CSS Computer Science Fundamentals of Computing & Programming Syllabus

Fundamentals of Computing & Programming syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Fundamentals of Computing & Programming in CSS Computer Science, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Introduction to Computing

   5 topics

   • IT Fundamentals & Computing History
   • Input, Output & Storage Devices
   • Number Systems
   • Productivity Software & the Internet
   • Computing Disciplines per IEEE/ACM
2. 2

   Programming Fundamentals

   5 topics

   • Problem Solving & Program Design
   • Data Types & Variables
   • Input/Output Streams
   • Control Structures
   • Functions & Parameter Passing
3. 3

   Arrays, Pointers & Composite Types

   4 topics

   • Arrays & Strings
   • Pointers & Dynamic Memory
   • Structures & Unions
   • Bitwise Manipulation Operators
4. 4

   Information Security & Computing Ethics

   4 topics

   • Cyber Crimes & Viruses
   • Plagiarism & Intellectual Property Rights
   • Societal Impacts of Computing
   • Professional Ethics

Fundamentals of Computing & Programming flashcards for CSS Computer Science

24 of 51 cards from the Fundamentals of Computing & Programming deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is the difference between data and information?

   Data are raw, unprocessed facts and figures with no inherent meaning; information is data that has been processed, organized, or structured to be meaningful and useful for decision-making.

2. List the four basic operations performed by a computer in the information processing cycle.

   Input, Processing, Output, and Storage.

3. Name the five generations of computers and their defining technologies.

   1st: Vacuum tubes; 2nd: Transistors; 3rd: Integrated Circuits (ICs); 4th: Microprocessors (VLSI); 5th: Artificial Intelligence / parallel processing (ULSI).

4. Who is considered the 'Father of the Computer' and what machine did he design?

   Charles Babbage; he designed the Analytical Engine (and earlier the Difference Engine).

5. Who is regarded as the world's first computer programmer?

   Ada Lovelace, for her notes on Babbage's Analytical Engine.

6. What does Moore's Law state?

   The number of transistors on an integrated circuit (chip) roughly doubles about every two years, increasing computing power while cost decreases.

7. Classify computers by size from largest to smallest in processing power.

   Supercomputer, Mainframe, Minicomputer (midrange), Microcomputer (personal computer).

8. Differentiate analog, digital, and hybrid computers.

   Analog computers process continuous physical quantities; digital computers process discrete binary data; hybrid computers combine both, using analog input/output with digital processing.

9. What are the two main components of the CPU and their functions?

   The ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) performs arithmetic and logical operations, and the CU (Control Unit) directs and coordinates the operations of the computer by fetching, decoding, and executing instructions.

10. Give three examples each of input and output devices.

    Input: keyboard, mouse, scanner, microphone. Output: monitor, printer, speakers, plotter.

11. What is the difference between primary (main) memory and secondary memory?

    Primary memory (RAM/ROM) is fast, directly accessible by the CPU, and mostly volatile; secondary memory (hard disk, SSD, USB) is slower, non-volatile, used for permanent long-term storage.

12. Contrast RAM and ROM.

    RAM (Random Access Memory) is volatile read/write working memory that loses data on power-off; ROM (Read-Only Memory) is non-volatile and permanently stores firmware/startup instructions.

13. Differentiate SRAM and DRAM.

    SRAM (Static RAM) uses flip-flops, is faster, more expensive, and used for cache; DRAM (Dynamic RAM) uses capacitors, must be refreshed continuously, is cheaper, and used for main memory.

14. Order the memory hierarchy from fastest/smallest to slowest/largest.

    Registers, Cache memory, Main memory (RAM), Secondary storage (HDD/SSD), Tertiary/offline storage (tape, optical).

15. Compare HDD and SSD.

    HDD uses spinning magnetic platters with moving read/write heads, is cheaper but slower and mechanical; SSD uses flash memory with no moving parts, is faster, more durable, and more expensive per GB.

16. List storage capacity units in ascending order from byte to terabyte.

    Byte, Kilobyte (KB), Megabyte (MB), Gigabyte (GB), Terabyte (TB) — each roughly 1024 times the previous.

17. How many bits are in a byte, and what is a nibble?

    A byte contains 8 bits; a nibble is 4 bits (half a byte).

18. What is the base and digit set of the binary, octal, decimal, and hexadecimal number systems?

    Binary: base 2 (0-1); Octal: base 8 (0-7); Decimal: base 10 (0-9); Hexadecimal: base 16 (0-9, A-F).

19. How do you convert a decimal integer to binary?

    Repeatedly divide the number by 2, recording the remainders; the binary equivalent is the remainders read from bottom (last) to top (first).

20. How do you convert a binary number to decimal?

    Multiply each binary digit by 2 raised to its positional power (starting at 0 from the right) and sum the results.

21. What is the binary equivalent of decimal 25?

    11001 (16 + 8 + 1 = 25).

22. What is the decimal equivalent of binary 1011?

    11 (8 + 0 + 2 + 1).

23. How do you convert binary to hexadecimal quickly?

    Group the binary digits into sets of 4 (from the right), then replace each group with its single hexadecimal digit.

24. How do you convert binary to octal quickly?

    Group the binary digits into sets of 3 (from the right), then replace each group with its single octal digit.

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