Mock Exam for Programming in Leshan - English Section

Below are some sample questions that you might encounter in a programming exam in Leshan. These questions are designed to test your understanding of programming concepts and your ability to apply them in practical scenarios.

Explain the difference between procedural programming and object-oriented programming. Provide examples of each.

Answer:

Procedural programming is a programming paradigm that focuses on the procedure or steps that the program needs to perform. It is based on the concept of procedure calls, where a series of instructions are executed in a sequential manner. An example of procedural programming is the C programming language.

Object-oriented programming, on the other hand, is a programming paradigm that revolves around objects that encapsulate data and behavior. It emphasizes the concept of classes and objects, allowing for modularity and reusability of code. An example of object-oriented programming is Java.

What is the difference between a compiler and an interpreter? Explain with examples.

Answer:

A compiler is a program that translates the entire source code into machine code before execution. The resulting machine code can be saved and executed multiple times without the need for re-translation. An example of a compiler is the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) used for compiling C programs.

An interpreter, on the other hand, translates and executes the source code line by line. It does not produce an intermediate machine code file and directly executes the code. An example of an interpreter is the Python interpreter used for running Python scripts.

Explain the concept of recursion in programming. Provide a simple example of a recursive function.

Answer:

Recursion is a programming technique where a function calls itself in order to solve a problem. It involves breaking down a problem into smaller subproblems that are similar to the original problem. A simple example of a recursive function is the factorial function:

function factorial(n) {
    if (n === 0) {
        return 1;
    } else {
        return n * factorial(n - 1);
    }
}

What is the difference between a stack and a queue data structure? Provide examples of real-world scenarios where each data structure can be used.

Answer:

A stack is a data structure that follows the Last In, First Out (LIFO) principle, where the last element added is the first one to be removed. An example of a stack in real life is a stack of plates, where you can only remove the top plate.

A queue, on the other hand, follows the First In, First Out (FIFO) principle, where the first element added is the first one to be removed. An example of a queue in real life is a line of people waiting to buy tickets, where the first person in line is served first.

Explain the concept of Big O notation in algorithm analysis. How is it used to analyze the time complexity of an algorithm?

Answer:

Big O notation is used to describe the upper bound of the time complexity of an algorithm in terms of the input size. It provides a way to compare the efficiency of algorithms by focusing on the worst-case scenario. For example, an algorithm with O(n) time complexity means that the algorithm's performance grows linearly with the input size.

Hope these sample questions and answers help you prepare for your programming exam in Leshan!