Back to Library

Computer Science Fundamentals

Computer Science

A set of medium-difficulty multiple-choice questions focusing on factual, theory-based computer science concepts.

algorithms data structures computability complexity theory programming languages computer architecture
18 Questions Medium Ages 14+ Apr 12, 2026

Choose a Study Format

Embed This Study Set

Add this interactive study set to your website or blog — all 6 formats included.

<div data-quixly-id="1606"></div> <script src="https://www.quixlylearn.com/assets/embed/widget.js"></script>

About this Study Set

This study set covers Computer Science through 18 practice questions. A set of medium-difficulty multiple-choice questions focusing on factual, theory-based computer science concepts. Every question includes the correct answer so you can learn as you go — pick any format above to get started.

Questions & Answers

Browse all 18 questions from the Computer Science Fundamentals study set below. Each question shows the correct answer — select a study format above to practice interactively.

1 Which of the following sorting algorithms has an average-case time complexity of O(n log n)?
  • A Bubble Sort
  • B Insertion Sort
  • C Merge Sort
  • D Selection Sort
2 In terms of computability theory, what does the Halting Problem state?
  • A It is impossible to create a program that can predict if any given program will finish or run forever.
  • B All problems can be solved by a Turing machine.
  • C There exists a universal Turing machine that can simulate any other Turing machine.
  • D The set of all decidable languages is countably infinite.
3 What is the primary function of a compiler?
  • A To execute machine code directly.
  • B To translate source code written in a high-level language into machine code.
  • C To manage memory allocation for programs.
  • D To provide a graphical user interface for software development.
4 Which data structure follows the Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) principle?
  • A Queue
  • B Linked List
  • C Stack
  • D Tree
5 What is the purpose of Big O notation in algorithm analysis?
  • A To precisely measure the execution time of an algorithm in seconds.
  • B To describe the upper bound of an algorithm's time or space complexity.
  • C To determine the memory usage of a data structure.
  • D To provide a definitive ranking of all known algorithms.
6 In object-oriented programming, what is polymorphism?
  • A The ability to inherit properties from multiple parent classes.
  • B The process of encapsulating data and methods within a class.
  • C The ability of an object to take on many forms, typically through method overriding or overloading.
  • D The creation of new classes based on existing ones.
7 Which of these is a fundamental principle of relational database design?
  • A Data duplication is encouraged for faster retrieval.
  • B Tables should be designed to minimize redundancy and improve data integrity.
  • C All data should be stored in a single, large table.
  • D Relationships between tables are defined using implicit links.
8 What is the significance of the Church-Turing thesis?
  • A It proves that all computational problems are solvable.
  • B It suggests that any function that can be computed by an algorithm can be computed by a Turing machine.
  • C It defines the limits of artificial intelligence.
  • D It states that only specific programming languages can achieve universal computation.
9 What does the term 'binary search' refer to?
  • A A search algorithm that examines every other element in a list.
  • B A search algorithm that requires the data to be sorted and divides the search interval in half at each step.
  • C A search algorithm used exclusively for binary files.
  • D A search algorithm with a worst-case time complexity of O(n).
10 In computer architecture, what is the role of the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)?
  • A To fetch instructions from memory.
  • B To perform arithmetic and logical operations on data.
  • C To manage the flow of data between the CPU and peripherals.
  • D To store the results of computations.
11 What is a hash table?
  • A A data structure that stores elements in a sorted order.
  • B A data structure that uses a hash function to map keys to indices in an array.
  • C A linear data structure where elements are accessed sequentially.
  • D A tree-like structure used for hierarchical data storage.
12 Which of the following is a characteristic of a dynamically typed programming language?
  • A Variable types are checked at compile time.
  • B Variable types are checked at runtime.
  • C All variables must be explicitly declared with a type.
  • D Type errors are always caught before program execution.
13 What is the primary goal of cryptographic hashing?
  • A To encrypt messages for secure communication.
  • B To generate a unique, fixed-size fingerprint (hash) of data that is difficult to reverse.
  • C To compress large files for efficient storage.
  • D To provide a method for random number generation.
14 What is a Turing machine?
  • A A physical computer with specific processing capabilities.
  • B A theoretical model of computation that manipulates symbols on a tape according to a table of rules.
  • C A type of algorithm used for sorting data.
  • D A database management system.
15 In the context of operating systems, what is a deadlock?
  • A A situation where a process terminates unexpectedly.
  • B A state where two or more processes are unable to proceed because each is waiting for the other to release a resource.
  • C A condition where the system runs out of memory.
  • D A failure in the network connection.
16 What is a 'stack overflow' error?
  • A An error that occurs when a program attempts to write more data to a buffer than it can hold.
  • B An error that occurs when a recursive function calls itself too many times, exceeding the allocated stack memory.
  • C An error indicating that a network connection has failed.
  • D An error related to insufficient disk space.
17 Which of the following is a fundamental principle of NoSQL databases?
  • A Strict adherence to the ACID properties.
  • B Enforcement of rigid, predefined schemas.
  • C Flexibility in data models and often distributed architecture.
  • D Use of SQL as the primary query language.
18 What is the Traveling Salesperson Problem (TSP)?
  • A A problem of finding the shortest path between two specific points in a network.
  • B A problem of finding the shortest possible route that visits a set of cities exactly once and returns to the origin city.
  • C A problem of optimizing resource allocation in a manufacturing process.
  • D A problem related to scheduling tasks with dependencies.
📱

Study on the go

Download Quixly and access all study formats on your phone — anywhere, anytime.

Download on App Store Get it on Google Play Get it on Chrome Web Store