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Hardware: fetch-execute cycle and the effect of CPU characteristics on performance (clock speed, cores, cache size)
Practice Questions

20 CIE IGCSE Computer Science questions on Hardware: fetch-execute cycle and the effect of CPU characteristics on performance (clock speed, cores, cache size), each with instant feedback and a full examiner-style mark scheme.

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Try 2 sample questions on Hardware: fetch-execute cycle and the effect of CPU characteristics on performance (clock speed, cores, cache size)

Question 1 · 1 mark · Difficulty 1/3

Which part of the CPU temporarily stores the instruction that has just been fetched from main memory?

  1. Memory Data Register (MDR)
  2. Program Counter (PC)
  3. Memory Address Register (MAR)
  4. Current Instruction Register (CIR)
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — Current Instruction Register (CIR)
The Current Instruction Register (CIR) holds the instruction that has been fetched and is currently being decoded and executed. The Program Counter holds the address of the next instruction, not the instruction itself. The MAR holds the address being used to access memory. The MDR holds data or instructions transferred to/from memory but passes them on to the CIR.
Question 2 · 1 mark · Difficulty 1/3

Which of the following best describes the purpose of cache memory in a CPU?

  1. To increase the total amount of RAM available to programs
  2. To hold the address of the next instruction to be fetched
  3. To permanently store the operating system kernel
  4. To store frequently used data and instructions for rapid access
Show answer & explanation
✓ Answer: D — To store frequently used data and instructions for rapid access
Cache memory stores frequently or recently accessed data and instructions so the CPU can retrieve them much faster than fetching from RAM, reducing the average memory access time. Cache is volatile and not used for permanent storage of the OS. Cache does not extend RAM capacity. The Program Counter holds the address of the next instruction.
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20 questions · 25 min · free

CIE IGCSE Computer Science: Hardware: fetch-execute cycle and the effect of CPU characteristics on performance (clock speed, cores, cache size) FAQ

How many CIE IGCSE Computer Science questions on Hardware: fetch-execute cycle and the effect of CPU characteristics on performance (clock speed, cores, cache size) are there on Kramizo?
Kramizo currently has 20 exam-board-aligned practice questions on Hardware: fetch-execute cycle and the effect of CPU characteristics on performance (clock speed, cores, cache size) for CIE IGCSE Computer Science, with new questions added every week. Each question gives you instant feedback and a full examiner-style mark scheme that tells you exactly what would earn marks on a real CIE paper. The questions span the full difficulty range — from straightforward recall (level 1) right up to multi-step reasoning and evaluation (level 3) — so the bank works for first-pass revision and final exam-week stress testing alike.
Is Kramizo free for CIE IGCSE students preparing for Computer Science?
Yes — completely free. Every student gets 45 questions a day on the free plan, with no card required and no trial countdown. That free quota works across every subject and every topic in our bank, so you can mix Hardware: fetch-execute cycle and the effect of CPU characteristics on performance (clock speed, cores, cache size) practice with other Computer Science topics or even switch to a totally different CIE subject without paying anything. Kramizo's optional Pro plan removes the daily cap and adds detailed progress analytics, but the free tier is the real product — used by thousands of GCSE, IGCSE and CSEC students.
Are the Hardware: fetch-execute cycle and the effect of CPU characteristics on performance (clock speed, cores, cache size) questions aligned to the official CIE IGCSE Computer Science syllabus?
Every question is written against the published CIE IGCSE Computer Science specification, including the exact command words (state, describe, explain, calculate, evaluate, etc.), mark allocations, and difficulty tier you'd see on a real CIE paper. Explanations are written in the style of official examiner mark schemes — they tell you what is being awarded marks and why distractors are wrong, not just whether you got it right. The bank is continually refined to match the latest syllabus updates from CIE.
How is Hardware: fetch-execute cycle and the effect of CPU characteristics on performance (clock speed, cores, cache size) typically tested on CIE IGCSE Computer Science papers?
Hardware: fetch-execute cycle and the effect of CPU characteristics on performance (clock speed, cores, cache size) appears across multiple question types on real CIE IGCSE Computer Science papers — most commonly as multiple-choice questions in the objective section, structured short-answer questions in the main paper, and occasionally as part of an extended response. Kramizo's practice bank reflects that mix: 4-option MCQs, true/false statements, fill-in-the-blank key terms, multi-select questions, and ordering questions. Working through the bank gives you exposure to every question style examiners actually use.

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