Cambridge IGCSE Computer Science: Software
Answers with Explanations
Section A: Types of Software
1. What is system software designed to do? Answer: B) Control and manage hardware
operations
System software (e.g., OS, device drivers) provides a platform for application software by managing hardware
resources.
2. Which of the following is an example of application software? Answer: C) Microsoft
Word
Application software performs user-specific tasks (e.g., word processing), unlike system software.
3. What is the main purpose of utility software? Answer: B) To help analyze, configure,
and maintain a computer
Utilities (e.g., antivirus, disk cleaners) optimize system performance but don’t run hardware directly.
4. Which of these is NOT an operating system? Answer: C) Microsoft Excel
Excel is application software; others (macOS, Android, Linux) are OSs.
5. What type of software is an antivirus program? Answer: C) Utility software
Antivirus is a utility that protects the system but doesn’t control hardware like an OS.
6. Which software is essential for running application software? Answer: B) Operating
system
The OS manages hardware/resources, allowing applications (e.g., Word) to function.
7. What is the role of device drivers? Answer: B) To allow hardware devices to communicate
with the OS
Drivers act as translators between hardware (e.g., printers) and the OS.
8. Which of the following is an open-source operating system? Answer: C) Linux
Linux’s source code is freely modifiable, unlike proprietary OSs (Windows/macOS).
9. What does GUI stand for? Answer: B) Graphical User Interface
A GUI uses icons/windows (e.g., Windows OS) instead of text-based commands (CLI).
10. Which of these is a function of the operating system? Answer: B) Managing memory
allocation
The OS allocates RAM to applications and ensures efficient memory usage.
Section B: Application Software
11. Which software would a photographer most likely use? Answer: C) Photo editing software
Tools like Adobe Photoshop are designed for image manipulation.
12. What is the primary use of spreadsheet software? Answer: C) Performing calculations
and analyzing data
Spreadsheets (e.g., Excel) use formulas/functions for data analysis.
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13. Which of these is NOT an example of productivity software? Answer: B) Adobe Photo-
shop
Photoshop is creative software; productivity tools include word processors/spreadsheets.
14. What type of software is used to create and manage databases? Answer: C) DBMS
(Database Management System)
DBMS (e.g., MySQL, Access) organizes structured data efficiently.
15. Which software is used for real-time online communication? Answer: C) Video confer-
encing software
Tools like Zoom/Teams enable live communication, unlike email (asynchronous).
16. What is the main purpose of presentation software? Answer: B) To create slideshows for
displaying information
Presentation software (e.g., PowerPoint) visualizes data for audiences.
17. Which of these is a web browser? Answer: B) Google Chrome
Browsers (Chrome, Firefox) retrieve and display web pages.
18. What is the function of an email client? Answer: B) To send and receive emails
Email clients (e.g., Outlook) manage messages without requiring a web browser.
19. Which software is used to compress files? Answer: A) WinRAR
Compression tools (WinRAR, 7-Zip) reduce file sizes for storage/transfer.
20. What type of software is used to prevent unauthorized access to a computer? Answer:
A) Firewall
Firewalls monitor network traffic to block malicious access attempts.
Section C: Operating Systems
21. What is multitasking in an operating system? Answer: A) Running multiple applications
simultaneously
The OS switches CPU time between tasks (e.g., browsing while listening to music).
22. Which scheduling algorithm allocates CPU time in small bursts to each process? Answer:
B) Round Robin
Round Robin assigns fixed time slices per process, ensuring fairness.
23. What is virtual memory used for? Answer: A) To increase RAM by using disk space
When RAM is full, the OS uses disk space as ”virtual” memory (slower but prevents crashes).
24. Which of these is NOT a function of an OS? Answer: D) Writing application software
The OS manages hardware/resources but doesn’t write apps—developers do.
25. What is a distributed OS? Answer: A) An OS that runs on multiple interconnected
computers
Distributed OSs (e.g., Hadoop) share resources across networked machines.
26. Which OS feature allows multiple users to log in at the same time? Answer: A) Multiuser
support
Multiuser OSs (e.g., Linux) enable concurrent logins via terminals/network.
27. What is an interrupt in an OS? Answer: A) A signal sent to the CPU to request attention
Interrupts (e.g., from hardware/keyboard) pause the CPU’s current task for urgent requests.
28. Which type of OS is used in aircraft control systems? Answer: A) Real-time OS
Real-time OSs guarantee immediate response times for critical tasks (e.g., flight controls).
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29. What is paging in memory management? Answer: A) Dividing memory into fixed-size
blocks
Paging splits memory into ”pages” to optimize allocation and reduce fragmentation.
30. Which of these is a mobile operating system? Answer: C) Android
Android is designed for smartphones/tablets; others are desktop OSs.
Section D: Utility Software & Security
31. What does disk defragmentation do? Answer: B) Rearranges fragmented data for faster
access
Defragmentation reorganizes scattered file fragments to speed up read/write operations.
32. Which utility is used to recover deleted files? Answer: C) File recovery software
Tools like Recuva scan disks for recoverable data after accidental deletion.
33. What is the purpose of a backup utility? Answer: B) To create copies of data for restora-
tion
Backups protect against data loss from hardware failure/malware.
34. Which type of malware replicates itself ? Answer: A) Virus
Viruses attach to files/programs and spread when executed.
35. What does encryption software do? Answer: B) Converts data into unreadable code for
security
Encryption (e.g., BitLocker) scrambles data to prevent unauthorized access.
36. Which software protects against unauthorized network access? Answer: B) Firewall
Firewalls filter incoming/outgoing traffic based on security rules.
37. What is phishing? Answer: B) A fraudulent attempt to steal sensitive information
Phishing uses fake emails/websites to trick users into revealing passwords/data.
38. Which of these is NOT a security measure? Answer: C) Disk defragmentation
Defragmentation improves performance but doesn’t enhance security.
39. What does a full backup do? Answer: B) Makes a complete copy of all data
Full backups store everything, unlike incremental backups (only changed files).
40. Which utility helps in monitoring system performance? Answer: A) Task Manager
Task Manager (Windows) shows CPU/RAM usage and running processes.
