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MSCE Computer Studies study materials
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MSCE Computer Studies practice questions

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Question 1Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

Which class of computer is designed to perform extremely complex calculations at the highest speed and is typically used for weather forecasting and scientific simulation?

  1. Microcomputer
  2. Minicomputer
  3. Supercomputer Correct answer.
  4. Mainframe computer

Explanation

Supercomputers are the largest and fastest class of computer, built to run extremely complex calculations such as weather modelling, climate simulation and engineering analysis at very high speed. Mainframes, minicomputers and microcomputers are not designed for that peak scientific workload.

Question 2Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

The first generation of computers, roughly 1940 to 1956, relied mainly on which electronic component?

  1. Microprocessors
  2. Vacuum tubes Correct answer.
  3. Transistors
  4. Integrated circuits

Explanation

First-generation computers used vacuum tubes as their main switching component. These tubes were bulky, consumed a lot of power and failed often, which is why those machines filled whole rooms.

Question 3Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

Charles Babbage is credited with designing which machine, often described as the first general-purpose mechanical computer because it was intended to be programmable?

  1. A Pascaline calculator
  2. An ancient abacus
  3. A mechanical Jacquard loom
  4. The Analytical Engine Correct answer.

Explanation

Babbage designed the Analytical Engine in the 1830s as a general-purpose mechanical machine that could be programmed using punched cards, and it is therefore treated as a forerunner of the modern computer. The abacus and Pascaline were earlier calculating aids with no stored program.

Question 4Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

Herman Hollerith developed his punched-card tabulating machine mainly to speed up which task?

  1. Encrypting secret military messages for the army
  2. Computing artillery firing tables for the army
  3. Controlling the patterns woven on mechanical looms
  4. Processing the United States census Correct answer.

Explanation

Hollerith built his punched-card tabulating machine to process the 1890 United States census far faster than manual counting. The company he founded later became part of IBM, and punched cards remained important in data processing for decades.

Question 5Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

Computers are classified as analog, digital or hybrid according to which criterion?

  1. The purchase cost of the machine
  2. The intended purpose of the user
  3. The physical size of the cabinet
  4. The type of data they process Correct answer.

Explanation

Classification by data type separates computers into analog, which work on continuously varying physical quantities, digital, which work on discrete numbers, and hybrid, which combine both. Size, purpose and cost are used in other classification schemes.

Question 6Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

Which component replaced vacuum tubes in second-generation computers, making them smaller, faster and more reliable?

  1. Microprocessors
  2. Transistors Correct answer.
  3. Integrated circuits
  4. Magnetic drums

Explanation

Second-generation computers replaced vacuum tubes with transistors, which were smaller, cooler, cheaper and far more reliable. This change allowed computers to move from room-sized machines to cabinet-sized systems.

Question 7Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

A small retail shop needs one low-cost computer for a single operator to prepare invoices and keep stock records. Which classification fits this need best?

  1. Minicomputer
  2. Mainframe computer
  3. Microcomputer Correct answer.
  4. Supercomputer

Explanation

A microcomputer, typically a personal computer, is designed for one user at a time and is the cheapest general-purpose class, so it suits a small shop preparing invoices and stock records. Larger classes would be unnecessarily costly and complex for this task.

Question 8Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

Which sequence correctly represents the basic operation cycle of a computer system?

  1. Input, then output, then processing
  2. Processing, then input, then output
  3. Output, then processing, then input
  4. Input, then processing, then output Correct answer.

Explanation

Every computer system follows the same basic cycle: data is entered through input devices, the processor manipulates it, and the result is sent to output devices. Storage supports this cycle but does not replace it.

Question 9Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

Which statement best distinguishes a mainframe computer from a supercomputer?

  1. Mainframes are single-user personal computers; supercomputers are shared by hundreds of users.
  2. Mainframes process only analog signals; supercomputers process only digital signals.
  3. Mainframes are smaller than microcomputers; supercomputers are the very smallest class of computer.
  4. Mainframes handle many business transactions; supercomputers solve complex scientific problems. Correct answer.

Explanation

A mainframe is engineered for high-volume, multi-user transaction processing such as banking and airline booking, while a supercomputer is engineered for the fastest possible execution of complex scientific and engineering calculations. The two differ in design goal, not merely in raw speed.

Question 10Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

A computer is described as having a stored-program architecture. Which statement best explains what this means?

  1. The program is built permanently into the hardware during manufacture and cannot be changed.
  2. Instructions and data are both held in main memory for the CPU to fetch. Correct answer.
  3. The program is stored on a stack of punched cards and read one instruction at a time.
  4. The program is stored permanently in read-only memory and executed directly from there.

Explanation

The stored-program concept means that a program's instructions are held in main memory alongside the data, so the CPU can fetch both in the same way. This lets a machine run different programs without being rewired, which is the basis of the von Neumann architecture.

Question 11Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

Which device is widely regarded as the earliest known calculating aid used for arithmetic?

  1. The abacus Correct answer.
  2. The Pascaline
  3. The slide rule
  4. The analytical engine

Explanation

The abacus dates back thousands of years and uses beads on rods to represent numbers and support addition and subtraction. The Pascaline was a seventeenth-century mechanical calculator, and the analytical engine was a nineteenth-century design. Therefore, the abacus is the earliest calculating aid among these choices.

Question 12Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

Who is credited with publishing the first algorithm intended to be carried out by a machine?

  1. Grace Hopper
  2. John von Neumann
  3. Herman Hollerith
  4. Ada Lovelace Correct answer.

Explanation

Ada Lovelace translated a description of Babbage's Analytical Engine and added notes containing a detailed method for computing Bernoulli numbers. That method is widely regarded as the first published computer program. Hopper worked on compilers in the twentieth century, and Hollerith on tabulating machines.

Question 13Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

A washing machine contains a small computer that runs a fixed program to control water level, temperature and spin speed. Which classification best describes this computer?

  1. A mainframe
  2. A workstation
  3. An embedded computer Correct answer.
  4. A supercomputer

Explanation

An embedded computer is dedicated to a specific control function inside a larger device and usually runs fixed firmware. It is not a general-purpose machine used for varied user applications. Supercomputers, mainframes and workstations are general-purpose classes with different scale and use.

Question 14Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

Which technology is most closely associated with third-generation computers?

  1. Discrete transistors
  2. Integrated circuits Correct answer.
  3. Single-chip microprocessors
  4. Vacuum tube technology

Explanation

Third-generation computers, from roughly the mid-1960s, used integrated circuits that packed many transistors onto a single chip. Vacuum tubes defined the first generation and discrete transistors the second. Microprocessors are associated with the fourth generation.

Question 15Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

Which of the following is an example of an analog computer?

  1. A smartphone
  2. A slide rule Correct answer.
  3. A mainframe
  4. A desktop calculator

Explanation

An analog computer works with continuously varying physical quantities, and a slide rule performs calculations using continuous lengths on its scales. Desktop calculators, smartphones and mainframes process discrete digital values. That makes the slide rule the analog example.

Question 16Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

Which application is best suited to a hybrid computer?

  1. Preparing a monthly payroll
  2. Running a web server for an online shop
  3. Monitoring a patient in an intensive care unit Correct answer.
  4. Writing a word-processing document

Explanation

A hybrid computer combines analog measurement of continuous signals with digital processing. In intensive care, analog sensors measure heart rate and blood pressure, and digital logic analyses the readings and raises alarms. Payroll, word processing and web serving are purely digital tasks.

Question 17Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

A university department needs a multiuser computer that is more powerful than a microcomputer but smaller and less costly than a mainframe. Which class best fits this requirement?

  1. A supercomputer
  2. A microcontroller
  3. A minicomputer Correct answer.
  4. An embedded computer

Explanation

Minicomputers, also called midrange systems, were designed for department-level multiuser work between microcomputers and mainframes. They support several users and run business or scientific applications at moderate scale. Supercomputers target extreme performance, while embedded computers and microcontrollers are dedicated to control tasks.

Question 18Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

Joseph Marie Jacquard's loom, developed in 1801, used which technology that later influenced computer input?

  1. Punched cards
  2. Magnetic disk Correct answer.
  3. Punched paper tape
  4. Magnetic tape

Explanation

Jacquard's loom used interchangeable punched cards to control which threads were raised, automating complex weaving patterns. This idea of storing instructions as holes in cards influenced later tabulating and computing machines. Magnetic tape and disks came later.

Question 19Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

Which statement best characterizes fifth-generation computing?

  1. It focuses on single-user microcomputers for office work.
  2. It stresses artificial intelligence and parallel processing. Correct answer.
  3. It centers on punched-card batch processing of jobs.
  4. It relies mainly on vacuum tubes and machine-level coding.

Explanation

Fifth-generation computing, emerging from the 1980s onward, focuses on artificial intelligence, parallel architectures and more natural human-computer interaction. Vacuum tubes and punched-card batch processing belong to earlier generations. Single-user microcomputers are associated with the fourth generation, not the defining aim of the fifth.

Question 20Computer fundamentals, history and classifications of computers

A national weather agency runs very large climate simulations, while an insurance firm processes millions of routine transactions each night. Which pairing of computer classes is most appropriate?

  1. Supercomputer for weather; mainframe for insurance Correct answer.
  2. Minicomputer for weather; embedded system for insurance
  3. Mainframe for weather; supercomputer for insurance
  4. Embedded system for weather; workstation for insurance

Explanation

Supercomputers are optimized for massive floating-point computations such as climate modeling. Mainframes excel at high-volume transaction processing with many simultaneous users and strong reliability. The reversed and smaller-class pairings do not match the workload requirements.

Question 21Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

Which part of the central processing unit carries out arithmetic calculations and logical comparisons?

  1. The arithmetic logic unit Correct answer.
  2. The program counter
  3. The control unit
  4. The instruction register

Explanation

The arithmetic logic unit, or ALU, performs operations such as addition, subtraction, and logical comparisons like AND and OR. Other CPU parts coordinate or store information but do not calculate results.

Question 22Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

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

  1. Read-only memory
  2. A hard disk drive
  3. Flash memory
  4. Random-access memory Correct answer.

Explanation

Random-access memory is volatile, so its contents disappear when power is removed. ROM, hard disks, and flash memory are non-volatile and retain data without a power supply.

Question 23Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

Which device converts a printed page into a digital image that a computer can store?

  1. A projector
  2. A scanner Correct answer.
  3. A speaker
  4. A plotter

Explanation

A scanner is an input device that captures a physical document and converts it into a digital image. A plotter, projector, and speaker are output devices because they present results rather than capture data.

Question 24Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

During the fetch stage of the fetch-decode-execute cycle, what is the main action performed by the CPU?

  1. The arithmetic logic unit performs the calculation requested by the instruction.
  2. The control unit decodes the opcode held in the instruction register.
  3. The instruction is copied from main memory to the instruction register. Correct answer.
  4. The program counter is incremented to point to the next instruction.

Explanation

In the fetch stage, the CPU places the address from the program counter on the address bus and reads the instruction into the instruction register. Decoding and executing the instruction happen in later stages of the cycle.

Question 25Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

Which statement best describes the function of cache memory in a computer system?

  1. It expands the capacity of the hard disk drive.
  2. It holds data that is waiting to be printed by the user.
  3. It permanently stores the bootstrap program that the computer runs at start-up.
  4. It holds frequently used instructions and data near the CPU. Correct answer.

Explanation

Cache is a small, fast memory placed between the CPU and main memory. It keeps recently or frequently used instructions and data so that the processor can access them quickly.

Question 26Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

Which feature distinguishes a solid-state drive from a magnetic hard disk drive?

  1. It reads data by reflecting a laser from pits and lands.
  2. It uses flash memory and has no moving mechanical parts. Correct answer.
  3. It stores data on rapidly spinning magnetic platters.
  4. It requires continuous power to retain stored data.

Explanation

A solid-state drive uses flash memory chips and has no moving read/write heads or spinning platters. This makes it faster and more shock-resistant than a magnetic hard disk drive.

Question 27Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

A processor has 16 address lines on its address bus. What is the maximum number of distinct memory addresses that it can directly access?

  1. 16,384
  2. 1,024
  3. 131,072
  4. 65,536 Correct answer.

Explanation

Each address line can carry a binary 0 or 1, so 16 lines provide 2 to the power of 16 distinct combinations. That equals 65,536 separately addressable memory locations.

Question 28Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

A computer has 4 GB of RAM and needs to run a program that requires 6 GB of memory. Which technique allows the program to run?

  1. The operating system compresses all files on the hard disk.
  2. Pages not currently needed are moved to secondary storage. Correct answer.
  3. The cache memory is enlarged to hold the extra data.
  4. The CPU increases its clock speed to process data faster.

Explanation

Virtual memory allows the operating system to move pages of data between RAM and secondary storage. This gives the program an address space larger than the physical RAM installed.

Question 29Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

A CPU is advertised as running at 2.5 GHz. What does this specification indicate?

  1. It completes 2.5 billion clock cycles each second. Correct answer.
  2. It executes 2.5 billion complete instructions each second.
  3. It transfers 2.5 billion bytes from RAM each second.
  4. It stores 2.5 billion bits in cache memory each second.

Explanation

The hertz unit measures cycles per second, and 2.5 GHz means 2.5 billion clock cycles per second. An instruction may take several cycles, so clock speed does not equal instructions per second.

Question 30Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

Which output device is designed to draw large, precise technical plans such as architectural blueprints?

  1. A touchscreen
  2. A barcode reader
  3. A digital camera
  4. A plotter Correct answer.

Explanation

A plotter is an output device that draws vector graphics, often using pens or other marking methods, on large sheets of paper. It is suited to technical drawings where precision and scale matter.

Question 31Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

Which statement describes the main role of the control unit in a central processing unit?

  1. It decodes instructions and controls data flow within the CPU. Correct answer.
  2. It converts handwritten marks on a form into digital data for processing.
  3. It carries out arithmetic operations such as addition and subtraction.
  4. It permanently stores the bootstrap program that starts the computer.

Explanation

The control unit fetches and decodes each instruction, then sends control signals that coordinate the ALU, registers and memory. It does not itself perform arithmetic, which is the ALU's role, and it does not hold the bootstrap program.

Question 32Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

When a computer is first switched on, the routine that tests the hardware and loads the bootstrap program is normally stored in which type of memory?

  1. Random-access memory
  2. Cache memory
  3. Read-only memory Correct answer.
  4. Magnetic disk storage

Explanation

Firmware such as the BIOS or UEFI is held in non-volatile read-only memory so that it is available immediately at power-on. RAM is volatile and loses its contents when power is removed, while disk storage is accessed only after the boot process has begun.

Question 33Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

Which storage technology records data as pits and lands that are read by a laser beam?

  1. Magnetic tape
  2. Hard disk drive
  3. Solid-state drive
  4. Optical disc Correct answer.

Explanation

Optical media such as CD, DVD and Blu-ray store data in a spiral track of pits and lands, and a laser detects differences in reflectivity. Magnetic and solid-state media use magnetisation or trapped charge rather than optical reflection.

Question 34Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

Which register holds the memory address of the next instruction to be fetched during the fetch–decode–execute cycle?

  1. Accumulator
  2. Instruction register
  3. Program counter Correct answer.
  4. Memory address register

Explanation

The program counter stores the address of the next instruction and is incremented as instructions are fetched. The instruction register holds the instruction currently being decoded, while the memory address register holds the address currently being accessed.

Question 35Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

A processor is described as having a 64-bit data bus. What does this specification determine?

  1. How many distinct memory locations the CPU can address directly.
  2. How many instructions the CPU can execute each second.
  3. How many bits can be transferred between the CPU and memory at one time. Correct answer.
  4. How much data the CPU can store permanently without external storage.

Explanation

Data bus width sets how many bits travel in parallel between the processor and memory, so a 64-bit bus moves 64 bits per transfer. Address bus width, not data bus width, determines the number of addressable memory locations.

Question 36Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

Why is dynamic RAM normally used for main memory instead of static RAM?

  1. Dynamic RAM is cheaper and denser, although it must be refreshed periodically. Correct answer.
  2. Dynamic RAM keeps its contents without power, whereas static RAM loses them when power is removed.
  3. Dynamic RAM stores data as magnetic domains, whereas static RAM stores data as electric charge.
  4. Dynamic RAM is faster and is used for cache, while static RAM is used for main memory.

Explanation

Dynamic RAM uses a single transistor and capacitor per bit, giving high density at low cost, but the charge leaks away so it needs periodic refresh. Static RAM uses more transistors per bit, is faster and needs no refresh, so it is used for cache instead.

Question 37Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

While a processor is running a program, a printer signals that it has completed a print job. What is this signal and how is it normally handled?

  1. A clock pulse, which synchronises the processor with the speed of the printer.
  2. An interrupt, which makes the CPU run a service routine before resuming. Correct answer.
  3. A parity error, which causes the current instruction to be discarded and reloaded.
  4. A fetch cycle, which loads the next instruction from main memory.

Explanation

A device completion signal is an interrupt request; the processor saves its state, runs the appropriate interrupt service routine, then restores the saved state. This allows input/output devices to be serviced without the CPU continuously polling them.

Question 38Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

A hard disk drive rotates at 7200 revolutions per minute. What is its average rotational latency?

  1. 4.2 ms Correct answer.
  2. 8.3 ms
  3. 2.1 ms
  4. 16.7 ms

Explanation

At 7200 rpm the disk completes 120 revolutions per second, so one revolution takes about 8.3 ms. On average the required sector is half a revolution away, giving an average rotational latency of about 4.2 ms.

Question 39Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

Which component of a smartphone allows the user both to enter commands and to see the result of those commands?

  1. Touchscreen Correct answer.
  2. Accelerometer
  3. Microphone
  4. Speaker

Explanation

A touchscreen combines a display, which is an output device, with a touch-sensitive panel, which is an input device. The microphone, speaker and accelerometer each provide only input or output functions in this context.

Question 40Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

Why does a laser printer usually produce text pages faster than an inkjet printer when printing in high volume?

  1. It forms the whole page image on a drum and fuses toner in one pass. Correct answer.
  2. It uses a print head that strikes an inked ribbon against the paper for each character.
  3. It uses heat-sensitive paper that changes colour when pressed by pins.
  4. It sprays tiny droplets of ink only where characters are needed.

Explanation

A laser printer uses a laser or LED array to write an electrostatic image of an entire page onto a drum, then transfers and fuses toner. This page-at-a-time process is much faster for high-volume text than the inkjet's scanning print head.

Question 41Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

A point-of-sale terminal needs to read the account details encoded on the back of a customer's bank card. Which input device is designed for this task?

  1. Bar-code scanner
  2. Plotter
  3. Magnetic stripe reader Correct answer.
  4. Optical mark reader

Explanation

A magnetic stripe reader passes the card's magnetic track past a read head and decodes the stored account data. This is the standard input method for cards whose details are encoded on the magnetic stripe rather than printed as bars or marks.

Question 42Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

A processor runs at 3 GHz and requires an average of 2 clock cycles to complete one instruction. What is its approximate instruction throughput?

  1. 1.5 × 10^9 instructions per second Correct answer.
  2. 6.0 × 10^9 instructions per second
  3. 1.5 × 10^6 instructions per second
  4. 3.0 × 10^9 instructions per second

Explanation

A 3 GHz clock provides 3 × 10^9 clock cycles each second. If one instruction takes 2 cycles on average, the throughput is 3 × 10^9 divided by 2, which is 1.5 × 10^9 instructions per second.

Question 43Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

A company backs up several terabytes of archive data to magnetic tape each night. Which property of magnetic tape makes it appropriate for this use?

  1. It stores data on optical pits that a laser reads.
  2. It allows random access to any block in constant time.
  3. It has no moving parts and is immune to magnetic fields.
  4. It uses sequential access, which suits complete backup sets. Correct answer.

Explanation

Magnetic tape is a sequential-access medium, so data is written and read in order along the tape. This makes it efficient and cost-effective for writing or restoring a complete backup set, even though it is poor for random interactive access.

Question 44Hardware: CPU, memory, input/output and storage devices

A processor uses memory-mapped input/output rather than isolated I/O. How does the CPU access the control and data registers of an I/O device in this arrangement?

  1. Only by handling an interrupt raised by the device when its buffer is full.
  2. By using ordinary load and store instructions addressed within main memory. Correct answer.
  3. By executing a dedicated I/O instruction that uses a separate port address space.
  4. Only through a DMA controller, without the CPU issuing load or store instructions.

Explanation

In memory-mapped I/O, device registers are assigned addresses in the same address space as main memory. The CPU therefore reads and writes them with ordinary load and store instructions, without needing separate I/O instructions or a separate port address space.

Question 45Software and operating systems

Which task is normally performed by the operating system rather than by an application program?

  1. Calculating the monthly payroll for employees
  2. Retouching a digital photograph
  3. Drafting a letter to parents
  4. Allocating memory to running processes Correct answer.

Explanation

The operating system manages hardware resources, including memory, and decides which process receives memory and CPU time. Payroll calculation, photo editing and letter writing are user tasks performed by application software. The operating system provides the platform on which those applications run.

Question 46Software and operating systems

A new printer is connected to a computer. Which software component must be installed so that the operating system can send correctly formatted commands to that printer model?

  1. A file compression utility
  2. A web browser
  3. A spreadsheet package
  4. A device driver Correct answer.

Explanation

A device driver is system software that translates general operating-system commands into instructions understood by a particular hardware device. Each printer model may require its own driver. Spreadsheets, browsers and compression utilities do not control printer hardware directly.

Question 47Software and operating systems

Which item is classified as system software?

  1. A spreadsheet package
  2. A word-processing package
  3. A presentation graphics package
  4. A disk utility Correct answer.

Explanation

System software includes the operating system and utility programs that manage, maintain or protect the computer. Word-processing, spreadsheet and presentation packages are application software intended for user tasks. A disk utility helps maintain storage and is therefore system software.

Question 48Software and operating systems

On a computer with one CPU, the operating system switches rapidly between several active programs so that each appears to run at the same time. Which term best describes this behaviour?

  1. Multitasking Correct answer.
  2. Batch processing
  3. Distributed processing
  4. Multiprocessing

Explanation

Multitasking shares a single CPU among several processes by switching between them quickly, giving the impression of simultaneous execution. Multiprocessing requires more than one processor, while distributed processing spreads work across networked computers. Batch processing groups jobs for later execution without interactive switching.

Question 49Software and operating systems

A program needs 6 GB of memory but the computer has only 4 GB of RAM. The operating system keeps part of the program in secondary storage and moves sections into RAM when required. What is this technique called?

  1. Disk fragmentation
  2. Virtual memory Correct answer.
  3. Spooling
  4. Caching

Explanation

Virtual memory uses secondary storage to extend the apparent size of main memory, swapping pages between RAM and disk as needed. Caching stores frequently used data for speed, while spooling queues data for a peripheral such as a printer. Fragmentation describes scattered free space on a disk.

Question 50Software and operating systems

What is the main role of the scheduler in a preemptive multitasking operating system?

  1. Translating a high-level program into machine code
  2. Selecting the next process to receive the CPU Correct answer.
  3. Checking documents for spelling errors before printing
  4. Compressing files so that they occupy less disk space

Explanation

The scheduler chooses among processes that are ready to run and assigns the CPU according to a scheduling policy. In a preemptive system it can interrupt a running process and switch to another. Translation, spell-checking and compression are handled by other software, not by the scheduler.