Unit 2 of 5
Study guide for CLEP CLEP Information Systems — Unit 2: Hardware & Software. Practice questions, key concepts, and exam tips.
44
Practice Questions
11
Flashcards
4
Key Topics
Try these 5 questions from this unit. Sign up for full access to all 44.
A programmer is developing an algorithm to search for a specific value in a large list of numbers. The list is already sorted in ascending order. Which approach would be most efficient for this task?
Linear search, checking each number in sequence
Exponential search, squaring the search space
Random search, selecting numbers at random from the list
Iterative search, using a loop to check each number
Binary search, repeatedly dividing the list in half
Answer: E — Binary search is most efficient for a sorted list, as it reduces the search space by half with each iteration.
What type of software controls the hardware and manages system resources?
Application
Utility
Operating System
Firmware
Driver
Answer: C — Operating System is correct because the OS manages hardware and system resources. Application software performs specific tasks.
A company is developing a new mobile app to track personal fitness goals. The development team needs to create an algorithm to calculate the user's daily calorie intake based on their age, weight, and activity level. Which of the following is an appropriate step in designing this algorithm?
Test the app with a small group of users to see what features they like
Start coding the app without a clear plan for the algorithm
Use an existing algorithm from a different app without modification
Determine the variables and parameters required to calculate the daily calorie intake
Assume a fixed daily calorie intake for all users
Answer: D — To design an effective algorithm, the development team needs to identify the key variables and parameters involved in the calculation, such as age, weight, and activity level.
A company has a sorted list of 1024 employee IDs and wants to find a specific ID using the binary search algorithm. How many iterations of the binary search algorithm are required to guarantee finding the ID or determining it is not in the list?
1024 iterations
20 iterations
5 iterations
10 iterations
11 iterations
Answer: D — Since binary search divides the search space in half with each iteration, it takes log2(n) iterations to search a list of n items. For 1024 items, log2(1024) = 10 iterations.
What is the purpose of absolute references in spreadsheets?
To change cell values automatically
To keep cell references constant
To hide cell formulas
To sort data in ascending order
To create charts and graphs
Answer: B — To keep cell references constant is correct because absolute references keep cell references constant, unlike relative references.
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