Lesson 4.6.1.1

4.6.1.1 Hardware, software and their classification Quiz: AQA Computer Science, Unit 6

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 4.6.1.1, Hardware, software and their classification: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Computer Science (7517), Unit 6: Fundamentals of computer systems, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is hardware?

    • The data stored on a disk
    • The network connections only
    • The programs that instruct the computer
    • The physical components of a computer system

  2. What is software?

    • The programs that tell the hardware what to do
    • Only the operating system
    • The power supply
    • The physical circuits of the processor

  3. Which of these is an example of hardware?

    • An operating system
    • A solid state drive
    • A spreadsheet file
    • A word processor

  4. Which of these is an example of application software?

    • An operating system
    • A word processor
    • A compiler
    • A device driver

  5. What is system software?

    • Software for editing photos and documents for the user, which runs on top of the operating system
    • Data stored in the basic input and output chip, which holds the settings used at start up
    • Software that manages the hardware and supports application software, such as an operating system
    • Hardware that controls the system clock and keeps the time used by every process in the machine

  6. What is the role of an operating system in relation to the hardware?

    • To hide the complexities of the hardware and manage its resources
    • To replace the processor with software, so that the computer no longer needs any hardware chips
    • To store all user data on the hardware itself, so that files never need to be copied anywhere
    • To build the physical circuits of the computer as they are needed for each new program run

  7. Which of these is an example of a utility program?

    • A disk defragmenter, which rearranges files to make disk reads faster
    • A web browser, which displays web pages and runs scripts for the user's chosen sites
    • A compiler, which translates the source code of a program into machine code for the processor
    • A computer game, which is played by the user for entertainment on the same machine

  8. A laptop has a keyboard, RAM, a web browser and a hard disk. Which items are hardware?

    • The web browser only
    • The keyboard and web browser
    • The keyboard, RAM and hard disk
    • The RAM and web browser

  9. Which of these is system software?

    • A compiler that translates a program's source code into machine code
    • A spreadsheet that stores numbers and formulas for the user to calculate totals with
    • A photo editor that changes the colours and brightness of pictures the user has taken
    • A video game that is played by the user, with graphics that are drawn in real time

  10. Which of these is NOT system software?

    • A utility program
    • A spreadsheet
    • An operating system
    • A compiler

  11. A compiler is classed as which type of software?

    • Hardware, since it runs on the processor
    • Data, since it stores code
    • System software, specifically a translator
    • Application software, since programmers use it

  12. Which pairing of hardware component and its role is correct?

    • The monitor runs the operating system
    • The hard disk translates source code
    • The printer stores programs permanently
    • The processor executes instructions

  13. Which resource does the operating system allocate among competing processes?

    • Processor time, memory and input/output devices
    • Printed documents without a printer, since the operating system prints files directly to paper
    • Memory chips during manufacture, which the operating system orders from each supplier
    • Transistor designs for new processors, which the operating system works out for each chip

  14. What do utility programs do?

    • Provide a network connection to the hardware
    • Perform maintenance tasks, such as checking disks
    • Compile source code into machine code
    • Draw graphics for games

  15. A user runs a game on a PC. Which layer sits between the game and the hardware?

    • Nothing, since games bypass all software
    • Nothing, since the game controls every transistor directly
    • The keyboard, which runs the game code
    • The operating system, which allocates the hardware resources

  16. Why is a computer with no software of limited use, even though it has hardware?

    • Hardware stores all of its data in software form, so the programs are kept inside the chips
    • Hardware needs programs to tell it what to do, and without software it cannot carry out useful tasks
    • Hardware can run any task on its own, so software is optional for the computer to work well
    • Hardware becomes software once it is switched on, because the power turns the circuits into code

  17. Why does the operating system hide the complexity of the hardware?

    • So application programmers can use simple, consistent interfaces without managing each device
    • So that the hardware runs more slowly and more safely, since the operating system limits every task
    • So that users cannot see their files, which keeps the stored data private from the people using it
    • So that the processor can be removed from the machine, which lets the operating system take its place

  18. Why does the operating system need to allocate processors and memory among competing processes?

    • Memory is never shared between processes, so each one keeps a private copy of the whole machine
    • Several processes need shared hardware, so the operating system must coordinate access to avoid conflicts
    • The operating system manages only the keyboard, while all other devices are managed by the programs
    • Each process gets its own processor, so no allocation is needed and every task runs at full speed

  19. How does an interpreter differ from a compiler?

    • An interpreter compiles the whole program into a separate file before running it, unlike a compiler
    • An interpreter translates only assembly code into C, which then runs on the processor directly
    • An interpreter translates and runs the program one line at a time, without producing a separate machine code file
    • An interpreter is hardware that stores machine code in fast memory so programs can start quickly

  20. Why is firmware hard to classify as purely hardware or software?

    • It is software that cannot be stored on any device, so it exists only while programs run
    • It is software stored in hardware, such as the BIOS in a chip, so it sits between the two
    • It is found only in mobile phones, where it controls the battery and the screen directly
    • It is hardware that can be edited like a document, so users can change its content freely

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