All 50 questions from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Computer Studies 2025 Objective paper, with the correct answer and a full explanation for each. Free, no signup needed.
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A system is described as a:
A system is broadly defined as a set of connected objects forming a whole unit.
One method of obtaining data is through:
Observation is a direct method of obtaining data by watching or monitoring events. Others include surveys, questionnaires, and interviews.
The number B & F is written in:
Hexadecimal (base-16) uses digits 0-9 and letters A-F to represent values; A to F represent 10 to 15.
One difference between a desktop computer and a laptop computer is that:
A laptop contains a high-capacity battery for extended use, while a desktop mainly relies on a UPS as an alternative power source.
A mechanical device that allows the operation of multiplication through repeated addition is the:
The Stepped Reckoner (invented by Wilhelm Leibniz) was a mechanical calculator that could perform all four arithmetic operations, including multiplication by repeated addition.
Which of the following statements about the Slide Rule are true? I. Multiplication that goes off the slide can be corrected by resetting the slide. II. Operations of addition can be carried out by directly adding two or more numbers together on the slide. III. Logarithm is used to transform the operations of multiplication and division to addition and subtraction.
Statement I is correct (resetting corrects overflow). Statement II is wrong (slide rules cannot directly perform addition/subtraction). Statement III is correct (the slide rule's principle is based on logarithms).
The following features distinguish a supercomputer from other types of computer EXCEPT:
Supercomputers are designed for extreme computational power and have high processing speed, can handle many users at once, large physical size, and LARGE memory capacity — not small.
Which of the following statements are true about pointing devices? I. Device has buttons used to select objects. II. Device moves an onscreen pointer to allow the user select objects. III. Older types of the device used a laser, an optical technology that tracks movements with light while newer types of the device use a ball only. IV. User slides the device along a flat surface to move the pointer around the screen.
I and II are true (buttons select objects; device moves the on-screen pointer). III is false — it is reversed (older devices used a mechanical ball, newer ones use optical/laser technology). IV is true (most pointing devices are moved across a flat surface).
Which of the following logic devices is a non-equivalent gate?
A non-equivalent gate produces an output of 1 when its inputs are different. The EX-OR (XOR) gate exhibits this behaviour: output is 1 if inputs are (0,1) or (1,0), but 0 if both inputs are the same.
Use the logic devices in Figures 1 and 2 to answer this question. The input variables X and Y have values of 0011 and 0101 respectively. Compute the value of the output Z in Figure 1 using the values of X and Y given.
Figure 1 is an AND gate. Z = X AND Y = 0011 AND 0101 = 0001 (bit-by-bit AND of the two 4-bit values).
If the input variable X in Figure 1 is passed through the device in Figure 2 before going into the logic gate in Figure 1, what will be the output Z?
Figure 2 is a NOT gate. X = 0011 after passing through the NOT gate becomes 1100. Then Z = X AND Y = 1100 AND 0101 = 0100.
If the input variable Y in Figure 1 is passed through the device in Figure 2 before going into the logic gate in Figure 1, compute the output at Z.
Y = 0101 passing through a NOT gate becomes 1010. Then Z = X AND Y = 0011 AND 1010 = 0010.
Which of the following memory capacities is the largest?
1 TB = 1024 GB = 1,048,576 MB, which is far larger than 100 GB, 500 MB, or 960 KB.
Which one of the following statements is true about logic gates?
A NOT gate inverts its input — if the input is low (0), the output is high (1).
A set of instructions written in the language of the computer to solve a user's problem is called:
Software is a set of instructions written in the language of the computer to solve the user's problem.
In computer operation, the loading and starting of application programs is carried out by the:
The operating system (OS) is the major software that manages computer hardware and software; one of its key functions is loading and starting application programs.
The operating system is responsible for:
The operating system is responsible for making the most efficient use of the computer hardware.
Which one of the following statements explains the function of utility software?
Utility software is system software designed to help manage, maintain, and optimize computer resources, such as disk cleanup and managing application installations.
The clear and precise step-by-step procedure of solving a particular problem is called:
An algorithm is the clear and precise step-by-step procedure of solving a particular problem.
A program written in source code can be converted to object code by a/an:
A translator is a software that converts source code (written by a programmer in a high-level language) into equivalent machine code/object code.
The process of searching for errors and eliminating them in a computer program is called:
Debugging is the process of searching for errors and eliminating them in a computer program.
The main function of the statement in line 20 (CLS) in the given QBASIC program is to:
The CLS command simply clears (erases) previously printed output on the screen before the output of the current program.
Which one of the following statements is correct about the rules of flowcharting?
A, B and C are false. The correct rule is that flow of control must always enter an object from top to bottom (symbols are connected by flow-lines, off/on-page connectors are only used when needed, and flowcharts start with a START box and end with an END box).
The major difference between low level programming languages and high level programming languages is that:
High-level languages are slower and less memory-efficient than low-level languages, though they are easier to understand, write, and are less cumbersome/complex.
In computer programming, source codes are usually translated to intermediate codes in order to:
Intermediate codes during translation allow for platform independence, avoiding the need for a full native compiler for every new machine that will run the source code.
The set of rules by which communication takes place over a network is called:
A protocol is the set of rules that governs how communication takes place over a network, e.g. TCP/IP, HTTP, FTP.
Which one of the following pairs contains types of network topology?
Ring and Bus are both types of network topology describing how devices are connected (others include Star and Mesh). Nodes are the devices connected in a network, and Token is a method of access control used in topologies.
An advantage of using Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) in the car manufacturing industry is that:
CAM uses software to control machine tools in the manufacturing of workpieces, ensuring that products follow consistent standards.
The Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is used to:
TCP/IP is a protocol that guides the transfer and interconnection of devices on the Internet.
One difference between intranetworking and internetworking is that:
Intranetworking involves an intranet (a private network accessible only to an organization's staff), hence it is more secure than internetworking.
Which one of the following statements is true about an email client?
An email client is a program that enables users to send and receive email, e.g. Outlook, Thunderbird.
A record in a database can be identified using a/an:
A record in a database can be identified using a key field (a unique identifier for each record in a table).
Which one of the following software can be used by a company accountant to prepare staff payment?
Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program mostly used for financial calculations, data analysis, budgeting, and record keeping — very suitable for preparing staff payment.
In MS Access, the first object to be created which will enable the user to create or use other objects is a:
According to the source material, a Form must be created first to enable the user to create or use other objects in MS Access.
The Microsoft Excel menu bar icon shown in Figure 3 represents a command used to:
The icon shown is the 'Wrap Text' command in Microsoft Excel — it ensures text that is too long for the default cell width automatically adjusts and displays on multiple lines within the same cell.
The CorelDraw Toolbox object shown in Figure 4 is used to:
This object is a selection tool (Pick tool) in CorelDraw used to select and transform objects.
Which one of the following statements is true about the Slide Sorter View in Microsoft PowerPoint?
Slide Sorter View is used to show small preview thumbnails of all slides for easy arrangement and organization.
Arrange the following steps in the correct order of creating queries in Microsoft Access: I. Choose the tables to include in the query. II. Choose the fields to include and adjust the criteria. III. Click the CREATE > Query Design button on the ribbon. IV. Click the RUN button/switch to Data Sheet View.
Correct order: click CREATE > Query Design (III), choose the tables (I), choose the fields/adjust criteria (II), then click RUN/switch to Data Sheet View (IV).
A small picture or object that represents a file, program, webpage or comment in windows is called a/an:
An icon is a small picture or object that represents a file, program, webpage, or comment in windows.
The two main types of user interface are:
The two main types of user interface (UI) are Graphical User Interface (GUI) and Command Line Interface (CLI).
To initiate the startup process, the BIOS requires:
The BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) needs to know the system's basic settings, hardware status, and date/time to start correctly.
A desktop computer is switched on and the monitor displays an error message which reads: 'No input signal'. The likely cause of this error is:
'No input signal' mostly means the cable connecting the computer to the monitor is disconnected or faulty.
The parts of the EBCDIC are:
EBCDIC (Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code) uses zone bits and numerical bits to represent characters.
The binary number 100101 can be written in denary as:
Denary is another name for base 10. 100101₂ = (1×2⁵)+(0×2⁴)+(0×2³)+(1×2²)+(0×2¹)+(1×2⁰) = 32+0+0+4+0+1 = 37.
Convert 70 from base ten to octal.
70₁₀ ÷ 8 = 8 remainder 6; 8 ÷ 8 = 1 remainder 0; 1 ÷ 8 = 0 remainder 1. Reading remainders bottom-up gives 106₈.
Backing up of computer files is the process of:
Backing up computer files involves storing an extra copy of files in an external storage location for recovery purposes.
The file structure is represented systematically in ascending order as:
The correct ascending order is Data → Field → Record → File: a field is made up of data, a record is a collection of related fields, and a file is a collection of related records.
Which of the following statements supports the goals of data backup? I. Need for duplication. II. Need for future reference. III. Protection against data loss.
Data backup is mainly for the need for future reference and protection against data loss. Need for duplication is not usually a goal of backup.
The unauthorized use of computer and network resources is known as:
Hacking is the unauthorized use of computer and network resources. Phishing involves tricking users for credentials; piracy is unauthorized copying/distribution of software or media; spamming is unsolicited messaging.
Poor implementation of network or lack of ICT policies may result in:
A security breach is a likely consequence of poor implementation of network or lack of ICT policies.
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