Cambridge IGCSE Computer Science: Software Multiple-Choice
Questions
Section A: Types of Software
1. What is system software designed to do?
A) Perform specific tasks for users
B) Control and manage hardware operations
C) Play video games
D) Edit documents
2. Which of the following is an example of application software?
A) Windows OS
B) Linux Kernel
C) Microsoft Word
D) Device drivers
3. What is the main purpose of utility software?
A) To run the computer hardware
B) To help analyze, configure, and maintain a computer
C) To create databases
D) To design websites
4. Which of these is NOT an operating system?
A) macOS
B) Android
C) Microsoft Excel
D) Linux
5. What type of software is an antivirus program?
A) Operating system
B) Application software
C) Utility software
D) Compiler
6. Which software is essential for running application software?
A) Web browser
B) Operating system
C) Word processor
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D) Disk defragmenter
7. What is the role of device drivers?
A) To provide a user interface
B) To allow hardware devices to communicate with the OS
C) To compile high-level code
D) To manage files on a disk
8. Which of the following is an open-source operating system?
A) Windows 10
B) macOS
C) Linux
D) iOS
9. What does GUI stand for?
A) General User Interface
B) Graphical User Interface
C) Global Utility Interface
D) Graphical Utility Interaction
10. Which of these is a function of the operating system?
A) Writing Python code
B) Managing memory allocation
C) Designing graphics
D) Sending emails
Section B: Application Software
11. Which software would a photographer most likely use?
A) Spreadsheet
B) Database
C) Photo editing software
D) Word processor
12. What is the primary use of spreadsheet software?
A) Writing essays
B) Creating slideshows
C) Performing calculations and analyzing data
D) Editing videos
13. Which of these is NOT an example of productivity software?
A) Microsoft PowerPoint
B) Adobe Photoshop
C) LibreOffice Writer
D) Google Docs
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14. What type of software is used to create and manage databases?
A) Word processor
B) Spreadsheet
C) DBMS (Database Management System)
D) Web browser
15. Which software is used for real-time online communication?
A) Video editing software
B) Email client
C) Video conferencing software
D) Spreadsheet software
16. What is the main purpose of presentation software?
A) To edit images
B) To create slideshows for displaying information
C) To write code
D) To manage files
17. Which of these is a web browser?
A) Microsoft Word
B) Google Chrome
C) Adobe Acrobat
D) VLC Media Player
18. What is the function of an email client?
A) To browse the internet
B) To send and receive emails
C) To edit videos
D) To create spreadsheets
19. Which software is used to compress files?
A) WinRAR
B) Microsoft Paint
C) Notepad
D) Calculator
20. What type of software is used to prevent unauthorized access to a computer?
A) Firewall
B) Media player
C) Word processor
D) Spreadsheet
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Section C: Operating Systems
21. What is multitasking in an operating system?
A) Running multiple applications simultaneously
B) Formatting a hard disk
C) Connecting to the internet
D) Installing new software
22. Which scheduling algorithm allocates CPU time in small bursts to each process?
A) First-Come-First-Served (FCFS)
B) Round Robin
C) Shortest Job Next (SJN)
D) Priority Scheduling
23. What is virtual memory used for?
A) To increase RAM by using disk space
B) To store permanent files
C) To improve internet speed
D) To enhance graphics performance
24. Which of these is NOT a function of an OS?
A) File management
B) Memory management
C) Hardware control
D) Writing application software
25. What is a distributed OS?
A) An OS that runs on multiple interconnected computers
B) An OS used only on smartphones
C) An OS that cannot connect to the internet
D) An OS with no user interface
26. Which OS feature allows multiple users to log in at the same time?
A) Multiuser support
B) Single-user mode
C) Real-time processing
D) Batch processing
27. What is an interrupt in an OS?
A) A signal sent to the CPU to request attention
B) A type of malware
C) A hardware failure
D) A software bug
28. Which type of OS is used in aircraft control systems?
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A) Real-time OS
B) Batch processing OS
C) Single-user OS
D) Distributed OS
29. What is paging in memory management?
A) Dividing memory into fixed-size blocks
B) Deleting unused files
C) Increasing CPU speed
D) Connecting to a network
30. Which of these is a mobile operating system?
A) Windows 10
B) macOS
C) Android
D) Linux (Ubuntu)
Section D: Utility Software & Security
31. What does disk defragmentation do?
A) Deletes unnecessary files
B) Rearranges fragmented data for faster access
C) Scans for viruses
D) Backs up data
32. Which utility is used to recover deleted files?
A) Antivirus
B) Disk cleanup
C) File recovery software
D) Firewall
33. What is the purpose of a backup utility?
A) To delete old files
B) To create copies of data for restoration
C) To improve internet speed
D) To compress files
34. Which type of malware replicates itself?
A) Virus
B) Spyware
C) Adware
D) Ransomware
35. What does encryption software do?
A) Compresses files
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B) Converts data into unreadable code for security
C) Deletes viruses
D) Speeds up the computer
36. Which software protects against unauthorized network access?
A) Antivirus
B) Firewall
C) Disk defragmenter
D) File manager
37. What is phishing?
A) A type of malware
B) A fraudulent attempt to steal sensitive information
C) A hardware fault
D) A backup method
38. Which of these is NOT a security measure?
A) Strong passwords
B) Regular software updates
C) Disk defragmentation
D) Two-factor authentication
39. What does a full backup do?
A) Copies only changed files
B) Makes a complete copy of all data
C) Scans for viruses
D) Deletes temporary files
40. Which utility helps in monitoring system performance?
A) Task Manager
B) Word processor
C) Web browser
D) Media player
