CNIT 176 CORE EXAM 2026 TEST QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS SCORED A+
✔✔File extension - ✔✔name of file includes identification of what type of file it is
✔✔file association - ✔✔the file specifies which program it is to be used with
✔✔logical view - ✔✔contents and attributes of files viewed by the user
✔✔physical view - ✔✔the actual way a file is stored within the computer system
✔✔sequential access - ✔✔data files whose records always have to be retrieved from
the beginning. file is read in sequence from beginning to end and is majority of all files.
✔✔random or relative access - ✔✔data files whose records can be retrieved from
anywhere in the file in random sequence. assume file is made up of fixed length logical
records.
✔✔contiguous - ✔✔the blocks that hold a particular file are stored together
✔✔noncontiguous - ✔✔the blocks that hold a particular file are scattered all over the
device
✔✔Operations of file as a whole - ✔✔copy, move. list, print. load and execute. load into
memory. store from memory.
✔✔Operations within a file - ✔✔open a file. read a number of bytes from file. write # of
bytes to a file. move file pointer forward or backward. close a file.
✔✔operations of record storage in files - ✔✔retrieve a record (read). store a
record(write). add a record to a file. delete a record. modify contents of a record.
✔✔file directory operations - ✔✔create a new file. move file from one directory to
another. rename file. append file to another. delete file.
✔✔indexed access - ✔✔additional means for accessing and viewing records in a file.
key indexes. indexed sequential access method (ISAM)
✔✔Directory structure - ✔✔organization so files can be located easily and efficiently.
hides physical devices from logical view of files.
✔✔partitions (file directory) - ✔✔independent subsections of a device
, ✔✔volume ( file directory) - ✔✔directory structure for particular partition. needs to be
mounted to be incorporated in overall structure. contains file attributes.
✔✔tree structure directory - ✔✔hierarchical with top-level root directory from which all
other directories stem. all directories and files have names. includes separator,
pathname, search paths
✔✔Acyclic directory structure - ✔✔tree structure that permits links between separate
branches of the tree
✔✔Compilers - ✔✔read in one language (source) (usually high level) --> output another
language, usually low level. ex. C, C++
✔✔Assembler - ✔✔specific type of compiler (assembly code to machine code
translation only). usually produces code that requires "linker programs" to run on a
given machine.
✔✔Analysis phase Steps of compiler translations - ✔✔Analysis phases:
1. lexical analysis extracts tokens.
2. syntax analysis checks statement construction and builds Abstract Syntax Tree
3. semantic analysis checks data types and validity of operators.
✔✔Synthesis phase steps of compiler translations - ✔✔synthesis phases:
4. intermediate code generation creates 3 address code to facilitate optimization and
translation.
5. optimization creates assembly code while taking into account efficient architectural
features
6. code generation creates binary code from optimized assembly code
✔✔How many passes over does it take for most assemblers to perform? - ✔✔2: first
pass creates symbol table and second resolves references to values in symbol table
✔✔Loader (programming) - ✔✔a software that takes binary code and puts it into
memory so it can be executed. while running executable machine code
✔✔Top-down design - ✔✔a methodology to develop computer solutions. focuses on
tasks to be done
✔✔Object-oriented design - ✔✔methodology to develop computer solutions. focuses on
the data involved in the solution
✔✔Pseudocode - ✔✔a mixture of english and formatting to make steps in an algorithm
explicit (remember pseudocode assignment to convert binary and hexadecimal). no
grammar rules but be consistent and unamiguous.
ANSWERS SCORED A+
✔✔File extension - ✔✔name of file includes identification of what type of file it is
✔✔file association - ✔✔the file specifies which program it is to be used with
✔✔logical view - ✔✔contents and attributes of files viewed by the user
✔✔physical view - ✔✔the actual way a file is stored within the computer system
✔✔sequential access - ✔✔data files whose records always have to be retrieved from
the beginning. file is read in sequence from beginning to end and is majority of all files.
✔✔random or relative access - ✔✔data files whose records can be retrieved from
anywhere in the file in random sequence. assume file is made up of fixed length logical
records.
✔✔contiguous - ✔✔the blocks that hold a particular file are stored together
✔✔noncontiguous - ✔✔the blocks that hold a particular file are scattered all over the
device
✔✔Operations of file as a whole - ✔✔copy, move. list, print. load and execute. load into
memory. store from memory.
✔✔Operations within a file - ✔✔open a file. read a number of bytes from file. write # of
bytes to a file. move file pointer forward or backward. close a file.
✔✔operations of record storage in files - ✔✔retrieve a record (read). store a
record(write). add a record to a file. delete a record. modify contents of a record.
✔✔file directory operations - ✔✔create a new file. move file from one directory to
another. rename file. append file to another. delete file.
✔✔indexed access - ✔✔additional means for accessing and viewing records in a file.
key indexes. indexed sequential access method (ISAM)
✔✔Directory structure - ✔✔organization so files can be located easily and efficiently.
hides physical devices from logical view of files.
✔✔partitions (file directory) - ✔✔independent subsections of a device
, ✔✔volume ( file directory) - ✔✔directory structure for particular partition. needs to be
mounted to be incorporated in overall structure. contains file attributes.
✔✔tree structure directory - ✔✔hierarchical with top-level root directory from which all
other directories stem. all directories and files have names. includes separator,
pathname, search paths
✔✔Acyclic directory structure - ✔✔tree structure that permits links between separate
branches of the tree
✔✔Compilers - ✔✔read in one language (source) (usually high level) --> output another
language, usually low level. ex. C, C++
✔✔Assembler - ✔✔specific type of compiler (assembly code to machine code
translation only). usually produces code that requires "linker programs" to run on a
given machine.
✔✔Analysis phase Steps of compiler translations - ✔✔Analysis phases:
1. lexical analysis extracts tokens.
2. syntax analysis checks statement construction and builds Abstract Syntax Tree
3. semantic analysis checks data types and validity of operators.
✔✔Synthesis phase steps of compiler translations - ✔✔synthesis phases:
4. intermediate code generation creates 3 address code to facilitate optimization and
translation.
5. optimization creates assembly code while taking into account efficient architectural
features
6. code generation creates binary code from optimized assembly code
✔✔How many passes over does it take for most assemblers to perform? - ✔✔2: first
pass creates symbol table and second resolves references to values in symbol table
✔✔Loader (programming) - ✔✔a software that takes binary code and puts it into
memory so it can be executed. while running executable machine code
✔✔Top-down design - ✔✔a methodology to develop computer solutions. focuses on
tasks to be done
✔✔Object-oriented design - ✔✔methodology to develop computer solutions. focuses on
the data involved in the solution
✔✔Pseudocode - ✔✔a mixture of english and formatting to make steps in an algorithm
explicit (remember pseudocode assignment to convert binary and hexadecimal). no
grammar rules but be consistent and unamiguous.
