Cambridge IGCSE · Information and Communication Technology (0417)

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 questions24 marksFree, no account

Question 1

1 mark

Which internal hardware component is a circuit board that contains the main components of a computer and has connectors for other circuit boards to be slotted into?

Question 2

1 mark

Which of the following describes the most accurate difference between Command Line Interface (CLI) and Graphical User Interface (GUI)?

Question 3

1 mark

A user is interacting with an operating system through a gesture-based interface. Which of the following hardware combinations is most likely required to support this type of interface efficiently?

Question 4

1 mark

Which of the following is an example of system software?

Question 5

1 mark

Why is analogue data typically converted to digital data before it can be processed by a computer system?

Question 6

2 marks

State the primary function of the Central Processing Unit (CPU) within a computer system.

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Question 7

3 marks

Describe the specific role of an Internal Network Interface Card (NIC) and explain why it is required even if the computer is not connected to the internet.

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Question 8

5 marks

Compare system software and application software by analyzing their different levels of interaction with the computer hardware and providing a technical reason why application software cannot run independently.

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Question 9

4 marks

Internal hardware components perform specific roles to ensure the computer system functions correctly.

(a) Identify two hardware components that would be found on a motherboard.
(b) Describe the primary function of the Internal memory (RAM) during the operation of a computer.
(c) State the purpose of a Network Interface Card (NIC).

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Question 10

5 marks

A video editing professional requires high-performance hardware and specific software to complete their work.

(a) Explain why a graphics card is a vital internal hardware component for this user.
(b) Identify whether video editing software is classified as system software or application software and justify your answer.
(c) State the purpose of a utility program and provide one example of how it might be used to maintain the professional's computer system.

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