NSSCAS Computer Science (8231) study plan

Implement from scratch an array-backed list, a singly linked list, a stack and a queue, each with insert, delete, search and traversal operations.

Trace by hand the state of each structure after a sequence of 12 operations and record the expected output before running the code.

Compare the four structures in a table using best, average and worst-case time complexity and space complexity for each core operation.

Debug three deliberately faulty implementations by locating the line that causes an incorrect result or memory leak and writing the fix.

Implement recursive and iterative versions of binary search, merge sort and a tree traversal, then compare their call stacks and running times on inputs of size 10, 100 and 1,000.

Build a binary search tree and a hash table with collision handling, insert 20 keys into each, and record the resulting structure and lookup counts.

Apply a staged software development process to one program by writing requirements, a design, a test plan and a short user guide.

Write and run at least 10 unit tests covering normal, boundary and invalid inputs, then refactor one module without changing its public behaviour.

Convert between binary, denary, hexadecimal and BCD for 20 values, showing each step and checking each result by reverse conversion.

Represent positive and negative integers using sign-and-magnitude and two's complement, and perform 8-bit addition and subtraction with overflow detection for 10 cases.

Encode and decode fixed-point and floating-point values using a stated mantissa and exponent split, then calculate absolute and relative rounding error for five examples.

Trace linear search, binary search, bubble sort, insertion sort and merge sort on the same 10-item list, recording comparisons and swaps at each pass.

Write pseudocode for two algorithms, derive their worst-case time complexity, and identify one input that triggers the worst case.

Compare star, bus, ring and mesh topologies on cost, fault tolerance, scalability and transmission speed, then select one topology for three given scenarios and justify each choice.

Explain the roles of MAC, IP, TCP, UDP, HTTP, HTTPS, DNS and SMTP in a single web request, naming the layer and order of use for each.

Calculate transmission time, propagation delay, throughput and total transfer time for five packet sizes and link speeds, showing units at every step.

Describe the fetch-decode-execute cycle and trace register changes for five simple instructions, including the program counter, instruction register, accumulator, memory address register and memory data register.

Compare von Neumann and Harvard architectures and RISC and CISC instruction sets using six stated criteria.

Explain how cache, main memory, virtual memory and secondary storage interact during a program load, then calculate hit rates and average access time for four cache configurations.

Describe interrupt handling, polling, DMA and buffering, and sequence the steps for three device-to-memory transfer scenarios.

Compare batch, interactive, real-time and distributed operating systems, and match each to two suitable use cases.

Trace two CPU scheduling examples using first-come-first-served, shortest-job-first and round-robin, calculating waiting time and turnaround time for every process.

Compare compiler, interpreter and assembler behaviour, and trace how a short high-level statement is translated, linked and loaded.

Build a threat model for a small online retailer by identifying 10 threats, rating likelihood and impact, and mapping each threat to a preventive or detective control.

Compare symmetric and asymmetric encryption, hashing and digital signatures, stating one correct use and one limitation for each.

Explain authentication, access control, backup, firewalls and malware defences, then design a layered defence for a three-user case.

Evaluate three legal and ethical scenarios involving software ownership, plagiarism, data protection and computer misuse, identifying conflicting duties and justifying a course of action.

Draft a privacy notice and a data-retention rule for the retailer that covers purpose, consent, access, accuracy and disposal.

Design an entity-relationship diagram for a six-entity case, resolve two many-to-many relationships and state all primary, foreign and candidate keys.

Normalise five unnormalised tables to third normal form, documenting each decomposition and the anomaly it removes.

Write 15 SQL statements covering SELECT, WHERE, JOIN, GROUP BY, HAVING, subqueries, INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE, then run them on a small dataset.

Explain ACID transactions and apply commit, rollback and concurrent-update scenarios to three conflicts.

Compare indexing, views and stored procedures, and recommend one for three stated performance or security requirements.

Complete a 90-minute timed mock covering all 10 domains, mark it against a written scheme and record every lost mark by domain and objective.

Re-solve the 10 weakest objectives from the error log, writing a corrected explanation and a fresh example for each.

Compare waterfall, iterative and agile development, and select a process model for three project constraints with justification.

Write pseudocode for two unseen problems, desk-check each with a trace table, and refactor one solution for readability and efficiency.

Produce a one-page formula and definition sheet for data representation, networks, hardware, databases and algorithms, then test recall without notes.