Programming Quiz: Test Your Coding Logic and Basics

Review the foundational syntax of your target language - variables, data types, loops, and conditionals - as outlined in MIT OpenCourseWare. Use the "DRY" (Don't Repeat Yourself) mnemonic to avoid redundancy and write clean code. For example, a simple for loop in Java: for(int i = 0; i < 5; i++) { System.out.println(i); } helps cement loop logic.

Understand Big-O Notation to gauge how algorithms scale, from constant O(1) and logarithmic O(log n) to linear O(n) and quadratic O(n²), as taught in Stanford's CS courses. Remember the "No Logs? Linear Next" trick to recall O(n log n) for efficient divide-and-conquer sorts like merge sort. Practicing these classifications boosts your score on a computer programming quiz and real-world performance analysis.

Master the difference between recursion and iteration by studying the factorial example: n! = n × (n − 1)! with base case 0! = 1 (UC Berkeley CS material). Visualize each recursive call stacking on top of the previous one to prevent infinite loops and stack overflows. Use "Base Before Branch" as a mnemonic to check your base cases first.

Familiarize yourself with arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, and hash maps, referencing the ACM Digital Library for performance details. Note that array access is O(1), but searching a linked list is O(n); stack push/pop operations are also O(1), while hash map lookups average O(1) too. Practice implementing each in code - especially in a coding quiz online - to see these complexities in action.

Apply software design principles such as DRY, KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid), and SOLID - Single Responsibility, Open-closed, Liskov Substitution, Interface Segregation, Dependency Inversion - to write maintainable code (IEEE Computer Society). A handy mnemonic for SOLID is "Silly Owls Love Intelligent Ducks." Incorporating these patterns ensures cleaner code during coding MCQ challenges and large-scale projects.