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Quizzes > Quizzes for Business > Technology

Test Yourself: Computer and Software Engineering Trivia Quiz

Challenge Your Coding and Systems Knowledge

Difficulty: Moderate
Questions: 20
Learning OutcomesStudy Material
Colorful paper art illustrating a computer and software engineering trivia quiz

Ready to dive into the Computer and Software Engineering Trivia Quiz? This quiz is perfect for developers, students, and tech enthusiasts looking to test core coding and systems knowledge in a fun, multiple-choice format. You'll discover how well you grasp key software design principles and computer fundamentals, gaining insights to boost your skills. Feel free to customize the questions and scoring in our editor before you start. Also explore related Software Engineering Fundamentals Quiz, Computer Fundamentals Quiz, or browse all quizzes for more challenges.

Which of the following programming languages was the first high-level language introduced in 1957?
BASIC
COBOL
FORTRAN
C
FORTRAN was the first widely used high-level programming language introduced by IBM in 1957. It abstracted away machine code and assembly details. Other languages like COBOL and BASIC appeared later in the 1960s.
What model of software development follows a sequential flow of requirements, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance?
Agile
Scrum
Waterfall
Spiral
The Waterfall model is a linear sequential approach where each phase must complete before the next begins. It follows strict stages of requirements, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance. Other models like Agile are iterative rather than sequential.
In computer architecture, which component is responsible for performing arithmetic and logic operations?
Control Unit
Cache
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
The Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) performs mathematical calculations and logical operations in a CPU. It is one of the key components alongside the control unit. The control unit directs operations but does not perform these computations itself.
What does the acronym API stand for in software design?
Application Protocol Interface
Asynchronous Programming Invocation
Automated Program Integration
Application Programming Interface
API stands for Application Programming Interface. It defines a set of functions and protocols for building and interacting with software applications. It is not related to integration protocols or invocation methods.
Which level of software testing focuses on verifying individual functions or methods in isolation?
System testing
Unit testing
Integration testing
Acceptance testing
Unit testing focuses on verifying the functionality of individual methods or classes in isolation from the rest of the system. It is often automated and run frequently during development. Integration and system testing, by contrast, cover larger scopes.
The term 'software crisis' emerged after which significant event highlighted the difficulties in software development during the 1960s?
Introduction of Agile Manifesto
Publication of The Mythical Man-Month
NATO Software Engineering Conference (1968)
Release of Windows 1.0
The 1968 NATO Software Engineering Conference highlighted the so-called 'software crisis' due to project overruns and quality issues. This event brought the challenges of large-scale software development into focus. Subsequent frameworks and methodologies emerged to address these problems.
Which Agile methodology employs fixed-length iterations called 'Sprints' to deliver increments of working software?
Kanban
Waterfall
Extreme Programming (XP)
Scrum
Scrum organizes work into fixed-length iterations called Sprints, typically lasting two to four weeks. Each Sprint aims to deliver a working increment of software. Kanban and XP use different approaches without fixed iterations.
In the Von Neumann architecture, where are both program instructions and data stored?
Control Unit
Arithmetic Logic Unit
Memory
Register File
In the Von Neumann architecture, both program instructions and data share the same memory space. This design leads to the classical bottleneck when instructions and data compete for the same bus. Registers and the control unit access memory for both.
Which object-oriented programming concept allows objects of different classes to be treated as instances of a common superclass?
Polymorphism
Inheritance
Abstraction
Encapsulation
Polymorphism allows different object types to be treated through a common interface or superclass. This enables one method call to work with different underlying forms. Encapsulation and inheritance serve other design purposes.
Refactoring in software development primarily aims to improve what aspect of code?
Execution speed
Code maintainability
Memory usage
Security
Refactoring restructures existing code without changing its external behavior to make it cleaner and more maintainable. It may simplify design, improve readability, and reduce complexity. It is not primarily focused on runtime performance.
What is the time complexity of binary search on a sorted array of n elements in Big O notation?
O(n log n)
O(n)
O(1)
O(log n)
Binary search divides the search interval in half each step, leading to a logarithmic number of operations. In Big O notation, this time complexity is O(log n), which is much faster than a linear search on large datasets. Other complexities do not represent this divide-and-conquer approach.
Which type of testing validates the complete and integrated software system against specified requirements?
System testing
Integration testing
Regression testing
Unit testing
System testing verifies the complete integrated system against the specified requirements. It encompasses all components and interfaces. Integration testing only focuses on interactions between units, and regression testing retests after changes.
Which software development model combines iterative development with risk management and allows repeated refinement through cycles?
Agile model
Waterfall model
Spiral model
V-model
The Spiral model uses repeated cycles (spirals) that iterate through planning, risk analysis, engineering, and evaluation. It explicitly includes risk management in each iteration. Waterfall and V-model are more sequential.
In software design, high cohesion within modules generally leads to which benefit?
Easier maintenance
Slower execution
Tighter coupling
Increased complexity
High cohesion means that a module's components are strongly related in their functionality, which makes the module easier to maintain and understand. Low cohesion can lead to complex and tangled code. Coupling measures inter-module dependencies, not internal focus.
Which design principle involves delaying the creation or initialization of an object until it is needed?
Eager loading
Inversion of control
Dependency injection
Lazy loading
Lazy loading defers the initialization of an object until it is actually required, saving resources and improving startup performance. Eager loading performs initialization upfront. Dependency injection and inversion of control address how dependencies are provided.
In the V-Model of software development and testing, integration testing corresponds to which development activity?
Acceptance validation
Unit coding
Requirement gathering
Architectural design
Integration testing validates the interaction between components as defined in the architectural design phase. In the V-Model, each testing level maps to a corresponding development stage. Unit testing maps to coding, and acceptance testing maps to requirements.
Which cache coherence protocol includes the states Modified, Exclusive, Shared, and Invalid to manage consistency?
MESIF
MSI
MOESI
MESI
The MESI protocol extends MSI by adding an Exclusive state to reduce unnecessary invalidations in multiprocessor caches. It ensures cache coherence by tracking whether a cache line is modified, exclusive, shared, or invalid. Other protocols like MOESI add more states.
Which SOLID principle dictates that software entities should be open for extension but closed for modification?
Open-Closed Principle
Single Responsibility Principle
Interface Segregation Principle
Liskov Substitution Principle
The Open-Closed Principle states that software entities should be open for extension but closed for modification, meaning existing code should not be changed when new functionality is added. This encourages using abstractions and inheritance. Other SOLID principles cover different design aspects.
Which software testing technique deliberately introduces small faults to assess the effectiveness of a test suite?
Mutation testing
Smoke testing
Fault injection
Regression testing
Mutation testing introduces small changes (mutations) into the program code to check if the existing test suite detects the faults. It measures test suite quality by identifying weaknesses where tests do not fail under mutated code. Regression and smoke testing have different aims.
What pipeline hazard occurs when an instruction attempts to write a result before a previous write to the same resource has completed?
Control hazard
Structural hazard
Write-after-write hazard
Read-after-write hazard
A write-after-write (WAW) hazard occurs when two instructions write to the same register or memory location out of order. It is a type of data hazard affecting pipelined processors. Read-after-write hazards and structural hazards differ in cause and effect.
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Learning Outcomes

  1. Identify key milestones in software engineering history
  2. Analyse software development methodologies and their applications
  3. Evaluate foundational computer architecture concepts
  4. Apply programming principles to real-world scenarios
  5. Master terminology used in systems and software design
  6. Demonstrate understanding of software testing and quality assurance

Cheat Sheet

  1. Evolution from Waterfall to Agile - Travel through time from the 1970s Waterfall model's step-by-step design to the nimble, iterative cycles of Agile that keep developers on their toes. Discover why a rigid plan can stifle creativity and how flexibility boosts team collaboration and product quality! Waterfall Model and Agile Software Development
  2. Core Agile Frameworks: Scrum & XP - Dive into Scrum's sprint-based approach where teams plan, review, and adapt like clockwork in short bursts of productivity. Then gear up for Extreme Programming (XP), which champions technical excellence, paired programming, and lightning-fast releases. Scrum and Extreme Programming (XP)
  3. The Agile Manifesto - Uncover the heart of Agile through its 2001 Manifesto, which values individuals and interactions over processes and tools. This manifesto laid the foundation for modern software development, inspiring teams to prioritize customer collaboration and rapid delivery. Agile Manifesto
  4. DevOps Integration - Blend development and operations into a harmonious workflow that reduces deployment pain and skyrockets delivery speed. Learn how automation and culture shifts make code moves seamless, like a synchronized dance across departments. DevOps Methodologies
  5. Lean Software Development - Adopt Lean principles to trim the fat from your projects by eliminating waste and focusing on value-driven work. Enhance learning loops and keep your team's energy high while delivering what truly matters to your customers. Lean Software Development
  6. Fundamentals of Computer Architecture - Peek under the hood to see how CPUs, memory, and I/O devices collaborate to bring your code to life. A solid grasp of architecture empowers you to write efficient software that zips along like a high-speed train. Computer Architecture
  7. Key Programming Principles - Master modularity, encapsulation, and abstraction to craft code that's easy to understand and adapt. These principles act like the secret sauce for building scalable, bug-resistant applications. OOP Design Principles
  8. Essential Design Terminology - Get fluent in algorithms, data structures, and design patterns - the language of robust software systems. Recognizing when to use the right pattern can turn tough problems into elegant solutions. Data Structures & Algorithms
  9. Software Testing & Quality Assurance - Discover the thrills of catching bugs before users do, using unit, integration, and system tests. A strong QA mindset ensures your software shines with reliability and user satisfaction. Software Testing
  10. The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) - Navigate the six stages of SDLC - planning, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance - as your trusty roadmap to successful projects. Following these steps keeps teams aligned and customers delighted. SDLC Overview
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