AQA A-LEVEL COMPUTER SCIENCE:
HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ACTUAL
EXAM 2026 WITH 200 QUESTIONS AND
100% ACCURATE ANSWERS | ALREADY
GRADED A+ | GUARANTEED SUCCESS |
COMPUTER SCIENCE HARDWARE AND
SOFTWARE LATEST EXAM 2026
Define hardware (2 marks)
The electrical or electro-mechanical parts of a computer (1) on which software
executes (1)
Define software (2 marks)
Sequences of instructions called programs (1) which are understood and able to
be executed by hardware (1)
State the two types of software
System software and application software
Define system software (2 marks)
,A layer of software which enables the user to operate the computer (1) and
abstract the user from how the computer works (1)
State the main use of system software
To enable the user to operate the computer
State the 4 types of system software
Operating system
Utility programs
Libraries
Programming language translators
Define utility software and give an example (2 marks)
Software that performs a non-core/specific management function for a computer
Examples include: backing up files, restoring corrupted files, de/compressing
data, encrypting data, etc
State 3 examples of utility software
Disk defragmentation
File backup
File encryption
Antivirus
,Describe how a disk defragmenter works as a part of utility software (3 marks)
It reorganizes a hard disk so that files which have been split up into blocks (1)
and stored all over the disks are recombined into single series of sequential
blocks (1). This makes reading file quicker (1), optimizing the system and
therefore being a part utility software.
Define library software (3 marks)
Ready-compiled programs (1) which can be run when needed (1), and are
grouped together in software libraries (1)
Define application software (1 mark)
Programs that perform specific user-oriented tasks
State the 3 categories of application software
General purpose
Special purpose
Bespoke software (i.e. custom-written)
Define special-purpose software (1 mark)
Software used for a particular application
Define general-purpose software (1 mark)
Software that can be used for many different purposes
, Define bespoke software (1 mark)
Software tailored to the particular requirements of a customer
State an example of general-purpose software
A graphics package
State an example of special-purpose software
Payroll and accounts packages
Hotel booking systems
Fingerprint scanning systems
State 2 ways in which software is bought
Off-the-shelf
Specially written by a team of programmers for a particular organisation
State an example of bespoke software
A hotel wants to buy some visitor booking software. Theypay a group of
developers to make a bespoke software that satisfies their requirements.
Give an advantage and a disadvantage of using an off-the-shelf program rather
than a bespoke program
HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ACTUAL
EXAM 2026 WITH 200 QUESTIONS AND
100% ACCURATE ANSWERS | ALREADY
GRADED A+ | GUARANTEED SUCCESS |
COMPUTER SCIENCE HARDWARE AND
SOFTWARE LATEST EXAM 2026
Define hardware (2 marks)
The electrical or electro-mechanical parts of a computer (1) on which software
executes (1)
Define software (2 marks)
Sequences of instructions called programs (1) which are understood and able to
be executed by hardware (1)
State the two types of software
System software and application software
Define system software (2 marks)
,A layer of software which enables the user to operate the computer (1) and
abstract the user from how the computer works (1)
State the main use of system software
To enable the user to operate the computer
State the 4 types of system software
Operating system
Utility programs
Libraries
Programming language translators
Define utility software and give an example (2 marks)
Software that performs a non-core/specific management function for a computer
Examples include: backing up files, restoring corrupted files, de/compressing
data, encrypting data, etc
State 3 examples of utility software
Disk defragmentation
File backup
File encryption
Antivirus
,Describe how a disk defragmenter works as a part of utility software (3 marks)
It reorganizes a hard disk so that files which have been split up into blocks (1)
and stored all over the disks are recombined into single series of sequential
blocks (1). This makes reading file quicker (1), optimizing the system and
therefore being a part utility software.
Define library software (3 marks)
Ready-compiled programs (1) which can be run when needed (1), and are
grouped together in software libraries (1)
Define application software (1 mark)
Programs that perform specific user-oriented tasks
State the 3 categories of application software
General purpose
Special purpose
Bespoke software (i.e. custom-written)
Define special-purpose software (1 mark)
Software used for a particular application
Define general-purpose software (1 mark)
Software that can be used for many different purposes
, Define bespoke software (1 mark)
Software tailored to the particular requirements of a customer
State an example of general-purpose software
A graphics package
State an example of special-purpose software
Payroll and accounts packages
Hotel booking systems
Fingerprint scanning systems
State 2 ways in which software is bought
Off-the-shelf
Specially written by a team of programmers for a particular organisation
State an example of bespoke software
A hotel wants to buy some visitor booking software. Theypay a group of
developers to make a bespoke software that satisfies their requirements.
Give an advantage and a disadvantage of using an off-the-shelf program rather
than a bespoke program
