Question

Which of the following statement is not correct about addressing modes ?

• A. Immediate addressing reduces memory access time
• B. Index addressing is used for accessing array elements
• C. Register indirect addressing allows accessing memory via a pointer
• D. Relative addressing cannot be used for branch instruction

Hint:

Relative addressing is the "secret sauce" for Branching. If you see a statement saying Relative Addressing isn't for Branching, it's almost certainly the false one.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Concept:
• Addressing modes define how the effective address of an operand is calculated.
• Common modes include Immediate, Register, Direct, Indirect, Indexed, and Relative.

Step 1: Evaluate Statement (A)
In immediate addressing, the operand is part of the instruction itself.
The CPU does not need to fetch the operand from memory separately.
Thus, it reduces memory access time. This statement is correct.

Step 2: Evaluate Statement (B)
Index addressing calculates the address as \(Base + Index\).
This is the standard mathematical way to access array elements at an offset. This statement is correct.

Step 3: Evaluate Statement (C)
Register indirect addressing uses a register that contains the address of the operand (a pointer).
This is the core of pointer implementation in high-level languages. This statement is correct.

Step 4: Evaluate Statement (D)
Relative addressing calculates the target address relative to the Program Counter (PC).
It is specifically designed for branch and jump instructions to allow for relocatable code.
The statement "cannot be used" is factually incorrect.