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NTS NAT-ICS Computer Science Syllabus

The Computer Science syllabus for NTS NAT-ICS in full: 6 chapters and 21 topics, every one listed below, plus 50 Computer Science flashcards with answers.

6Chapters
21Topics
50Flashcards

Computer Science syllabus: all 6 chapters

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.

  1. Introduction to Computers

     4 topics
    • History and Generations of Computers
    • Types and Classification of Computers
    • Hardware Components
    • Software Types

  2. Number Systems and Data Representation

     4 topics
    • Binary, Octal and Hexadecimal
    • Number System Conversions
    • ASCII and Unicode
    • Logic Gates and Boolean Algebra

  3. Operating Systems

     3 topics
    • Functions of Operating Systems
    • File and Memory Management
    • Common Operating Systems

  4. Programming Fundamentals

     4 topics
    • Algorithms and Flowcharts
    • Data Types and Variables
    • Control Structures
    • Functions and Arrays

  5. Databases

     3 topics
    • Database Concepts and DBMS
    • Tables, Records and Fields
    • Basic SQL Queries

  6. Networking and Internet

     3 topics
    • Computer Networks and Types
    • Internet and World Wide Web
    • Email and Web Browsers

NTS NAT-ICS Computer Science flashcards — 50 questions with answers

  1. Who is regarded as the 'Father of the Computer' for designing the Analytical Engine?

    Charles Babbage.

  2. Who is considered the world's first computer programmer for her work on the Analytical Engine?

    Ada Lovelace.

  3. What technology characterized the First Generation (1940s-1950s) of computers?

    Vacuum tubes (used for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory).

  4. What technology defined the Second Generation of computers?

    Transistors (which replaced vacuum tubes, making computers smaller, faster and more reliable).

  5. What key component characterized the Third Generation of computers?

    Integrated Circuits (ICs).

  6. What technology defines the Fourth Generation of computers?

    Microprocessors (VLSI - thousands of integrated circuits on a single chip).

  7. What technology is associated with the Fifth Generation of computers?

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) and parallel processing / ULSI.

  8. Name the first general-purpose electronic digital computer.

    ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer).

  9. On the basis of operation/data handling, what are the three main types of computers?

    Analog, Digital, and Hybrid computers.

  10. What is a hybrid computer?

    A computer that combines features of both analog and digital computers (e.g., devices in hospital ICU monitoring).

  11. List the four classifications of computers by size and power, from largest to smallest.

    Supercomputer, Mainframe, Minicomputer, and Microcomputer.

  12. Which type of computer is the fastest and most expensive, used for tasks like weather forecasting?

    Supercomputer.

  13. What is the difference between hardware and software?

    Hardware is the physical, tangible parts of a computer; software is the set of programs/instructions that tell the hardware what to do.

  14. Name the four functional units that make up the basic structure of a computer.

    Input unit, Output unit, Memory unit, and the CPU (which contains the ALU and Control Unit).

  15. What are the two main components of the CPU?

    The Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) and the Control Unit (CU).

  16. What is the function of the ALU?

    It performs all arithmetic operations (add, subtract) and logical operations (comparisons, AND/OR).

  17. What is the function of the Control Unit (CU)?

    It directs and coordinates all operations of the computer by fetching, decoding and executing instructions.

  18. Give two examples each of input and output devices.

    Input: keyboard, mouse (also scanner, microphone). Output: monitor, printer (also speakers).

  19. What is the key difference between RAM and ROM?

    RAM is volatile (loses data when power is off) read/write memory; ROM is non-volatile permanent memory that retains data without power.

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

    Primary memory (RAM/ROM) is fast, directly accessed by the CPU, and volatile; secondary memory (hard disk, USB) is slower, non-volatile permanent storage.

Show the other 30 Computer Science flashcards

  1. What is cache memory?

    A small, very fast memory between the CPU and RAM that stores frequently used data to speed up processing.

  2. What are the two broad categories of software?

    System software and Application software.

  3. What is system software? Give an example.

    Software that manages and controls computer hardware, providing a platform for applications. Example: an Operating System (Windows, Linux).

  4. What is application software? Give an example.

    Software designed for end-user tasks. Example: MS Word, web browsers, games.

  5. What is a utility program?

    System software that performs maintenance tasks such as antivirus scanning, disk cleanup, backup and file compression.

  6. What is firmware?

    Software permanently stored in ROM/hardware (e.g., BIOS) that provides low-level control for the device's hardware.

  7. What is the base (radix) of the binary, octal, decimal, and hexadecimal number systems?

    Binary = 2, Octal = 8, Decimal = 10, Hexadecimal = 16.

  8. Which digits/symbols are used in the hexadecimal number system?

    0-9 and A, B, C, D, E, F (where A=10, B=11, C=12, D=13, E=14, F=15).

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

    Repeatedly divide the number by 2 and record the remainders; the binary value is the remainders read from bottom to top.

  10. How many binary digits (bits) represent one octal digit and one hexadecimal digit?

    One octal digit = 3 bits; one hexadecimal digit = 4 bits.

  11. Convert the binary number 1011 to decimal.

    11 (8 + 0 + 2 + 1 = 11).

  12. Convert the decimal number 25 to binary.

    11001.

  13. Convert the binary number 11110 to octal.

    36 (group as 011 110 = 3 6).

  14. Convert the binary number 11111111 to hexadecimal.

    FF (group as 1111 1111 = F F).

  15. Convert the hexadecimal number 2A to decimal.

    42 (2x16 + 10 = 32 + 10 = 42).

  16. What is a bit, and what is a byte?

    A bit is a single binary digit (0 or 1); a byte is a group of 8 bits.

  17. What does ASCII stand for and how many bits does standard ASCII use?

    American Standard Code for Information Interchange; standard ASCII uses 7 bits, representing 128 characters.

  18. What is Unicode and why is it used instead of ASCII?

    Unicode is a universal character encoding standard that can represent characters from virtually all writing systems worldwide, overcoming ASCII's limitation of only 128/256 characters.

  19. What is the ASCII value of the uppercase letter 'A' and the digit '0'?

    'A' = 65 and '0' = 48.

  20. What are the three basic logic gates?

    AND, OR, and NOT gates.

  21. What is the output of an AND gate, and of an OR gate?

    AND outputs 1 only when ALL inputs are 1; OR outputs 1 when AT LEAST ONE input is 1.

  22. What does a NOT gate (inverter) do?

    It reverses/inverts the input: output is 1 when input is 0, and 0 when input is 1.

  23. What are NAND and NOR gates, and why are they special?

    NAND = NOT-AND, NOR = NOT-OR. They are 'universal gates' because any logic circuit can be built using only NAND or only NOR gates.

  24. When does an XOR (Exclusive OR) gate output 1?

    When its inputs are different (an odd number of 1s); output is 0 when inputs are the same.

  25. State De Morgan's two theorems in Boolean algebra.

    NOT(A AND B) = NOT A OR NOT B; and NOT(A OR B) = NOT A AND NOT B.

  26. In Boolean algebra, what do A + 1 and A . 0 equal?

    A + 1 = 1 and A . 0 = 0.

  27. List four major functions of an operating system.

    Process/CPU management, Memory management, File management, and Device (I/O) management (also providing a user interface and security).

  28. What is the difference between multitasking and multiprogramming?

    Multiprogramming keeps several programs in memory so the CPU is never idle; multitasking lets a single user run multiple tasks/programs apparently simultaneously.

  29. What is virtual memory?

    A memory-management technique that uses part of the hard disk as an extension of RAM, allowing the system to run programs larger than physical memory.

  30. What is a flowchart, and which symbols represent start/stop, process, and decision?

    A diagram that represents an algorithm step-by-step using symbols: oval = start/stop (terminal), rectangle = process, and diamond = decision.

NTS NAT-ICS Computer Science FAQ

What is in the NTS NAT-ICS Computer Science syllabus?

NTS NAT-ICS Computer Science is split into 6 chapters: Introduction to Computers, Number Systems and Data Representation, Operating Systems, Programming Fundamentals, Databases and Networking and Internet. Together they contain 21 topics.

How many chapters are in NTS NAT-ICS Computer Science?

6 chapters, containing 21 topics. The largest chapter is Introduction to Computers, with 4 topics.

Are there flashcards for NTS NAT-ICS Computer Science?

Yes — a 50-card Computer Science deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.