Free Practice Quiz Question List

9 Programming Problem-Solving Techniques Online Quiz Questions

Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 9 Programming Problem-Solving Techniques, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.

20 questions

Choose one

1 point

A program must print every item in a list whose contents are already available. Which control structure is generally the clearest choice?

A
Use a while loop because every loop should depend on a condition.
B
Use a for loop because the program processes each item in a known collection.
C
Use a conditional because collections cannot be processed by loops.
D
Use a method because loops cannot access array elements.

Choose one

1 point

In the best_student algorithm, why does the function first check whether the students array is empty?

A
It ensures every student is compared twice.
B
It sorts the students before calculating averages.
C
It prevents accessing the first element of an empty array.
D
It guarantees that all students have the same number of scores.

Choose one

1 point

A program runs to completion but calculates the wrong average because its update is placed in the wrong branch. What kind of defect is this?

A
A syntax error
B
A runtime error
C
A performance problem
D
A logic error

True or false

1 point

A while loop can continue indefinitely if no part of its body changes the condition that controls termination.

A
True
B
False

True or false

1 point

A regression test is designed to ensure that a previously discovered bug does not silently return after later code changes.

A
True
B
False

Fill in the blank

1 point

In the best_student algorithm, the statement that best refers to the highest-scoring student examined so far is an algorithmic .

Fill in the blank

1 point

If a Car contains an Engine but is not a type of Engine, the design is usually modeled with rather than inheritance.

Written response

1 point

A loop executes without crashing, but it adds every value instead of only the even values required by the specification. What defect category describes this problem?

Written response

1 point

What is the time complexity of a method that makes one pass through an array of $n$ values and performs constant work for each value?

Choose all

1 point

Which two choices represent useful categories of tests for the best_student method? Select all correct choices.

A
A normal case with several valid students
B
A case chosen only because it uses a variable with a descriptive name
C
A boundary case involving a minimum or maximum score
D
A case that omits the expected result

Choose all

1 point

Which two practices support well-designed, testable methods? Select all correct choices.

A
A method should combine every related operation into one large procedure.
B
A method should generally have one clear responsibility.
C
A method should avoid parameters and return values whenever possible.
D
A method can often be tested directly with several small inputs.

Choose one

1 point

Which design choice best demonstrates an appropriate use of inheritance?

A
A Car should inherit from Engine because it contains one.
B
A method should inherit from every method it calls.
C
A GraduateStudent can inherit from Student because it is a specialized kind of Student.
D
An array should inherit from each value it stores.

Choose one

1 point

A program uses nested loops in which each loop can visit all $n$ elements of the same array. Which time-complexity category most commonly describes this pattern?

A
$O(1)$
B
$O(n^2)$
C
$O(\log n)$
D
$O(n \log n)$

Choose one

1 point

A program assigns grades using an if/elif/else chain with thresholds for A, B, and C. Which ordering of threshold checks correctly ensures that a score of $95$ receives the A grade?

A
Check $score \ge 70$ , then $score \ge 80$ , then $score \ge 90$ .
B
Check $score \ge 90$ , then $score \ge 80$ , then $score \ge 70$ .
C
Check only whether $score > 0$ .
D
Check $score \ge 80$ , then $score \ge 90$ , then $score \ge 70$ .

True or false

1 point

True or false: A while loop can run indefinitely if no statement inside the loop changes the condition that controls whether it continues.

A
True
B
False

Choose one

1 point

A program must calculate the total of every value in an already available list. Which control structure is the most appropriate choice?

A
Use a while loop because the collection might contain an unknown number of items.
B
Use a for loop because the program must process each item in a known collection.
C
Use a conditional instead of any loop.
D
Use a class because collections require objects.

Written response

1 point

During debugging, after forming a hypothesis and gathering focused evidence, what short phrase describes the recommended kind of code change?

Choose one

1 point

In the Student example, why is a class useful when many student objects share the same structure and operations?

A
A class stores only unrelated global variables.
B
A class is used only to repeat a loop.
C
A class bundles related data and behavior.
D
A class automatically sorts every array it contains.

Written response

1 point

A method makes one pass through a list of $n$ values and performs constant work for each value. What is its time complexity?

Open ended

1 point

A program sometimes accesses an invalid array index when processing user input. Explain a systematic debugging process you would use to locate and correct the defect, including how you would verify that the correction did not introduce another failure.