Cambridge International AS Level · Computer Science (9618)

Hardware: Practice Questions

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

10 questions21 marksFree, no account

Question 1

1 mark

Which type of primary memory is typically used for the BIOS/UEFI firmware because it retains its data when the power is turned off?

Question 2

1 mark

In the context of monitoring and control systems, what is the specific role of an actuator?

Question 3

1 mark

In the context of hardware devices, how does a Virtual Reality (VR) headset track the user's head movement to update the display accordingly?

Question 4

1 mark

A computer system needs to store the basic start-up instructions (bootstrap loader) that cannot be accidentally overwritten. Which type of memory is most appropriate for this purpose?

Question 5

1 mark

Which of the following describes the operation of a Solid State Drive (SSD) using flash memory?

Question 6

2 marks

Identify which type of storage (Primary or Secondary) is usually volatile and provide a specific example of such memory.

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Question 7

3 marks

Why is feedback considered essential in a closed-loop monitoring and control system?

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Question 8

2 marks

State the primary difference between Static RAM (SRAM) and Dynamic RAM (DRAM) in terms of their construction.

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Question 9

4 marks

Computers often use Read Only Memory (ROM) for specific tasks during the boot-up process.

(a) State the primary characteristic of ROM that makes it suitable for storing the bootstrap loader.
(b) Explain the difference between EEPROM and PROM.

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Question 10

5 marks

A company is upgrading its server room and needs to decide between using Solid State Drives (SSD) and Magnetic Hard Disk Drives (HDD) for their primary data storage.

(a) Describe how data is physically stored and retrieved on a magnetic hard disk.
(b) Explain two reasons why the company might still choose HDD over SSD despite SSDs being faster.

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