Which register holds the address of the next instruction to be executed?

Which register holds the address of the next instruction to be executed?

• A. Stack Pointer
• B. Instruction Register
• C. Accumulator
• D. Program Counter

Answer: (D)

The register that directs the processor to the next instruction to execute is the one that holds the address of that next instruction. It’s the Program Counter. After each instruction is fetched, this register normally increments to point to the subsequent instruction, so the CPU continues in sequence. If a jump, branch, or subroutine call occurs, the Program Counter is updated to the new target address, changing the flow of execution as needed. The other registers have different roles: the Instruction Register stores the instruction currently being executed, the Stack Pointer tracks the top of the call stack, and the Accumulator holds data for arithmetic operations.

The register that directs the processor to the next instruction to execute is the one that holds the address of that next instruction. It’s the Program Counter. After each instruction is fetched, this register normally increments to point to the subsequent instruction, so the CPU continues in sequence. If a jump, branch, or subroutine call occurs, the Program Counter is updated to the new target address, changing the flow of execution as needed. The other registers have different roles: the Instruction Register stores the instruction currently being executed, the Stack Pointer tracks the top of the call stack, and the Accumulator holds data for arithmetic operations.