Lesson 4.2.1.3

4.2.1.3 Reading and writing text and binary files Quiz: AQA Computer Science, Unit 2

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 4.2.1.3, Reading and writing text and binary files: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Computer Science (7517), Unit 2: Fundamentals of data structures, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. How is data stored in a binary file compared to a text file?

    • ASCII text
    • Raw bytes
    • Formatted strings
    • Unicode characters

  2. What mode must a text file be opened in before reading its contents?

    • Execute mode
    • Write mode
    • Read mode
    • Append mode

  3. Which file mode adds new data to the end of an existing text file without overwriting it?

    • Append mode
    • Read mode
    • Update mode
    • Write mode

  4. What advantage does a binary file offer over a text file for storing numerical data?

    • Automatic encryption
    • No conversion needed
    • Plain ASCII format
    • Easy human editing

  5. What signal is checked when reading a sequential text file to detect when data ends?

    • Null terminator
    • Stack overflow
    • Buffer overrun
    • End of file

  6. In what order must fields in a binary record be read back from a file?

    • Alphabetical order
    • Exact written order
    • Reverse written order
    • Any random order

  7. What is stored when a complete record is written to a file stream?

    • Only primary keys
    • Variable pointer addresses
    • File metadata only
    • All constituent fields

  8. A text file contains 'Sam,42'. What type conversion is required to perform maths on the age?

    • Integer to string
    • Float to string
    • String to integer
    • String to boolean

  9. In what order are records accessed when using sequential file access?

    • Sorted key order
    • Last to first
    • First to last
    • Random index order

  10. What action ensures buffered output data is fully written to a file on secondary storage?

    • Reading the file
    • Closing the file
    • Appending the file
    • Opening the file

  11. What check must precede opening a user-specified file?

    • File existence
    • Memory limit
    • Type casting
    • Syntax check

  12. Which data structure is most suitable to store 100 integers read from a text file?

    • Boolean array
    • Single integer variable
    • Integer array
    • Character stack

  13. Which access method reads file records one after another in the order they are stored?

    • Hashed access
    • Direct access
    • Sequential access
    • Random access

  14. Which file access mode opens a text file to add data without overwriting existing content?

    • Append mode
    • Binary mode
    • Read mode
    • Write mode

  15. If a binary record writes a string then an integer, in what order must they be read?

    • String then integer
    • Any order preferred
    • Both simultaneously
    • Integer then string

  16. Which file mode parameter is used specifically for reading and writing binary files in Python?

    • r+b
    • append
    • rt
    • w+

  17. What causes newly written file data to remain temporarily unreadable by other processes?

    • File locking
    • Buffered output
    • Network latency
    • Disk caching

  18. What is a single data element contained within a record called?

    • Field
    • File
    • Byte
    • Key

  19. Which file access method allows updating a record directly without reading preceding records?

    • Direct access
    • Serial access
    • Sequential access
    • Indexed access

  20. Which data format is best stored using a binary file rather than a text file?

    • Raw image data
    • Plain text file
    • HTML document
    • CSV spreadsheet

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