Practice A1 Computer fundamentals with authentic IB Computer Science (First Exam 2027) exam questions for both SL and HL students. This question bank mirrors Paper 1, 2, 3 structure, covering key topics like programming concepts, algorithms, and data structures. Get instant solutions, detailed explanations, and build exam confidence with questions in the style of IB examiners.
Programming languages require translation to execute on computer hardware.
Compare compilation and interpretation as methods of program translation.
State two advantages of using a compiler over an interpreter.
Explain why some programming languages use both compilation and interpretation.
A digital audio system processes sound data at different bit depths and sampling rates.
Calculate the file sizes and complete the table for one minute of audio:
| Bit Depth | Sampling Rate | Channels | File Size (MB) | Quality Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16-bit | 44.1 kHz | 2 | CD Quality | |
| 24-bit | 96 kHz | 2 | ||
| 32-bit | 192 kHz | 6 | Studio Master |
Analyze how quantization affects audio quality and explain why higher bit depths reduce quantization noise.
Modern programming languages use sophisticated translation techniques.
Explain the concept of garbage collection and why it is important in memory management.
Compare mark-and-sweep with reference counting as garbage collection strategies.
State two programming languages that use automatic garbage collection.
A digital security system uses various logic circuits for access control.
Design and complete the truth table for a security system that grants access when: Card Reader AND (Fingerprint OR PIN) is satisfied:
| Card Reader | Fingerprint | PIN | Fingerprint OR PIN | Access Granted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 1 |
Construct Boolean expression and explain gate implementation.
A manufacturing company is upgrading their computer systems for controlling robotic assembly lines.
Compare the suitability of RISC and CISC processors for this application.
State the primary function of an interrupt in a computer system.
Describe how the fetch-decode-execute cycle processes an instruction.
A security system uses various data encoding methods.
Explain the difference between lossy and lossless data compression.
State one example each of lossy and lossless compression formats.
Outline why ASCII encoding is limited for international applications.
A gaming company is developing a new mobile game.
Compare the suitability of ARM and x86 processors for mobile gaming devices.
The game uses RGB color representation with 8 bits per channel. Calculate how many different colors can be displayed.
Explain how the mobile operating system manages memory allocation for the game.
A school is setting up a computer lab with different types of storage devices.
Compare SSD and HDD storage in terms of access speed and durability.
State one advantage and one disadvantage of cloud storage for the school.
Outline the role of the motherboard in a computer system.
An automotive company is designing an Engine Control Unit (ECU) that must process sensor data continuously.
Analyze the following interrupt priority table and explain how the system would handle multiple simultaneous interrupts:
| Interrupt Source | Priority Level | Response Time Required |
|---|---|---|
| Engine Temperature | 1 (Highest) | < 5 milliseconds |
| Fuel Injection | 2 | < 10 milliseconds |
| Speed Sensor | 3 | < 20 milliseconds |
| Dashboard Display | 4 (Lowest) | < 100 milliseconds |
Describe how the interrupt handling mechanism ensures critical engine functions are not delayed by lower-priority tasks.
A cross-platform development framework supports multiple target architectures.
Design a compilation target table for cross-platform deployment:
| Target Platform | Architecture | Instruction Set | ABI | Object Format | Linking Strategy | Runtime Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows x64 | x86-64 | PE | ||||
| Linux ARM64 | ARM64 | AAPCS64 | Dynamic | |||
| macOS Intel | x86-64 | Mach-O | ||||
| Android ARM | ARMv7 | Android Runtime |
Evaluate the challenges of maintaining code compatibility across different target platforms and how abstraction layers help address these issues.