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Computer Architecture

A processor design philosophy that uses a larger set of complex instructions capable of multi-step operations. What is this concept called?

Difficulty: Medium

About this MCQ

This Medium Computer Architecture MCQ checks one syllabus fact.

The question is: “A processor design philosophy that uses a larger set of complex instructions capable of multi-step operations. What is this concept called?”

The accepted answer is C. CISC. “A processor design philosophy that uses a larger set of complex instructions capable of multi-step operations. What is this concept called” is answered by CISC (option C). Option A (“Parallel processing”) does not match the stem; it is a near-miss used to catch incomplete recall of CISC. Option B (“Pipelining”) does not match the stem; it is a near-miss used to catch incomplete recall of CISC. Remaining alternatives (Instruction set architecture (ISA)) fall outside the same rule and should be eliminated once CISC is identified. Computer Architecture questions of this type reward precise definitions rather than approximate associations. Computer Architecture recall of this distinction is a regular item in FPSC, PPSC, NTS, and CSS papers.

Correct answer

C. CISC

Explanation

“A processor design philosophy that uses a larger set of complex instructions capable of multi-step operations. What is this concept called” is answered by CISC (option C). Option A (“Parallel processing”) does not match the stem; it is a near-miss used to catch incomplete recall of CISC. Option B (“Pipelining”) does not match the stem; it is a near-miss used to catch incomplete recall of CISC. Remaining alternatives (Instruction set architecture (ISA)) fall outside the same rule and should be eliminated once CISC is identified. Computer Architecture questions of this type reward precise definitions rather than approximate associations. Computer Architecture recall of this distinction is a regular item in FPSC, PPSC, NTS, and CSS papers.

Source: Computer Architecture Official Reference Guide

Tags: computer science, hardware, computer architecture, CPU design

Submitted by: MCQsHub Editorial

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