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KASNEB DICT practice questions

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Question 1Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

Which component of the central processing unit carries out arithmetic and logical operations?

  1. The arithmetic logic unit Correct answer.
  2. The system clock
  3. The instruction register
  4. The control unit

Explanation

The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) is the part of the processor that performs calculations such as addition and comparison. Other parts of the CPU direct and time the work rather than doing the arithmetic itself.

Question 2Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

Which type of computer memory loses its stored contents when the power is switched off?

  1. Hard disk drive
  2. Read only memory
  3. Flash memory card
  4. Random access memory Correct answer.

Explanation

Random access memory is volatile, meaning its contents disappear when power is removed. It holds programs and data only while the computer is running.

Question 3Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

A file named budget.xlsx was most likely produced by which type of application?

  1. A presentation package
  2. A database engine
  3. A word processor
  4. A spreadsheet package Correct answer.

Explanation

The .xlsx extension belongs to workbook files created by spreadsheet software. Spreadsheet packages store values, formulas and charts in this format.

Question 4Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

In most word processing applications, which key combination sends the current document to a printer?

  1. Ctrl + V
  2. Ctrl + N
  3. Ctrl + S
  4. Ctrl + P Correct answer.

Explanation

Ctrl + P is the standard shortcut that opens the print dialogue. The letter P stands for print.

Question 5Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

How many bits are contained in one byte?

  1. Sixteen
  2. Four
  3. Eight Correct answer.
  4. Two

Explanation

A byte is defined as a group of eight bits and is the unit used to represent one character in common encoding schemes. Larger units such as kilobytes are built from bytes.

Question 6Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

Which device is used to convert a printed page into a digital image?

  1. Printer
  2. Scanner Correct answer.
  3. Monitor
  4. Plotter

Explanation

A scanner is an input device that captures the image of a document and passes it into the computer. It therefore converts paper content into digital form.

Question 7Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

The abbreviation WWW, used in web addresses, stands for:

  1. Web Wide World
  2. World Wide Web Correct answer.
  3. World Wireless Web
  4. Wide World Web

Explanation

WWW stands for World Wide Web, the system of linked documents accessed over the internet. The three letters appear in many web addresses but are not always required.

Question 8Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

Which operating system function decides which process is given the processor next?

  1. File management
  2. Memory protection
  3. Device management
  4. Process scheduling Correct answer.

Explanation

Process scheduling is the part of the operating system that selects the next process to run on the CPU and allocates time to it. It keeps several programs progressing on a limited number of processors.

Question 9Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

Which cell reference stays fixed in place when a formula is copied to another cell?

  1. B5
  2. $B$4 Correct answer.
  3. C4
  4. B4

Explanation

A dollar sign before both the column letter and the row number makes the reference absolute, so copying the formula does not adjust it. References without dollar signs shift relative to the new position.

Question 10Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

A spreadsheet holds numbers in cells A1 to A10. Which formula adds all of them?

  1. =PLUS(A1:A10)
  2. =ADD(A1:A10)
  3. =SUM(A1:A10) Correct answer.
  4. =TOTAL(A1:A10)

Explanation

SUM is the built-in function that totals the values in a range, and a range from A1 to A10 is written with a colon. The equals sign at the start tells the package that the entry is a formula.

Question 11Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

When one e-mail is sent to many people, which field hides the recipients' addresses from one another?

  1. Subject
  2. Cc
  3. To
  4. Bcc Correct answer.

Explanation

Bcc stands for blind carbon copy, and addresses placed there are not shown to the other recipients. This protects the privacy of the group.

Question 12Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

Which word processing feature produces many personalised letters from one template and a list of names?

  1. Auto-correct
  2. Track changes
  3. Mail merge Correct answer.
  4. Spell check

Explanation

Mail merge combines a single master document with a data source so that each copy is filled with a different record. It avoids preparing each letter by hand.

Question 13Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

In which network topology is every device connected to a single central switch or hub?

  1. Star Correct answer.
  2. Ring
  3. Bus
  4. Mesh

Explanation

In a star topology each device has its own link to a central device that relays traffic between them. A failure of one cable affects only that one device.

Question 14Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

A network that covers a single office building is best described as a:

  1. Wide area network
  2. Local area network Correct answer.
  3. Personal area network
  4. Metropolitan area network

Explanation

A local area network spans a limited area such as a building or campus and is usually owned by one organisation. Wider spans are covered by metropolitan and wide area networks.

Question 15Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

What is the main purpose of the Domain Name System?

  1. To assign addresses to network cards
  2. To block unwanted e-mail
  3. To encrypt internet traffic
  4. To map domain names to IP addresses Correct answer.

Explanation

The Domain Name System acts as a directory that converts human-readable names such as example.com into the numeric addresses computers use. Without it, users would have to remember IP addresses.

Question 16Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

An e-mail that pretends to come from a bank and asks you to confirm your password is an example of:

  1. A virus
  2. Phishing Correct answer.
  3. Spam advertising
  4. A firewall alert

Explanation

Phishing is a deception in which a message impersonates a trusted organisation to trick the receiver into revealing confidential details. Legitimate institutions do not ask for passwords by e-mail.

Question 17Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

Which backup method copies only the files changed since the last backup of any kind?

  1. Full
  2. Archival
  3. Differential
  4. Incremental Correct answer.

Explanation

An incremental backup saves only data altered since the most recent backup, whether that backup was full or incremental. This makes each run small but requires the chain of backups when restoring.

Question 18Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

Which feature of presentation software stores the fonts, colours and logo position used by every slide?

  1. Notes page
  2. Animation pane
  3. Slide master Correct answer.
  4. Slide sorter

Explanation

The slide master holds the design settings that flow to all slides built from it, so a change made there updates the whole presentation. It is the fastest way to keep a deck consistent.

Question 19Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

In a relational database table, the field that uniquely identifies each record is called the:

  1. Foreign key
  2. Data type
  3. Primary key Correct answer.
  4. Index file

Explanation

A primary key holds a value that is unique and never empty for every record, so each row can be identified exactly. Other tables refer to it through foreign keys.

Question 20Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

Why does a processor check cache memory before main memory?

  1. Cache is cheaper per megabyte than main memory
  2. Cache can be read much faster than main memory Correct answer.
  3. Cache keeps data permanently after shutdown
  4. Cache holds more data than main memory

Explanation

Cache is small but very fast memory placed close to the processor, so a hit there avoids the longer wait for main memory. The speed advantage, not capacity or cost, is the reason it is checked first.

Question 21Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

Which form of the SQL statement returns only the rows of a table that satisfy a stated condition?

  1. SELECT with WHERE Correct answer.
  2. SELECT with DISTINCT
  3. SELECT with ORDER BY
  4. SELECT with GROUP BY

Explanation

The WHERE clause filters rows so that only those meeting the condition are returned. The other clauses arrange, summarise or de-duplicate rows that have already been selected.

Question 22Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

In a TCP/IP network, what is the role of the default gateway?

  1. It caches frequently requested web pages
  2. It forwards traffic to other networks Correct answer.
  3. It resolves domain names to addresses
  4. It assigns IP addresses to hosts

Explanation

The default gateway is the router interface a host sends packets to when the destination lies outside its own network. It therefore links the local network to other networks.

Question 23Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

In public key cryptography, which key does a sender use to encrypt a message intended for one particular recipient?

  1. The recipient's public key Correct answer.
  2. The sender's public key
  3. The sender's private key
  4. The recipient's private key

Explanation

The recipient's public key is freely available, so anyone can use it to encrypt, but only the matching private key can decrypt. The recipient therefore keeps the private key secret.

Question 24Information Communication Technology Fundamentals and Office Applications

Which statement about solid state drives compared with magnetic hard disks is correct?

  1. They contain no moving parts Correct answer.
  2. They have slower random access times
  3. They are more easily damaged by movement
  4. They cost less per gigabyte of capacity

Explanation

A solid state drive stores data in flash memory chips with no spinning platters or moving heads. This makes it quieter, more resistant to shocks and faster at random access.

Question 25Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

Which component of the CPU is responsible for carrying out arithmetic and logical operations?

  1. The program counter
  2. The memory cache
  3. The ALU Correct answer.
  4. The control unit

Explanation

The arithmetic logic unit is the part of the processor datapath that executes integer arithmetic and Boolean operations on operands held in registers.

Question 26Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

Which type of memory loses its stored contents as soon as power is removed?

  1. Flash drive
  2. ROM
  3. Hard disk
  4. RAM Correct answer.

Explanation

RAM is volatile: it needs a continuous power supply to hold charge in its cells, so its contents are lost at power-off.

Question 27Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

Which process runs first when a personal computer is switched on?

  1. Loading the operating system kernel
  2. Mounting the file system
  3. The power-on self-test Correct answer.
  4. Initialising the boot loader

Explanation

Firmware in the BIOS/UEFI chip runs the power-on self-test to initialise and check hardware before it looks for a bootable device.

Question 28Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

Which of the following devices is an input device?

  1. Speaker
  2. Scanner Correct answer.
  3. Printer
  4. Monitor

Explanation

A scanner converts physical documents into digital data that the computer can process, so it feeds data into the system.

Question 29Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

Which of the following is an example of system software?

  1. An operating system Correct answer.
  2. A web browser
  3. A spreadsheet
  4. A word processor

Explanation

System software manages the hardware and provides the platform on which other programs run, and the operating system is its primary example.

Question 30Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

Which component holds the firmware that performs the first stage of starting a computer?

  1. The BIOS/UEFI chip Correct answer.
  2. The CPU cache
  3. The power supply
  4. The hard disk

Explanation

The firmware that runs at power-on is stored in a non-volatile chip on the motherboard, commonly referred to as the BIOS or UEFI ROM.

Question 31Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

Which storage device contains no moving mechanical parts?

  1. Optical drive
  2. Solid-state drive Correct answer.
  3. Hard disk drive
  4. Floppy drive

Explanation

A solid-state drive stores data in flash memory cells, so it has no spinning platters or moving heads.

Question 32Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

A computer becomes extremely slow, its RAM usage stays near maximum and the disk activity light remains on almost constantly. Which cause best explains this behaviour?

  1. A failing power supply
  2. Excessive paging, or thrashing Correct answer.
  3. An overheating processor
  4. An incorrect screen resolution

Explanation

When physical memory is exhausted the operating system moves pages to disk continuously, and the resulting constant swapping is known as thrashing.

Question 33Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

What is the main purpose of a device driver?

  1. It converts OS requests into device commands Correct answer.
  2. It scans memory for malicious software
  3. It allocates IP addresses to network hosts
  4. It compresses files before writing to disk

Explanation

A driver is software that translates generic operating system requests into the specific command set understood by a particular piece of hardware.

Question 34Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

Which statement correctly describes a GPT-partitioned disk?

  1. It cannot serve as a boot disk on UEFI systems
  2. It can only be used by 32-bit operating systems
  3. It allows a maximum of four primary partitions
  4. It keeps duplicate partition metadata at both ends of the disk Correct answer.

Explanation

GPT writes a primary header and partition array at the start of the disk and a backup copy at the end, so corruption of one copy can be recovered from the other.

Question 35Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

A Windows computer stops booting normally immediately after a new device driver was installed. Which action should be taken first?

  1. Run a full disk defragmentation
  2. Reinstall the operating system
  3. Start in Safe Mode and roll back the driver Correct answer.
  4. Replace the hard disk

Explanation

Safe Mode loads only a minimal set of drivers, allowing the faulty driver to be rolled back or disabled so that normal startup can be restored.

Question 36Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

When adding a memory module to a desktop computer, which attribute must be compatible with the existing modules for reliable operation?

  1. The memory technology and rated speed Correct answer.
  2. The colour of the heat spreader
  3. The capacity of the module
  4. The brand of the module

Explanation

Modules must use the same memory generation and be capable of running at a common speed; mismatched generations are physically and electrically incompatible.

Question 37Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

In round-robin CPU scheduling, what causes a running process to be preempted?

  1. Expiry of its time quantum Correct answer.
  2. Its own priority value
  3. Arrival of a new process
  4. Completion of all its I/O requests

Explanation

Round-robin allocates a fixed time slice to each process; when the slice expires the process is placed at the tail of the ready queue and the next process runs.

Question 38Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

Which of the following is a necessary condition for a deadlock to occur?

  1. An unlimited supply of resource instances
  2. Priority inheritance between processes
  3. Preemption of all held resources
  4. A circular chain of waiting processes Correct answer.

Explanation

Deadlock requires mutual exclusion, hold-and-wait, no preemption and circular wait to hold simultaneously; breaking any one of them prevents deadlock.

Question 39Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

Which practice best protects components from electrostatic discharge during maintenance?

  1. Using a grounded antistatic wrist strap Correct answer.
  2. Working on a carpeted floor
  3. Handling cards by their gold contacts
  4. Wearing rubber-soled shoes

Explanation

A wrist strap with a bleed resistor drains static charge safely to ground so that no damaging discharge passes through sensitive components.

Question 40Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

On a computer with two operating systems installed, which component presents the menu used to choose between them at startup?

  1. The boot loader Correct answer.
  2. The BIOS setup utility
  3. The file allocation table
  4. The device driver

Explanation

After firmware hands control to the boot device, the boot loader presents the available operating systems and loads the kernel of the chosen one.

Question 41Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

What is the main purpose of cache memory in a computer system?

  1. To reduce average access time to frequently used data Correct answer.
  2. To permanently store the operating system files
  3. To cool the processor during sustained loads
  4. To enlarge the total amount of virtual memory

Explanation

Cache is a small, fast memory placed between the processor and main memory that holds recently referenced data, lowering the average time to fetch it.

Question 42Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

After an unexpected power failure, a Linux system reports inconsistencies in its file system. Which command is used to check and repair it?

  1. fsck Correct answer.
  2. dd
  3. mount
  4. top

Explanation

The file system check utility examines metadata structures and repairs inconsistencies that remain after an unclean shutdown.

Question 43Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

When a maskable interrupt is raised and interrupts are enabled, what does the processor do after finishing the current instruction?

  1. It halts until software acknowledges the interrupt
  2. It clears all general-purpose registers
  3. It saves its state and branches to the interrupt handler Correct answer.
  4. It restarts the fetch-decode-execute cycle from the beginning

Explanation

The processor saves the program counter and status flags, then vectors to the interrupt service routine; when the routine returns, the interrupted program resumes.

Question 44Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

Why does an MBR-partitioned disk limit usable partition space to roughly 2 TB?

  1. Its file systems are restricted to 2 TB per volume
  2. It reserves the remainder for a recovery partition
  3. Its partition records use 64-bit sector addresses
  4. Its partition entries hold 32-bit sector addresses Correct answer.

Explanation

An MBR partition entry stores the starting sector in a 32-bit field, so with 512-byte sectors the address space covers about 2^32 sectors, roughly 2 TB.

Question 45Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

In a paged memory system, what does the dirty bit in a page table entry indicate?

  1. The page has never been loaded into physical memory
  2. The page is read-only for user processes
  3. The page is locked and cannot be swapped out
  4. The page must be written back before its frame is reused Correct answer.

Explanation

The dirty or modified bit records that the in-memory copy differs from the on-disk copy, so the page must be written back before the frame is reallocated.

Question 46Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Maintenance

A drive's SMART data shows its reallocated sector count rising steadily over several weeks. What does this most strongly suggest?

  1. Progressive media degradation that may precede failure Correct answer.
  2. A normal side effect of defragmentation
  3. An inadequate power supply unit
  4. A misconfigured page file setting

Explanation

Reallocation means the drive is remapping sectors it can no longer read reliably, and a steadily increasing count is a recognised early indicator of imminent failure.

Question 47Computer Networks and Internet Technologies

In the OSI reference model, which layer is responsible for logical addressing and routing of packets between networks?

  1. Session layer
  2. Data link layer
  3. Transport layer
  4. Network layer Correct answer.

Explanation

The network layer handles logical (IP) addressing and determines the path packets take across multiple networks. Layers below it deal with the local link, and layers above it deal with end-to-end delivery and application sessions.

Question 48Computer Networks and Internet Technologies

Which transport layer protocol provides connection-oriented, reliable delivery with acknowledgement of received segments?

  1. TCP Correct answer.
  2. UDP
  3. ARP
  4. IP

Explanation

TCP establishes a connection and uses sequence numbers and acknowledgements to guarantee ordered, reliable delivery. Connectionless or non-transport protocols do not provide those guarantees.

Question 49Computer Networks and Internet Technologies

Which device forwards packets between separate networks using IP addresses?

  1. Bridge
  2. Router Correct answer.
  3. Hub
  4. Repeater

Explanation

A router examines the destination IP address in each packet and selects the best path to another network. Devices that only repeat or filter by MAC address cannot move traffic between distinct IP networks.

Question 50Computer Networks and Internet Technologies

What is the primary function of the Domain Name System?

  1. Routing packets between autonomous systems
  2. Encrypting traffic between web clients and servers
  3. Assigning IP addresses to hosts automatically
  4. Resolving domain names into IP addresses Correct answer.

Explanation

DNS is a distributed naming system that maps human-readable names such as example.com to numeric IP addresses. Address assignment, encryption and inter-domain routing are performed by other protocols.