AQA A Level · Computer Science 7517

Hardware and software: Practice Questions

5 multiple-choice questions marked as you go, and 5 written questions with worked solutions. All on Hardware and software.

10 questions22 marksFree, no account

Question 1

1 mark

Which specific component of an Operating System is responsible for allocating processor time and memory to competing processes?

Question 2

1 mark

An operating system is said to "hide the complexities of the hardware" from the user and the application programmer. What is the standard term for this concept?

Question 3

1 mark

Consider the use of libraries in software development. What is a significant advantage of using static libraries during the compilation process compared to writing all functions from scratch?

Question 4

1 mark

A programmer is writing a script to automate file backups and compress old logs. Into which category of system software does this script most likely fall?

Question 5

1 mark

Which type of program translator is used to convert a program written in a low-level language that uses mnemonics into its equivalent binary machine code?

Question 6

2 marks

Define the term hardware and provide one example of an internal hardware component.

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Question 7

3 marks

What is the purpose of utility programs within a computer system?

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Question 8

2 marks

What is the primary difference between system software and application software?

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Question 9

4 marks

Identify whether each of the following is classified as System Software or Application Software and justify your choice for the first two:
i) An Operating System
ii) A Word Processor
iii) A Library
iv) A Compiler

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Question 10

6 marks

The Operating System (OS) is a vital piece of system software.
a) Explain the term resource management in the context of an OS.
b) Describe how the OS uses interrupts to manage competing processes.

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