Challenging Computer Science Questions

What is the primary function of the CMOS in a computer system?

• To store the operating system

• To retain BIOS settings and system clock data

• To manage CPU cache memory

• To control peripheral devices

Which component of the CPU is responsible for decoding instructions?

• Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

• Control Unit (CU)

• Registers

• Cache Memory

What is the significance of the bootstrap loader in the BIOS?

• It performs hardware diagnostics

• It loads the operating system into RAM

• It manages network connections

• It initializes peripheral devices

Why is the ASCII code limited to 7 bits in its standard form?

• To reduce memory usage

• To support only alphanumeric characters

• To ensure compatibility with early 8-bit systems

• To align with Unicode standards

What happens if the POST fails during system startup?

• The operating system loads normally

• The computer emits beep codes or displays an error

• The BIOS resets to default settings

• The CPU enters safe mode

What is the primary difference between a flat file and a relational database?

• Flat files support multiple users; relational databases do not

• Flat files store data in a single table; relational databases use multiple linked tables

• Flat files are faster for complex queries

• Relational databases lack data integrity controls

In data normalization, what is the purpose of the Third Normal Form (3NF)?

• To eliminate duplicate records

• To remove transitive dependencies

• To ensure primary key uniqueness

• To reduce data redundancy in primary keys

What is the output of a query in a DBMS that uses the JOIN operation without a condition?

• A single table with unique records

• A Cartesian product of the tables

• A filtered subset of records

• An error message

Why is data validation critical in data processing?

• It reduces file size

• It ensures data accuracy and integrity

• It speeds up query execution

• It encrypts sensitive data

What is the role of a data dictionary in a DBMS?

• To store user data

• To describe the structure and metadata of the database

• To execute SQL queries

• To compress data for storage