Switching Techniques MCQs: 12 Solved Questions on Circuit, Packet and Message Switching

Switching questions often look like pure definitions, but their distractors mix path reservation, store-and-forward behaviour, packet ordering, setup, headers and older WAN standards. One missed word can flip an otherwise easy answer.

First separate circuit, packet and message switching by the forwarding unit, path reservation and ordering behaviour. Then apply header arithmetic and the legacy WAN distinctions: X.25 supports virtual circuits, Frame Relay reduces hop-by-hop recovery, and ATM uses fixed cells. Choose before reading each answer. KnowledgeGate has over 25 questions on switching techniques, so keep practising through GATE CS exam preparation. Select a question number to open its full worked solution, and use the key clue to eliminate each distractor.

Switching techniques MCQs: build the comparison sheet first

Legacy map: X.25 is connection-oriented packet switching with switched virtual circuits and a DTE/DCE interface. Frame Relay detects damaged frames without X.25-style hop-by-hop acknowledgement and recovery. ATM uses fixed-size cells and is the historical long-haul telephone-network answer.

For numericals, write payload per packet = message size / packet count, then packet size = payload per packet + header size. Circle FALSE, not, only or requires before comparing conceptual options.

Switching techniques basics MCQs 1-2: identify the forwarding unit

Question 1

Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS), Computer Science, 2023

Identify the switching technique in which the message is sent in one go, but it is divided into smaller pieces, and they are sent individually. The pieces are given a unique number and address to identify their order at the receiving end.

• A. Message Switching

• B. Packet Switching

• C. Binary Switching

• D. Circuit Switching

Answer: B. Packet Switching

The clues divided into smaller pieces, sequence number and address identify packet switching and receiver-side reassembly. Message switching forwards one whole-message unit, while circuit switching reserves a path first.

Question 2

DSSSB, Computer Science, 2021

Which of the following statement(s) is/are true regarding switching techniques in Data communication?

Statements:

I. In circuit switching a dedicated path is identified between the sender and the receiver.

II. In packet switching each information to be transmitted between sender and receiver is broken down into smaller packets.

• A. Only I

• B. Only II

• C. Both I and II

• D. Neither I nor II

Answer: C. Both I and II

Test the statements separately. Statement I correctly identifies circuit switching by its dedicated path, and Statement II correctly identifies packet switching by its smaller packets, so both are true.

Circuit switching and packet switching MCQs 3-6: reservation, delay and order

Question 3

UGC NET, Computer Science, 2021

Which of the following statement is False?

• A. Packet switching leads to better utilization of bandwidth resources than circuit switching.

• B. Packet switching results in less variation in the delay than circuit switching.

• C. Packet switching sender and receiver can use any bit rate, format or framing method unlike circuit switching.

• D. Packet switching can lead to reordering unlike circuit switching.

Answer: B. Packet switching results in less variation in the delay than circuit switching.

After circuit setup, a reserved route makes delay comparatively stable. Datagram packets can meet different queues or routes, causing variable delay and possible reordering, so option B is false.

Question 4

UGC NET, Computer Science, Paper 2 (July), 2018

Which of the following statements are true ?

(a) Three broad categories of Networks are

(i) Circuit Switched Networks

(ii) Packet Switched Networks

(iii) Message Switched Networks

(b) Circuit Switched Network resources need not be reserved during the set up phase.

(c) In packet switching there is no resource allocation for packets.

Code :

• A. (a) and (b) only

• B. (b) and (c) only

• C. (a) and (c) only

• D. (a), (b) and (c)

Answer: C. (a) and (c) only

Statement (a) lists the three categories, and (c) describes packet switching without pre-reserved end-to-end resources. Statement (b) is false because circuit setup reserves the path and resources.

Question 5

UGC NET, Computer Science, Paper 2 (June), 2015

Which transmission technique guarantees that data packets will be received by the receiver in the same order in which they were sent by the sender ?

• A. Broadcasting

• B. Unicasting

• C. Packet switching

• D. Circuit switching

Answer: D. Circuit switching

An established circuit carries data along one reserved path, preserving order. Datagram packets may be routed or queued independently; broadcasting and unicasting only describe delivery scope.

Question 6

HTET, Computer Science, 2024

Which switching technique establishes a dedicated physical path between source and destination nodes through intermediate nodes of communication network?

• A. Packet Switching

• B. Message Switching

• C. Physical Switching

• D. Circuit Switching

Answer: D. Circuit Switching

The phrase dedicated physical path identifies circuit switching. Packet and message switching share intermediate resources, while Physical Switching is not a standard category.

Packet switching numerical MCQ 7: payload plus header

Question 7

UGC NET, Computer Science, Paper 2 (January), 2017

In a packet switching network, if the message size is 48 bytes and each packet contains a header of 3 bytes. If 24 packets are required to transmit the message, the packet size is ________.

• A. 2 bytes

• B. 1 byte

• C. 4 bytes

• D. 5 bytes

Answer: D. 5 bytes

Dividing the 48-byte payload across 24 packets gives 48 / 24 = 2 bytes each. Adding the 3-byte header gives 2 + 3 = 5 bytes. Check it with 24 x (5 - 3) = 48 bytes. Option A gives only the payload.

Message switching MCQs 8-9: whole-message store and forward

Question 8

Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), Computer Science, 2017

In this switching technique entire data is sent as a complete unit from the sender Node and delivered to the recipient Node via a number of intermediate Nodes:

• A. Data switching

• B. Circuit switching

• C. Packet switching

• D. Message switching

Answer: D. Message switching

The clues entire data and complete unit identify message switching, where each intermediate node stores and forwards the whole message. Packet switching divides the data, while circuit switching reserves a path first.

Question 9

MPPSC, Computer Science, 2025

What is the key feature of message switching?

• A. Real Time Transmission

• B. Store and forward

• C. Dedicated circuits

• D. No addressing needed

Answer: B. Store and forward

Each intermediate node stores the complete message before forwarding it, so Store and forward is defining. Message switching still needs addressing, reserves no dedicated circuit and is not characterised by real-time transmission.

X.25, Frame Relay and ATM MCQs 10-12: legacy WAN distinctions

Question 10

UGC NET, Computer Science, 2021

Which of the following statements are true?

A. X.25 is connection‐oriented network

B. X.25 doesn’t support switched virtual circuits.

C. Frame relay service provides acknowledgements.

D. Frame relay service provides detection of transmission errors.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

• A. A and D only

• B. B and D only

• C. C and D only

• D. B and C only

Answer: A. A and D only

X.25 is connection-oriented and supports switched virtual circuits, so A is true and B false. Frame Relay detects damaged frames but lacks X.25-style hop-by-hop acknowledgement and retransmission, so C is false and D true. The answer is A and D.

Question 11

UGC NET, Computer Science, Paper 2 (December), 2013

Which of the following is widely used inside the telephone system for long-haul data traffic ?

• A. ISDN

• B. ATM

• C. Frame Relay

• D. ISTN

Answer: B. ATM

Historically, fixed-cell ATM carried voice and long-haul data in telecommunications backbones. ISDN and Frame Relay miss the intended clue, while ISTN is not the requested standard. This does not describe present-day deployments.

Question 12

Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Computer Science, 2013

The X.25 standard specifies a

• A. Technique for start-stop data

• B. Technique for dial access

• C. DTE/DCE interface

• D. Data bit rate

Answer: C. DTE/DCE interface

X.25 specifies the interface between data terminal equipment (DTE) and data circuit-terminating equipment (DCE) for packet-network access. It is not a start-stop technique, dial-access method or data-rate specification.

Switching techniques MCQs: traps, score and the next practice step

Five traps to check:

• Do not confuse a reserved circuit with shared packet capacity.

• Do not assume packets always arrive in order.

• Remember that message switching stores the whole message.

• After dividing the payload, add the header to every packet.

• Do not transfer X.25 acknowledgement and recovery features to Frame Relay.

At 10-12, move to Subnetting MCQs: 12 Solved IP Addressing Questions. At 7-9, redraw the table and retry Questions 3, 4, 7 and 10. At 0-6, rebuild the sequence through GATE Guidance by Sanchit Sir before timing another set.

For protocol-level practice, use TCP and UDP MCQs: 12 Solved Transport Layer Questions. For timed mixed-subject practice, use the GATE Test Series.