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26 multiple-choice questions and 15 flashcards on Introduction to Computer Science and Computational Thinking, about 17% of the HS Computer Science bank. Every one carries a written rationale.
Introduction to Computer Science and Computational Thinking is one of 13 chapters in CoStudy's HS Computer Science (Intro) bank, and it holds 26 of the bank's 150 multiple-choice questions — roughly 17% of the total. That proportion is not arbitrary: chapters follow the certifying body's published exam outline, and the number of questions in each is set by that domain's published weight, so the share of your practice time this chapter takes matches the share of the real exam it accounts for.
Studying by chapter is worth doing once you have a diagnostic score. A single overall percentage tells you whether you are close; it does not tell you which domain is dragging. Working a weak chapter in isolation, and re-testing it in isolation, is the fastest way to move a score that has stalled — and it is why the mock exams in CoStudy report by domain rather than as one number.
10 questions drawn from this chapter, with the full rationale shown — the controlling principle behind the right answer, and why each wrong option tempts and fails.
What is the primary purpose of comments in source code?
Answer: B — To make code human-readable by explaining intent, without affecting execution
Comments are ignored by the compiler/interpreter and serve as in-code documentation for human readers.
An IP address uniquely identifies a:
Answer: B — Device on a network
An IP address (IPv4 or IPv6) identifies a network interface for routing purposes.
Open-source software is best characterized by:
Answer: B — Source code available for anyone to view, modify, and distribute, typically under a license like MIT, GPL, or Apache
Open-source means freely accessible source code with permissive (e.g., MIT) or copyleft (e.g., GPL) licensing — it can still be sold or supported commercially.
A 'bug' in software typically refers to:
Answer: B — A defect causing the program to behave incorrectly
Bugs are programming defects — errors that produce incorrect behavior. The term originates from a moth found in an early relay computer.
In most programming languages, what does '==' typically do?
Answer: B — Compares two values for equality and returns a boolean
`==` is the comparison operator; `=` is typically assignment (in C-family languages and Python).
What does HTML stand for?
Answer: A — HyperText Markup Language
HTML is the standard markup language for creating web pages.
Which is an example of a high-level programming language?
Answer: C — Python
Python is high-level (abstract, human-readable). Assembly and machine/binary code are low-level, closer to hardware.
Which of the following best defines an algorithm?
Answer: B — A finite, well-defined sequence of steps that solves a problem or completes a task
An algorithm is a step-by-step procedure with a defined termination — the foundation of all computation.
Big-O notation describes:
Answer: B — The asymptotic upper bound on an algorithm's growth in time or space relative to input size
Big-O characterizes how an algorithm's resource usage scales as input grows — e.g., O(1), O(log n), O(n), O(n log n), O(n²).
Which data structure follows Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) order?
Answer: B — Stack
Stacks: last element added is first removed (push/pop). Queues are FIFO (enqueue/dequeue).
4 cards from the 15 in this chapter.
RAM vs storage?
RAM: temporary, fast, volatile. Storage (SSD/HDD): permanent, slower.
What is computer science?
Study of computation, automation, information. Includes programming, but broader.
Hardware vs software?
Hardware: physical (CPU, RAM). Software: programs that run on hardware.
Boolean values?
True or False. Used in conditions and logic.
These are a sample. The full Introduction to Computer Science and Computational Thinking chapter runs 41 items with per-chapter progress tracking, on the web and in the iOS app.