OCR A-Level Computer Science: Topic 1.2 Software

What is the primary function of an operating system?

• Execute user programs

• Manage system memory and resources

• Provide internet connectivity

• Compile source code

Which method divides memory into fixed-size blocks?

• Segmentation

• Paging

• Virtual Memory

• Fragmentation

Which memory management technique uses logical divisions of varying sizes?

• Paging

• Segmentation

• Fragmentation

• Swapping

What is the role of virtual memory?

• Stores BIOS settings

• Extends RAM using secondary storage

• Improves CPU performance

• Increases cache size

What triggers an interrupt in a computer system?

• BIOS updates

• Program termination

• Hardware or software events

• Cache overflow

What is the role of an Interrupt Service Routine (ISR)?

• Handles input buffering

• Saves program data

• Responds to interrupts

• Switches between user sessions

During the Fetch-Decode-Execute cycle, when can an interrupt be handled?

• During the fetch stage

• At any time

• At the end of execute stage

• Only during boot

Which scheduling algorithm gives each process a fixed time slice?

• First Come First Served

• Shortest Job First

• Round Robin

• Multi-level Feedback

Which scheduling method prioritises jobs based on the time they arrive?

• Round Robin

• First Come First Served

• Shortest Remaining Time

• Multi-level Feedback

Which type of OS allows several users to access a computer at once?

• Multi-user

• Real-time

• Embedded

• Distributed