WGU D278 Scripting and Programming Foundations Practice Exam
150 Original Questions with Answers and Explanations 2026
Programming Foundations and Language Concepts
1. Which definition best describes algorithm?
A. a finite, ordered set of unambiguous steps for solving a problem
B. human-readable instructions written in a programming language
C. binary instructions that a processor can execute directly
D. a translator that converts an entire source program before execution
2. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: a recipe-like sequence
that calculates the average of several scores?
A. source code
B. algorithm
C. machine code
D. compiler
3. Which definition best describes source code?
A. binary instructions that a processor can execute directly
B. a translator that converts an entire source program before execution
C. human-readable instructions written in a programming language
D. a translator that executes source instructions one at a time
4. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: the text a developer edits
before translation or execution?
A. machine code
B. compiler
C. interpreter
D. source code
5. Which definition best describes machine code?
A. binary instructions that a processor can execute directly
B. a translator that converts an entire source program before execution
C. a translator that executes source instructions one at a time
D. the formal grammar and punctuation rules of a language
6. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: the CPU-ready output
produced after translation?
A. compiler
B. machine code
D278 Original Practice Exam • 1
, C. interpreter
D. syntax
7. Which definition best describes compiler?
A. a translator that executes source instructions one at a time
B. the formal grammar and punctuation rules of a language
C. a translator that converts an entire source program before execution
D. the meaning or behavior of a valid statement
8. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: a tool that reports
translation errors and produces an executable file?
A. interpreter
B. syntax
C. semantics
D. compiler
9. Which definition best describes interpreter?
A. a translator that executes source instructions one at a time
B. the formal grammar and punctuation rules of a language
C. the meaning or behavior of a valid statement
D. a language designed for human readability and abstraction from hardware
10. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: a runtime that reads and
carries out a script statement by statement?
A. syntax
B. interpreter
C. semantics
D. high-level language
11. Which definition best describes syntax?
A. the meaning or behavior of a valid statement
B. a language designed for human readability and abstraction from hardware
C. the formal grammar and punctuation rules of a language
D. a language closely tied to processor instructions or hardware
12. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: the rule that requires
matching parentheses in an expression?
A. semantics
B. high-level language
C. low-level language
D. syntax
D278 Original Practice Exam • 2
,13. Which definition best describes semantics?
A. the meaning or behavior of a valid statement
B. a language designed for human readability and abstraction from hardware
C. a language closely tied to processor instructions or hardware
D. a language commonly used to automate tasks and often executed by an
interpreter
14. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: the effect produced
when a syntactically valid assignment runs?
A. high-level language
B. semantics
C. low-level language
D. scripting language
15. Which definition best describes high-level language?
A. a language closely tied to processor instructions or hardware
B. a language commonly used to automate tasks and often executed by an
interpreter
C. a language designed for human readability and abstraction from hardware
D. a notation that describes document structure rather than general computation
16. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: a language using
readable variables and control structures rather than processor opcodes?
A. low-level language
B. scripting language
C. markup language
D. high-level language
17. Which definition best describes low-level language?
A. a language closely tied to processor instructions or hardware
B. a language commonly used to automate tasks and often executed by an
interpreter
C. a notation that describes document structure rather than general computation
D. a language in which variable types are checked primarily before execution
18. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: assembly instructions
written for a particular CPU architecture?
A. scripting language
B. low-level language
C. markup language
D278 Original Practice Exam • 3
, D. statically typed language
19. Which definition best describes scripting language?
A. a notation that describes document structure rather than general computation
B. a language in which variable types are checked primarily before execution
C. a language commonly used to automate tasks and often executed by an
interpreter
D. a language in which types are associated with values and checked mainly at
runtime
20. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: a short program that
renames a batch of files?
A. markup language
B. statically typed language
C. dynamically typed language
D. scripting language
21. Which definition best describes markup language?
A. a notation that describes document structure rather than general computation
B. a language in which variable types are checked primarily before execution
C. a language in which types are associated with values and checked mainly at
runtime
D. a unified tool that combines editing, running, and debugging features
22. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: tags that identify
headings and paragraphs on a web page?
A. statically typed language
B. markup language
C. dynamically typed language
D. integrated development environment
23. Which definition best describes statically typed language?
A. a language in which types are associated with values and checked mainly at
runtime
B. a unified tool that combines editing, running, and debugging features
C. a language in which variable types are checked primarily before execution
D. a reusable collection of prewritten code that programs can call
24. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: a language that rejects
assigning text to an integer variable during compilation?
A. dynamically typed language
D278 Original Practice Exam • 4
150 Original Questions with Answers and Explanations 2026
Programming Foundations and Language Concepts
1. Which definition best describes algorithm?
A. a finite, ordered set of unambiguous steps for solving a problem
B. human-readable instructions written in a programming language
C. binary instructions that a processor can execute directly
D. a translator that converts an entire source program before execution
2. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: a recipe-like sequence
that calculates the average of several scores?
A. source code
B. algorithm
C. machine code
D. compiler
3. Which definition best describes source code?
A. binary instructions that a processor can execute directly
B. a translator that converts an entire source program before execution
C. human-readable instructions written in a programming language
D. a translator that executes source instructions one at a time
4. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: the text a developer edits
before translation or execution?
A. machine code
B. compiler
C. interpreter
D. source code
5. Which definition best describes machine code?
A. binary instructions that a processor can execute directly
B. a translator that converts an entire source program before execution
C. a translator that executes source instructions one at a time
D. the formal grammar and punctuation rules of a language
6. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: the CPU-ready output
produced after translation?
A. compiler
B. machine code
D278 Original Practice Exam • 1
, C. interpreter
D. syntax
7. Which definition best describes compiler?
A. a translator that executes source instructions one at a time
B. the formal grammar and punctuation rules of a language
C. a translator that converts an entire source program before execution
D. the meaning or behavior of a valid statement
8. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: a tool that reports
translation errors and produces an executable file?
A. interpreter
B. syntax
C. semantics
D. compiler
9. Which definition best describes interpreter?
A. a translator that executes source instructions one at a time
B. the formal grammar and punctuation rules of a language
C. the meaning or behavior of a valid statement
D. a language designed for human readability and abstraction from hardware
10. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: a runtime that reads and
carries out a script statement by statement?
A. syntax
B. interpreter
C. semantics
D. high-level language
11. Which definition best describes syntax?
A. the meaning or behavior of a valid statement
B. a language designed for human readability and abstraction from hardware
C. the formal grammar and punctuation rules of a language
D. a language closely tied to processor instructions or hardware
12. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: the rule that requires
matching parentheses in an expression?
A. semantics
B. high-level language
C. low-level language
D. syntax
D278 Original Practice Exam • 2
,13. Which definition best describes semantics?
A. the meaning or behavior of a valid statement
B. a language designed for human readability and abstraction from hardware
C. a language closely tied to processor instructions or hardware
D. a language commonly used to automate tasks and often executed by an
interpreter
14. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: the effect produced
when a syntactically valid assignment runs?
A. high-level language
B. semantics
C. low-level language
D. scripting language
15. Which definition best describes high-level language?
A. a language closely tied to processor instructions or hardware
B. a language commonly used to automate tasks and often executed by an
interpreter
C. a language designed for human readability and abstraction from hardware
D. a notation that describes document structure rather than general computation
16. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: a language using
readable variables and control structures rather than processor opcodes?
A. low-level language
B. scripting language
C. markup language
D. high-level language
17. Which definition best describes low-level language?
A. a language closely tied to processor instructions or hardware
B. a language commonly used to automate tasks and often executed by an
interpreter
C. a notation that describes document structure rather than general computation
D. a language in which variable types are checked primarily before execution
18. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: assembly instructions
written for a particular CPU architecture?
A. scripting language
B. low-level language
C. markup language
D278 Original Practice Exam • 3
, D. statically typed language
19. Which definition best describes scripting language?
A. a notation that describes document structure rather than general computation
B. a language in which variable types are checked primarily before execution
C. a language commonly used to automate tasks and often executed by an
interpreter
D. a language in which types are associated with values and checked mainly at
runtime
20. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: a short program that
renames a batch of files?
A. markup language
B. statically typed language
C. dynamically typed language
D. scripting language
21. Which definition best describes markup language?
A. a notation that describes document structure rather than general computation
B. a language in which variable types are checked primarily before execution
C. a language in which types are associated with values and checked mainly at
runtime
D. a unified tool that combines editing, running, and debugging features
22. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: tags that identify
headings and paragraphs on a web page?
A. statically typed language
B. markup language
C. dynamically typed language
D. integrated development environment
23. Which definition best describes statically typed language?
A. a language in which types are associated with values and checked mainly at
runtime
B. a unified tool that combines editing, running, and debugging features
C. a language in which variable types are checked primarily before execution
D. a reusable collection of prewritten code that programs can call
24. Which concept is best illustrated by this situation: a language that rejects
assigning text to an integer variable during compilation?
A. dynamically typed language
D278 Original Practice Exam • 4
