Advanced level 2026 South West mock Computer science 1

I have extracted the text from the final image you provided. This section focuses on Computer Architecture, Memory Systems, and Data Representation.

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COMPUTER SCIENCE EXAMINATION SECTION

1. In the Von Neumann architecture, the “stored program concept” refers to:

• A. Storing data on a hard drive before processing

• B. Storing program instructions in main memory alongside data

• C. Storing program instructions into registers before execution

• D. Storing instructions and data together in secondary memory

2. Which of the following is a characteristic of RISC architecture?

• A. Reduced memory usage

• B. Simplified programming

• C. Hardware-driven control unit

• D. Single-cycle instruction execution

3. The primary advantage of a multi-core processor over a high-clock single-core processor is:

• A. Lower power consumption

• B. Improved parallel task execution

• C. Reduced manufacturing cost

• D. Faster single-task performance

4. If in each diagram below, circles and boxes are data and instruction streams respectively, with input streams to the left, which diagram represents a machine architecture that is ideal for image, graphics, and video processing?

(Image description: Four diagrams labeled A through D showing various combinations of circles (data) and boxes (instructions) feeding into a central processing node.)

• A. Diagram A

• B. Diagram B

• C. Diagram C

• D. Diagram D

5. A device stores its operating instructions in a memory that can be updated without removing it. Which memory type is used?

• A. SRAM

• B. DRAM

• C. EPROM

• D. EEPROM

6. How many address bus lines are required for a 2M by 16 memory?

• A. 21

• B. 22

• C. 30

• D. 31

7. What is a main advantage of using DMA over programmed I/O during data transfers?

• A. It eliminates the need for device controllers during I/O operations

• B. It increases the clock speed of the CPU during I/O transfers

• C. It allows the CPU to execute multiple instructions in parallel with a single I/O operation

• D. It reduces CPU overhead by handling data transfers independently

8. In a machine instruction, the opcode refers to:

• A. The basic operation to perform

• B. The memory address of data

• C. The number of operands in the instruction

• D. The number of operations in the instruction set

9. A logical left shift is not suitable for dividing signed integers by powers of 2 because:

• A. It discards the sign bit

• B. It shifts bits in the wrong direction

• C. It causes overflow

• D. It increases the instruction length

10. Compared to zero-address instructions, one-address instructions generally:

• A. Require more instructions to complete a task

• B. Reduce the number of memory accesses

• C. Use an accumulator implicitly

• D. Eliminate the need for registers

11. It provides the most practical and compact way to represent memory addresses in modern computer architecture.

• A. Binary

• B. Octal

• C. Decimal

• D. Hexadecimal

12. What is the denary value of the binary fraction $0.101_2$?

• A. 0.525

• B. 0.625

• C. 0.5

• D. 0.6

13. A 12-bit register stores the decimal value $-973$ in signed two’s complement. What is its hexadecimal equivalent of the stored value?

• A. B33

• B. C33

• C. C3D

• D. B3D

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Would you like me to provide the step-by-step calculation for question 13 (Two’s complement to Hex) or question 6 (Address bus calculation)?