Computer Fundamentals
What this domain tests
Computer Fundamentals covers hardware, software, operating systems, memory, number systems, databases and basic office applications. Questions often test definitions and simple conversions rather than deep programming.
Core rules
- CPU has ALU, control unit and registers; primary memory is directly accessed by the CPU.
- Memory hierarchy: registers → cache → RAM → secondary storage, with speed decreasing and capacity usually increasing.
- RAM is volatile; ROM is non-volatile. 1 byte = 8 bits; 1 KB = 1024 bytes in binary convention.
- Number systems: binary uses base 2, octal base 8, decimal base 10, hexadecimal base 16.
- Operating system functions: process management, memory management, file management and device management.
Worked example
Convert binary 101101 to decimal. Write place values from the right: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32. The set bits are 32, 8, 4 and 1. Sum = 32 + 8 + 4 + 1 = 45. Therefore (101101)₂ = (45)₁₀.
Traps
Do not confuse a bit with a byte. Do not call ROM volatile. In hexadecimal, A–F represent 10–15, not 1–6. In memory questions, cache is faster than RAM, and secondary storage is non-volatile. In database questions, a primary key uniquely identifies a row and cannot be null.
Exam focus
Practise binary-decimal-hex conversions and know the functions of OS, compiler, interpreter and database keys.