About this quiz
50 questions covering every section of the note on what a computer is, its generations, hardware, memory and its units, software, operating systems, number systems and common full forms.
This Lok Sewa practice set has 50 multiple-choice questions (Subject: Science and Technology · For: Kharidar, Nayab Subba, Section Officer · Level: Easy). Take the quiz above first; after that, use the study list below to revise every question with its correct answer and a short explanation.
Study list: all 50 questions with answers and explanations
In the basic working cycle of a computer, what comes between input and output?
- A) Storage
- B) Processing ✔
- C) Booting
- D) Printing
Why: The IPO cycle is Input, Process and Output; the computer processes the data before giving the result.
What does the term GIGO mean in computing?
- A) Good Input Gives Output
- B) Graphic Input Graphic Output
- C) General Input General Output
- D) Garbage In, Garbage Out ✔
Why: GIGO means that if wrong data is entered, the computer will give wrong results.
Who is widely called the father of the computer?
- A) Charles Babbage ✔
- B) Alan Turing
- C) Blaise Pascal
- D) John von Neumann
Why: Charles Babbage designed the Analytical Engine, which had the main ideas of a modern computer.
Which technology was used in first generation computers?
- A) Transistors
- B) Microprocessors
- C) Vacuum tubes ✔
- D) Integrated circuits
Why: First generation computers such as ENIAC used vacuum tubes, which were large and produced much heat.
Integrated Circuits (ICs) were the main technology of which generation of computers?
- A) Second
- B) Third ✔
- C) Fourth
- D) Fifth
Why: The third generation used ICs, which placed many transistors on one small chip.
Fifth generation computers are mainly linked with which idea?
- A) Artificial intelligence ✔
- B) Vacuum tubes
- C) Punched cards only
- D) Mechanical gears
Why: The fifth generation aims at machines with artificial intelligence that can learn and make decisions.
Which of the following is an output device?
- A) Scanner
- B) Keyboard
- C) Barcode reader
- D) Plotter ✔
Why: A plotter gives output by drawing on paper; the others send data into the computer.
Which part of the CPU performs addition and compares two values?
- A) Control Unit
- B) Cache
- C) Arithmetic Logic Unit ✔
- D) Motherboard
Why: The ALU does arithmetic work such as addition and logical work such as comparison.
What is the main job of the Control Unit (CU)?
- A) To direct and coordinate all parts of the computer ✔
- B) To store data permanently
- C) To print the results
- D) To perform all calculations
Why: The CU fetches and decodes instructions and tells other parts what to do; it does not process data itself.
Small, very fast storage places inside the CPU are called what?
- A) Hard disks
- B) Registers ✔
- C) ROM chips
- D) Pen drives
Why: Registers hold the data and instructions the CPU is using at that moment.
Why is RAM called volatile memory?
- A) It can only be read, not written
- B) It is placed outside the computer
- C) It stores data on a disk
- D) Its contents are lost when the power goes off ✔
Why: RAM holds data only while the computer has power; ROM keeps its contents without power.
Where is the start-up program (BIOS) usually stored?
- A) RAM
- B) Cache
- C) ROM ✔
- D) Printer memory
Why: BIOS is kept in ROM, which is non-volatile, so it is available every time the computer starts.
Which memory sits between the CPU and RAM to speed up work?
- A) Hard disk
- B) DVD
- C) Cache memory ✔
- D) Pen drive
Why: Cache memory stores frequently used data so the CPU does not have to wait for slower RAM.
Which of the following is secondary memory?
- A) Solid State Drive (SSD) ✔
- B) Register
- C) RAM
- D) Cache
Why: An SSD stores data permanently in large amounts, which is the role of secondary memory.
How many bits make one byte?
- A) 4
- B) 8 ✔
- C) 16
- D) 1024
Why: One byte equals 8 bits; 4 bits make a nibble.
How many megabytes are there in 2 GB?
- A) 2000
- B) 1024
- C) 512
- D) 2048 ✔
Why: 1 GB = 1024 MB, so 2 GB = 2 × 1024 = 2048 MB.
Which of the following is application software?
- A) A spreadsheet program ✔
- B) An operating system
- C) A device driver
- D) A compiler
Why: A spreadsheet does a particular job for the user; the other three are system software.
Antivirus and disk cleanup programs belong to which type of software?
- A) Application software
- B) Firmware only
- C) Programming languages
- D) Utility software ✔
Why: Utility software helps maintain and protect the computer.
What is the difference between a compiler and an interpreter?
- A) A compiler is hardware and an interpreter is software
- B) A compiler translates the whole program at once; an interpreter translates line by line ✔
- C) An interpreter translates the whole program at once; a compiler works line by line
- D) There is no difference
Why: A compiler translates the whole program in one go, while an interpreter translates and runs it one line at a time.
An operating system is best described as what?
- A) An input device
- B) A type of ROM chip
- C) A bridge between the user and the hardware ✔
- D) An application for typing letters
Why: The OS manages hardware, files and programs and lets the user work with the computer.
Which of the following is an open source operating system?
- A) Linux ✔
- B) MS Word
- C) BIOS
- D) Excel
Why: Linux is open source because its source code is freely available.
What is the base of the hexadecimal number system?
- A) 2
- B) 8
- C) 16 ✔
- D) 10
Why: Hexadecimal uses 16 symbols, 0 to 9 and A to F.
What is decimal 13 written in binary?
- A) 1011
- B) 1101 ✔
- C) 1110
- D) 1001
Why: 13 = 8 + 4 + 0 + 1 = 1 × 8 + 1 × 4 + 0 × 2 + 1 × 1, which is 1101.
What is the full form of USB?
- A) Unified System Bus
- B) Universal Storage Board
- C) User Serial Buffer
- D) Universal Serial Bus ✔
Why: USB stands for Universal Serial Bus, a common way to connect devices to a computer.
The father of the computer is:
- A) Alan Turing
- B) Charles Babbage ✔
- C) Bill Gates
- D) Steve Jobs
Why: Babbage designed the Analytical Engine.
The first electronic general-purpose computer was:
- A) UNIVAC
- B) Mark I
- C) ENIAC ✔
- D) Abacus
Why: ENIAC was built in 1946.
First generation computers used:
- A) Transistors
- B) Integrated circuits
- C) Microprocessors
- D) Vacuum tubes ✔
Why: 1940s–1950s.
Second generation computers used:
- A) Transistors ✔
- B) Vacuum tubes
- C) ICs
- D) AI chips
Why: Late 1950s–1960s.
Third generation computers used:
- A) Vacuum tubes
- B) Integrated circuits ✔
- C) Transistors only
- D) Valves
Why: 1960s–1970s.
Fourth generation computers use:
- A) Vacuum tubes
- B) Transistors only
- C) Microprocessors (VLSI) ✔
- D) Relays
Why: From the 1970s.
Fifth generation computers focus on:
- A) Vacuum tubes
- B) Punch cards
- C) Relays
- D) Artificial intelligence ✔
Why: AI and parallel processing.
CPU stands for:
- A) Central Processing Unit ✔
- B) Central Program Unit
- C) Computer Power Unit
- D) Control Processing Unit
Why: The brain of the computer.
The part of the CPU that does calculations is the:
- A) CU
- B) ALU ✔
- C) RAM
- D) ROM
Why: Arithmetic Logic Unit.
The part of the CPU that directs operations is the:
- A) ALU
- B) Hard disk
- C) Control Unit ✔
- D) Cache only
Why: CU controls instructions.
RAM is:
- A) Permanent storage
- B) Read-only
- C) An input device
- D) Volatile memory ✔
Why: RAM loses data when power is off.
ROM is:
- A) Non-volatile read-only memory ✔
- B) Volatile memory
- C) An output device
- D) A virus
Why: ROM keeps data without power.
1 byte equals:
- A) 4 bits
- B) 8 bits ✔
- C) 16 bits
- D) 1024 bits
Why: 8 bits = 1 byte.
1 KB equals:
- A) 1000 bits
- B) 8 bytes
- C) 1024 bytes ✔
- D) 100 bytes
Why: 1 kilobyte = 1024 bytes.
1 GB equals:
- A) 1000 KB
- B) 1024 KB
- C) 100 MB
- D) 1024 MB ✔
Why: 1 gigabyte = 1024 megabytes.
The smallest unit of data is a:
- A) Bit ✔
- B) Byte
- C) Nibble
- D) Word
Why: A bit is 0 or 1.
Half a byte (4 bits) is a:
- A) Bit
- B) Nibble ✔
- C) Word
- D) Kilobyte
Why: 4 bits = 1 nibble.
The physical parts of a computer are called:
- A) Software
- B) Firmware
- C) Hardware ✔
- D) Data
Why: Hardware can be touched.
Programs that run on a computer are called:
- A) Hardware
- B) Peripherals
- C) Ports
- D) Software ✔
Why: Software is a set of programs.
Software that manages the computer's hardware is:
- A) System software ✔
- B) Application software
- C) Utility only
- D) Malware
Why: The operating system is system software.
MS Word is an example of:
- A) System software
- B) Application software ✔
- C) Firmware
- D) Hardware
Why: It is used for word processing.
Very fast memory between CPU and RAM is:
- A) Hard disk
- B) ROM
- C) Cache memory ✔
- D) Pen drive
Why: Cache speeds up access.
SSD stands for:
- A) Super Speed Disk
- B) Solid Storage Device only
- C) System State Drive
- D) Solid State Drive ✔
Why: SSDs use flash memory.
The main circuit board of a computer is the:
- A) Motherboard ✔
- B) Keyboard
- C) Monitor
- D) Power cable
Why: All components connect to it.
The process of starting a computer is called:
- A) Formatting
- B) Booting ✔
- C) Compiling
- D) Scanning
Why: Booting loads the operating system.
Ctrl + Alt + Del on Windows opens:
- A) Calculator
- B) Paint
- C) Security options and Task Manager access ✔
- D) Recycle Bin
Why: It is used to manage frozen programs.