HUNTER COLLEGE CSCI 340 SHOSTAK FINAL REVIEW – OLD ITEMS | PRACTICE QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS | COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026/2027
What is a Program? - correct answer ✔✔A program is a set of instructions.
What is data? - correct answer ✔✔Data is information that programs use and manipulate.
What computer component executes programs? - correct answer ✔✔The CPU (central
processing unit) executes programs (their instructions).
Where are running programs stored? What else is stored there? - correct answer ✔✔Programs
are stored in RAM, along with everything needed for it to run. This includes its code, data
(variables), stack, and heap. It also stores its Program/Process Control Block (PCB) which
contains bookkeeping data such as program counter, process state, register values, scheduling
info, memory references, and I/O status.
(6 PCB Contents = counter, state, scheduling, registers, references and I/O)
What do we know about RAM memory? - correct answer ✔✔1. RAM is relatively slow
(compared to accessing cache)
2. RAM is volatile. Data is stored there temporarily and is lost once the computer is shut down.
3. RAM is random access. I can access any random location (as opposed to having to traverse
sequentially)
What is memory stall? - correct answer ✔✔Memory stall is when the CPU has to wait idly while
something is being fetched from memory.
What long-term storage do we have? - correct answer ✔✔Our long-term storage is the Hard
Disk (and SSD). Unlike the RAM, they retain data after the computer is shut down.
ANSWERS | COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026/2027
What is a Program? - correct answer ✔✔A program is a set of instructions.
What is data? - correct answer ✔✔Data is information that programs use and manipulate.
What computer component executes programs? - correct answer ✔✔The CPU (central
processing unit) executes programs (their instructions).
Where are running programs stored? What else is stored there? - correct answer ✔✔Programs
are stored in RAM, along with everything needed for it to run. This includes its code, data
(variables), stack, and heap. It also stores its Program/Process Control Block (PCB) which
contains bookkeeping data such as program counter, process state, register values, scheduling
info, memory references, and I/O status.
(6 PCB Contents = counter, state, scheduling, registers, references and I/O)
What do we know about RAM memory? - correct answer ✔✔1. RAM is relatively slow
(compared to accessing cache)
2. RAM is volatile. Data is stored there temporarily and is lost once the computer is shut down.
3. RAM is random access. I can access any random location (as opposed to having to traverse
sequentially)
What is memory stall? - correct answer ✔✔Memory stall is when the CPU has to wait idly while
something is being fetched from memory.
What long-term storage do we have? - correct answer ✔✔Our long-term storage is the Hard
Disk (and SSD). Unlike the RAM, they retain data after the computer is shut down.
