GATE Fundamentals Audio Quiz Quiz

1. Database Performance Tuning

   If a database is lagging behind on performance, which of the following is the most direct way to improve data access speed?

   1. Setting up appropriate indexes for frequently accessed columns
   2. Disabling all database caches
   3. Increasing the number of user permissions
   4. Reducing the memory available to the database
   5. Running frequent full table scans

2. Caching Concept

   What is the primary reason for introducing a caching layer in a system architecture?

   1. To speed up data retrieval by avoiding repeated computations
   2. To reduce the number of users signing up
   3. To guarantee disk failures do not occur
   4. To increase the complexity of the design
   5. To make the code harder to debug

3. Interview Question Observation

   During an evaluation, what should a candidate do if asked an open-ended question they believe has multiple valid solutions?

   1. Explain their chosen solution and mention possible alternatives
   2. Ignore the question and talk about a different topic
   3. Refuse to answer since it is open-ended
   4. Ask the interviewer for the correct answer immediately
   5. Provide all possible answers without explanation

4. Index Usage

   Which of the following best describes the benefit of using indexes in a database?

   1. Indexes make retrieving specific data faster
   2. Indexes increase security of user authentication
   3. Indexes automatically backup the database
   4. Indexes send data to external sources
   5. Indexes slow down all queries for consistency

5. Common Interview Pitfall

   Which is a common challenge faced in technical interviews with generic evaluators?

   1. Interviewers may not have deep knowledge of the topics asked
   2. Candidates are only allowed to answer yes or no
   3. All questions require only mathematical calculations
   4. Interviews always involve physical hardware setup
   5. You must demonstrate every answer with real data

6. Performance Diagnosis

   If a database is performing slowly, what is an important step before making changes?

   1. Analyze current usage patterns and bottlenecks
   2. Immediately add more users
   3. Remove all indexes
   4. Upgrade every machine regardless of cost
   5. Disable error reporting

7. Caching Effect

   Which scenario best illustrates the benefit of a caching layer?

   1. Frequently-requested items are served quickly from cache, reducing database load
   2. All requests take the same amount of time because nothing is cached
   3. Data is deleted immediately from all storage layers
   4. Security rules are automatically applied at all layers
   5. Users are required to re-authenticate for every request

8. Explaining Problem Solving

   When describing how to solve a technical issue during an interview, what is a good strategy?

   1. Discuss the obvious solution and mention alternative approaches
   2. Only mention solutions you have memorized verbatim
   3. Say you would consult the documentation and not answer
   4. Dismiss the problem as not relevant
   5. Ask the interviewer to solve it instead

9. Approach to Open-ended Questions

   What is a reasonable response if a technical question seems broad or open-ended?

   1. Request clarification and define your assumptions before answering
   2. Ignore the question and talk about your resume
   3. Provide a single answer without justification
   4. Advise the interviewer to skip the question
   5. State that you do not know and move on

10. Code Snippet—Index Example

    Given the following code snippet: 'CREATE INDEX idx_user_email ON users(email);', what is the main purpose of this command?

    1. To speed up queries searching by the email column
    2. To delete all user records from the database
    3. To create a duplicate of the users table
    4. To enforce data encryption automatically
    5. To grant all users admin privileges