System software — AS & A Level Computer Science (9618) questions by topic
Stating a purpose of the operating system, outlining what makes a computer massively parallel, and describing IDE features such as context-sensitive prompts are typical demands in this topic, spanning 17 real questions from 2023 to 2025 papers and marks between 3 and 17.
Describe, explain, identify, state and outline are the top command words, and outline expects a concise summary of defining characteristics rather than a full explanation of how each works. Because many answers here hinge on precise technical terminology, drafting a response and checking it against instant marking is a fast way to confirm a stated purpose actually matches the specific OS function being asked about.
May–June 2025, Paper 31
Describe the process of executing a program using an interpreter.
Answer this question and get it marked →Describe what is meant by multi-tasking and how it benefits process management.
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 32
The management and scheduling of processes are tasks carried out by an operating system. Identify three process states. 1 ............................................ 2…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2025, Paper 33
The management and scheduling of processes are tasks carried out by an operating system. Describe one reason why scheduling is necessary in process management.
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 12
A computer has an Operating System (OS). Memory management and process management are two OS tasks. Explain how memory management and process management support multi-tasking.
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 32
Outline two benefits and two limitations of a virtual machine. Benefit 1 ............ Benefit 2 ............ Limitation 1 ............ Limitation 2 ............
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 11
A student uses a laptop to write a program that is saved as a text file. The laptop has utility software and an Operating System (OS). Describe the file management tasks carried…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 32
The kernel is the central component of an Operating System (OS). Outline how the kernel of an OS acts as an interrupt handler.
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 11
Describe how the Operating System manages the peripheral hardware devices of the computer.
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 13
A programmer is developing a computer game in a high-level language to sell to the public. The programmer uses both an interpreter and a compiler at different stages of the…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 31
Outline the characteristics of massively parallel computers.
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 11
A programmer uses both a compiler and an interpreter to translate a program written in a high-level language. Describe the advantages of using the interpreter compared to the…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 12
A computer has an Operating System (OS). State one purpose of the Operating System.
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 13
A programmer uses an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) to develop a program that monitors air quality. Describe the following features of a typical IDE. Context-sensitive…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 31
A student buys a new computer. State one benefit to the student of a user interface and give an example.
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 32
Outline the reasons why an operating system may need to use virtual memory.
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 33
A student buys a new computer. State one benefit to the student of a user interface and give an example.
Answer this question and get it marked →Other AS & A Level Computer Science topics
- Programming (79)
- Data types and structures (74)
- Algorithm design and problem-solving (36)
- Information representation (31)
- Communication and internet technologies (29)
- Boolean algebra and logic circuits (29)
- Processor fundamentals (27)
- Software development (27)
- Hardware (18)
- Security, privacy and integrity of data (13)
- Databases (13)
- Artificial intelligence (13)