Creative Development
Data
Algorithms and Programming
Computer Systems and Networks
Impact of Computing
100
Which of the following is NOT a benefit of collaborating to develop a computing innovation?
Answer A: Collaboration can decrease the size and complexity of tasks required of individual team members.
Answer B: Collaboration can make it easier to find and correct errors during the development process.
Answer C: Collaboration eliminates the need to resolve differences of opinion.
Answer D: Collaboration facilitates multiple perspectives in developing ideas.
Answer C
100
In a certain computer program, two positive integers are added together, resulting in an overflow error. Which of the following best explains why the error occurs?
Answer A: The program attempted to perform an operation that is considered an undecidable problem.
Answer B: The precision of the result is limited due to the constraints of using a floating-point representation.
Answer C: The program can only use a fixed number of bits to represent integers; the computed sum is greater than the maximum representable value.
Answer D: The program cannot represent integers; the integers are converted into decimal approximations, leading to rounding errors.
Answer C
100
Consider the following program, which uses the variables 
, 
, and 
.
What is displayed as a result of executing the program?
Answer A: 1 3
Answer B: 3 3
Answer C: 3 4
Answer D: 4 4
Answer C
100
Internet protocol version 6 (IPv6) has been introduced to replace the previous version (IPv4). Which of the following best describes a benefit of IPv6 over IPv4?
Answer A: IPv6 addresses are shorter than IPv4 addresses, which allows for faster routing of packets.
Answer B: IPv6 allows for a greater number of addresses than IPv4, which allows more devices to be connected to the Internet.
Answer C: IPv6 eliminates the use of hierarchy in addressing, making addresses easier to use.
Answer D: IPv6 allows users to bypass older security protocols so that data can be sent peer-to-peer without the use of routers.
Answer B
100
Which of the following statements describe how cloud computing has affected Internet communication?
Select two answers.
Answer A: Cloud computing has eliminated the need to provide redundancy in Internet routing.
Answer B: Cloud computing has helped enhance collaboration.
Answer C: Cloud computing has introduced new data-security concerns.
Answer D: Cloud computing has reduced concerns about intellectual property rights.
Answers B and C
200
A student is creating an application that allows customers to order food for delivery from a local restaurant. Which of the following is LEAST likely to be an input provided by a customer using the application?
Answer A: The address where the order should be delivered.
Answer B: The cost of a food item currently available for order
Answer C: The credit card or payment information for the purchaser
Answer D: The name of a food item to be included in the delivery
Answer B
200
A person wants to transmit an audio file from a device to a second device. Which of the following scenarios best demonstrates the use of lossless compression of the original file?
Answer A: A device compresses the audio file before transmitting it to a second device. The second device restores the compressed file to its original version before playing it.
Answer B: A device compresses the audio file by removing details that are not easily perceived by the human ear. The compressed file is transmitted to a second device, which plays it.
Answer C: A device transmits the original audio file to a second device. The second device removes metadata from the file before playing it.
Answer D: A device transmits the original audio file to a second device. The second device plays the transmitted file as is.
Answer A
200
A programmer wants to determine whether a score is within 10 points of a given target. For example, if the target is 50, then the scores 40, 44, 50, 58, and 60 are all within 10 points of the target, while 38 and 61 are not.
Which of the following Boolean expressions will evaluate to true if and only if score is within 10 points of target ?
Answer A: (score ≤ target + 10) AND (target + 10 ≤ score)
Answer B: (target + 10 ≤ score) AND (score ≤ target - 10)
Answer C: (score ≤ target - 10) AND (score ≤ target + 10)
Answer D: (target - 10 ≤ score) AND (score ≤ target + 10)
Answer D
200
Which of the following best explains how data is transmitted on the Internet?
Answer A: Data is broken into packets, which are all sent to the recipient in a specified order along the same path.
Answer B: Data is broken into packets, which can be sent along different paths.
Answer C: All data is transmitted in a single packet through a direct connection between the sender and the recipient.
Answer D: Multiple data files are bundled together in a packet and transmitted together.
Answer B
200
A state government is attempting to reduce the digital divide. Which of the following activities has the greatest potential to contribute to the digital divide rather than reducing it?
Answer A: Providing programs that focus on technology literacy at local libraries
Answer B: Requiring applicants for government jobs to apply using an online platform
Answer C: Working with technology companies to offer computing devices at discounted prices to individuals with reduced incomes
Answer C: Working with telecommunications companies to build network infrastructure in remote areas
Answer B
300
Which of the following best describes one of the benefits of using an iterative and incremental process of program development?
Answer A: It allows programmers to implement algorithmic solutions to otherwise unsolvable problems.
Answer B: It eliminates the need for programmers to test completed programs.
Answer C: It enables programmers to create programs that use the lowest-level abstractions available.
Answer D: It helps programmers identify errors as components are added to a working program.
Answer D
300
In which of the following situations would it be most appropriate to choose lossy compression over lossless compression?
Answer A: Storing digital photographs to be printed and displayed in a large format in an art gallery
Answer B: Storing a formatted text document to be restored to its original version for a print publication
Answer C: Storing music files on a smartphone in order to maximize the number of songs that can be stored
Answer D: Storing a video file on an external device in order to preserve the highest possible video quality
Answer C
300
Consider the following program.
Which of the following expressions represents the value stored in the variable x as a result of executing the program?
Answer A: 2 * 3 * 3 * 3
Answer B: 2 * 4 * 4 * 4
Answer C: 2 * 3 * 3 * 3 * 3
Answer D: 2 * 4 * 4 * 4 * 4
Answer C
300
Which of the following best describes a direct benefit in using redundant routing on the Internet?
Answer A: Redundancy enables messages to be transmitted with as few packets as possible.
Answer B: Redundancy enables network devices to communicate with as few network connections as possible.
Answer C: Redundancy often allows messages to be sent on the network even if some network devices or connections have failed.
Answer D: Redundancy prevents network communications from being intercepted by unauthorized individuals.
Answer C
300
A certain social media application is popular with people across the United States. The developers of the application are updating the algorithm used by the application to introduce a new feature that allows users of the application with similar interests to connect with one another. Which of the following strategies is LEAST likely to introduce bias into the application?
Answer A: Enticing users to spend more time using the application by providing the updated algorithm for users who use the application at least ten hours per week
Answer B: Inviting a random sample of all users to try out the new algorithm and provide feedback before it is released to a wider audience
Answer C: Providing the updated algorithm only to teenage users to generate excitement about the new feature
Answer D: Testing the updated algorithm with a small number of users in the city where the developers are located so that immediate feedback can be gathered
Answer B
400
A video-streaming Web site keeps count of the number of times each video has been played since it was first added to the site. The count is updated each time a video is played and is displayed next to each video to show its popularity.
At one time, the count for the most popular video was about two million. Sometime later, the same video displayed a seven-digit negative number as its count, while the counts for the other videos displayed correctly. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for the error?
Answer A: The count for the video became larger than the maximum value allowed by the data type used to store the count.
Answer B: The mathematical operations used to calculate the count caused a rounding error to occur.
Answer C: The software used to update the count failed when too many videos were played simultaneously by too many users.
Answer D: The software used to update the count contained a sampling error when using digital data to approximate the analog count.
Answer A
400
A list of binary values (0 or 1) is used to represent a black-and-white image. Which of the following is LEAST likely to be stored as metadata associated with the image?
Answer A: Copyright information for the image
Answer B: The date and time the image was created
Answer C: The dimensions (number of rows and columns of pixels) of the image
Answer D: A duplicate copy of the data
Answer D
400
A sorted list of numbers contains 128 elements. Which of the following is closest to the maximum number of list elements that can be examined when performing a binary search for a value in the list?
Answer A: 2
Answer B: 8
Answer C: 64
Answer D: 128
Answer B
400
Which of the following best describes a challenge involved in using a parallel computing solution?
Answer A: A parallel computing solution may not be appropriate for an algorithm in which each step requires the output from the preceding step.
Answer B: A parallel computing solution may not be appropriate for an algorithm in which the same formula is applied to many numeric data elements.
Answer C: A parallel computing solution may not be appropriate for an algorithm that can be easily broken down into small independent tasks.
Answer D: A parallel computing solution may not be appropriate for an algorithm that searches for occurrences of a key word in a large number of documents.
Answer A
400
A small team of wildlife researchers is working on a project that uses motion-activated field cameras to capture images of animals at study sites. The team is considering using a “citizen science” approach to analyze the images. Which of the following best explains why such an approach is considered useful for this project?
Answer A: Distributed individuals are likely to be more accurate in wildlife identification than the research team.
Answer B: The image analysis is likely to be more consistent if completed by an individual citizen.
Answer C: The image analysis is likely to require complex research methods.
Answer C: The image analysis is likely to take a longer time for the research team than for a distributed group of individuals.
Answer D
500
Which of the following actions are generally helpful in program development?
I. Consulting potential users of the program to identify their concerns
II. Writing and testing small code segments before adding them to the program
III. Collaborating with other individuals when developing a large program
Answer A: I and II only
Answer B: I and III only
Answer C: II and III only
Answer D: I, II, and III
Answer D
500
A store uses binary numbers to assign a unique binary sequence to each item in its inventory. What is the minimum number of bits required for each binary sequence if the store has between 75 and 100 items in its inventory?
Answer A: 5
Answer B: 6
Answer C: 7
Answer D: 8
Answer C
500
Which of the following are ways in which a programmer can use abstraction to manage the complexity of a program?
Select two answers.
Answer A: Replacing each instance of repeated code with a call to a procedure
Answer B: Replacing longer variable names with shorter variable names to reduce typing errors
Answer C: Replacing several lines of documentation with a single line of documentation
Answer D: Replacing several lines of documentation with a single line of documentation 
, 
, 
, and 
with a list of strings
called 
Answers A and D
500
Which of the following best explains the relationship between the Internet and the World Wide Web?
Answer A: Both the Internet and the World Wide Web refer to the same interconnected network of devices.
Answer B: The Internet is an interconnected network of data servers, and the World Wide Web is a network of user devices that communicates with the data servers.
Answer C: The Internet is a local network of interconnected devices, and the World Wide Web is a global network that connects the local networks with each other.
Answer D: The Internet is a network of interconnected networks, and the World Wide Web is a system of linked pages, programs, and files that is accessed via the Internet.
Answer D
500
A bank customer receives an e-mail from a sender claiming to be a bank employee. The e-mail asks the customer to provide personal information and to call a phone number if he or she has any questions. The customer suspects the e-mail might be a phishing attempt. Which of the following responses is most likely to be a privacy risk for the bank customer?
Answer A: Calling the bank at its official phone number to ask whether the request for personal information is legitimate
Answer B: Calling the phone number given in the e-mail and providing the personal information over the phone
B
Answer C: Checking that the domain name of the sender’s e-mail address is associated with the bank
Answer D: Conducting a Web search to see if other people have received similar requests for personal information
Answer B