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Advanced Computer Systems Question Paper

This document is an advanced question paper for a Computer Systems exam, consisting of multiple choice questions, structured questions, and essay questions. It covers topics such as Von Neumann architecture, CPU components, memory types, and the Fetch-Decode-Execute cycle. The exam is designed to assess students' understanding of computer architecture and operations within a time limit of 1 hour and 30 minutes.

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5 views3 pages

Advanced Computer Systems Question Paper

This document is an advanced question paper for a Computer Systems exam, consisting of multiple choice questions, structured questions, and essay questions. It covers topics such as Von Neumann architecture, CPU components, memory types, and the Fetch-Decode-Execute cycle. The exam is designed to assess students' understanding of computer architecture and operations within a time limit of 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Uploaded by

goslinfredoxger
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Computer Systems – Advanced Question Paper

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Instructions: Answer all questions. Show workings where necessary.

Part A – Multiple Choice Questions (10 × 1 = 10 marks)


1. In Von Neumann architecture, the main cause of the 'Von Neumann bottleneck' is:
A) Slow ALU
B) Single shared bus for data and instructions
C) Small RAM size
D) Slow hard disk

2. Which register stores the address of the next instruction to be executed?


A) MAR
B) MDR
C) Program Counter (PC)
D) Accumulator

3. Which register holds the current instruction?


A) PC
B) IR
C) MAR
D) MDR

4. The purpose of the Decode stage is to:


A) Execute the instruction
B) Fetch data from memory
C) Interpret what the instruction means
D) Store the result

5. Which component controls the timing and coordination of all CPU operations?
A) ALU
B) RAM
C) Control Unit
D) Cache
6. Which memory is volatile?
A) ROM
B) Hard Disk
C) RAM
D) SSD

7. Cache memory is used to:


A) Store files permanently
B) Speed up CPU access to frequently used data
C) Replace RAM
D) Store the operating system

8. Which of the following is NOT part of the CPU?


A) ALU
B) Control Unit
C) Registers
D) Hard Disk

9. Which bus carries actual data?


A) Address bus
B) Control bus
C) Data bus
D) Power bus

10. Which step of the Fetch-Decode-Execute cycle may change the Program Counter?
A) Fetch
B) Decode
C) Execute
D) Store

Part B – Structured Questions (5 × 6 = 30 marks)


11. (a) Draw and label the Von Neumann architecture.
(b) Explain two disadvantages of this architecture.

12. (a) Explain the purpose of the following registers:


i. Program Counter (PC)
ii. MAR
iii. MDR
iv. IR

13. Describe in detail how a single instruction is processed using the Fetch–Decode–Execute
cycle.

14. (a) Explain the difference between RAM and ROM.


(b) Explain the difference between primary memory and secondary storage.

15. Explain what cache memory is and why it improves computer performance.

Part C – Essay Questions (2 × 10 = 20 marks)


16. Explain in detail the internal structure of the CPU and the role of each component.

17. Explain the Von Neumann architecture in detail and discuss its advantages and
limitations.

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