WGU D686 OPERATING SYSTEMS FOR
COMPUTER SCIENTISTS
OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT (OA) FINAL EXAM
BANK
200 QUESTIONS & CORRECT VERIFIED
ANSWERS | GUARANTEED PASS (GRADED
A+)
SECTION 1: OPERATING SYSTEM FUNDAMENTALS
Q1: What are the four main goals of an operating system?
A) Speed, graphics, security, cost
B) Execute user programs, convenience, efficiency, security/stability
C) Multitasking, memory protection, user interface, file naming
D) Interrupt handling, caching, spooling, virtualization
Answer: B
Rationale: The OS acts as a resource allocator and control program. Its goals are to
execute user programs, make the system convenient to use, use hardware efficiently,
and ensure security and stability.
Q2: What is the primary function of an operating system (OS)?
A) Writing application programs for end users
B) Managing hardware and software resources
,C) Designing web pages and graphical interfaces
D) Running only antivirus and security software
Answer: B
Rationale: The OS acts as an intermediary between hardware and user applications,
managing the CPU, memory, I/O, and storage resources.
Q3: What is the kernel in an operating system?
A) An optional application that can be removed
B) A set of device drivers
C) The core OS component running after boot that manages CPU, memory, and I/O
D) Network middleware
Answer: C
Rationale: The kernel is the operating system component running on the computer
at all times after system boot. It provides the lowest level of abstraction and interacts
directly with hardware.
Q4: Which type of operating system kernel provides services entirely in one
address space for maximum performance?
A) Microkernel
B) Monolithic kernel
C) Exokernel
D) Hybrid kernel
Answer: B
Rationale: Monolithic kernels implement all core OS functions in a single address
space, which is fast but lacks fault tolerance; a single bug can bring down the entire
system.
Q5: The "mode bit" in the CPU hardware indicates whether the system is
running in:
,A) 32-bit or 64-bit instructions
B) Kernel mode or User mode
C) Fast or slow speed
D) Little endian or Big endian
Answer: B
Rationale: A mode bit of 0 indicates Kernel mode (privileged instructions allowed),
while a mode bit of 1 indicates User mode (restricted).
SECTION 2: PROCESS MANAGEMENT
Q6: A process is currently being executed by the CPU. Which state is it in?
A) New
B) Ready
C) Running
D) Waiting
Answer: C
Rationale: The "Running" state means the process instructions are currently being
processed by the CPU core.
Q7: A process is waiting for an I/O operation (e.g., a disk read) to complete.
Which state does it enter?
A) Running
B) Ready
C) Terminated
D) Waiting (Blocked)
Answer: D
Rationale: While waiting for a resource like I/O or a lock, the process is moved to the
"Waiting" (or Blocked) state and removed from the CPU.
, Q8: Which process state transition is possible only after an I/O event
completes?
A) Running → Ready
B) Running → Blocked
C) Blocked → Ready
D) Ready → Running
Answer: C
Rationale: A process in the Blocked state is waiting for an I/O event. Once the I/O
finishes, the process moves to the Ready queue.
Q9: What is the name of the process by which the CPU switches from one
process to another, saving the state of the old process and loading the saved
state for the new process?
A) Context switch
B) Mode switch
C) Dispatch latency
D) Process migration
Answer: A
Rationale: A context switch is the core mechanism of multitasking—saving the PCB
(program counter, registers, etc.) of the current process and restoring that of the
next.
Q10: Which component is NOT part of a process's execution state (context)?
A) Program Counter
B) Stack
C) Hard Disk Drive location
D) Register contents
Answer: C
Rationale: The execution state includes CPU registers, program counter, stack, and
heap. Storage location on HDD is part of the process image on disk, not the active
CPU context.
COMPUTER SCIENTISTS
OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT (OA) FINAL EXAM
BANK
200 QUESTIONS & CORRECT VERIFIED
ANSWERS | GUARANTEED PASS (GRADED
A+)
SECTION 1: OPERATING SYSTEM FUNDAMENTALS
Q1: What are the four main goals of an operating system?
A) Speed, graphics, security, cost
B) Execute user programs, convenience, efficiency, security/stability
C) Multitasking, memory protection, user interface, file naming
D) Interrupt handling, caching, spooling, virtualization
Answer: B
Rationale: The OS acts as a resource allocator and control program. Its goals are to
execute user programs, make the system convenient to use, use hardware efficiently,
and ensure security and stability.
Q2: What is the primary function of an operating system (OS)?
A) Writing application programs for end users
B) Managing hardware and software resources
,C) Designing web pages and graphical interfaces
D) Running only antivirus and security software
Answer: B
Rationale: The OS acts as an intermediary between hardware and user applications,
managing the CPU, memory, I/O, and storage resources.
Q3: What is the kernel in an operating system?
A) An optional application that can be removed
B) A set of device drivers
C) The core OS component running after boot that manages CPU, memory, and I/O
D) Network middleware
Answer: C
Rationale: The kernel is the operating system component running on the computer
at all times after system boot. It provides the lowest level of abstraction and interacts
directly with hardware.
Q4: Which type of operating system kernel provides services entirely in one
address space for maximum performance?
A) Microkernel
B) Monolithic kernel
C) Exokernel
D) Hybrid kernel
Answer: B
Rationale: Monolithic kernels implement all core OS functions in a single address
space, which is fast but lacks fault tolerance; a single bug can bring down the entire
system.
Q5: The "mode bit" in the CPU hardware indicates whether the system is
running in:
,A) 32-bit or 64-bit instructions
B) Kernel mode or User mode
C) Fast or slow speed
D) Little endian or Big endian
Answer: B
Rationale: A mode bit of 0 indicates Kernel mode (privileged instructions allowed),
while a mode bit of 1 indicates User mode (restricted).
SECTION 2: PROCESS MANAGEMENT
Q6: A process is currently being executed by the CPU. Which state is it in?
A) New
B) Ready
C) Running
D) Waiting
Answer: C
Rationale: The "Running" state means the process instructions are currently being
processed by the CPU core.
Q7: A process is waiting for an I/O operation (e.g., a disk read) to complete.
Which state does it enter?
A) Running
B) Ready
C) Terminated
D) Waiting (Blocked)
Answer: D
Rationale: While waiting for a resource like I/O or a lock, the process is moved to the
"Waiting" (or Blocked) state and removed from the CPU.
, Q8: Which process state transition is possible only after an I/O event
completes?
A) Running → Ready
B) Running → Blocked
C) Blocked → Ready
D) Ready → Running
Answer: C
Rationale: A process in the Blocked state is waiting for an I/O event. Once the I/O
finishes, the process moves to the Ready queue.
Q9: What is the name of the process by which the CPU switches from one
process to another, saving the state of the old process and loading the saved
state for the new process?
A) Context switch
B) Mode switch
C) Dispatch latency
D) Process migration
Answer: A
Rationale: A context switch is the core mechanism of multitasking—saving the PCB
(program counter, registers, etc.) of the current process and restoring that of the
next.
Q10: Which component is NOT part of a process's execution state (context)?
A) Program Counter
B) Stack
C) Hard Disk Drive location
D) Register contents
Answer: C
Rationale: The execution state includes CPU registers, program counter, stack, and
heap. Storage location on HDD is part of the process image on disk, not the active
CPU context.
