Take this Exam: A-Level Computer Science: Programming and Paradigms | Zestly

Question 1

A team must process a long stream of sensor readings: each reading is transformed, the results are filtered, and what survives is combined into a summary. A requirement is that running the same input twice must give exactly the same output, so that any run can be reproduced. Nothing needs to be held and modified as the work proceeds. Which paradigm suits this, and why?

Accepted Answer

Functional, because the work is a chain of transformations with no state being modified, which is exactly what makes a run reproducible and lets each step be tested on its own.

Answer

Procedural, because a numbered sequence of steps is always the simplest way to express any computation.

Answer

Functional, because it is the most modern of the paradigms and therefore the right default for new work.

Answer

Object-oriented, because every problem is best modelled as objects that hold state and behaviour together.

Question 2

A function accepts an integer between 1 and 100 inclusive. Which set of test values best exercises the boundary conditions?

Accepted Answer

0, 1, 100, 101

Answer

50, 51, 52

Answer

1, 50, 100

Answer

1, 2, 99, 100

Question 3

A program runs to completion but calculates the wrong total because a variable was initialised to 1 instead of 0. What type of error is this?

Accepted Answer

Logic error

Answer

Compilation error

Answer

Syntax error

Answer

Runtime error

Question 4

A procedure repeats the same four lines of code in three different places. You refactor this into a single, separate procedure. What is the primary benefit?

Answer

It changes the paradigm

Answer

The program runs faster

Answer

Improved maintainability

Answer

It eliminates syntax errors

Question 5

A procedure takes one parameter, p, and its only line is: p = p times 2. The calling code is: n = 7. CALL doubleIt(n). PRINT n. The same code is run in two languages: one passes the argument by value, the other by reference. What does each print?

Answer

Both print fourteen, since the procedure doubled the thing it was given in each case.

Answer

By value it prints seven and by reference it prints fourteen: passing by value copies the number into the parameter, so doubling the copy leaves the original untouched, while passing by reference hands the procedure the location of the original, so the doubling lands on it.

Answer

Both print seven, since a procedure can never alter a variable belonging to the code that called it.

Answer

By value it prints fourteen and by reference it prints seven.