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Quizzes > Computers & IT

Operating System Quiz: Test Your Fundamentals

Quick, free OS quiz to check core concepts. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Anders NilsenUpdated Aug 25, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
Questions: 20
Learning OutcomesStudy Material
Colorful paper art displaying various operating systems symbols for a fundamentals quiz

This operating system quiz helps you review core OS principles with 15 multiple-choice questions and instant feedback. Use it to spot gaps before an exam or interview, then try an os practice test or dive deeper with an operating system concepts quiz to strengthen fundamentals.

What is a process in an operating system?
A hardware interrupt handler
A program in execution
A static file stored on disk
A network communication protocol
A process is defined as a program in execution that includes the program counter, registers, and variables. It represents the dynamic behavior of executing code and associated resources. This distinguishes it from static files or hardware protocols.
What is the primary role of the CPU scheduler?
Managing file system metadata
Deciding the order in which processes access the CPU
Handling device driver requests
Allocating memory blocks to processes
The CPU scheduler determines which ready process in the queue will next use the CPU. It aims to optimize CPU utilization and system responsiveness. Other tasks like memory allocation and I/O handling are managed by different subsystems.
Which memory management technique divides memory into fixed-size frames and pages?
Partitioning
Paging
Swapping
Segmentation
Paging divides logical memory into pages and physical memory into frames of equal size, eliminating external fragmentation. Segmentation uses variable-sized segments and can lead to external fragmentation. Swapping and partitioning are different memory management methods.
What is the purpose of a semaphore in operating systems?
Formatting storage devices
Managing virtual memory pages
Allocating CPU time slices
Controlling access to shared resources
A semaphore is a synchronization primitive used to control concurrent access to shared resources by multiple processes or threads. It provides wait and signal operations to prevent race conditions. Other options relate to different OS functions.
What is the main purpose of a file system?
Organizing and managing how data is stored and retrieved
Allocating memory to running programs
Encrypting network communications
Scheduling processes on the CPU
A file system provides the structure and methods for storing, naming, and retrieving files on storage media. It handles metadata, directories, and allocation methods. CPU scheduling and memory allocation are handled by different OS subsystems.
In round-robin CPU scheduling, what happens when a process's time quantum expires?
It continues running until it blocks
It is terminated immediately
It is preempted and placed at the end of the ready queue
It is moved to the waiting state
Round-robin scheduling uses a fixed time quantum; when a process exhausts its quantum, the scheduler preempts it and places it at the back of the ready queue. This ensures fairness and responsiveness. Processes only move to waiting when they perform I/O or block for other reasons.
Which scheduling algorithm adjusts process priorities dynamically based on past CPU usage?
Shortest job first
Fixed-priority scheduling
Multilevel feedback queue scheduling
First-come, first-served
The multilevel feedback queue scheduling algorithm changes process priorities based on observed CPU bursts and behavior. It promotes I/O-bound processes and demotes CPU-bound ones to balance responsiveness and throughput. Other algorithms do not adjust priorities dynamically.
Which page replacement algorithm replaces the page that has not been used for the longest period of time?
First-In, First-Out (FIFO)
Least Recently Used (LRU)
Most Recently Used (MRU)
Optimal
LRU tracks page references and evicts the page that has gone the longest without being accessed, approximating the optimal algorithm. FIFO simply removes the oldest loaded page regardless of usage. MRU and Optimal follow different criteria.
Which type of fragmentation is minimized by segmentation?
External fragmentation
Network fragmentation
File fragmentation
Internal fragmentation
Segmentation allocates memory in variable-sized segments that match logical divisions of a program, thus reducing wasted space inside segments (internal fragmentation). It can still suffer from external fragmentation between segments. File and network fragmentation are unrelated.
Which file allocation method uses pointers in each block to link to the next block of the file?
Extent-based allocation
Linked allocation
Indexed allocation
Contiguous allocation
Linked allocation stores file blocks scattered on disk, with each block containing a pointer to the next block, forming a linked list. Contiguous requires sequential blocks, indexed uses a block of pointers, and extents allocate variable-length runs.
What is a key advantage of journaling file systems?
Complete elimination of fragmentation
Unlimited file size support
Automatic encryption of file contents
Faster recovery and consistency after a crash due to metadata logging
Journaling file systems write metadata changes to a journal before applying them, enabling quick crash recovery and consistent state. They do not inherently encrypt data, eliminate fragmentation entirely, or guarantee unlimited file sizes.
Which of the following is NOT one of the Coffman conditions necessary for deadlock?
Concurrency
Hold and wait
No preemption
Mutual exclusion
The four Coffman conditions for deadlock are mutual exclusion, hold and wait, no preemption, and circular wait. Concurrency is a general property of systems and not listed among those necessary conditions.
What is a race condition in concurrent programming?
A buffer overflow vulnerability
A state where all processes are blocked
A situation where the program outcome depends on unpredictable scheduling of threads
A file system corruption scenario
A race condition occurs when multiple threads or processes access shared data without proper synchronization, and the final result depends on the interleaving of operations. Deadlock, buffer overflows, and file corruption are different issues.
Which security mechanism enforces the principle of least privilege by specifying access rights to resources?
Firewall
Access Control List (ACL)
Public key encryption
Password hashing
An access control list specifies which users or processes have what permissions on a given resource, enforcing least privilege. Firewalls filter network traffic, encryption secures data, and hashing protects passwords.
Which I/O method allows devices to transfer data directly to memory without continuous CPU intervention?
Polling
Direct Memory Access (DMA)
Programmed I/O
Port-mapped I/O
DMA enables peripherals to read/write memory independently of the CPU, freeing it for other tasks. Polling and programmed I/O require the CPU to actively manage transfers, and port-mapped I/O refers to an addressing scheme.
In the Banker's algorithm, what defines a safe state?
No process is currently waiting for any resource
Available resources exceed the total allocated resources
Circular wait condition has been eliminated
There exists a sequence of all processes where each can obtain its maximum resource needs with current available resources
A safe state in the Banker's algorithm means the system can allocate resources in some order so that every process can eventually obtain its maximum requested resources and complete. It is about the existence of a safe sequence. Other options describe partial conditions but not the precise definition.
Which paging scheme uses a single global table entry per frame to reduce per-process memory overhead?
Hierarchical paging
Hashed page table
Inverted page table
Segmented paging
An inverted page table maintains one entry per physical frame containing (process, page) pairs, so memory overhead is reduced. Hierarchical paging uses multi-level per-process tables. Segmented paging and hashed page tables follow different structures.
What advantage do B+ trees provide for directory indexing in file systems like NTFS?
Automatic journaling of data blocks
Elimination of inodes
O(log n) search time and balanced structure for large directories
Guaranteed contiguous block allocation
B+ trees maintain a balanced tree structure that yields O(log n) lookup, insertion, and deletion times, beneficial for large directories. They do not enforce contiguous allocation or eliminate inodes and are unrelated to journaling data blocks.
Which security mechanism randomizes memory addresses at load time to mitigate certain exploit techniques?
Stack canaries
Data Execution Prevention (DEP)
Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR)
Non-executable stack (NX bit)
ASLR randomizes the memory locations of code, stack, heap, and libraries to make return-oriented programming and buffer overflow exploits harder. Stack canaries and NX/DEP are other protection mechanisms but do not randomize addresses.
When is a spinlock preferable to a mutex in multiprocessor systems?
When preemption must be supported
When critical sections are very short and lock hold times are minimal
When contention is high and threads should block
When threads need to sleep while waiting
Spinlocks are efficient for very short critical sections on multiprocessor systems because they avoid the overhead of context switches. If locks are held longer or contention is high, blocking with mutexes is more efficient. Spinlocks do not support sleeping while waiting.
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Learning Outcomes

  1. Identify key roles of process management and scheduling.
  2. Evaluate memory management methods like paging and segmentation.
  3. Analyze file system structures and storage allocation strategies.
  4. Demonstrate concurrency control and synchronization techniques.
  5. Apply security mechanisms to safeguard OS resources.
  6. Master device management and I/O operation principles.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Understand Process Management and Scheduling - Operating systems juggle multiple tasks like a circus performer, using scheduling algorithms such as First-Come, First-Served and Round Robin to distribute CPU time fairly! These methods prevent any program from hogging the processor and keep your system responsive.
  2. Explore Memory Management Techniques - Memory can be overwhelming, but paging and segmentation slice it into manageable chunks so programs can quickly load and store data. Dive into how the OS uses tables and pointers to track every byte in RAM and avoid memory chaos.
  3. Analyze File System Structures - File systems are like digital libraries where directory trees and allocation methods determine how data is organized and found. Study contiguous, linked, and indexed allocation to understand how files grow, shrink, and stay intact.
  4. Master Concurrency and Synchronization - When multiple threads or processes work together, the OS uses semaphores, mutexes, and monitors to prevent race conditions and data corruption. Learn how critical sections and locks keep your programs running smoothly without stepping on each other's toes!
  5. Implement Security Mechanisms - Operating systems protect your data using user authentication, access control lists, and encryption to keep out unwanted guests. Explore how permissions and secure protocols guard resources from hackers and ensure only the right users get inside.
  6. Grasp Device Management and I/O Operations - The OS speaks the language of hardware through device drivers, interrupts, and DMA to handle input/output smoothly. Discover how these layers translate your keystrokes and mouse clicks into actions on screen without missing a beat!
  7. Learn Virtual Memory Concepts - Virtual memory tricks your system into thinking it has more RAM by swapping pages to disk when needed, balancing speed and space. Understand page tables, swapping, and how to prevent thrashing so your applications run without hiccups.
  8. Understand Deadlocks and Their Prevention - Deadlocks are like traffic jams in a system where processes wait forever for resources. Study the four Coffman conditions and use resource allocation graphs to spot and break these standstills before they stall your machine.
  9. Explore File System Implementation - Dive deeper into file system guts by learning about inodes, superblocks, and journals that keep data consistent and recoverable after crashes. These core structures act as the blueprint and safety net for all stored files.
  10. Study Operating System Structures - Compare monolithic kernels and microkernel designs to see how modularity, performance, and security trade off in OS architectures. Pick your favorite model and imagine building your own lean, mean operating machine.
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