Programming & Computer-System Knowledge Quiz

A multiple-choice CS-fundamentals section in the SWE/SDE OA: ~20 questions in ~20 minutes covering networking, databases, operating systems, multithreading, data structures and complexity. Single- and multi-select; no going back. Requirements ~20 questions in ~20 minutes, mix of single- and multiple-select. You generally cannot return to a previous question. Coverage: networking (TCP/IP, multicast, fairness), relational databases (normalization), operating systems (scheduling, CPU cores/process starvation), multithreading, data structures, and code/complexity reading. Some candidates note there is enough time to consult external resources / GenAI on this section. Examples Reported questions (paraphrased): In relational databases, what does "Normalization" refer to? One publisher, many subscribers, each a unique host with identical single-NIC setups; all must receive published data at the same time. Which delivery method best fits? (multicast-flavored) A machine with 2 CPU cores runs 5 identical always-on processes; four get equal CPU time but the fifth gets none. Which OS component explains the starvation? (scheduler) A program must store unique words with definitions, entered in any order — which data structure fits the lookup feature described? Read a short code snippet and give its time complexity. Notes The OS/networking questions skew practical (scheduling fairness, multicast vs. unicast/broadcast, starvation) rather than trivia. Pace strictly — 20 questions in 20 minutes with no backtracking leaves ~1 minute each. Preparation Review OS scheduling (starvation, priority, fairness), TCP/IP and multicast basics, and DB normalization forms. Practice quick Big-O reading on short snippets so complexity questions are instant.