MCQs

1. Which of the following is the smallest number system in terms of base?

a) Decimal,
b) Binary,
c) Hexadecimal,
d) Octal
2. Which of the following number systems is used internally by almost all
digital computers?
a) Decimal,
b) Binary,
c) Octal,
d) Hexadecimal
3. What is the value of 1011 (binary) in decimal?
a) 10,
b) 12,
c) 15,
d) 11
4. Which of the following is the correct 2’s complement of the number 0100
(binary)?
a) 1011,
b) 1100,
c) 1111,
d) 1000
5. What is the 1’s complement of the binary number 101010?
a) 010101,
b) 111111,
c) 100000,
d) 010000
6. Which of the following is an example of fixed-point representation?
a) 1.25,
b) 100.001,
c) 123.45,
d) All of the above
7. Which of the following represents the IEEE 754 standard for floating-point
representation?
a) Single precision,
b) Double precision,
c) Both a and b,
d) None of the above
8. What is the main advantage of using the 2's complement representation in
arithmetic operations?
a) To simplify multiplication,
b) To eliminate negative numbers,
c) To make addition and subtraction easier,
d) To reduce memory requirements
9. In 2's complement representation, what does the most significant bit (MSB)
indicate?
a) The magnitude of the number,
b) The sign of the number,
c) The least significant bit,
d) The position of the number
10. Which of the following is the correct addition algorithm for signed 2’s
complement numbers?
a) Add magnitude and check for overflow,
b) Add magnitudes and subtract carry,
c) Add directly,
d) Subtract carry
11. Which of the following is used to perform multiplication in signed binary
numbers?
a) Booth’s algorithm,
b) DDA algorithm,
c) RSA algorithm,
d) Both a and b
12. Which of the following is NOT a type of adder used in digital circuits?
a) Binary Adder,
b) Ripple Carry Adder,
c) BCD Adder,
d) Division Adder
13. Which of the following is true about the signed magnitude representation?
a) It represents both negative and positive values with the first bit,
b) It uses the two’s complement method for negative numbers,
c) It has no concept of overflow,
d) It is used only in floating point systems
14. Which of the following is the method used in performing binary
multiplication?
a) Binary shift,
b) Booth’s algorithm,
c) Long multiplication,
d) All of the above
15. Which algorithm is used to perform division in binary numbers?
 a) Long division,
b) Subtraction method,
c) Restoring division,
d) Non-restoring division
16. In the context of micro-operations, which of the following is an arithmetic
micro-operation?
a) Register transfer,
b) Arithmetic addition,
c) Shift operation,
d) Logical operation
17. Which of the following best describes the concept of 'register transfer'?
a) Moving data between memory and registers,
b) Performing arithmetic operations on data,
c) Moving data between two registers,
d) Storing data into memory
18. Which of the following is the simplest register transfer operation?
a) Memory read,
b) Memory write,
c) Data transfer between two registers,
d) Data processing
19. Which of the following micro-operations is used to change the state of a flip-
flop?
a) Set,
b) Clear,
c) Mask,
d) Insert
20. Which of the following is a bus system used for transferring data between
registers in a computer system?
a) Memory bus,
b) Control bus,
c) Data bus,
d) Address bus
21. What happens in the fetch phase of the instruction cycle?
a) The instruction is decoded,
b) The instruction is fetched from memory,
c) The instruction is executed,
d) The result is stored in the register
22. Which of the following is the address mode used in indirect addressing?
a) Register addressing,
b) Immediate addressing,
c) Indirect addressing,
 d) Direct addressing
23. What type of instruction cycle is performed when a computer fetches an
instruction from memory?
a) Execution cycle,
b) Fetch cycle,
c) Control cycle,
d) Memory cycle
24. Which of the following describes the control unit in a basic computer
system? a) It stores data temporarily,
b) It generates control signals for operations,
c) It performs arithmetic calculations,
d) It provides memory addresses
25. Which of the following is a key characteristic of a RISC architecture?
a) Complex instruction set,
b) High memory latency,
c) Simple instructions with fixed length,
d) Variable instruction length
26. Which type of CPU organization involves the use of an accumulator for all
arithmetic operations?
a) General register organization,
b) Single accumulator organization,
c) Stack-based organization,
d) RISC architecture
27. What does the instruction cycle consist of?
a) Fetching the instruction and executing it,
b) Executing instructions only,
c) Fetching data and storing it,
d) Accessing the cache memory
28. Which of the following is the characteristic of a stack organization?
a) Data is accessed randomly,
b) Data is accessed using push and pop operations,
c) Data is processed in a sequential manner,
d) It uses multiple registers for data access
29. Which of the following defines the role of a general register in CPU
operations? a) Holds intermediate results,
b) Stores the program counter,
c) Stores I/O data,
d) Manages memory addresses
30. In sign-magnitude representation, how is the sign of a number represented?
a) Using an additional bit,
b) Using Gray code,
 c) Using an exponent,
d) Using one's complement
31. What is the primary purpose of a microprocessor?
a) Perform arithmetic operations,
b) Manage I/O operations,
c) Execute instructions stored in memory,
d) Manage memory hierarchy
32. Which of the following architectures is used in most modern
microprocessors? a) Harvard,
b) Von Neumann,
c) Dataflow,
d) RISC
33. Which of the following is a characteristic of a microcontroller?
a) Single-chip solution for embedded systems,
b) Requires an external memory for storage,
c) Uses a complex instruction set architecture,
d) Does not support I/O operations
34. Which of the following is a common use for microprocessors?
a) Arithmetic operations only,
b) To run operating systems,
c) Embedded systems and control applications,
d) Memory management only
35. Which of the following is the main difference between Von Neumann and
Harvard architecture?
a) Memory usage,
b) Speed of processing,
c) Instruction format,
d) Data flow
36. Which of the following is an example of an input/output interface?
a) Keyboard,
b) Printer,
c) Disk drives,
d) All of the above
37. Which algorithm is used to multiply two binary numbers efficiently?
a) Booth’s Algorithm,
b) Newton’s Method,
c) Bresenham’s Algorithm,
d) Dijkstra’s Algorithm
38. Which of the following is a method of asynchronous data transfer in I/O
systems?
a) Strobe,
 b) Interrupt,
c) DMA,
d) Programmed I/O
39. Which of the following is true about DMA (Direct Memory Access)?
a) It is used for slow devices,
b) It allows peripherals to communicate with memory directly without CPU
involvement,
c) It is only used for memory transfers,
d) It is slower than programmed I/O
40. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of memory-mapped I/O?
a) I/O devices are treated as memory locations,
b) It uses a separate address space for I/O devices,
c) CPU controls both memory and I/O through the same address bus,
d) It uses control signals to distinguish I/O operations
41. In the context of memory systems, what is the purpose of cache memory?
a) To store all data permanently,
b) To reduce access time for frequently used data,
c) To store instructions permanently,
d) To store overflow data
42. What does the term 'page fault' refer to in virtual memory systems?
a) A type of memory error when accessing data,
b) A situation where the data required is not in physical memory,
c) A segment of memory being swapped to disk,
d) A situation where memory addresses are corrupted
43. What type of memory is used for temporary data storage in a computer
system? a) ROM,
b) Cache memory,
c) Auxiliary memory,
d) Optical storage
44. Which of the following is the characteristic of a direct-mapped cache
memory?
a) It maps each block of memory to exactly one cache line,
b) It allows multiple memory locations to share the same cache line,
c) It requires more control signals,
d) It uses a complex algorithm to place data in the cache
45. Which of the following is used to organize memory hierarchies in a computer
system?
a) SRAM,
b) DRAM,
c) Cache,
d) All of the above
46. Which of the following is NOT a step in Booth’s multiplication algorithm?
a) Check the last two bits,
b) Add the multiplicand when required,
c) Shift right after every step,
d) Convert the number to Gray code
47. Which of the following is true about DRAM (Dynamic RAM)?
a) It requires periodic refreshing,
b) It is faster than SRAM,
c) It is more reliable than SRAM,
d) It consumes more power than SRAM
48. Which of the following is the slowest type of memory in the memory
hierarchy?
a) Cache memory,
b) Main memory,
c) Virtual memory,
d) Auxiliary memory
49. What is the primary purpose of restoring and non-restoring division
algorithms?
a) Addition of floating-point numbers,
b) Performing integer division,
c) Multiplication of two signed numbers,
d) Logical operations
50. In which type of memory organization does each word have its own unique
address?
a) Cache memory,
b) Random Access Memory (RAM),
c) Read-Only Memory (ROM),
d) Auxiliary memory
51. In register transfer notation, what does the statement R1 ← R2 mean?
a) Data moves from R1 to R2,
b) Data moves from R2 to R1,
c) R1 and R2 exchange values,
d) R1 is added to R2
52. What is the primary advantage of a set-associative cache over a direct-
mapped cache?
a) It uses a smaller cache size,
b) It reduces cache misses by allowing more flexibility in placing data,
c) It improves access time,
d) It eliminates the need for data replacement policies
53. Which of the following memory types stores non-volatile data?
a) SRAM,
 b) DRAM,
c) Flash memory,
d) Cache memory
54. What does RTL stand for in computer architecture?
a) Register Transfer Language,
b) Reduced Transfer Logic,
c) Random Transmission Line,
d) Register Tracking Log
55. What is the main difference between SRAM and DRAM?
a) SRAM requires refreshing; DRAM does not,
b) DRAM is faster than SRAM,
c) SRAM uses flip-flops for storage; DRAM uses capacitors,
d) DRAM is non-volatile, whereas SRAM is volatile
56. What is the main advantage of using Booth’s algorithm?
a) Reduces the number of addition/subtraction operations,
b) Uses fewer registers,
c) Eliminates overflow,
d) Increases execution time
57. Which of the following is NOT a type of memory used in modern computers?
a) Virtual memory,
b) Flash memory,
c) Optical memory,
d) Photonic memory
58. Which of the following micro-operations performs subtraction?
a) A + B,
b) A – B,
c) A + B’ + 1,
d) A ⊕ B
59. Which type of memory is used to store the operating system and firmware in
a computer?
a) DRAM,
b) ROM,
c) SRAM,
d) Cache memory
60. Which of the following memory types is used for storing frequently accessed
data in modern computer systems?
a) DRAM,
b) ROM,
c) Cache memory,
d) Magnetic memory
61. Which of the following is an example of a peripheral device?
 a) CPU,
b) Memory,
c) Printer,
d) ALU
62. What is the purpose of a shift micro-operation?
a) Multiply two numbers,
b) Move bits left or right within a register,
c) Transfer data between registers,
d) Perform logical AND operation
63. Which of the following operations does NOT belong to logical micro-
operations?
a) AND,
b) OR,
c) XOR,
d) Addition
64. What is the 9’s complement of the decimal number 356?
a) 644,
b) 653,
c) 999,
d) 643
65. In memory-mapped I/O, the I/O devices are accessed using
a) A separate address space,
b) The same address space as memory,
c) Direct memory access,
d) Interrupts
66. Which of the following is NOT a type of DMA transfer?
a) Burst mode,
b) Cycle stealing,
c) Block mode,
d) Programmed I/O
67. What does the acronym I/O stand for?
a) Input/output,
b) Integrated operation,
c) Immediate operation,
d) Interrupt operation
68. Which of the following is an example of isolated I/O?
a) Disk storage,
b) Printer connected via USB,
c) Memory-mapped devices,
d) Ethernet card
69. What is the 10’s complement of the decimal number 356?
 a) 644,
b) 653,
c) 999,
d) 643
70. Which of the following is an advantage of program-controlled I/O over
interrupt-driven I/O?
a) More efficient,
b) Uses less CPU time,
c) Simpler and easier to implement,
d) Faster data transfer
71. In the Von Neumann architecture, which of the following stores the program
instructions?
a) Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU),
b) Control Unit (CU),
c) Memory,
d) Registers
72. What does the Harvard architecture use that the Von Neumann architecture
does not?
a) Separate memory spaces for data and instructions,
b) A single instruction set,
c) A unified memory system,
d) A single processor
73. Which of the following is true for a single-chip microcontroller?
a) It is typically used in embedded systems,
b) It has a separate memory from the processor,
c) It requires external peripherals for functionality,
d) It operates on a CISC architecture
74. Which of the following is a common application of microcontrollers?
a) Running operating systems,
b) Managing I/O devices,
c) Handling complex calculations,
d) Processing large databases
75. Which of the following defines the processing speed of a microprocessor?
a) Clock cycle time,
b) Bit width of the processor,
c) Number of registers,
d) Memory hierarchy
76. Which of the following is the primary role of the control unit in a basic
computer?
a) Perform arithmetic operations,
b) Execute program instructions,
 c) Fetch data from memory,
d) Manage communication with I/O devices
77. Which of the following is used for memory transfers in a register transfer
system?
a) Memory read and write operations,
b) ALU operations,
c) Fetching instructions,
d) Handling interrupts
78. Which of the following best describes the stack organization in a CPU?
a) Uses a series of registers for storing data,
b) Data is added and removed using the push and pop operations,
c) Data can be accessed randomly,
d) Data is stored in a non-volatile memory
79. Which type of instruction format uses three operands?
a) Zero-address,
b) One-address,
c) Two-address,
d) Three-address
80. What type of computer architecture uses fixed-length instructions for
execution?
a) RISC,
b) CISC,
c) Harvard,
d) Von Neumann
81. In which type of memory is data retention dependent on power supply?
a) ROM,
b) SRAM,
c) DRAM,
d) Flash memory
82. Which of the following is a common use of embedded microprocessors?
a) General-purpose computing,
b) Video games,
c) Home appliances and industrial machines,
d) Data centers
83. Which of the following is an example of a control unit task in a computer
system?
a) Data fetching,
b) Memory access,
c) Generating control signals,
d) Arithmetic processing
84. Which of the following describes the role of a bus in a computer system?
 a) It is used to perform arithmetic operations,
b) It provides a pathway for data transfer between components,
c) It stores the program instructions,
d) It manages memory access
85. Which of the following is the primary feature of CISC architecture?
a) Simple instructions,
b) Large number of registers,
c) Complex instruction sets,
d) Fast execution of instructions
86. What is the 1’s complement of the binary number 1011?
a) 0100,
b) 1010,
c) 0000,
d) 1111
87. Which of the following is a characteristic of program-controlled I/O?
a) Uses interrupt signals,
b) It allows the CPU to access the memory directly,
c) Data is transferred without CPU involvement,
d) It requires the CPU to perform all tasks
88. What is the 2’s complement of the binary number 1011?
a) 0100,
b) 0101,
c) 0000,
d) 1111
89. The primary disadvantage of the sign-magnitude representation is:
a) Complex addition and subtraction,
b) Limited number of bits,
c) Overflow,
d) None of the above
90. What is the first step in the Booth’s multiplication algorithm?
a) Prepare the multiplicand,
b) Perform subtraction,
c) Initialize registers,
d) Shift the operands
91. In the signed magnitude addition algorithm, if both numbers are positive,
the result is:
a) The sum of the numbers,
b) A sign error,
c) 1’s complement,
d) 2’s complement
92. In binary division, which operation is performed for each digit?
 a) Addition,
b) Subtraction,
c) Multiplication,
d) Division
93. Which of the following best describes a signed binary number?
a) A number that can represent both positive and negative values,
b) A number that represents only positive values,
c) A number that uses 2 bits for the sign,
d) A number represented only in decimal form
94. What is the primary advantage of using Booth’s algorithm for binary
multiplication?
a) Reduces multiplication time,
b) Simplifies addition,
c) Avoids overflow,
d) Handles both positive and negative operands efficiently
95. What is the outcome of adding two numbers using sign-magnitude
representation when one is positive and the other is negative?
a) The result is always positive,
b) The result is the difference of the numbers,
c) The result is zero,
d) The result is a 2’s complement
96. What is the overflow condition in signed 2’s complement addition?
a) When the result exceeds the maximum value that can be represented,
b) When a negative number is added to a positive number,
c) When the result is within the valid range,
d) None of the above
97. What is the binary representation of the decimal number -13 in 2’s
complement?
a) 11110011,
b) 11110101,
c) 11101011,
d) 10011101
98. Which of the following is used to transfer data between registers in a
register transfer language?
a) Bus system,
b) Clock signal,
c) Control unit,
d) Memory access
99. What is the 1’s complement of the decimal number 8?
a) 0100,
b) 0101,
 c) 0000,
d) 0111
100. The selective set operation in register transfer is used to:
a) Set a register to a specified value,
b) Transfer data between registers,
c) Add two binary numbers,
d) None of the above