5.8 MC Answers and Review

6 min readmarch 13, 2023


AP Computer Science Principles ⌨️

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Answers and Review for Multiple Choice Practice on The Impact of Computing

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STOP ⛔ Before you look at the answers, make sure you gave this practice quiz a try so you can assess your understanding of the concepts covered in Big Idea 5. Click here for the practice questions: AP CS: Principles Big Idea 5 Multiple Choice Questions.
Facts about the test: The AP CS: Principles exam has 70 multiple choice questions and you will be given 2 hours (120 minutes) to complete the section. That means it should take you around 10 minutes to complete 6 questions. The following questions were not written by College Board and, although they cover information outlined in the AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description, the formatting on the exam may be different.

1. Which of the following is a good definition of fault tolerant?
A. The acceptance of fault (errors) between calculations
B. The ability to communicate even when part of the connection is down.
C. the amount of tolerance that will be allowed between programmer experiences
D. the difference between significant digits & the answer calculated in a program
Explanation: definition of fault tolerance.
Read this guide on fault tolerance!

2. You are designing a user interface that will be used by people traveling internationally. As the creator how can you explain the options & features to potential users?
A. use images to show program features
B. write the Interface in Spanish & Chinese (most common worldwide)
C. use an Application Programming Interface to work with a translation site as needed
D. give a link to an online dictionary
Explanation: use images to help people understand (regardless of language barriers)
Watch this Big Idea 5 Overview!

3. Which is an example where analyzing a lot of data would NOT uncover valuable information?
A. help banks decrease the % of customers who default on loans
B. helping medical professionals use patterns in health issues to benefit standard of life for their patients
C. help companies make a replacement schedule for parts & equipment to decrease the amount of downtime for repairs
D. help a business predict what to make & when to maximize profit
Explanation: analyzing big data can identify patterns & risk factors all of the choices except in the case ot knowing what consumers will want and when.
Watch this guide about using programs with data!

4. Why do businesses & scientists analyze big data?
A. to confirm patterns from small data sets
B. to gain insight that smaller subsets of data might not provide
C. to help predict problems in the metadata
D. to obtain economies of scale with hardware needed to store the data based on Moore's law
Explanation: smaller data sets might not have enough data to identify patterns or trends. Small data set analysis will not identify metadata issues or determine when hardware purchases should be made
Watch this guide about using programs with data!

5. What is anti-virus software?
A. kind of like a vaccine for a computer
B. instructions for the user to follow in the case of a vius on their machine
C. program that searches hard drives to find/prevent adware and spyware
D. software that never needs to be updated... it catches problems on the computer
Explanation: definition of anti-virus software.
Read this guide on safe computing!

6. What happens in a DDoS attack?
A. bots search for malware-detecting software that is out of date & prevents the uploading of new versions without the owner knowing
B. the targeted site is flooded with too many false requests and crashes
C. firewalls are deactivated so malware can enter the network
D. sensitive data is not encrypted before being transmitted over the Internet, making it vulnerable to interception
Explanation: A Distributed Denial of Service attack floods a site with invalid requests, causing it to be unable to respond to legitimate requests.
Read this guide on fault tolerance!

7. What does API stand for?
A. Application Programming Interface
B. Automated Program Interface
C. Automatic Problem Interaction
D. Application Primary Interaction
Explanation: acronym explained.
Read this guide on APIs!

8. If an organization wants to change its website from .org to .edu, what do they need to do to ensure they can still be found on the Web?
A. notify IETF, the organization that maintains names on the internet
B. the organization can start using the new name immediately since only the top-level domain changed
C. register the new name with a DNS (Domain name system) site
D. post the new name on the organization's website up to 10 days prior to the switchover
Explanation: the new name must be registered with a DNS site so the IP address will be associated with the new name and the site can be found.
Watch this Big Idea 5 Overview!

9. Which of the following is a relevant aspect of data mining?
A. it is risky for decision making if the data is interpreted incorrectly
B. it tells companies what customers want to see on the website, whether true or not
C. it makes train staff on mining strategies necessary
D. allows companies to process large amounts of data to look for patterns or connections.
Explanation: companies that use data mining benefit both the company & customer.
Watch this guide about using programs with data!

10. Computers have enables new innovations in many industries. In the entertainment business it has become much easier to purchase & share new music. What concerns have been raised as a result?
A. people are sharing content without the author/owner's permission
B. people are modifying other people's creations & claiming the Creative Commons licensing allows it
C. people are being discovered for their music because others are posting it to music-sharing sites
D. artists are adding their music to streaming services with Creative Commons licensing
Explanation: The case in sharing digital files without the artist's permission is an ongoing concern in the music industry
Read this guide on legal and ethical concerns of the internet!

11. Which of the following are legal & ethical concerns of DMCA?
A. controlled intellectual property sharing
B. licensing stipulations that allow incorporating music into other artforms
C. music & movie downloads & streaming services not charging enough for their services
D. peer-to-peer networks used for illegal file sharing
Explanation: To protect intellectual property, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) works to prevent illegal file sharing, illegal music & movie sharing/downloading, and licensing violations. Peer-to-peer networks are often used to illegally share files of all types.
Read this guide on legal and ethical concerns of the internet!

12. Which of the following may require more than a single binary digit to represent its value?
A. The sum of two binary digits
B. a value to represent if a switch is on or off
C. the MOD value when dividing a whole number by 2
D. the outcome of a boolean calculation
Explanation: in the case of 1+1, the result will be 2, or 10 in binary (needing two digits to represent it)
Read this review of binary!

13. What benefit does an API provide?
A. it connects software companies providing pre-written & tested code available for use
B. it allows programmers to share their code via the API for others to test
C. it provides algorithms for difficult code to be reviewed
D. it provides documentation programmers can use for their programs rather than creating their own
Explanation: An API (Application Programming Interface) connects software modules making working programs available for use in other programs.
Read this guide on APIs!

14. Why should public key encryption be used?
A. it is shorter than other ciphers
B. it uses an asymmetric key, making it easier to decrypt
C. it used a symmetric key, making it harder to decrypt
D. It cannot be broken with brute force techniques
Explanation: public key encryption creates such long keys that brute force is ineffective.
Read this guide on safe computing!

15. What is cloud computing?
A. storing information "up in the clouds" so everyone can access information
B. shares resources rather than having local servers handle the applications
C. local servers are used but can communicate as needed
D. personal devices must be carried around to access information
Explanation: definition of cloud computing.
Read this guide on the internet!

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