DSAIntermediateReady

Linked Lists and Pointer Thinking Assessment

This assessment verifies the Linked Lists and Pointer Thinking module. Passing it contributes up to 6 points in the 36-41 score band.

Questions

8

Limit

85m

Pass

85%

Score

+6

Question 1multiple-choiceIntermediate

8 pts

Linked-list cost model precision

Which statement is the strongest professional description of linked-list insertion cost?

Question 2codingIntermediate

14 pts

Linked-list traversal and dummy-node construction

Merge two sorted singly linked lists into one sorted list. You may reuse existing nodes. Explain edge cases, pointer safety, and complexity.

Question 3codingIntermediate

13 pts

Fast/slow pointers and reference identity

Detect whether a singly linked list has a cycle using O(1) extra memory. Explain why comparing values is wrong.

Question 4scenarioIntermediate

13 pts

Cycle risk in production reference chains

A workflow engine stores retry steps as a linked chain. A data bug can point a step back to an earlier step. Workers sometimes spin forever. Review the failure mode and propose a robust detection or prevention strategy.

Question 5code-reviewIntermediate

13 pts

Pointer mutation order and lost-reference prevention

Review this linked-list reversal idea: `current.next = prev; current = current.next; prev = current;`. Explain the bug and give the correct pointer update order.

Question 6codingIntermediate

14 pts

Two-pointer deletion and dummy-node boundary handling

Remove the nth node from the end of a singly linked list in one pass. Explain why a dummy node helps and how you handle removing the head.

Question 7scenarioIntermediate

14 pts

Hybrid linked-list design and production correctness

Design the core data structures for an LRU cache that supports get and put in O(1). Explain why a linked list alone is insufficient and what consistency risks exist.

Question 8multiple-choiceIntermediate

11 pts

Array versus linked-list trade-off judgment

A product feed needs page rendering, direct jumps by offset, and scanning visible ranges. Which answer is strongest?