RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) vs CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer) MCQs

1. Which type of architecture typically has a smaller set of instructions?

(A) RISC

(B) CISC

(C) Both RISC and CISC

(D) Neither RISC nor CISC

2. Which architecture is known for having more complex instructions that can execute multiple operations in a single instruction?

(A) RISC

(B) CISC

(C) Both RISC and CISC

(D) Neither RISC nor CISC

3. Which of the following generally results in a higher number of instructions per program?

(A) RISC

(B) Neither RISC nor CISC

(C) Both RISC and CISC

(D) CISC

4. RISC processors typically use a larger number of registers to:

(A) Reduce the number of memory accesses

(B) Increase the complexity of instructions

(C) Decrease execution speed

(D) Reduce the size of the instruction set

5. Which architecture generally aims to execute instructions in a single clock cycle?

(A) CISC

(B) RISC

(C) Both RISC and CISC

(D) Neither RISC nor CISC

6. In which architecture are instructions generally of variable length?

(A) RISC

(B) Both RISC and CISC

(C) CISC

(D) Neither RISC nor CISC

7. Which architecture tends to have more complex addressing modes?

(A) RISC

(B) CISC

(C) Both RISC and CISC

(D) Neither RISC nor CISC

8. RISC designs generally favor:

(A) Complex instruction decoding

(B) Multiple clock cycles per instruction

(C) Large instruction set

(D) Simple instructions with fast execution

9. Which architecture is more likely to have a microcode layer to manage instructions?

(A) RISC

(B) CISC

(C) Both RISC and CISC

(D) Neither RISC nor CISC

10. The primary goal of RISC architecture is to:

(A) Minimize the number of instructions executed

(B) Execute a variety of complex instructions

(C) Increase the number of cycles per instruction

(D) Simplify the instruction set to improve performance

11. Which architecture is often associated with a fixed-length instruction format?

(A) RISC

(B) CISC

(C) Both RISC and CISC

(D) Neither RISC nor CISC

12. Which architecture typically uses more memory cycles to complete an instruction?

(A) RISC

(B) CISC

(C) Both RISC and CISC

(D) Neither RISC nor CISC

13. RISC processors usually have a higher emphasis on:

(A) Instruction complexity

(B) Variable instruction lengths

(C) Fast execution through pipelining

(D) Complex addressing modes

14. Which architecture tends to use fewer instruction cycles per instruction?

(A) Neither RISC nor CISC

(B) CISC

(C) Both RISC and CISC

(D) RISC

15. Which of the following typically results in simpler hardware design?

(A) CISC

(B) RISC

(C) Both RISC and CISC

(D) Neither RISC nor CISC

16. CISC processors are more likely to support:

(A) A larger number of registers

(B) A fixed number of instructions

(C) A wide variety of complex instructions

(D) Simple, single-cycle instructions

17. In which architecture is instruction decoding generally more complex?

(A) RISC

(B) CISC

(C) Both RISC and CISC

(D) Neither RISC nor CISC

18. Which architecture often benefits more from advanced compiler optimization techniques?

(A) RISC

(B) CISC

(C) Both RISC and CISC

(D) Neither RISC nor CISC

19. Which type of architecture is known for having a richer set of addressing modes?

(A) RISC

(B) CISC

(C) Both RISC and CISC

(D) Neither RISC nor CISC

20. RISC processors usually emphasize:

(A) Complex instruction execution

(B) High-level programming abstraction

(C) Simple instruction set and high performance

(D) Complex microcode implementation