Computer Architecture MCQ
1) Who developed the basic architecture of computer?
- Blaise Pascal
- Charles Babbage
- John Von Neumann
- None of the above
Answer: (c) John Von Neumann
Description: In 1945, Von-Neumann proposed his computer architecture design, and later it was known as the Von-Neumann Architecture. It consisted of a Control Unit, Arithmetic, and Logical Memory Unit (ALU), Registers, and Inputs/Outputs.
2) Which of the following allows simultaneous write and read operations?
- ROM
- EROM
- RAM
- None of the above
Answer: (c) RAM
Description: RAM, stands for Random Access Memory. It is a hardware device generally located on the motherboard of a computer and acts as an internal memory of the CPU. It is the read and write memory of a computer, which means the information can be written to it as well as read from it.
3) Which of the following is not considered as a peripheral device?
- CPU
- Keyboard
- Monitor
- All of the above
Answer: (a) CPU
Description: The CPU is not considered as a peripheral device as it is the primary component of the computer, and a computer system cannot work without a CPU. Peripheral devices are not the essential parts of the computer and can be defined as an auxiliary device that connects to and works with the computer such as a mouse, keyboard, etc.
4) Which of the following computer memory is fastest?
- Register
- Hard disk
- RAM
- None of the above
Answer: (a) Register
Description: Register memory is the smallest and fastest memory in a computer. It is not a part of the main memory and is located in the CPU in the form of registers, which are the smallest data holding elements.
5) Which of the following operations is/are performed by the ALU?
- Data manipulation
- Exponential
- Square root
- All of the above
Answer: (d) All of the above
Description: Android is a software package and Linux-based operating system for mobile devices such as tablet computers and smartphones.
6) Which of the following format is used to store data?
- Decimal
- Octal
- BCD
- Hexadecimal
Answer: (c) BCD
Description: The BCD stands for Binary Coded Decimal Number.
7) Which of the following memory of the computer is used to speed up the computer processing?
- Cache memory
- RAM
- ROM
- None of the above
Answer: (a) Cache memory
Description: Cache memory is a high-speed memory, which is small in size but faster than the main memory (RAM). The CPU can access it more quickly than the primary memory. So, it is used to synchronize with a high-speed CPU and to improve its performance.
8) Computer address bus is –
- Multidirectional
- Bidirectional
- Unidirectional
- None of the above
Answer: (c) Unidirectional
Description: Address Bus carries the address of data (but not the data) between the processor and the memory. Address bus is 16-bit which can address up to 64 kb. Address bus is unidirectional.
9) Which of the following circuit is used to store one bit of data?
- Flip Flop
- Decoder
- Encoder
- Register
Answer: (a) Flip Flop
Description: Flip-flop is a digital memory circuit, and with the help of the flip-flop, we can store one bit of information. The fundamental blocks of various sequential circuits are flip-flops. Flip-flop is also called a bistable multivibrator or one-bit or binary.
10) Which of the following is a way in which the components of a computer are connected to each other?
- Computer parts
- Computer architecture
- Computer hardware
- None of the above
Answer: (b) Computer architecture
Description: Computer Architecture is concerned with the way hardware components are connected together to form a computer system. It acts as the interface between hardware and software.
11) Which of the following circuit convert the binary data into a decimal?
- Decoder
- Encoder
- Code converter
- Multiplexer
Answer: (c) Code converter
Description: None
12) The address in the main memory is known as –
- Logical address
- Physical address
- Memory address
- None of the above
Answer: (b) Physical address
Description: Physical address space in a system can be defined as the size of the main memory. It is really important to compare the process size with the physical address space. The process size must be less than the physical address space.
13) Subtraction in computers is carried out by –
- 1’s complement
- 2’s complement
- 3’s complement
- 9’s complement
Answer: (b) 2’s complement
Description: 2’s complement is used for representing signed numbers and performing arithmetic operations such as subtraction, addition, etc.
14) Which of the following computer bus connects the CPU to a memory on the system board?
- Expansion bus
- Width bus
- System bus
- None of the above
Answer: (c) System bus
Description: A system bus is a single bus that connects the major components of the computer system.
15) Which of the following memory unit communicates directly with the CPU?
- Auxiliary memory
- Main memory
- Secondary memory
- None of the above
Answer: (b) Main memory
Description: The main memory acts as the central storage unit in a computer system. Main memory is the memory unit that directly communicates with the CPU. It is a relatively large and fast memory that is used to store programs and data during runtime operations.
16) The collection of 8-bits is called as –
- Byte
- Nibble
- Word
- Record
Answer: (a) Byte
Description: A Byte is a unit of data measurement which mainly consists of eight bits. A byte is a series of binary digits, which contain ‘0’ or ‘1’. A byte is represented as upper-case ‘B’ whereas a bit is represented by small-case “b”.
17) Which of the following register can interact with the secondary storage?
- PC
- MAR
- MDR
- IR
Answer: (b) MAR
Description: The Memory Address Register (MAR) contains 12 bits that hold the address for the memory location. The MAR holds the address of the main memory to or from which data is to be transferred.
18) In which of the following form the computer stores its data in memory?
- Hexadecimal form
- Octal form
- Binary form
- Decimal form
Answer: (c) Binary form
Description: In a computer, the data is stored in binary form that is in the form of binary digit 0, and 1. 0 means OFF, and 1 means ON. A binary number is a base 2 number because it is either 0 or 1. Any combination of 0 and 1 is a binary number such as 1001, 101, 11111, 101010, etc.
19) Which of the following is a combinational logic circuit which sends data from a single source to two or more separate destinations?
- Multiplexer
- Demultiplexer
- Encoder
- Decoder
Answer: (b) Demultiplexer
Description: A De-multiplexer (De-Mux) can be described as a combinational circuit that performs the reverse operation of a Multiplexer. A demultiplexer is alternatively referred to as a demux. A De-multiplexer has a single input, ‘n’ selection lines, and a maximum of 2^n outputs.
20) Which of the following is a group of bits that tells the computer to perform a particular operation?
- Accumulator
- Register
- Instruction code
- None of the above
Answer: (c) Instruction code
Description: A group of bits that tells the computer to perform a particular operation is called an Instruction Code. Instruction Code instructs the computer to perform operations such as subtractions, additions, complements, etc.
21) Where is the document temporarily stored during working on a document on PC?
- ROM
- CPU
- RAM
- Flash memory
Answer: (c) RAM
Description: RAM stands for Random Access Memory. Data or applications currently being used on a device are stored in RAM from the hard drives because data from the RAM are loaded much faster than the hard drives. RAM is a volatile memory, which means it does not store data or instructions permanently.
22) Where is the decoded instruction stored?
- Registers
- MDR
- PC
- IR
Answer: (d) IR
Description: The instruction Register (IR) holds the instruction code. The instructions read from memory are placed in the Instruction Register (IR).
23) What does MIMD stand for?
- Multiple Instruction Memory Data
- Multiple Instruction Multiple Data
- Memory Instruction Multiple Data
- Memory Information Memory Data
Answer: (b) Multiple Instruction Multiple Data
Description: MIMD stands for ‘Multiple Instruction and Multiple Data Stream’. In this organization, all processors in a parallel computer can execute different instructions and operate on various data at the same time.
24) The status bit is also called as –
- Unsigned bit
- Signed bit
- Flag bit
- None of the above
Answer: (c) Flag bit
Description: The status bit is also called as a Flag bit.
25) Which of the following register keeps track of the instructions stored in the program stored in memory?
- Accumulator
- Address Register
- Program Counter
- Index Register
Answer: (c) Program Counter
Description: The Program counter monitors the execution of instructions. It keeps track on which instruction is being executed and what the next instruction will be. The Program Counter (PC) also contains 12 bits that hold the address of the next instruction to be read from memory after the current instruction is executed.
26) The Program Counter is also called as –
- Instruction Pointer
- Data Counter
- Memory pointer
- None of the above
Answer: (a) Instruction Pointer
Description: The program counter is also called an instruction pointer or instruction address register. The program counter contains the memory address of the location of the next instruction.
27) Which of the following topology is used in Ethernet?
- Ring topology
- Bus topology
- Mesh topology
- Star topology
Answer: (b) Bus topology
Description: The bus topology is designed in such a way that all the stations are connected through a single cable known as a backbone cable. The bus topology is mainly used in 802.3 (ethernet) and 802.4 standard networks.
28) Which of the following is correct about memory and storage?
- Memory is temporary, Storage is temporary
- Memory is temporary, Storage is permanent
- Memory is permanent, Storage is temporary
- Memory is slow, Storage is Fast
Answer: (b) Memory is temporary, Storage is permanent
Description: The data and the information stored in the storage are permanent. It holds the high-capacity data which are not held in the computer memory.
In computer systems, memory is a RAM, which stores the data and information temporarily. RAM contains everything which is currently running on our computer.
29) Which of the following is equal to 4 bits?
- Byte
- Nibble
- Record
- All of the above
Answer: (b) Nibble
Description: A group of four bits (half of the byte) is called a nibble, and a group of eight bits (11001010) is called a byte. A nibble is a data unit that comes before the Byte, and a kilobyte comes after it. The smallest unit of storage consisting of either 0 or 1 is called a bit. The arrangement of such 4 bits is known as a nibble.
30) What does one thousand bytes represent?
- Kilobyte (KB)
- Megabyte (MB)
- Gigabyte (GB)
- Terabyte (TB)
Answer: (a) Kilobyte (KB)
Description: A KB is the unit symbol for the ‘Kilobyte’. In SI (International System of units), the prefix kilo in Kilobyte means 1000. So, one kilobyte is 1000 bytes. In Decimal (i.e., with base 10), 1 kilobyte is equal to 1000 bytes, and in binary (with base 2), 1 kilobyte is equivalent to 1024 bytes. A kilobyte is that unit, which is larger than a byte (B) and smaller than the unit megabyte (MB).
31) What is the content of stack pointer (SP)?
- Address of the top element in the stack
- Address of current instruction
- Address of next instruction
- None of the above
Answer: (a) Address of the top element in the stack
Description: The Stack Pointer contains the address of the top element of data stored in the stack. A stack can be defined as a container in which insertion and deletion can be done from the one end known as the top of the stack.
32) An n-bit microprocessor has –
- n-bit instruction register
- n-bit address register
- n-bit program counter
- None of the above
Answer: (a) n-bit instruction register
Description: None
33) Which of the following is the operation executed on data stored in registers?
- Byte operation
- Bit operation
- Macrooperation
- Microoperation
Answer: (d) Microoperation
Description: The operations performed on the data stored in registers are called Micro-operations.
34) What does a computer bus line consists of?
- Set of parallel lines
- Accumulators
- Registers
- None of the above
Answer: (a) Set of parallel lines
Description: A bus consists of a set of common lines, one for each bit of register, through which binary information is transferred one at a time. Control signals determine which register is selected by the bus during a particular register transfer.
35) Which of the following is performed by half adder?
- Binary addition operation for 2 decimal inputs
- Binary addition operation for 2 binary inputs
- Decimal addition operation for 2 decimal inputs
- Binary addition operation for 2 binary inputs
Answer: (b) Binary addition operation for 2 binary inputs
Description: The Half-Adder is a basic building block of adding two numbers as two inputs and produce out two outputs. The adder is used to perform OR operation of two single bit binary numbers. The augent and addent bits are two input states, and ‘carry’ and ‘sum ‘are two output states of the half adder.
36) Which of the following is a combinational logic circuit which converts binary information from n coded inputs to a maximum of 2n unique outputs?
- Multiplexer
- Demultiplexer
- Encoder
- Decoder
Answer: (d) Decoder
Description: A Decoder can be described as a combinational circuit that converts binary information from ‘n’ coded inputs to a maximum of 2^n different outputs. The binary information is passed in the form of N input lines. The output lines define the 2N-bit code for the binary information. The Decoder performs the reverse operation of the Encoder.
37) Which of the following is a combinational logic circuit that change the binary information into N output lines?
- Multiplexer
- Demultiplexer
- Encoder
- Decoder
Answer: (c) Encoder
Description: The combinational circuits that change the binary information into N output lines are known as Encoders. The output lines define the N-bit code for the binary information. The Encoder performs the reverse operation of the Decoder.
38) Which of the following is a combinational logic circuit that has 2n input lines and a single output line?
- Multiplexer
- Demultiplexer
- Encoder
- Decoder
Answer: (a) Multiplexer
Description: A multiplexer is a combinational circuit that has 2n input lines and a single output line. Simply, the multiplexer is a multi-input and single-output combinational circuit. The binary information is received from the input lines and directed to the output line.
39) Which of the following building block can be used to implement any combinational logic circuit?
- AND
- OR
- NAND
- None of the above
Answer: (c) NAND
Description: The NAND gate is a special type of logic gate in the digital logic circuit. The NAND gate is the universal gate. It means all the basic gates such as AND, OR, and NOT gate can be constructed using a NAND gate. The NAND gate is the combination of the NOT-AND gate.
40) Which of the following is the circuit board on which chips and processor are placed?
- Master circuit
- Motherboard
- Big board
- None of the above
Answer: (b) Motherboard
Description: The motherboard is generally a thin circuit board that holds together almost all parts of a computer except input and output devices. Each motherboard has a chipset, which is the collection of controllers and chips. All crucial hardware like CPU, memory, hard drive, and ports for input and output devices are located on the motherboard.
41) Which of the following computer register collects the result of computation?
- Accumulator
- Instruction Pointer
- Storage register
- None of the above
Answer: (a) Accumulator
Description: The accumulator is an 8-bit register associated with the ALU. The register ‘A’ is an accumulator in the 8085. It is used to hold one of the operands of an arithmetic and logical operation. The final result of an arithmetic or logical operation is also placed in the accumulator.
42) CISC stands for –
- Complex Instruction Set Computer
- Complete Instruction Sequential Compilation
- Complex Instruction Sequential Compiler
- None of the above
Answer: (a) Complex Instruction Set Computer
Description: The CISC Stands for Complex Instruction Set Computer, developed by the Intel. It has a large collection of complex instructions that range from simple to very complex and specialized in the assembly language level, which takes a long time to execute the instructions.
43) Which of the following is the function of the control unit in the CPU?
- It stores program instruction
- It decodes program instruction
- It performs logic operations
- None of the above
Answer: (b) It decodes program instruction
Description: Control unit takes instructions from memory and then decodes and executes these instructions. It controls and coordinates the functioning of all parts of the computer. The Control Unit’s main task is to maintain and regulate the flow of information across the processor.
44) What does EEPROM stands for?
- Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read-Only Memory
- Electronically Erasable and Programmable Read-Only Memory
- Electrically Enabled and Programmable Read-Only Memory
- None of the above
Answer: (a) Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read-Only Memory
Description: EEPROM stands for “Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory”. It is used to erase stored data using a high voltage electrical charge and re-programmed it. It is erased and reprogrammed electrically without using ultraviolet light.
45) In which of the following term the performance of cache memory is measured?
- Chat ratio
- Hit ratio
- Copy ratio
- Data ratio
Answer: (b) Hit ratio
Description: The performance of the cache memory is frequently measured in terms of a quantity called hit ratio. When the CPU refers to memory and finds the word in cache, it is said to produce a hit. The ratio of the number of hits divided by the total CPU references to memory (hits plus misses) is the hit ratio.
46) RISC stands for –
- Reduce Instruction Set Computer
- Risk Instruction Sequential Compilation
- Risk Instruction Source Compiler
- None of the above
Answer: (a) Reduce Instruction Set Computer
Description: RISC stands for Reduced Instruction Set Computer Processor, a microprocessor architecture with a simple collection and highly customized set of instructions. It is built to minimize the instruction execution time by optimizing and limiting the number of instructions.
47) Which of the following is an essential data transfer technique?
- MMA
- DMA
- CAD
- CAM
Answer: (b) DMA
Description: DMA stands for Direct Memory Access. In the DMA data transfer scheme, data is directly transferred from an I/O device to RAM or from RAM to an I/O device.
48) Which of the following is page fault?
- Page fault occurs when a program accesses a page of another program
- Page fault occurs when a program accesses a page in main memory
- Page fault occurs when there is an error in particular page
- Page fault occurs when a program accesses a page which is not present in main memory
Answer: (d) Page fault occurs when a program accesses a page which is not present in main memory
Description: If the referred page is not present in the main memory, then there will be a miss, and the concept is called Page miss or page fault. The CPU has to access the missed page from the secondary memory. If the number of page fault is very high, then the effective access time of the system will become very high.
49) What does DRAM stands for?
- Dynamic Read Access Memory
- Digital Random Access Memory
- Dynamic Random Access Memory
- Dynamic Read Allocation Memory
Answer: (c) Dynamic Random Access Memory
Description: DRAM stands for “Dynamic Random-Access Memory”. DRAM is a type of RAM that is used for the dynamic storage of data in RAM. In DRAM, each cell carries one-bit information.
50) Which of the following is known as the step by step procedure to solve a problem?
- Graph
- Table
- Algorithm
- None of the above
Answer: (c) Algorithm
Description: A finite set of instructions that specifies a sequence of operations is to be carried out to solve a specific problem or class of problems called an Algorithm.