IGCSE · Practice questions · The operating system, firmware and the hardware

Manage everything.

Six original Cambridge-style questions on the role and functions of the operating system, the bootloader and firmware.

Original questions All questions on this page are original work, written in the Cambridge IGCSE style. They are not from past papers. They test the same concepts and skills the syllabus rewards.

Keep these straight

Name it, then explain it.

Nine functions: files, interrupts, interface, peripherals and drivers, memory, multitasking, platform for applications, security, user accounts.
Add detail: say what the OS does for each function, not just its name.
Layers: application on OS, OS on firmware, firmware (bootloader) on hardware.
Bootloader: firmware in ROM that loads the OS into RAM at start-up.

Recall

[4 marks]

Identify four functions of an operating system.

Managing files. ✓
Managing memory. ✓
Managing multitasking. ✓
Providing an interface. (Also accept: handling interrupts, managing peripherals and drivers, providing a platform for running applications, providing system security, managing user accounts; one mark each, up to four.) ✓

Explain

[2 marks]

Describe how an operating system manages memory.

It allocates memory (RAM) to programs and data when they are loaded, and frees it when they close. ✓
It keeps the memory of each program separate so one program cannot overwrite another's data. ✓

Explain

[2 marks]

Describe what is meant by multitasking and how the OS manages it.

Multitasking is running more than one program so that they appear to run at the same time. ✓
The OS shares processor time (and memory) between the programs, switching rapidly between them. ✓

Explain

[3 marks]

Explain how hardware, firmware and an operating system are needed to run application software.

The bootloader is firmware, stored in ROM, which is run on the hardware when the computer is switched on. ✓
The bootloader loads the operating system into RAM, so the OS is run on the firmware. ✓
Applications are run on the operating system, which provides them with services such as memory and access to hardware. ✓

Apply

[3 marks]

A school's computers are used by many different students. Identify three ways the operating system could help keep each student's work secure.

Separate user accounts with a username and password for each student. ✓
Access rights so a student can only open their own files. ✓
A firewall and automatic security updates (or locking the screen after inactivity). ✓

Analysis

[2 marks]

A student says: "The bootloader and the operating system are the same thing." Explain why the student is wrong.

The bootloader is firmware stored in ROM that runs first when the computer is switched on. ✓
Its job is to load the operating system, which is usually stored in secondary storage and then runs from RAM. ✓

Mark this once you have attempted all six and checked your working. It records a Practiced badge on the topic and adds a one-time bonus. Revealing the solutions alone does not count.