CCpE - Certified Computer Engineer (B CompE Bachelor of Computer Engineering) — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the time complexity of building a heap from an unsorted array of n elements using the heapify approach?
- O(log n)
- O(n log n)
- O(n²)
- O(n) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: O(n)
Bottom-up heap construction using heapify runs in O(n) due to the mathematical sum of subtree heights.
Question 2: Which type of network topology connects every node directly to every other node?
- Star
- Bus
- Ring
- Mesh (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Mesh
A full mesh topology connects every node to every other node, providing maximum redundancy but high cabling cost.
Question 3: What is the maximum transmission unit (MTU) for standard Ethernet?
- 1500 bytes (Correct answer)
- 1024 bytes
- 512 bytes
- 9000 bytes
Correct answer: 1500 bytes
Standard Ethernet has an MTU of 1500 bytes, meaning frames carrying more data must be fragmented.
Question 4: Which number system uses base 8 and digits 0 through 7?
- Hexadecimal
- Decimal
- Octal (Correct answer)
- Binary
Correct answer: Octal
The octal number system uses base 8 with digits 0–7, and each octal digit corresponds to exactly 3 binary bits.
Question 5: The Laplace Transform of the unit impulse function δ(t) is:
- s
- 1 (Correct answer)
- 1/s
- e^(−s)
Correct answer: 1
Applying the sifting property, L{δ(t)} = ∫δ(t)e^(−st)dt = e^0 = 1 for all valid s.
Question 6: Which layer of the OSI model is responsible for end-to-end communication and error recovery?
- Data Link Layer
- Transport Layer (Correct answer)
- Network Layer
- Session Layer
Correct answer: Transport Layer
The Transport Layer (Layer 4) provides end-to-end communication, error recovery, and flow control between hosts.
Question 7: When a parent process terminates, all child processes also end, which is known as cascading termination.
- Normally
- Normally or abnormally (Correct answer)
- None of the above
- Abnormally
Correct answer: Normally or abnormally
Cascading termination refers to the scenario where the termination of a parent process automatically leads to the termination of all its child processes. This can occur whether the parent process terminates 'normally' (e.g., by completing its task) or 'abnormally' (e.g., due to an error or system signal). The operating system ensures that child processes do not become 'orphans' and consume resources indefinitely after their parent has ceased to exist.
Question 8: Which protocol is used to send email from a mail client to a mail server?
- FTP
- POP3
- SMTP (Correct answer)
- IMAP
Correct answer: SMTP
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is used to send outgoing email from a client to a server and between mail servers.
Question 9: Which storage class specifier in C limits a variable's visibility to the file in which it is declared?
- static (Correct answer)
- auto
- extern
- register
Correct answer: static
A file-scope variable declared with `static` has internal linkage, making it invisible outside that translation unit.
Question 10: Which algorithm is used to find the Minimum Spanning Tree of a graph using a priority queue?
- Bellman-Ford Algorithm
- Kruskal's Algorithm
- Prim's Algorithm (Correct answer)
- Dijkstra's Algorithm
Correct answer: Prim's Algorithm
Prim's algorithm builds a Minimum Spanning Tree by greedily adding the minimum-weight edge connecting the current tree to an unvisited vertex, using a priority queue.
Question 11: What is CSA stand for?
- Computer Service Architecture
- Carry Save Addition
- The multiplicand addition is sped up using the CSA.
- Computer Speed Addition (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Computer Speed Addition
While CSA most commonly refers to 'Carry-Save Adder' in computer architecture, which is a technique to speed up multi-operand addition, the provided correct answer states 'Computer Speed Addition.' In this context, it implies a general term for methods or techniques used to enhance the speed of addition operations within a computer system. Such methods are crucial for improving overall processor performance.
Question 12: What real-world situations from the list below would you identify with a stack data structure?
- piling up of chairs one above the other (Correct answer)
- people standing in a line to be serviced at a counter
- tatkal Ticket Booking in IRCTC
- offer services based on the priority of the customer
Correct answer: piling up of chairs one above the other
A stack data structure operates on a Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) principle, meaning the last item added is the first one to be removed. Piling up chairs one above the other perfectly illustrates this concept: you add new chairs to the top, and when you want to remove a chair, you typically take the one from the very top first. This mirrors the push and pop operations of a stack.
Question 13: Which technique is used to handle structural hazards caused by a single-ported memory in a pipeline?
- Forwarding (bypassing)
- Stalling (inserting pipeline bubbles) (Correct answer)
- Branch delay slots
- Pipeline flushing
Correct answer: Stalling (inserting pipeline bubbles)
A structural hazard from a single memory port is resolved by stalling the fetch stage while the memory port is occupied by a data access.
Question 14: The processor is considered to have _____ if an exception is thrown and the subsequent instructions are fully executed.
- Imprecise exceptions (Correct answer)
- None of the mentioned
- Generation word
- Exception handling
Correct answer: Imprecise exceptions
An imprecise exception occurs when an exception is thrown, but the processor continues to execute subsequent instructions before handling the exception. This means that the exact instruction that caused the exception might not be immediately identifiable. The state of the processor when the exception is detected may not accurately reflect the state at the time of the fault, complicating error recovery and debugging.
Question 15: Which algorithmic paradigm does dynamic programming primarily rely on?
- Memoization or tabulation of overlapping subproblems (Correct answer)
- Greedy choice at each step
- Random sampling and approximation
- Divide-and-conquer without storing subproblem results
Correct answer: Memoization or tabulation of overlapping subproblems
Dynamic programming solves problems by breaking them into overlapping subproblems and storing results (memoization or tabulation) to avoid redundant computation.
Question 16: Convolution of two signals in the time domain corresponds to which operation in the frequency domain?
- Differentiation
- Multiplication (Correct answer)
- Addition
- Integration
Correct answer: Multiplication
The Convolution Theorem states that convolution in the time domain equals pointwise multiplication in the frequency domain, simplifying computation.
Question 17: Which field in an IPv4 header prevents packets from circulating indefinitely on a network?
- Fragment Offset
- Checksum
- Time to Live (TTL) (Correct answer)
- Flags
Correct answer: Time to Live (TTL)
The TTL field is decremented by each router; when it reaches zero, the packet is discarded to prevent infinite loops.
Question 18: What port number does HTTPS use by default?
- 8080
- 80
- 443 (Correct answer)
- 21
Correct answer: 443
HTTPS (HTTP Secure) uses port 443 by default to provide encrypted web communication via TLS/SSL.
Question 19: An algorithm for avoiding deadlocks dynamically checks the Data to make sure that a cyclic wait condition is never possible.
- resource allocation state (Correct answer)
- operating system
- resources
- system storage state
Correct answer: resource allocation state
Deadlock avoidance algorithms, like the Banker's algorithm, dynamically check the 'resource allocation state' to prevent deadlocks. This involves analyzing the current allocation of resources, the available resources, and the maximum demands of each process. By ensuring that the system can always find a safe sequence for all processes to complete, it guarantees that a cyclic wait condition, which is a prerequisite for deadlock, never occurs.
Question 20: What is the worst-case time complexity for searching in an unbalanced Binary Search Tree with n nodes?
- O(n) (Correct answer)
- O(1)
- O(n log n)
- O(log n)
Correct answer: O(n)
In the worst case, a BST degrades to a linked list (e.g., sorted insertions), making search O(n).
Question 21: Which routing protocol uses the Bellman-Ford algorithm?
- EIGRP
- BGP
- RIP (Correct answer)
- OSPF
Correct answer: RIP
RIP (Routing Information Protocol) uses the Bellman-Ford algorithm to calculate the shortest path based on hop count.
Question 22: Amdahl's Law states that the maximum speedup of a program is limited by:
- The fraction of execution that cannot be parallelized (Correct answer)
- The memory bandwidth
- The number of available processors
- The cache hit rate
Correct answer: The fraction of execution that cannot be parallelized
Amdahl's Law shows that the sequential (non-parallelizable) portion of a program caps the overall achievable speedup regardless of how many processors are added.
Question 23: What is the space complexity of a recursive algorithm with n recursive calls on the call stack?
- O(n) (Correct answer)
- O(log n)
- O(1)
- O(n²)
Correct answer: O(n)
Each recursive call adds a new stack frame, so n nested calls consume O(n) stack space, making the space complexity O(n) in the worst case.
Question 24: The action of adding a stack member is known as .
- Push (Correct answer)
- Pop
- Evaluation
- Create
Correct answer: Push
In a stack data structure, the operation of adding an element is known as 'push'. This operation places the new element at the top of the stack. Stacks follow a Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) principle, meaning the last element added is the first one to be removed.
Question 25: What is the purpose of a Karnaugh Map (K-Map)?
- To simulate digital circuits visually
- To convert decimal numbers to binary
- To simplify Boolean expressions by grouping minterms (Correct answer)
- To design sequential logic circuits
Correct answer: To simplify Boolean expressions by grouping minterms
A Karnaugh Map is a graphical method for simplifying Boolean expressions by visually grouping adjacent minterms to minimize the number of logic gates needed.
Question 26: Which of the following is not a component of OOP?
- Data binding
- Platform independent (Correct answer)
- Message passing
- Data hiding
Correct answer: Platform independent
Platform independence is a characteristic of certain programming languages (like Java) or environments, meaning code can run on different operating systems without modification. While many OOP languages aim for platform independence, it is not an inherent component or principle of the OOP paradigm itself. Data binding, data hiding (encapsulation), and message passing are all core concepts within OOP.
Question 27: What is the hexadecimal representation of the binary number 11110000?
- F0 (Correct answer)
- E0
- EF
- 0F
Correct answer: F0
Splitting 11110000 into two nibbles: 1111 = 0xF and 0000 = 0x0, so the result is 0xF0.
Question 28: Which of the following is a minimization technique for Boolean expressions?
- Shannon's Theorem
- Venn Diagram
- Karnaugh Map (K-map) (Correct answer)
- De Morgan's Theorem
Correct answer: Karnaugh Map (K-map)
A Karnaugh Map (K-map) is a visual method for simplifying Boolean expressions by grouping adjacent minterms.
CCpE - Certified Computer Engineer (B CompE Bachelor of Computer Engineering)
The Certified Computer Engineer (CCpE) certification by the Computer Engineering Certification Board of the Philippines (CpECB) validates knowledge in core computer engineering disciplines including digital logic, algorithms, computer networks, and software engineering for BSCpE graduates.
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