchronous and asynchronous transmission.
- What is i) multiprogramming ii) multi-tasking?
- What is a virtual memory operating system?
- Name four resources an operating system might be said to manage?
- Explain parity and its aim.
- Explain on-line processing.
- Batch processing may be on or off-line. Explain the difference.
- Explain top-down design of programs with the aid of an example.
- What are the advantages of modular programming (designed using top-down design)?
- What are the three control structures used to achieve structured programs and what is the main advantage of programming in such a way? State any disadvantages.
- Explain recursion with an example. What are the advantages and disadvantages over iteration?
- Explain block or sector on magnetic disk.
- What is a status (condition codes) register used for?
- Explain spooling with reference to printing.
- Describe the data structures stacks and queues, giving an example of the use of each.
- Explain verification and validation, making clear the difference between them. Mention three different validation checks which might be employed.
- Describe three ways in which a programmer may make programs 'user-friendly'
- Describe the use of a 'Turnaround document' that uses OCR.
- Define systems software, giving two different examples.
- Define applications software, with examples.
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of purchasing a ready-written application package over custom-made software.
- What is a volatile file? How well do the various file organisations cope with volatile files?
- Describe the Binary Coded Decimal (BCD) system of storing data.
- Describe the following forms of addressing: