Programming & DS MCQ & Objective Questions
Understanding Programming and Data Structures (DS) is crucial for students aiming to excel in their exams. Mastering these concepts not only enhances problem-solving skills but also boosts confidence during assessments. Practicing MCQs and objective questions is an effective way to prepare, as it helps in identifying important questions and reinforces learning through repetition. With targeted practice questions, students can significantly improve their exam performance.
What You Will Practise Here
Fundamentals of Programming Languages
Data Types and Variables
Control Structures: Loops and Conditionals
Functions and Recursion
Arrays and Strings
Data Structures: Stacks, Queues, and Linked Lists
Algorithm Complexity and Big O Notation
Exam Relevance
Programming and Data Structures are integral parts of the curriculum for CBSE, State Boards, and competitive exams like NEET and JEE. Questions often focus on the application of concepts in problem-solving scenarios. Common patterns include multiple-choice questions that test theoretical knowledge, practical applications, and the ability to analyze code snippets. Familiarity with these question types can greatly enhance your exam readiness.
Common Mistakes Students Make
Confusing different data structures and their use cases.
Overlooking edge cases in algorithm design.
Misunderstanding recursion and its base cases.
Neglecting to analyze time and space complexity.
Failing to apply control structures correctly in coding problems.
FAQs
Question: What are the best ways to prepare for Programming & DS MCQs?Answer: Regular practice with objective questions and understanding core concepts through examples is key to mastering this subject.
Question: How can I improve my speed in solving Programming & DS questions?Answer: Timed practice sessions and familiarizing yourself with common question patterns can help improve your speed and accuracy.
Start your journey towards mastering Programming and Data Structures today! Solve practice MCQs to test your understanding and build a strong foundation for your exams. Remember, consistent practice is the key to success!
Q. In a level-order traversal, which data structure is typically used to keep track of nodes?
A.
Stack
B.
Queue
C.
Array
D.
Linked List
Show solution
Solution
A queue is used in level-order traversal to keep track of nodes at the current level.
Correct Answer:
B
— Queue
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Q. In a recursive function, what is the purpose of the return statement?
A.
To terminate the program
B.
To return control to the caller
C.
To call the function again
D.
To print the output
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Solution
The return statement is used to return control to the caller along with any computed value.
Correct Answer:
B
— To return control to the caller
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Q. In a stack, what is the result of the operation 'push(5)', followed by 'push(10)', and then 'pop()'?
A.
5
B.
10
C.
Both 5 and 10
D.
Stack is empty
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Solution
The 'pop()' operation will return 10, as it is the last element pushed onto the stack.
Correct Answer:
B
— 10
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Q. In DFS, what is the primary data structure used?
A.
Queue
B.
Stack
C.
Array
D.
Hash Table
Show solution
Solution
DFS uses a Stack data structure, either explicitly or through recursion, to keep track of the nodes to be explored.
Correct Answer:
B
— Stack
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Q. In the coin change problem, which approach does a greedy algorithm use?
A.
Always take the largest denomination first
B.
Take the smallest denomination first
C.
Randomly select coins
D.
Take coins in pairs
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Solution
A greedy algorithm for the coin change problem typically takes the largest denomination first to minimize the number of coins.
Correct Answer:
A
— Always take the largest denomination first
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Q. In the context of greedy algorithms, what does 'local optimum' refer to?
A.
The best solution overall
B.
The best solution in a local neighborhood
C.
The worst solution possible
D.
A solution that is not feasible
Show solution
Solution
A local optimum is the best solution within a local neighborhood, which may not lead to the global optimum.
Correct Answer:
B
— The best solution in a local neighborhood
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Q. In which data structure is the breadth-first search (BFS) algorithm typically implemented?
A.
Stack
B.
Queue
C.
Array
D.
Linked List
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Solution
BFS is typically implemented using a queue data structure.
Correct Answer:
B
— Queue
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Q. In which scenario would you prefer the Bellman-Ford algorithm over Dijkstra's algorithm?
A.
When all edge weights are positive
B.
When the graph is dense
C.
When there are negative weight edges
D.
When you need the shortest path in constant time
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Solution
You would prefer the Bellman-Ford algorithm when the graph contains negative weight edges, as Dijkstra's algorithm cannot handle them.
Correct Answer:
C
— When there are negative weight edges
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Q. In which scenario would you prefer using a stack over a queue?
A.
When you need to process tasks in the order they arrive
B.
When you need to backtrack through a series of operations
C.
When you need to manage tasks with priority
D.
When you need to store data persistently
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Solution
Stacks are useful for backtracking scenarios, such as undo operations in applications.
Correct Answer:
B
— When you need to backtrack through a series of operations
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Q. What does BFS stand for in graph algorithms?
A.
Binary First Search
B.
Breadth First Search
C.
Best First Search
D.
Backtracking First Search
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Solution
BFS stands for Breadth First Search, which is an algorithm for traversing or searching tree or graph data structures.
Correct Answer:
B
— Breadth First Search
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Q. What does recursion mean in programming?
A.
A function calling itself
B.
A loop that iterates
C.
A data structure
D.
A variable declaration
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Solution
Recursion in programming refers to a function that calls itself to solve a problem.
Correct Answer:
A
— A function calling itself
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Q. What does the 'malloc' function do in C?
A.
Allocates memory on the stack
B.
Allocates memory on the heap
C.
Frees allocated memory
D.
Initializes a pointer
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Solution
'malloc' allocates a specified number of bytes of memory on the heap and returns a pointer to the allocated memory.
Correct Answer:
B
— Allocates memory on the heap
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Q. What does the term 'memory leak' refer to?
A.
Not freeing allocated memory
B.
Accessing uninitialized memory
C.
Using too much stack space
D.
Overwriting memory
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Solution
A memory leak occurs when allocated memory is not freed, leading to wasted memory resources.
Correct Answer:
A
— Not freeing allocated memory
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Q. What happens if a recursive function does not have a base case?
A.
It will run indefinitely
B.
It will return a default value
C.
It will throw an error
D.
It will terminate successfully
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Solution
If a recursive function does not have a base case, it will run indefinitely, leading to a stack overflow.
Correct Answer:
A
— It will run indefinitely
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Q. What happens when you try to pop an element from an empty stack?
A.
It returns null
B.
It throws an exception
C.
It returns the last element added
D.
It does nothing
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Solution
Attempting to pop from an empty stack typically results in an exception being thrown.
Correct Answer:
B
— It throws an exception
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Q. What is a dangling pointer?
A.
A pointer that points to a valid memory location
B.
A pointer that points to a memory location that has been freed
C.
A pointer that is not initialized
D.
A pointer that points to itself
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Solution
A dangling pointer is one that points to a memory location that has been freed, leading to undefined behavior if accessed.
Correct Answer:
B
— A pointer that points to a memory location that has been freed
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Q. What is a greedy algorithm?
A.
An algorithm that makes the best choice at each step
B.
An algorithm that explores all possible solutions
C.
An algorithm that uses dynamic programming
D.
An algorithm that always finds the optimal solution
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Solution
A greedy algorithm makes the best choice at each step with the hope of finding the global optimum.
Correct Answer:
A
— An algorithm that makes the best choice at each step
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Q. What is a key characteristic of DFS compared to BFS?
A.
DFS uses less memory than BFS.
B.
DFS explores all neighbors before going deeper.
C.
DFS can be implemented using recursion.
D.
DFS guarantees the shortest path.
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Solution
A key characteristic of DFS is that it can be implemented using recursion, allowing it to explore as far as possible along each branch before backtracking.
Correct Answer:
C
— DFS can be implemented using recursion.
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Q. What is a pointer in programming?
A.
A variable that stores a memory address
B.
A type of loop
C.
A function that returns a value
D.
A data structure
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Solution
A pointer is a variable that stores the memory address of another variable.
Correct Answer:
A
— A variable that stores a memory address
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Q. What is dynamic programming primarily used for?
A.
To solve problems with overlapping subproblems
B.
To sort data efficiently
C.
To manage memory allocation
D.
To perform binary search
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Solution
Dynamic programming is used to solve problems that can be broken down into overlapping subproblems, allowing for the reuse of previously computed results.
Correct Answer:
A
— To solve problems with overlapping subproblems
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Q. What is tail recursion?
A.
Recursion where the last operation is a recursive call
B.
Recursion that does not use any stack
C.
Recursion that calls itself multiple times
D.
Recursion that has no base case
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Solution
Tail recursion is when the last operation of a function is a recursive call, allowing for optimization.
Correct Answer:
A
— Recursion where the last operation is a recursive call
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Q. What is the correct syntax to include a header file in C?
A.
#include <header.h>
B.
#include 'header.h'
C.
#include header.h
D.
#include <header>
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Solution
The correct syntax to include a header file in C is #include <header.h>.
Correct Answer:
A
— #include <header.h>
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Q. What is the key difference between greedy algorithms and dynamic programming?
A.
Greedy algorithms use recursion
B.
Dynamic programming considers all possible solutions
C.
Greedy algorithms are always optimal
D.
Dynamic programming is faster
Show solution
Solution
The key difference is that dynamic programming considers all possible solutions, while greedy algorithms make local optimal choices.
Correct Answer:
B
— Dynamic programming considers all possible solutions
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Q. What is the main advantage of Dijkstra's algorithm over the Bellman-Ford algorithm?
A.
It can handle negative weights
B.
It is faster for graphs with non-negative weights
C.
It is simpler to implement
D.
It can find all pairs shortest paths
Show solution
Solution
Dijkstra's algorithm is generally faster than the Bellman-Ford algorithm for graphs with non-negative weights.
Correct Answer:
B
— It is faster for graphs with non-negative weights
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Q. What is the main difference between a stack and a queue?
A.
Stack is LIFO, Queue is FIFO
B.
Stack is FIFO, Queue is LIFO
C.
Both are LIFO
D.
Both are FIFO
Show solution
Solution
The main difference is that a stack operates in a Last In First Out (LIFO) manner, while a queue operates in a First In First Out (FIFO) manner.
Correct Answer:
A
— Stack is LIFO, Queue is FIFO
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Q. What is the main difference between depth-first and breadth-first traversal?
A.
Order of node visits
B.
Data structure used
C.
Time complexity
D.
Space complexity
Show solution
Solution
Depth-first traversal visits nodes by going deep into the tree, while breadth-first visits level by level.
Correct Answer:
A
— Order of node visits
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Q. What is the main drawback of greedy algorithms?
A.
They are too slow
B.
They may not produce the optimal solution
C.
They require more memory
D.
They are difficult to implement
Show solution
Solution
The main drawback of greedy algorithms is that they may not produce the optimal solution for all problems.
Correct Answer:
B
— They may not produce the optimal solution
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Q. What is the output of the Bellman-Ford algorithm?
A.
A single shortest path
B.
A list of all shortest paths from the source
C.
The shortest path tree
D.
The shortest path length only
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Solution
The Bellman-Ford algorithm outputs a list of shortest path distances from the source to all vertices in the graph.
Correct Answer:
B
— A list of all shortest paths from the source
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Q. What is the output of the following code snippet: 'print(2 ** 3)'?
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Solution
The expression 2 ** 3 calculates 2 raised to the power of 3, which equals 8.
Correct Answer:
B
— 8
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Q. What is the output of the following code: printf("%d", 10 / 3);?
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Solution
The output is 3 because in C, dividing two integers results in an integer, truncating any decimal.
Correct Answer:
A
— 3
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