Cambridge IGCSE · Computer Science (0478)

Computer architecture: Practice Questions

5 multiple-choice questions marked as you go, and 5 written questions with worked solutions. All on Computer architecture.

10 questions23 marksFree, no account

Question 1

1 mark

Which of the following describes the correct function of the Current Instruction Register (CIR) during the Fetch-Decode-Execute cycle?

Question 2

1 mark

During the Fetch stage of the FDE cycle, data is retrieved from RAM.
Which register is used to store the actual instruction data received from the memory before it is moved to the CIR?

Question 3

1 mark

Which of the following accurately describes the directionality of the three system buses in the Von Neumann architecture?

Question 4

1 mark

Which statement accurately describes a microprocessor as defined in computer architecture?

Question 5

1 mark

Which of the following best describes the role of the Control Unit (CU) within the CPU?

Question 6

2 marks

State the primary function of the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) within the Central Processing Unit (CPU).

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Question 7

3 marks

Explain how the clock speed of a Central Processing Unit (CPU) affects its performance.

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Question 8

5 marks

A computer system designer wants to improve the performance of a high-end workstation. Compare how increasing the cache size and increasing the number of cores achieve this improvement in different ways.

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Question 9

4 marks

State two key differences between Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM) in terms of their functionality and typical use in a computer system.

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Question 10

4 marks

Explain how the presence and size of cache memory in a Central Processing Unit (CPU) can significantly improve the computer's overall performance. Describe the process involved.

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