PPSC Past Paper 2024 | Programmer | Assistant Director | Web Developer | Database Adminstrator

Main ideas / concepts covered (PPSC “Club Case 75”, Computer Science & IT; held 13 July 2024, evening)

• The speaker introduces the paper as part of a combined test for multiple posts in Punjab (Special Branch Punjab Police and other departments), focusing on Computer Science/IT and general knowledge (GK).
• Mentions expectations about merit (one seat’s merit may be around 55, and fewer applicants can affect cutoff trends).
• States that although the question order may differ from the posted order, the topics and answers match what appeared in the paper.

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Structure of the discussion

• Section A: CS/IT MCQs
  • Programming, operating systems, data structures, databases, networking/web concepts.
• Section B: GK MCQs
  • Books, synonyms, scientists/history, country/organization facts, etc.
• The speaker repeatedly explains why a particular option is correct, sometimes referencing earlier lectures (e.g., message passing, inheritance, hashing, types of inheritance).

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Detailed list of instructions / methodology-like explanations

Operating Systems concepts (definitions and correct options)

• Operating System (OS)
  • Concept: OS is system software.
• Pipe (message passing / inter-process communication)
  • A pipe connects parent and child processes; the parent writes shared data and the child reads it.
• Null pointer
  • Best practice: when creating a pointer, it may contain a garbage/invalid address; initialize it immediately to null.
• Deadlock conditions
  • The speaker states the “four conditions” were given, and the correct option follows from them.
• Context switching
  • CPU switches context from one process to another so multiple processes appear to run “simultaneously.”
• Thrashing
  • System is in constant high paging activity; page swapping increases while useful work decreases.
• OS provides a state/base for application software
  • OS provides the environment so application programs/software can run.
• Microkernel
  • Kernel provides only basic services, moving most services to user space.
• Fastest memory levels (memory hierarchy)
  • Speaker’s asserted ranking:
    • Registers are fastest.
    • L1 is fastest among caches.
    • Then L2/L3.
    • RAM is slower than caches.
  • Emphasis is placed on the register vs cache ordering.

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Programming / Data Structures / Algorithms

• Merge sort
  • Question about implementation technique; speaker mentions an option aligned with the correct merging approach.
• Security for protecting assets
  • Concept referenced: Security (anti-virus-related term mentioned).
• Sorting algorithm option
  • Speaker indicates their lecture-aligned option was correct (method matches required technique).
• Pointer-related
  • Function of pointer: described (as stated by the speaker) as being used for error detection (wording may be imprecise).
• Structure member access in C/C++
  • Use dot (.) for a structure variable.
  • Use arrow (->) when accessing members via a structure pointer.
• “Dead people do dead things” (GK proverb-style)
  • Used as a memory aid/joke while answering a “Jonas/GK”-type question.

Data Structures questions (as answered by speaker)

• Queues count
  • Speaker references typical BSc notion of three queues, but says the correct option was two (in a resource/ready-waiting context).
• Scaling arrays types
  • Speaker distinguishes primitive vs non-primitive, then identifies two relevant categories in the scheme.
• Data structure “like stack with list”
  • Speaker says it’s implemented through array and linked list, then describes “structure like stack” in terms of linked-list/array behavior.
• Which is NOT processing?
  • Speaker suggests “gathering” as the option where processing is not evolved (“gathering” doesn’t evolve processing).
• Diamond problem
  • Arises in multiple inheritance / multi-level inheritance.

Hashing questions

• Collision
  • If hashing maps a key to an already-occupied place, it’s called a collision.
  • Speaker references a hashing lecture in the playlist.

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OOP / C++ / Coding MCQs

• Class reusability feature
  • Speaker mentions a feature describing class reusability, but the explanation is partially garbled; they reference retention/PIM and indicate uncertainty.
• Singleton pattern
  • “Class that can have only one object” → Singleton.
• Casting
  • “Casting done automatically by compiler” → implicit casting (speaker mentions it as “illicit,” but intent is implicit).
• Syntax / grammar term
  • Represents syntax/grammar of a programming language/program → Syntax.
• Constructor
  • Mentioned as called automatically when an object is created (question details unclear, but the concept is acknowledged).
• Exception in C++
  • Keyword: throw (and catch is mentioned).
• Statement terminator
  • C++ statement terminator is semicolon (;).
• GoTo / invertible function
  • Invertibility question: answer given as both a and b for conditions (e.g., one-to-one and/or other property).
• BCD coding scheme
  • Uses 16 bits; speaker says it’s used in IBM mainframe computers.
• Graphics/chart printing
  • Speaker compares printer types; indicates dot-matrix is incorrect for the intended high-graphics choice.
• Email format
  • Speaker indicates the correct form is option C (mentions rate/complete domain after dot; exact validity uncertain due to garbling).
• Home page / website
  • “First page of a website” → Home page.
• Backlinks
  • Incoming links to a website from other sites.

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Database / Cloud / Networking / Web

• Relational Database building block
  • Basic building block of RDBMS: table.
• Virtual machine storage migration
  • Option mentioned: “storage migration/…smoothing” (speaker says “smanning”; intent is a migration term).
• Cloud computing service models
  • SaaS, PaaS, IaaS.
• Transfer of files over the internet
  • Downloading: transferring files from the internet to your computer → downloading.
• Graphics card purpose
  • Correct option related to rendering/display on a monitor (audio-quality option noted but marked less suitable).
• CPU related regex/alphabet ordering
  • Example described, but the question is too garbled to reconstruct fully.
• Regular expression / cosine/hash-like
  • A hashing-collision question tied to “cosine of the hash” (likely a mis-heard reference to collision).

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GK questions (facts and answers mentioned)

• Assam / “The God of Small Things” author
  • Correct option: Arundhati Roy (spelled/uttered as “Arun Dham Rai”).
• Prolong synonym
  • Recalled as extend / spread.
• Who invented radio
  • Marconi.
• Additional GK items
  • Multiple items are mentioned, but some are unclear (“I don’t remember options”).
• Fermentation cause
  • Bacteria/living organisms responsible.
• Fresh water mixing with salty water
  • Speaker attempted guesses (mentions terms like fertilification/erosion/…), unsure; initially picked something ending with “…fication” but couldn’t confirm.
• NATO formation (1949) treaty name
  • Speaker’s chosen answer: Washington Treaty.
• Talib’s Commonwealth gold medal (weightlifting)
  • Winner in weightlifting.
• “EO headquarter”
  • Speaker says Tehran, Iran (organization name garbled; likely a specific entity).
• Additional math/logic problem (wheat/workers/days)
  • Speaker mentions workers change to 8 and days to 5, asks how many days to collect wheat; states answer as 160 (suggests solving and checking later, possibly via picture).

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Conclusion / wrap-up

• Speaker ends with prayers and good wishes for candidates who attempted the paper.
• Closes with: “Allah Hafiz.”

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Speakers / sources featured

• Single speaker/host: main narrator (no explicit name given in subtitles).
• Referenced internal sources (not separate speakers):
  • “My lecture” / “playlist lectures” on:
    • message passing
    • types of inheritance
    • hashing
• Organizations/authors referenced as GK content:
  • Arundhati Roy (“The God of Small Things”)
  • Marconi (radio)
  • NATO / Washington Treaty (as stated)
  • IBM (mainframe computers, as stated)
  • Talib/Talib (athlete name as mentioned) (won gold in weightlifting per speaker)
  • EO headquartered in Tehran, Iran (organization name not clearly recoverable from subtitles)