ETEA Engineering Test Computer Science Syllabus

Computer Science syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Computer Science in ETEA Engineering Test, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Fundamentals of Computers

   3 topics

   • Computer Components and Hardware
   • Software and Operating Systems
   • Number Systems
2. 2

   Data Communication and Networks

   3 topics

   • Transmission Media and Modes
   • Network Topologies
   • Internet and Protocols
3. 3

   Data and Information Management

   2 topics

   • Data Representation and Storage
   • Database Concepts
4. 4

   Programming Fundamentals

   3 topics

   • Algorithms and Flowcharts
   • Programming Constructs
   • Introduction to C Programming

Computer Science flashcards for ETEA Engineering Test

23 of 52 cards from the Computer Science deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is computer hardware? Give two examples.

   Hardware is the set of physical, tangible components of a computer that you can touch. Examples: CPU, monitor, keyboard, hard disk, RAM.

2. Name the three main units of the Central Processing Unit (CPU) and their functions.

   (1) Control Unit (CU) - directs/coordinates operations and fetches instructions; (2) Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) - performs arithmetic and logical operations; (3) Registers - small high-speed storage holding data being processed.

3. Differentiate between an input device and an output device, with one example each.

   An input device feeds data into the computer (e.g., keyboard, mouse, scanner). An output device delivers processed results to the user (e.g., monitor, printer, speaker).

4. What is the difference between RAM and ROM?

   RAM (Random Access Memory) is volatile read/write memory that loses data when power is off; it stores data currently in use. ROM (Read Only Memory) is non-volatile, retains contents without power, and stores permanent instructions like the BIOS/boot firmware.

5. Classify computer memory into primary and secondary, with examples.

   Primary (main) memory is directly accessed by the CPU and is fast but usually volatile: RAM, ROM, cache. Secondary (auxiliary) memory is non-volatile permanent storage: hard disk, SSD, USB flash drive, CD/DVD.

6. What is cache memory and why is it used?

   Cache is very fast, small memory placed between the CPU and main memory (RAM). It stores frequently used data/instructions to reduce CPU access time and speed up processing.

7. What is the difference between system software and application software?

   System software manages and runs the computer hardware and provides a platform (e.g., operating system, device drivers, utilities). Application software performs specific user tasks (e.g., MS Word, browsers, games).

8. What is an Operating System? List two of its main functions.

   An Operating System is system software that manages hardware and software resources and acts as an interface between the user and the computer. Functions: process/CPU management, memory management, file management, device management, providing a user interface.

9. Name four examples of operating systems.

   Windows, Linux, macOS, Unix, Android, iOS.

10. What is the difference between a compiler and an interpreter?

    A compiler translates the entire high-level program into machine code at once, producing an executable, and reports all errors together. An interpreter translates and executes the program line by line, stopping at the first error. Compilers are generally faster at execution; interpreters are easier for debugging.

11. What is the difference between high-level and low-level programming languages?

    High-level languages are human-readable, machine-independent, and need translation (e.g., C, Python, Java). Low-level languages are machine-oriented and hardware-dependent (machine language in binary, and assembly language using mnemonics).

12. Define a number system and state its base (radix).

    A number system is a way of representing numbers using a fixed set of digits/symbols. The base (radix) is the number of distinct digits used, e.g., base $10$ for decimal, base $2$ for binary.

13. State the base and valid digits of the binary, octal, decimal, and hexadecimal systems.

    Binary: base $2$, digits $0,1$. Octal: base $8$, digits $0$–$7$. Decimal: base $10$, digits $0$–$9$. Hexadecimal: base $16$, digits $0$–$9$ and $A$–$F$.

14. In hexadecimal, what decimal values do the letters A, B, C, D, E, F represent?

    $A=10,\; B=11,\; C=12,\; D=13,\; E=14,\; F=15$.

15. Convert the binary number $1011_2$ to decimal.

    $1\times2^{3}+0\times2^{2}+1\times2^{1}+1\times2^{0}=8+0+2+1=11_{10}$.

16. Convert the decimal number $25_{10}$ to binary.

    Repeated division by 2 gives remainders $1,0,0,1,1$ read bottom-up: $25_{10}=11001_2$.

17. Convert the binary number $110101_2$ to octal.

    Group in 3s from right: $110\,101 \to 6\,5$, so $110101_2=65_8$.

18. Convert the binary number $11011110_2$ to hexadecimal.

    Group in 4s from right: $1101\,1110 \to D\,E$, so $11011110_2=DE_{16}$.

19. Convert the hexadecimal number $2F_{16}$ to decimal.

    $2\times16^{1}+15\times16^{0}=32+15=47_{10}$.

20. Convert the octal number $57_8$ to decimal.

    $5\times8^{1}+7\times8^{0}=40+7=47_{10}$.

21. What is the quick method to convert between binary and hexadecimal?

    Each hexadecimal digit equals exactly 4 binary bits. To convert, group binary digits in sets of 4 (from the right) and replace each group with its hex digit, or expand each hex digit into 4 bits.

22. How many bits make one byte, and what is a byte typically used to store?

    $1$ byte $=8$ bits. A byte typically stores one character (e.g., a letter, digit, or symbol).

23. List the storage units in increasing order from bit to terabyte with their relationships.

    $8\text{ bits}=1\text{ byte}$; $1024\text{ bytes}=1\text{ KB}$; $1024\text{ KB}=1\text{ MB}$; $1024\text{ MB}=1\text{ GB}$; $1024\text{ GB}=1\text{ TB}$ (using $1024=2^{10}$).

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