WGU D446 - INTRODUCTION TO
SYSTEMS SOFTWARE PRACTICE EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2027
1. Which component of the operating system is responsible for direct communication with
hardware and managing system resources?
A. The Shell
B. The Kernel
C. The Application Programming Interface (API)
D. The Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Answer: B
Conceptual Explanation: The kernel is the core of the OS that manages hardware
resources (CPU, memory, I/O) and acts as a bridge between applications and hardware.
2. Which type of hypervisor runs directly on the host’s physical hardware without a preceding
operating system?
A. Hosted Hypervisor
B. Type 2 Hypervisor
C. Type 1 Hypervisor
,D. Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM)
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: Type 1 hypervisors (bare-metal) run directly on the hardware,
whereas Type 2 hypervisors run on top of an existing host OS.
3. In a Linux file system, which directory typically contains configuration files for the system?
A. /etc
B. /home
C. /bin
D. /var
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: The /etc directory is the standard location for system-wide
configuration files in Linux and Unix-like systems.
4. What is the primary difference between a process and a thread?
A. Processes share the same memory space, while threads have isolated memory.
B. Threads carry more overhead than processes.
C. A process can have multiple threads, while a thread is a single sequence of execution
within a process.
D. A thread is the same as a kernel module.
, Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: A process is an instance of a program in execution with its own
memory space; a thread is a unit of execution within that process that shares the process’s
resources.
5. Which cloud service model provides the consumer with the ability to deploy applications
without managing the underlying infrastructure like servers or storage?
A. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
B. Software as a Service (SaaS)
C. Data as a Service (DaaS)
D. Platform as a Service (PaaS)
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: PaaS provides a platform (runtime environments, databases)
allowing users to develop and deploy applications without managing the hardware or OS.
6. What does the ‘chmod 755 filename’ command do in Linux?
A. Deletes the file permissions.
B. Gives full control to everyone.
C. Restricts the file to be read-only.
D. Sets read, write, and execute for the owner, and read and execute for others.
Answer: D
SYSTEMS SOFTWARE PRACTICE EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2027
1. Which component of the operating system is responsible for direct communication with
hardware and managing system resources?
A. The Shell
B. The Kernel
C. The Application Programming Interface (API)
D. The Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Answer: B
Conceptual Explanation: The kernel is the core of the OS that manages hardware
resources (CPU, memory, I/O) and acts as a bridge between applications and hardware.
2. Which type of hypervisor runs directly on the host’s physical hardware without a preceding
operating system?
A. Hosted Hypervisor
B. Type 2 Hypervisor
C. Type 1 Hypervisor
,D. Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM)
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: Type 1 hypervisors (bare-metal) run directly on the hardware,
whereas Type 2 hypervisors run on top of an existing host OS.
3. In a Linux file system, which directory typically contains configuration files for the system?
A. /etc
B. /home
C. /bin
D. /var
Answer: A
Conceptual Explanation: The /etc directory is the standard location for system-wide
configuration files in Linux and Unix-like systems.
4. What is the primary difference between a process and a thread?
A. Processes share the same memory space, while threads have isolated memory.
B. Threads carry more overhead than processes.
C. A process can have multiple threads, while a thread is a single sequence of execution
within a process.
D. A thread is the same as a kernel module.
, Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: A process is an instance of a program in execution with its own
memory space; a thread is a unit of execution within that process that shares the process’s
resources.
5. Which cloud service model provides the consumer with the ability to deploy applications
without managing the underlying infrastructure like servers or storage?
A. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
B. Software as a Service (SaaS)
C. Data as a Service (DaaS)
D. Platform as a Service (PaaS)
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: PaaS provides a platform (runtime environments, databases)
allowing users to develop and deploy applications without managing the hardware or OS.
6. What does the ‘chmod 755 filename’ command do in Linux?
A. Deletes the file permissions.
B. Gives full control to everyone.
C. Restricts the file to be read-only.
D. Sets read, write, and execute for the owner, and read and execute for others.
Answer: D
