Exam questions can come in a number of different forms. Some will ask you to explain why the thing is used, some will ask for a straightforward description, some will ask you to do comparisons and some will ask you to write justification for your choice.
Here are a few different examples of what to expect.
Topical Exam Questions
Unit 1 - Data Representation
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Mantissa: 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0
Exponent: 0 1 0 1
Question: Find the denary value for the following binary floating point number. Show your working. [3]
Working.
Answer.
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Question: Calculate the normlized floating-point representtion of 5.25 in this system. 12 bits for mantissa, 4 bits for exponent. Show your working. [3]
Working.
Answer.
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Question:
The size of the mantissa is decreased and the size of the exponent is increased.
State how this affects the range and precision of the number the computer system can represent. [2]
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A programmer uses non-composite and composite data types to create a program.
(a) Define the term non-composite data type
(b) Define two different non-composite data types.
Data type1
Description
Data type2
Description
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Questions:
(c) define the term composite data type.
(d) Define two different composite data types.
Data type1
Description
Data type2
Description
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Questions:
(i) write a pseudocode statement to declare a varianle Book of type LibraryBookRecord.
(ii) write a pseudocode statement that assigns 'Dune' to the Title of the Book.
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Question:
(b) Calculate the normalised floating-point repesentation of -4.5 in this system. Show your working.
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Question:
(c) Calculate the denary value for the following binary floating-point number. Show your working.
Mantissa: 000110000000
Expnent: 0101
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Question:
(d,i) State whether the floating-point number given in part(c) is normalised or not normalised
(d,ii) Justify your answer fiven in part (d,i)
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Question:
(e) The system changes so that it now allocates eight bits to both the mantissa and the exponent.
Explain two effects of this has on the number that can be represented. [4]
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Question:
The denary number 513 cannot be stored accurately as a normalized floating-point number in this computer system.
(i) Explain the reason for this. [3]
(ii) Describe an alteration to the way sloating-point numbers are stored to enable this number to be stored accurately using the same total number of bits. [2]
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Question b: Define, using pseudocode, the followwing enumerated data types:
(i) SchoolDay to hold data about the days students are usually in school
(ii) WeekEnd to hold data about the days that are not school days
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By Ayazhan Karabek