WGU D386 PRACTICE SOLUTION FOR THE
EXAMINATION TEST GUARANTEED TO PASS
IN 2026.
⫸ Application Software. Ans: software program that helps you use
the computer to do particular tasks
⫸ Drivers. Ans: instructs a particular OS on how to access a piece of
hardware
⫸ version. Ans: particular revision of a piece of software, normally
described by a number that tells you how new the product is in
relation to other versions of the product
⫸ source code. Ans: actual code that defines how a piece of software
works
⫸ Open Source. Ans: Software that is created for free use by
everyone
⫸ closed source. Ans: source code that is highly protected and only
available to trusted employees and carefully vetted contractors
,⫸ Graphical User Interface (GUI). Ans: A visual display on a
computer's screen that allows you to interact with your computer
more easily by clicking graphical elements.
⫸ network. Ans: a group of two or more computer systems linked
together
⫸ Cooperative multitasking. Ans: Multiple processes must work
together for the operating system to work effectively.
⫸ preemptive multitasking. Ans: When the operating system
processes the task assigned a higher priority before processing a task
that has been assigned a lower priority.
⫸ Multithreading. Ans: Allows different parts of a single program to
run concurrently.
⫸ Interrupt driven I/O. Ans: involves the use of interrupt to
exchange data between I/O and memory.
⫸ programmed I/O. Ans: The Processor issues an I/O command, on
behalf of a process, to an I/O module; that process then busy waits for
the operation to be completed before proceeding.
⫸ Direct Memory Access (DMA). Ans: When a device controller
transfers an entire block of data from its own buffer storage to
memory without CPU intervention
,⫸ What is one reason why programmed I/O does not work well
when the I/O device is a hard disk or a graphics display?. Ans: A
complete instruction fetch-execute cycle must be performed to
transfer each I/O data word.
This interrupt-driven data transfer causes the programmed I/O to be
slow.
⫸ Fetch-Execute Cycle. Ans: the basic process performed by the
CPU. On each cycle the CPU fetches the next instruction from RAM,
interprets it and executes it.
⫸ processor. Ans: short for microprocessor or CPU
⫸ Level-0 Cache. Ans: Core registers- usually a few hundred or less
storage locations
⫸ Level 1 cache. Ans: Memory on the processor die used as a cache
to improve processor performance.
⫸ Level 2 Cache. Ans: Memory in the processor package but not on
the processor die. The memory is used as a cache or buffer to improve
processor performance.
⫸ Level 3 Cache. Ans: Cache memory further from the processor
core than Level 2 cache but still in the processor package.
, ⫸ Level 4 cache. Ans: is shared dynamically between the on-die
graphics processor unit (GPU) and CPU.
The L4 cache acts an overflow cache for the L3. Information evicted
from L3 is dumped into L4.
⫸ A client has recently purchased a CPU that references the amount
of L1 cache in the list of features.
What is this referring to?. Ans: the amount of memory residing
directly on the processor die
⫸ x86 processors. Ans: An older processor that first used the number
86 in the model number and processes 32 bits at a time.
⫸ x64. Ans: Describes 64-bit operating systems and software.
⫸ Which processors process in both 32 and 64 bits?. Ans: x86-64
processors
hybrid processors capable of processing 32 bits and 64 bits.
⫸ Dual-mode processors. Ans: there are two separate modes:
monitor mode (also called 'system mode' and 'kernel mode') and user
mode.
EXAMINATION TEST GUARANTEED TO PASS
IN 2026.
⫸ Application Software. Ans: software program that helps you use
the computer to do particular tasks
⫸ Drivers. Ans: instructs a particular OS on how to access a piece of
hardware
⫸ version. Ans: particular revision of a piece of software, normally
described by a number that tells you how new the product is in
relation to other versions of the product
⫸ source code. Ans: actual code that defines how a piece of software
works
⫸ Open Source. Ans: Software that is created for free use by
everyone
⫸ closed source. Ans: source code that is highly protected and only
available to trusted employees and carefully vetted contractors
,⫸ Graphical User Interface (GUI). Ans: A visual display on a
computer's screen that allows you to interact with your computer
more easily by clicking graphical elements.
⫸ network. Ans: a group of two or more computer systems linked
together
⫸ Cooperative multitasking. Ans: Multiple processes must work
together for the operating system to work effectively.
⫸ preemptive multitasking. Ans: When the operating system
processes the task assigned a higher priority before processing a task
that has been assigned a lower priority.
⫸ Multithreading. Ans: Allows different parts of a single program to
run concurrently.
⫸ Interrupt driven I/O. Ans: involves the use of interrupt to
exchange data between I/O and memory.
⫸ programmed I/O. Ans: The Processor issues an I/O command, on
behalf of a process, to an I/O module; that process then busy waits for
the operation to be completed before proceeding.
⫸ Direct Memory Access (DMA). Ans: When a device controller
transfers an entire block of data from its own buffer storage to
memory without CPU intervention
,⫸ What is one reason why programmed I/O does not work well
when the I/O device is a hard disk or a graphics display?. Ans: A
complete instruction fetch-execute cycle must be performed to
transfer each I/O data word.
This interrupt-driven data transfer causes the programmed I/O to be
slow.
⫸ Fetch-Execute Cycle. Ans: the basic process performed by the
CPU. On each cycle the CPU fetches the next instruction from RAM,
interprets it and executes it.
⫸ processor. Ans: short for microprocessor or CPU
⫸ Level-0 Cache. Ans: Core registers- usually a few hundred or less
storage locations
⫸ Level 1 cache. Ans: Memory on the processor die used as a cache
to improve processor performance.
⫸ Level 2 Cache. Ans: Memory in the processor package but not on
the processor die. The memory is used as a cache or buffer to improve
processor performance.
⫸ Level 3 Cache. Ans: Cache memory further from the processor
core than Level 2 cache but still in the processor package.
, ⫸ Level 4 cache. Ans: is shared dynamically between the on-die
graphics processor unit (GPU) and CPU.
The L4 cache acts an overflow cache for the L3. Information evicted
from L3 is dumped into L4.
⫸ A client has recently purchased a CPU that references the amount
of L1 cache in the list of features.
What is this referring to?. Ans: the amount of memory residing
directly on the processor die
⫸ x86 processors. Ans: An older processor that first used the number
86 in the model number and processes 32 bits at a time.
⫸ x64. Ans: Describes 64-bit operating systems and software.
⫸ Which processors process in both 32 and 64 bits?. Ans: x86-64
processors
hybrid processors capable of processing 32 bits and 64 bits.
⫸ Dual-mode processors. Ans: there are two separate modes:
monitor mode (also called 'system mode' and 'kernel mode') and user
mode.
