A Level Computer Science OCR Practice Exam

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What type of data structure is best when you need a fixed number of elements?

Dynamic array
Static list
Tuple
Dynamic list

The correct answer is: Static list

A static list is optimal when you need a fixed number of elements because it is designed to hold a predefined size of data. Once the size is established, the static list allocates memory for that exact number of elements, making it efficient in terms of memory usage and access speed. In contrast, a dynamic array and a dynamic list can resize, which introduces overhead for managing changes in size and may waste memory if not fully utilized. Tuples, while immutable and also of fixed size, are typically used for different purposes, such as grouping heterogeneous data rather than functioning as a traditional list structure with fixed capacity for more uniform data types. Thus, for applications needing a predetermined number of elements, a static list is the most appropriate choice.