About this previous year paper
This question paper evaluates students’ understanding of C programming, algorithms, operating system basics, memory concepts, program execution, file handling, and UNIX architecture.
It is divided into three sections covering brief answers, descriptive questions, and applied programming tasks.
SECTION – A (10 × 2 = 20 Marks)
This section contains ten short questions requiring brief, precise answers.
Topics include:
Layout/structure of a C program
Definition of an algorithm
Components of an operating system
Conversion of octal to hexadecimal
Android operating system (overview)
UNIX architecture
RAM vs ROM
Meaning of software
Structured programming
Storage classes in C
This section tests basic theory, fundamental C concepts, and OS knowledge.
SECTION – B (5 × 10 = 50 Marks)
Students must attempt any five medium-length conceptual or programming questions.
Topics include:
Special features of void pointers
Parameter passing mechanisms (call by value/reference)
C program to print a character pattern
Disadvantages of if-else-if ladder
Principles of recursion
Relationship between structures and pointers
Enumerated data types with explanation
This section measures conceptual clarity, coding ability, and logical understanding.
SECTION – C (2 × 15 = 30 Marks)
Students must attempt any two long-answer questions.
Topics include:
Preprocessor Directives
What they are
Explanation of three directives (e.g., #include, #define, #ifdef)
Program Execution
Loading and linking process explained
C program to reverse digits of a number
File Handling & Sorting
C program to read student records (name & age)
Sorting records by name
Displaying sorted output
This section assesses in-depth programming, OS-level understanding, and applied file operations.