Operating System Multiple Choice Question

Question : 1 What is the main purpose of an operating system?

  • A

    To provide a user interface for interacting with the computer

  • B

    To manage hardware resources and provide services to applications

  • C

    To run software applications on the computer

  • D

    To provide security for the computer system

Answer:

Question : 2 What is a process in the context of operating systems?

  • A

    A program that is currently executing

  • B

    A file system structure used to organize data

  • C

    A peripheral device connected to the computer

  • D

    A data structure used for communication between processes

Answer:

Question : 3 What is virtual memory in operating systems?

  • A

    A memory management technique that uses physical memory only

  • B

    A memory management technique that allows processes to use more memory than is physically available

  • C

    A type of memory used by virtual machines to store snapshots of the system state

  • D

    A memory protection mechanism that prevents unauthorized access to memory locations

Answer:

Question : 4 What is a thread in the context of operating systems?

  • A

    A sequence of instructions executed by a processor

  • B

    A data structure used for organizing files on disk

  • C

    A lightweight process that shares the same address space with other threads within the same process

  • D

    A mechanism for synchronizing access to shared resources between processes

Answer:

Question : 5 What is a deadlock in operating systems?

  • A

    A situation where a process is waiting indefinitely for a resource held by another process

  • B

    A mechanism for preventing unauthorized access to memory locations

  • C

    A type of error that occurs when a program attempts to access an invalid memory address

  • D

    A condition where multiple processes are competing for the same CPU resource

Answer:

Question : 6 What is the difference between multi-tasking and multi-processing?

  • A

    Multitasking allows multiple processes to run concurrently on a single CPU, while multiprocessing involves multiple CPUs executing tasks simultaneously

  • B

    Multitasking and multiprocessing are the same concepts with different names

  • C

    Multitasking refers to the ability to switch between different tasks quickly, while multiprocessing refers to the ability to execute multiple tasks simultaneously

  • D

    Multitasking is used in single-user systems, while multiprocessing is used in multi-user systems

Answer:

Question : 7 What is the role of the scheduler in an operating system?

  • A

    To allocate memory resources to running processes

  • B

    To manage input and output devices

  • C

    To control access to the CPU and decide which process to execute next

  • D

    To manage the file system and organize files on disk

Answer:

Question : 8 What is a file system in an operating system?

  • A

    A mechanism for managing files and directories on disk

  • B

    A process that manages communication between hardware devices and software applications

  • C

    A protocol used for transferring files over a network

  • D

    A set of instructions that tells the computer how to boot up and load the operating system

Answer:

Question : 9 What is the purpose of device drivers in an operating system?

  • A

    To manage memory resources and allocate space for running processes

  • B

    To provide a user interface for interacting with the computer

  • C

    To facilitate communication between the operating system and hardware devices

  • D

    To control access to the CPU and decide which process to execute next

Answer:

Question : 10 What is a shell in the context of operating systems?

  • A

    A protective layer that prevents unauthorized access to system resources

  • B

    A hardware component responsible for processing input and output operations

  • C

    A command-line interface for interacting with the operating system

  • D

    A file system structure used to organize data on disk

Answer:

Question : 11 What is the difference between kernel mode and user mode in operating systems?

  • A

    Kernel mode allows direct access to hardware resources, while user mode restricts access to only authorized operations

  • B

    User mode provides higher privileges than kernel mode

  • C

    Kernel mode is used for executing user applications, while user mode is used for executing system processes

  • D

    Kernel mode is used for multitasking, while user mode is used for multiprocessing

Answer:

Question : 12 What is the role of the interrupt handler in an operating system?

  • A

    To manage input and output devices

  • B

    To handle errors that occur during program execution

  • C

    To respond to hardware interrupts and invoke the appropriate interrupt service routine

  • D

    To allocate memory resources to running processes

Answer:

Question : 13 What is the purpose of a page table in virtual memory management?

  • A

    To store the contents of the CPU registers during context switching

  • B

    To manage the allocation and deallocation of memory pages

  • C

    To translate virtual addresses to physical addresses

  • D

    To synchronize access to shared resources between processes

Answer:

Question : 14 What is a deadlock in the context of operating systems?

  • A

    A situation where a process is waiting indefinitely for a resource held by another process

  • B

    A mechanism for preventing unauthorized access to memory locations

  • C

    A type of error that occurs when a program attempts to access an invalid memory address

  • D

    A condition where multiple processes are competing for the same CPU resource

Answer:

Question : 15 What is the role of the file allocation table (FAT) in file systems?

  • A

    To store the contents of files in a hierarchical structure

  • B

    To manage access permissions for files and directories

  • C

    To map file names to file data locations on disk

  • D

    To manage the allocation and deallocation of disk blocks

Answer:

Question : 16 What is context switching in operating systems?

  • A

    Switching between different user interfaces

  • B

    Changing from one type of file system to another

  • C

    The process of saving the state of one process and loading the state of another

  • D

    Switching between different network protocols

Answer:

Question : 17 What is the function of the memory management unit (MMU)?

  • A

    To manage the allocation of CPU resources

  • B

    To translate virtual addresses to physical addresses

  • C

    To manage input and output devices

  • D

    To handle file system operations

Answer:

Question : 18 What is the primary purpose of a bootloader?

  • A

    To initialize hardware and load the operating system kernel into memory

  • B

    To manage system updates and patches

  • C

    To provide a graphical user interface for the operating system

  • D

    To handle user login and authentication

Answer:

Question : 19 What is the difference between paging and segmentation in memory management?

  • A

    Paging divides memory into fixed-size pages, while segmentation divides memory into variable-size segments

  • B

    Paging uses logical addresses, while segmentation uses physical addresses

  • C

    Paging is used for managing disk storage, while segmentation is used for managing RAM

  • D

    Paging requires hardware support, while segmentation does not

Answer: