A Level Exam-Style Practice
1 The following are two examples of constructs that could be part of the compilation of source code by the
front-end analysis stage used by a compiler.
a = b * (c + d))
id1 assign id2 op1 left par id3 op2 id4 rightpar rightpar
a State what the first construct is an example of. [1]
b State the analysis stage for which this would be taken as input. [1]
c This analysis stage would identify individual components of this construct.
Identify the name used to define these components. [1]
d The second construct has been derived from the first construct.
Identify the name given to the individual components of this construct. [1]
e Identify the stage that would take the second construct as input. [1]
f Identify and describe the table that would be created during the first analysis stage
of the compilation. [3]
g Identify the last analysis stage of the compilation process. [1]
h Explain what this last stage of analysis involves. [2]
i Identify what is produced from the last stage of the front-end analysis stage as input for the
back-end synthesis stage of the compilation. [1]
j For the particular example, give a reason that will prevent the compiler from moving on to the
back-end synthesis stage? [1]
2 a A graph can be used in an artificial intelligence application.
i Identify the two components of a graph. [2]
ii One of these components will carry a label. State which component carries a label. [1]
iii Give two examples of what the label could represent. [2]
iv Dijkstra’s and A* are two examples of a graph-based algorithm.
Describe the difference between these two algorithms. [3]
b i Define the following three terms:
Machine learning
Artificial neural network
Deep learning [6]
ii State two relationships that exist between any two of these three. [2]
3 The TCP/IP protocol suite can be represented as a protocol stack.
a Draw a diagram to represent the TCP/IP protocol stack with labelled boxes. [4]
b Give four reasons as to why the TCP/IP protocol suite is represented as a stack of layers. [4]
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c Explain why the TCP/IP protocol suite by itself does not represent a model for the
communication between two end-systems using the Internet. [2]
d Describe how packet switching is handled by the TCP/IP protocol suite when packets
are being sent. [4]
4 A given processor instruction set supports the following modes of addressing:
immediate, direct, indirect and indexed.
Figure 1 shows the contents of a part of memory and the index register IX.
Figure 1
Address Memory
IX 100
2 101
102 105
103 106
104 103
105 102
106 104
107
108
109
110
Complete the fourth column of Table 1 to show the contents of the accumulator ACC after the
operation in that row has been executed. [4]
Table 1
Opcode Operand Explanation ACC
LDM #104 Load ACC using immediate
addressing
LDD 102 Load ACC using direct addressing
LDI 104 Load ACC using indirect addressing
LDX 102 Load ACC using indexed addressing
5 A binary tree is implemented using an array of records. Each record stores a string field Data and two
pointer fields, Left and Right.
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Table 2
Tree
Index Left Data Right
0 2 Jo 1
1 4 Paula 3
2 5 Charlie 6
3 −1 Vivienne −1
4 −1 Matt −1
5 −1 Anna −1
6 −1 Dave −1
a Using the information in Table 2, complete the diagram of the binary tree.
[4]
b The following procedure outputs each data item in turn:
01 PROCEDURE Traverse(Tree, Ptr)
02 IF Tree[Ptr].Left > -1
03 THEN Traverse(Tree, Tree[Ptr].Left)
04 END IF
05 OUTPUT Tree[Ptr].Data
06 IF Tree[Ptr].Right > -1
07 THEN Travers(Tree, Tree[Ptr].Right)
08 END IF
09 END PROCEDURE
i Explain how you can tell that the Procedure Traverse is recursive. [2]
ii Complete the trace table below for the call Traverse(Tree, 0).
Give the statement number being executed in each row.
The first four rows have been completed for you. [12]
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Call Ptr Statement Tree[Ptr].Left OUTPUT Tree[Ptr].Right comment
1 0 01
02 2
03
2 2 01
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6 a In the context of object-oriented programming, define the following terms:
i Class
ii Object
iii Method
iv Encapsulation
v Getter
vi Setter
vii Property [7]
b A software house employs systems analysts and programmers. The software house also contracts
external testers and document writers. When a new project is started, the software house creates
a project team, consisting of a systems analyst, several programmers, a tester, and a document
writer. The personnel department requires a program to manage these teams. Three main classes
have been identified: Employee, Contractor, ProjectTeam.
Using inheritance and containment (aggregation) as appropriate, describe a suitable design. [7]
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