DSA MCQs for placement
give 80 MCQ of DSA which are most asked in the placement with answer that cover all the topic
and most important
note: Give ALL THE QUESTION OF THE MCQ WITH ANSWER
Here are 80 important MCQs (with answers) on Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) that are
frequently asked in campus placements.
These cover Arrays, Strings, Linked List, Stack, Queue, Trees, Graphs, Sorting, Searching, Recursion,
Complexity, and Hashing.
DSA MCQs for Placements (80 Questions with Answers)
1. Which data structure uses LIFO (Last In First Out) principle?
A) Queue
B) Stack
C) Linked List
D) Heap
Answer: B) Stack
2. Which data structure uses FIFO (First In First Out) principle?
A) Stack
B) Queue
C) Tree
D) Graph
Answer: B) Queue
3. What is the time complexity of binary search in a sorted array?
A) O(n)
B) O(log n)
C) O(n log n)
D) O(1)
Answer: B) O(log n)
4. Which sorting algorithm has the best average-case time complexity?
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A) Bubble Sort
B) Insertion Sort
C) Merge Sort
D) Selection Sort
Answer: C) Merge Sort
5. What is the worst-case time complexity of Quick Sort?
A) O(n log n)
B) O(log n)
C) O(n²)
D) O(n)
Answer: C) O(n²)
6. Which data structure is used to implement recursion?
A) Array
B) Stack
C) Queue
D) Graph
Answer: B) Stack
7. Which of the following operations is not O(1) in an array?
A) Accessing an element by index
B) Inserting at the end
C) Inserting in the middle
D) Updating a value by index
Answer: C) Inserting in the middle
8. Which traversal is used to get data in sorted order from a Binary Search Tree?
A) Preorder
B) Postorder
C) Inorder
D) Level order
Answer: C) Inorder
9. What is the maximum number of nodes in a binary tree of height h?
A) 2^h - 1
B) 2h - 1
C) h^2
D) 2^(h-1)
Answer: A) 2^h - 1
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10. Which algorithm is best for finding the shortest path in a weighted graph with
non-negative edges?
A) BFS
B) DFS
C) Dijkstra’s algorithm
D) Kruskal’s algorithm
Answer: C) Dijkstra’s algorithm
11. What is the time complexity of traversing a linked list of n nodes?
A) O(1)
B) O(log n)
C) O(n)
D) O(n log n)
Answer: C) O(n)
12. Which data structure is ideal for implementing undo operations?
A) Queue
B) Stack
C) Linked List
D) Heap
Answer: B) Stack
13. In which data structure does each element have a pointer to the next element
only?
A) Doubly Linked List
B) Singly Linked List
C) Circular Linked List
D) Skip List
Answer: B) Singly Linked List
14. What is the time complexity to insert an element in a max heap?
A) O(1)
B) O(log n)
C) O(n)
D) O(n log n)
Answer: B) O(log n)
15. Breadth First Search (BFS) uses which data structure?
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A) Stack
B) Queue
C) Linked List
D) Tree
Answer: B) Queue
16. Depth First Search (DFS) uses which data structure?
A) Queue
B) Stack
C) Linked List
D) Hash table
Answer: B) Stack
17. Which of these is NOT a stable sorting algorithm?
A) Merge Sort
B) Bubble Sort
C) Quick Sort
D) Insertion Sort
Answer: C) Quick Sort
18. Which data structure is used for implementing priority queues?
A) Stack
B) Heap
C) Queue
D) Linked List
Answer: B) Heap
19. What is the auxiliary space complexity of merge sort?
A) O(1)
B) O(log n)
C) O(n)
D) O(n log n)
Answer: C) O(n)
20. What is the best-case time complexity of insertion sort?
A) O(n)
B) O(log n)
C) O(n²)
D) O(n log n)
Answer: A) O(n)
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21. Which hashing technique resolves collisions by using linked lists?
A) Open addressing
B) Separate chaining
C) Double hashing
D) Rehashing
Answer: B) Separate chaining
22. Which search algorithm works on both arrays and linked lists?
A) Linear Search
B) Binary Search
C) Jump Search
D) Interpolation Search
Answer: A) Linear Search
23. Which graph traversal technique is used to detect cycles in a graph?
A) BFS
B) DFS
C) Dijkstra’s algorithm
D) Kruskal’s algorithm
Answer: B) DFS
24. What is the worst-case time complexity of searching in a hash table?
A) O(1)
B) O(n)
C) O(log n)
D) O(n log n)
Answer: B) O(n)
25. Which data structure is used to evaluate postfix expressions?
A) Queue
B) Stack
C) Heap
D) Tree
Answer: B) Stack
26. Which of these is an example of a divide and conquer algorithm?
A) Merge Sort
B) Quick Sort
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C) Binary Search
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
27. Which operation is expensive in a singly linked list compared to an array?
A) Insertion at the beginning
B) Traversal
C) Access by index
D) Deletion from the beginning
Answer: C) Access by index
28. What is the minimum number of edges in a connected graph with n vertices?
A) n
B) n-1
C) 2n
D) n+1
Answer: B) n-1
29. Which traversal is also called level-order traversal?
A) Preorder
B) Postorder
C) BFS
D) DFS
Answer: C) BFS
30. What is the time complexity of heap sort?
A) O(n)
B) O(n log n)
C) O(n²)
D) O(log n)
Answer: B) O(n log n)
31. What is the worst-case time complexity of linear search?
A) O(log n)
B) O(n)
C) O(n log n)
D) O(1)
Answer: B) O(n)
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32. Which of these can be implemented using two stacks?
A) Heap
B) Queue
C) Graph
D) Tree
Answer: B) Queue
33. The in-order traversal of a BST always gives elements in:
A) Descending order
B) Ascending order
C) Random order
D) Level-wise order
Answer: B) Ascending order
34. Which data structure supports efficient range queries?
A) Linked List
B) Segment Tree
C) Queue
D) Stack
Answer: B) Segment Tree
35. Which algorithm finds the Minimum Spanning Tree (MST)?
A) Dijkstra’s algorithm
B) Kruskal’s algorithm
C) BFS
D) DFS
Answer: B) Kruskal’s algorithm
36. Which of the following is a balanced binary search tree?
A) B-Tree
B) AVL Tree
C) Red-Black Tree
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
37. What is the time complexity of push and pop in a stack?
A) O(1)
B) O(n)
C) O(log n)
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D) O(n log n)
Answer: A) O(1)
38. Which of the following is not a linear data structure?
A) Queue
B) Stack
C) Linked List
D) Tree
Answer: D) Tree
39. Which data structure is best for implementing LRU cache?
A) Array + Linked List
B) Hash Map + Doubly Linked List
C) Queue only
D) Stack only
Answer: B) Hash Map + Doubly Linked List
40. What is the space complexity of DFS on a graph with V vertices?
A) O(1)
B) O(V)
C) O(log V)
D) O(V+E)
Answer: B) O(V)
41. Which of these trees is height balanced?
A) Binary Search Tree
B) AVL Tree
C) Heap
D) Both B and C
Answer: D) Both B and C
42. Which is not a stable sorting algorithm?
A) Counting Sort
B) Quick Sort
C) Bubble Sort
D) Merge Sort
Answer: B) Quick Sort
43. What is the main advantage of linked list over arrays?
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A) Random access
B) Dynamic size
C) Cache friendliness
D) Constant time indexing
Answer: B) Dynamic size
44. Which data structure is used for the Tower of Hanoi problem?
A) Queue
B) Stack
C) Tree
D) Graph
Answer: B) Stack
45. Which is a non-comparison based sorting algorithm?
A) Quick Sort
B) Merge Sort
C) Counting Sort
D) Heap Sort
Answer: C) Counting Sort
46. Which algorithm is used in finding strongly connected components (SCC) in a
graph?
A) BFS
B) Kosaraju’s algorithm
C) Kruskal’s algorithm
D) Dijkstra’s algorithm
Answer: B) Kosaraju’s algorithm
47. Which data structure is ideal for checking balanced parentheses?
A) Queue
B) Stack
C) Linked List
D) Hashing
Answer: B) Stack
48. Which traversal visits root, left subtree, then right subtree?
A) Preorder
B) Postorder
C) Inorder
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D) Level order
Answer: A) Preorder
49. What is the time complexity of BFS for a graph with V vertices and E edges?
A) O(V + E)
B) O(V²)
C) O(log V)
D) O(E log V)
Answer: A) O(V + E)
50. Which data structure is used by the operating system for scheduling?
A) Stack
B) Queue
C) Tree
D) Graph
Answer: B) Queue
51. Which data structure uses circular indexing?
A) Queue
B) Circular Queue
C) Deque
D) Stack
Answer: B) Circular Queue
52. Which type of linked list allows traversal in both directions?
A) Singly Linked List
B) Doubly Linked List
C) Circular Linked List
D) None
Answer: B) Doubly Linked List
53. Which searching algorithm is best for sorted linked lists?
A) Linear search
B) Binary search
C) Hashing
D) None
Answer: A) Linear search
54. Which sorting algorithm is best for small datasets?
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A) Bubble Sort
B) Insertion Sort
C) Merge Sort
D) Heap Sort
Answer: B) Insertion Sort
55. Which traversal order is used for expression tree evaluation?
A) Preorder
B) Postorder
C) Inorder
D) Level order
Answer: B) Postorder
56. Which algorithm is used to detect negative weight cycles in a graph?
A) BFS
B) Bellman-Ford
C) Dijkstra
D) Floyd Warshall
Answer: B) Bellman-Ford
57. In an adjacency matrix representation of a graph, space complexity is:
A) O(V+E)
B) O(V²)
C) O(E²)
D) O(V)
Answer: B) O(V²)
58. Which graph algorithm is used for topological sorting?
A) BFS
B) DFS
C) Kruskal
D) Prim
Answer: B) DFS
59. Which data structure allows insertion and deletion at both ends?
A) Queue
B) Deque
C) Stack
D) Linked List
Answer: B) Deque
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60. Which data structure is used for memory management in compilers?
A) Queue
B) Stack
C) Linked List
D) Graph
Answer: B) Stack
61. The height of a balanced binary tree with n nodes is:
A) O(n)
B) O(log n)
C) O(1)
D) O(n log n)
Answer: B) O(log n)
62. Which data structure can implement a BFS without recursion?
A) Stack
B) Queue
C) Linked List
D) Array
Answer: B) Queue
63. What is the worst-case time complexity of Merge Sort?
A) O(n²)
B) O(n log n)
C) O(log n)
D) O(n)
Answer: B) O(n log n)
64. In a min-heap, the root node contains:
A) Maximum value
B) Minimum value
C) Average value
D) Random value
Answer: B) Minimum value
65. Which tree traversal is used in converting an expression tree to postfix?
A) Preorder
B) Postorder
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C) Inorder
D) BFS
Answer: B) Postorder
66. Which algorithm is used to detect articulation points in a graph?
A) Tarjan’s algorithm
B) Prim’s algorithm
C) Kruskal’s algorithm
D) Floyd Warshall
Answer: A) Tarjan’s algorithm
67. Which data structure is efficient for implementing undo/redo features?
A) Stack
B) Queue
C) Linked List
D) Graph
Answer: A) Stack
68. Which of these trees has all leaves at the same level?
A) Binary Tree
B) Full Binary Tree
C) Complete Binary Tree
D) Perfect Binary Tree
Answer: D) Perfect Binary Tree
69. In a binary search tree, left child is always:
A) Greater than root
B) Smaller than root
C) Equal to root
D) None
Answer: B) Smaller than root
70. Which is the best case time complexity of bubble sort?
A) O(n²)
B) O(n)
C) O(log n)
D) O(n log n)
Answer: B) O(n)
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71. Which graph algorithm works for both directed and undirected graphs?
A) BFS
B) DFS
C) Dijkstra
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
72. Which hashing method handles collisions by probing?
A) Separate chaining
B) Open addressing
C) Double hashing
D) Hash chaining
Answer: B) Open addressing
73. Which data structure supports constant-time insertion and deletion at both
ends?
A) Deque
B) Queue
C) Stack
D) Linked List
Answer: A) Deque
74. What is the auxiliary space complexity of quick sort?
A) O(1)
B) O(log n)
C) O(n)
D) O(n log n)
Answer: B) O(log n)
75. Which of the following can be used for cycle detection in a linked list?
A) BFS
B) DFS
C) Floyd’s Tortoise and Hare algorithm
D) Bellman Ford
Answer: C) Floyd’s Tortoise and Hare algorithm
76. Which algorithm is used to find a Minimum Spanning Tree?
A) Prim’s algorithm
B) Kruskal’s algorithm
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C) Boruvka’s algorithm
D) All of these
Answer: D) All of these
77. Which is NOT a characteristic of a heap?
A) Complete binary tree
B) Every parent node is greater (max-heap)
C) In-order traversal gives sorted output
D) Random structure
Answer: C) In-order traversal gives sorted output
78. Which data structure helps in implementing function calls?
A) Queue
B) Stack
C) Graph
D) Array
Answer: B) Stack
79. Which is used for backtracking algorithms?
A) Queue
B) Stack
C) Heap
D) Tree
Answer: B) Stack
80. Which algorithm is used for finding the shortest path in graphs with negative
weights?
A) Dijkstra
B) Bellman-Ford
C) BFS
D) Prim
Answer: B) Bellman-Ford
These 80 MCQs cover all important DSA topics commonly asked in campus placements and
interviews.
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