Unit 1: Introduction to Programming - Practice Quiz

1 What is a computer program?

2 The process of writing a set of instructions for a computer is called:

3 A person who writes computer programs is called a:

4 Which of the following best describes source code?

5 Which of the following is a desirable characteristic of a good program?

6 A program that is easy to read, understand, and modify is said to have good:

7 The ability of a program to run on different types of machines with little or no change is called:

8 Which stage usually comes first in program development?

9 The process of finding and correcting errors in a program is known as:

10 What is an algorithm?

11 Which property must every algorithm have?

12 Each step of an algorithm should be:

13 Pseudocode is best described as:

14 Which notation uses plain English-like statements rather than a specific programming language syntax?

15 A flowchart is a:

16 In a flowchart, which symbol is used to represent a decision?

17 Which flowchart symbol represents the start or end of a process?

18 Which of the following is a programming methodology?

19 In the top-down approach, a large problem is:

20 The bottom-up approach to program development begins by:

21 A team is converting a real-world payroll process into a computer program. Which sequence correctly represents the transformation from problem to executable software?

22 A program repeatedly produces different results for the same input values even though the code is unchanged. Which fundamental property of a correct program is being violated?

23 A developer rewrites a long function into several smaller, self-contained functions. Which programming characteristic is most directly improved?

24 Two programs solve the same task, but Program A runs in time while Program B runs in time. Which characteristic distinguishes Program A as the better choice for large inputs?

25 During program development, a compiler reports that a semicolon is missing. At which stage is this error detected?

26 A program compiles and runs, but gives wrong output because a formula was written incorrectly. This is best classified as which type of error, and it is handled in which stage?

27 Which ordering of program development stages is correct?

28 Consider this algorithm step: while (i > 0) { print i; } where i is never changed inside the loop. Which essential property of an algorithm does this violate?

29 An algorithm contains the instruction "add a suitable number to " without specifying which number. Which property of a good algorithm is missing?

30 Given the algorithm: sum = 0; for i = 1 to 4: sum = sum + i, what is the final value of sum?

31 Which of the following expressions is written in postfix (Reverse Polish) notation for the infix expression ?

32 The prefix notation of an expression is . Which infix expression does it represent?

33 While drawing a flowchart, which symbol should be used to represent a decision such as if x > 0?

34 In a flowchart, the parallelogram symbol is used to represent which operation?

35 A flowchart contains many arrows crossing back to earlier steps, forming complex loops in a large program. Which limitation of flowcharts does this illustrate?

36 A methodology that organizes software around objects containing both data and the functions that operate on them is called:

37 A programmer avoids goto statements and builds a program using only sequence, selection, and iteration constructs. Which methodology is being followed?

38 A design team first builds and tests small utility functions, then combines them into larger modules to form the final system. Which approach is this?

39 In a top-down design of a billing system, the main problem is split into "read data", "calculate bill", and "print bill". This process of dividing a problem into smaller subproblems is called:

40 In a case study, a team must build a large system reusing many existing tested library components. Which development approach is generally most suitable?

41 Consider the algorithm:

set x = 0
for i from 1 to n:
for j from i to n:
x = x + 1

What is the final value of as a closed-form expression in ?

42 An algorithm must be finite, definite, effective, and have input/output. Which scenario violates the property of definiteness specifically?

43 In a flowchart, a program reads , then while replaces with if even, else , counting iterations. For , how many iterations occur before becomes ?

44 A team builds a payroll system by first coding and unit-testing utility routines (tax calc, date math), then combining them into modules, and finally into the full application. Which methodology and integration strategy does this reflect?

45 Which statement most accurately distinguishes procedural from structured programming?

46 During which stage is the root cause of a logical error (correct compilation but wrong output) most appropriately identified and corrected?

47 Two algorithms solve the same problem: A runs in and B runs in . For which range of input sizes is algorithm B strictly faster than A?

48 Why can an unstructured flowchart containing arbitrary crossing flow lines and multiple entry points into a loop be problematic when translated to structured code?

49 A program computes correct results but its runtime doubles each time input size increases by one element. Which quality characteristic is most severely compromised?

50 Convert the infix expression to postfix notation, respecting standard operator precedence and left-to-right associativity.

51 In top-down development of a large system, why are stubs used during early integration testing?

52 Consider this algorithm on integer :

c = 0
while n > 0:
n = n & (n - 1)
c = c + 1

What does represent when the loop ends?

53 A completed program passes all developer tests but frequently breaks after client-side changes over the years. Which stage of the program development life cycle is most directly involved in addressing this ongoing situation?

54 Evaluate the postfix expression 5 1 2 + 4 * + 3 - using a stack. What is the result?

55 Which statement best explains why a high-level language program cannot be executed directly by the CPU without a translator?

56 A student claims: "A program and an algorithm are exactly the same thing." What is the most accurate correction?

57 A flowchart uses a diamond symbol with one entry and two exits labeled True/False. Which fundamental structured-programming construct does this represent, and what is the risk if one exit path is left unconnected?

58 Two correct programs solve the same task. Program X uses cryptic single-letter names and no comments; Program Y is well-structured and documented. Both run identically fast. Which characteristic most justifies preferring Y in a long-lived project?

59 Which combination of features uniquely characterizes the object-oriented methodology as opposed to purely structured/procedural approaches?

60 For an ATM software case study, module reuse across many banks is a top priority and the low-level transaction primitives are well understood. Which development approach is most advantageous, and why?