CPU Scheduling Criteria Last Updated : 28 Jul, 2025 Comments Improve Suggest changes Like Article Like Report CPU scheduling is essential for the system's performance and ensures that processes are executed correctly and on time. Different CPU scheduling algorithms have other properties and the choice of a particular algorithm depends on various factors. Many criteria have been suggested for comparing CPU scheduling algorithms.CPU Scheduling AlgorithmsCPU Scheduling is a process that allows one process to use the CPU while another process is delayed due to unavailability of any resources such as I/O, thus making full use of the CPU. In short, CPU scheduling decides the order and priority of the processes to run and allocates the CPU time based on various parameters such as CPU usage, throughput, turnaround, waiting time and response time. The purpose of CPU Scheduling is to make the system more efficient, faster and fairer.Criteria of CPU SchedulingNow let's discuss CPU Scheduling has several criteria. Some of them are mentioned below.1. CPU utilization: The main objective of any CPU scheduling algorithm is to keep the CPU as busy as possible. Theoretically, CPU utilization can range from 0 to 100 but in a real-time system, it varies from 40 to 90 percent depending on the load upon the system. 2. Throughput: A measure of the work done by the CPU is the number of processes being executed and completed per unit of time. This is called throughput. The throughput may vary depending on the length or duration of the processes. 3. Turnaround Time: For a particular process, an important criterion is how long it takes to execute that process. The time elapsed from the time of submission of a process to the time of completion is known as the turnaround time. Turn-around time is the sum of times spent waiting to get into memory, waiting in the ready queue, executing in CPU and waiting for I/O. Turn Around Time = Completion Time - Arrival Time.CPU Scheduling Criteria4. Waiting Time: A scheduling algorithm does not affect the time required to complete the process once it starts execution. It only affects the waiting time of a process i.e. time spent by a process waiting in the ready queue. Waiting Time = Turnaround Time - Burst Time.5. Response Time: In an interactive system, turn-around time is not the best criterion. A process may produce some output fairly early and continue computing new results while previous results are being output to the user. Thus another criterion is the time taken from submission of the process of the request until the first response is produced. This measure is called response time. Response Time = CPU Allocation Time(when the CPU was allocated for the first) - Arrival Time 6. Completion Time: The completion time is the time when the process stops executing, which means that the process has completed its burst time and is completely executed.7. Priority: If the operating system assigns priorities to processes, the scheduling mechanism should favor the higher-priority processes.8. Predictability: A given process always should run in about the same amount of time under a similar system load.Importance of Selecting the Right CPU Scheduling Algorithm for Specific SituationsIt is important to choose the correct CPU scheduling algorithm because different algorithms have different priorities for different CPU scheduling criteria. Different algorithms have different strengths and weaknesses. Choosing the wrong CPU scheduling algorithm in a given situation can result in suboptimal performance of the system.Example: Here are some examples of CPU scheduling algorithms that work well in different situations. Round Robin scheduling algorithm works well in a time-sharing system where tasks have to be completed in a short period of time. SJF scheduling algorithm works best in a batch processing system where shorter jobs have to be completed first in order to increase throughput. Priority scheduling algorithm works better in a real-time system where certain tasks have to be prioritized so that they can be completed in a timely manner.Factors Influencing CPU Scheduling AlgorithmsThere are many factors that influence the choice of CPU scheduling algorithm. Some of them are listed below.The number of processes.The processing time required.The urgency of tasks.The system requirements.Selecting the correct algorithm will ensure that the system will use system resources efficiently, increase productivity and improve user satisfaction.CPU Scheduling AlgorithmsThere are several CPU Scheduling Algorithms, that are listed below:Types of CPU Scheduling Algorithms1. Non- Preemptive Scheduling AlgorithmsFirst Come First Served (FCFS)Shortest Job First (SJF)Longest Job First (LJF)2. Preemptive Scheduling AlgorithmsPriority SchedulingRound Robin (RR)Shortest Remaining Time First (SRTF)Longest Remaining Time First (LRTF)Multilevel Queue SchedulingMultilevel Feedback Queue SchedulingNote: CPU scheduling techniques encourage efficient use of system resource and effective task processing by analyzing and prioritizing criteria such as CPU Utilization, Throughput, Turnaround Time, Waiting Time and Response Time. Comment More infoAdvertise with us Next Article What is an Operating System? M mohitg593 Follow Improve Article Tags : Operating Systems GATE CS Operating Systems-CPU Scheduling Similar Reads Operating System Tutorial An Operating System(OS) is a software that manages and handles hardware and software resources of a computing device. 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Different 13 min read PracticeLast Minute Notes – Operating SystemsAn Operating System (OS) is a system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs. It acts as an interface between the user and the computer hardware.Table of Content Types of Operating System (OS): ThreadsProcessCPU Scheduling Algor 15+ min read Operating System Interview QuestionsAn operating system acts as a GUI between the user and the computer system. In other words, an OS acts as an intermediary between the user and the computer hardware, managing resources such as memory, processing power, and input/output operations. Here some examples of popular operating systems incl 15+ min read Operating Systems - GATE CSE Previous Year QuestionsThe Operating System(OS) subject has high importance in GATE CSE exam because:large number of questions nearly 10-12% of the total asked significant weightage (9-11 marks) across multiple years which can also be seen in the below given table:YearApprox. Marks from OSNumber of QuestionsDifficulty Lev 2 min read Like