PPSC Lecturer Test Computer Science (Subject Specialist Portion) Syllabus

Computer Science (Subject Specialist Portion) 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 (Subject Specialist Portion) in PPSC Lecturer Test, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Programming Fundamentals

   4 topics

   • Algorithms and Flowcharts
   • Data Types, Variables and Operators
   • Control Structures and Loops
   • Functions and Recursion
2. 2

   Data Structures and Algorithms

   4 topics

   • Arrays, Stacks and Queues
   • Linked Lists, Trees and Graphs
   • Searching and Sorting Algorithms
   • Algorithm Complexity and Big-O
3. 3

   Object-Oriented Programming

   3 topics

   • Classes and Objects
   • Inheritance and Polymorphism
   • Encapsulation and Abstraction
4. 4

   Database Systems

   4 topics

   • DBMS Concepts and Models
   • Relational Model and ER Diagrams
   • SQL and Queries
   • Normalization
5. 5

   Operating Systems

   4 topics

   • Process Management and Scheduling
   • Memory Management
   • Deadlocks and Synchronization
   • File Systems
6. 6

   Computer Networks

   4 topics

   • OSI and TCP/IP Models
   • Network Topologies and Devices
   • IP Addressing and Subnetting
   • Network Security Basics
7. 7

   Digital Logic and Computer Architecture

   3 topics

   • Number Systems and Boolean Algebra
   • Logic Gates and Combinational Circuits
   • CPU Organization and Memory Hierarchy
8. 8

   Software Engineering

   4 topics

   • Software Development Life Cycle
   • Process Models (Waterfall, Agile)
   • Requirement Analysis and Design
   • Software Testing and Quality Assurance

Computer Science (Subject Specialist Portion) flashcards for PPSC Lecturer Test

24 of 73 cards from the Computer Science (Subject Specialist Portion) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is an algorithm?

   A finite, ordered set of unambiguous, well-defined steps to solve a problem or perform a task in a finite amount of time.

2. In a flowchart, what shapes represent (a) a process/computation, (b) a decision, (c) input/output, and (d) start/end?

   (a) Rectangle, (b) Diamond, (c) Parallelogram, (d) Oval (terminator).

3. What is pseudocode?

   An informal, language-independent description of an algorithm using plain English-like statements and programming structures, meant for human reading rather than execution.

4. Differentiate between a primitive (built-in) data type and a derived/composite data type.

   Primitive types are basic types provided by the language (int, char, float, boolean). Derived/composite types are built from primitives (arrays, structures, classes, pointers).

5. What is the difference between a variable and a constant?

   A variable is a named memory location whose value can change during execution; a constant is a named value that cannot be modified once defined.

6. List the four main categories of operators in most programming languages.

   Arithmetic, Relational (comparison), Logical, and Bitwise operators (also assignment operators).

7. What is operator precedence and associativity?

   Precedence determines which operator is evaluated first in an expression; associativity (left-to-right or right-to-left) decides the order when operators have equal precedence.

8. What is the difference between '==' and '=' in C-like languages?

   '==' is the equality comparison operator (returns true/false); '=' is the assignment operator (stores a value in a variable).

9. Name the three fundamental control structures in structured programming.

   Sequence, Selection (decision), and Iteration (loop).

10. What is the key difference between a while loop and a do-while loop?

    A while loop checks the condition before executing the body (may run 0 times); a do-while loop checks after, so the body always executes at least once.

11. What is the difference between 'break' and 'continue' statements?

    'break' exits the loop entirely; 'continue' skips the rest of the current iteration and proceeds to the next iteration.

12. When is a for loop preferred over a while loop?

    A for loop is preferred when the number of iterations is known in advance (definite iteration); while is used for indefinite iteration based on a condition.

13. What is the difference between call by value and call by reference?

    Call by value passes a copy of the argument (changes don't affect the original); call by reference passes the address, so the function can modify the original variable.

14. What is recursion and what two essential parts must every recursive function have?

    Recursion is when a function calls itself to solve smaller subproblems. It must have a base case (stopping condition) and a recursive case (call to itself on a smaller input).

15. What is the time and space complexity issue with naive recursion, and how can it be improved?

    Naive recursion can have exponential time and uses O(n) stack space. It can be improved with memoization, dynamic programming, or tail recursion.

16. What is the difference between an iterative and a recursive solution?

    Iteration uses loops and constant stack space; recursion uses self-calls and consumes stack memory per call, often clearer but with overhead and risk of stack overflow.

17. How is an element accessed in an array, and what is the time complexity of access by index?

    By its index (offset from base address); access by index is O(1) (constant time) because of contiguous memory allocation.

18. What is a stack and what principle does it follow? Name its two main operations.

    A stack is a linear data structure following LIFO (Last In, First Out). Main operations: push (insert) and pop (remove); also peek/top.

19. What is a queue and what principle does it follow? Name its main operations.

    A queue is a linear structure following FIFO (First In, First Out). Operations: enqueue (insert at rear) and dequeue (remove from front).

20. What is a circular queue and why is it used?

    A queue where the last position connects back to the first, forming a circle. It is used to efficiently reuse empty spaces left by dequeued elements in an array implementation.

21. What is the difference between a stack and a queue?

    A stack is LIFO (add and remove from the same end/top); a queue is FIFO (add at rear, remove from front).

22. What is a linked list and what are its advantages over arrays?

    A linear collection of nodes where each node holds data and a pointer to the next. Advantages: dynamic size and O(1) insertion/deletion without shifting elements.

23. Differentiate between a singly linked list, doubly linked list, and circular linked list.

    Singly: each node points to the next only. Doubly: each node has pointers to both next and previous. Circular: the last node points back to the first node.

24. What is a binary tree and a binary search tree (BST)?

    A binary tree is a tree where each node has at most two children. A BST is a binary tree where the left subtree holds smaller values and the right subtree holds larger values than the node.

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