Basic Computer MCQ - Practice Questions

An algorithm is a finite, ordered set of steps used to solve a problem or complete a task. That exactly matches the idea of step-by-step procedures. A firmware programme is software stored in hardware to control a device, not the general name for a procedure. A software bug is an error or defect in a programme. A hardware programme is not the standard term for such instructions; hardware refers to physical components. Therefore the procedural definition points to algorithm.

Application software is designed for users to perform specific tasks, such as writing documents, preparing spreadsheets, browsing, or editing images. That is exactly what the question asks. An operating system manages hardware, files, memory, and other software, but it is not a task-specific user application. Utility software performs maintenance or support jobs such as antivirus scanning or file compression. Artificial intelligence is a field or capability used in some software, not the general name for user task software.

In the medical field, computers are widely used to assist in surgery through imaging, monitoring, robotic support and precise planning. Creating advertisements is mainly a commercial or media application, not a medical one. Visualising 3D objects can be useful in design and may sometimes support medical imaging, but the option is broader and less directly tied to the medical field than surgical assistance. Distance education is an educational application. The medical use asked in the question is assistance in surgery.

In Binary Coded Decimal, each decimal digit is represented separately by a four-bit code. The decimal sum of 2 and 3 is 5, and the BCD representation of the digit 5 is 0101. The code 1111 is not a valid BCD digit for a decimal value from 0 to 9. The code 0000 represents decimal 0, not the sum. The code 1000 represents decimal 8, so it does not match 2 + 3.

Bitwise operators work directly on the binary representation of values. The left-shift symbol << shifts bits to the left, the right-shift symbol >> shifts bits to the right, and the ampersand & is the bitwise AND operator. A full stop or dot is not a bitwise operator; in many programming contexts it is used for member access or as part of numeric notation, depending on the language. Therefore the dot is the item that does not belong to the set of bitwise operators.

The central processing unit is the main processing component of a computer. It fetches instructions, decodes them, performs arithmetic and logical operations, and controls the execution of programs. Displaying data is mainly the role of output devices such as a monitor. Transmitting data is handled by communication devices and network interfaces. Storing data is the work of memory and storage devices such as RAM, hard disks, and solid-state drives, though the CPU coordinates their use.

A bus is the communication pathway made of several lines that transfers bits together in parallel and works with control signals for timing and coordination. Plain wires only describe the physical conductors, not the organised communication system. Data cables are external or internal connecting media, but the term does not capture the control scheme of a computer pathway. Registers are small, fast storage locations inside the processor; they hold data temporarily instead of carrying a group of bits between units.

In computer architecture, a bus is the set of physical communication lines used to transfer data, addresses, and control signals between components such as the processor, memory, and input-output units. The CPU is the processing unit itself, not the wires that carry signals. A flowchart is a diagram used to represent steps in an algorithm or process. WAN means Wide Area Network, a network spread over a large geographical area. The physical pathways inside a computer system are therefore called a bus.

EEPROM stands for Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory. The word electrically is essential because the memory can be erased using electrical signals. Electronically erasable changes the standard expansion and is not the accepted full form. Erasable Electrically Process Read-Only Memory has the terms in a wrong and ungrammatical order, and process is not part of the expansion. Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Memory drops Only, so it no longer expands ROM correctly. The official key therefore matches the standard computer-memory term.

RAM is volatile memory, so it temporarily stores data and instructions while a computer is running. Its contents are lost when power is switched off. ROM is non-volatile memory and stores fixed instructions permanently, so ordinary users cannot easily alter or delete its contents. Reversing the pair makes the memory types wrong. A compiler is software that translates programs, not a memory used for temporary storage. An operating system manages computer resources and user interaction; it is not the permanent memory named in the second blank.