Abstract: An associative memory used to translate a virtual page number (VPN) of a virtual word address to a physical page number (PPN) of a physical word address of a random access memory of a digital computer system is provided with a pair of independently addressable validity bit arrays, each of which arrays can store a validity bit in each of the addressable locations of each array. A pointer enables only one of the validity bit arrays to receive address signals corresponding to the lower virtual page number (LVPN) of a VPN. The validity bit read out of the memory location corresponding to the LVPN of the enabled array is used in determining if the PPN read out of the corresponding memory location of the associative memory is valid. The bits of the disabled array, immediately after it is disabled, are all reset, or cleared.