Computer Fundamental Interview Online Test
Technical interview questions and answers form the base of any Computer Fundamental Interview because companies want to evaluate a candidate’s basic understanding of computers, number systems, memory, input/output, software types, operating systems, and logic building. These fundamental concepts help interviewers judge whether a candidate is ready for technical roles, IT support jobs, programming positions, or general office operations. Companies like TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, and Accenture frequently ask fundamental questions in campus placements and initial screening rounds. This guide covers frequently asked Computer Fundamental interview questions with clear explanations to help freshers and job seekers strengthen their basics. Preparing these questions will help you perform confidently in written tests, technical interviews, and aptitude-based assessments.
1. What is RAID?
Answer: A method for providing fault tolerance by using multiple hard disk drives.
Show Answer
Hide Answer
2. What is Brouter?
Answer: Hybrid devices that combine the features of both bridges and routers.
Show Answer
Hide Answer
3. What is cladding?
Answer: A layer of a glass surrounding the center fiber of glass inside a fiber-optic cable.
Show Answer
Hide Answer
4. What is point-to-point protocol
Answer: A communications protocol used to connect computers to remote networking services including Internet service providers.
Show Answer
Hide Answer
5. How Gateway is different from Routers?
Answer: A gateway operates at the upper levels of the OSI model and translates information between two completely different network architectures or data formats.
Show Answer
Hide Answer
6. What is attenuation?
Answer: The degeneration of a signal over distance on a network cable is called attenuation.
Show Answer
Hide Answer
7. Explain the concept of virtual memory in an operating system
Answer: Virtual memory is a memory management technique that allows the execution of processes that may not be completely in memory, by extending the available memory through disk space
Show Answer
Hide Answer
8. Describe the difference between multiprogramming and multitasking
Answer: Multiprogramming refers to running multiple programs on a single processor by rapidly switching between them, while multitasking involves running multiple tasks simultaneously, often on multiple processors
Show Answer
Hide Answer
9. What is a deadlock and how can it be prevented in operating systems
Answer: A deadlock occurs when two or more processes are unable to proceed because each is waiting for the other to release a resource. It can be prevented by ensuring that at least one of the necessary conditions for deadlock is not met
Show Answer
Hide Answer
10. Explain the significance of cache memory in a computer system
Answer: Cache memory is a small, high-speed memory located close to the CPU, used to temporarily store frequently accessed data and instructions to speed up processing
Show Answer
Hide Answer
11. What is the difference between RISC and CISC architectures
Answer: RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture uses a small set of simple instructions, while CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer) architecture uses a larger set of more complex instructions
Show Answer
Hide Answer
12. Discuss the importance of file systems in an operating system
Answer: File systems manage how data is stored and retrieved on a disk, providing a way to organize, store, and access files efficiently
Show Answer
Hide Answer
13. How does paging differ from segmentation in memory management
Answer: Paging divides memory into fixed-size pages, while segmentation divides it into variable-sized segments based on logical divisions, such as functions or data structures
Show Answer
Hide Answer
14. Explain the concept of pipelining in computer architecture
Answer: Pipelining is a technique where multiple instruction phases are overlapped to improve CPU performance by executing different parts of instructions simultaneously
Show Answer
Hide Answer
15. What is the purpose of DMA in a computer system
Answer: Direct Memory Access (DMA) allows hardware subsystems to access system memory directly, bypassing the CPU, to speed up data transfer rates
Show Answer
Hide Answer
16. How do operating systems manage process scheduling
Answer: Operating systems use process scheduling algorithms to determine the order in which processes are executed, optimizing CPU utilization and ensuring efficient process management
Show Answer
Hide Answer
17. What are interrupts and how are they handled by the operating system
Answer: Interrupts are signals that indicate an event requiring immediate attention, and the operating system handles them by temporarily halting the current process, executing an interrupt handler, and then resuming the process
Show Answer
Hide Answer
18. Explain the concept of virtual machines and their use cases
Answer: Virtual machines are software emulations of physical computers, allowing multiple operating systems to run on a single physical machine, often used for testing, development, and server consolidation
Show Answer
Hide Answer
19. What is the difference between symmetric and asymmetric multiprocessing
Answer: Symmetric multiprocessing involves multiple processors sharing the same memory and I/O resources equally, while asymmetric multiprocessing assigns different tasks to different processors
Show Answer
Hide Answer
20. Describe the functioning of a disk scheduling algorithm
Answer: Disk scheduling algorithms determine the order in which disk I/O requests are processed, aiming to reduce seek time and improve disk throughput
Show Answer
Hide Answer
21. What is the significance of the Von Neumann architecture in computing
Answer: The Von Neumann architecture is a computer design model that describes a system where the CPU, memory, and input/output devices are connected by a common bus, with instructions and data stored in the same memory
Show Answer
Hide Answer
22. Explain how a time-sharing system works
Answer: A time-sharing system allows multiple users to share system resources simultaneously by allocating time slots to each user or process, ensuring efficient utilization of the CPU
Show Answer
Hide Answer
23. What are semaphores and how are they used in process synchronization
Answer: Semaphores are signaling mechanisms used to control access to shared resources in concurrent processing, helping to avoid race conditions and ensure data consistency
Show Answer
Hide Answer
24. Discuss the purpose and functionality of RAID in data storage
Answer: RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a technology that combines multiple physical disks into a single logical unit for data redundancy, performance improvement, or both
Show Answer
Hide Answer
25. How does an operating system manage memory allocation for processes
Answer: Operating systems manage memory allocation through techniques such as paging, segmentation, and dynamic allocation to ensure efficient and safe use of memory resources
Show Answer
Hide Answer
26. What is the role of a device driver in an operating system
Answer: Device drivers are specialized programs that allow the operating system to communicate with hardware devices, providing the necessary interface and control functions
Show Answer
Hide Answer
27. Describe the process of booting in a computer system
Answer: Booting is the process of starting up a computer and loading the operating system into memory, involving steps like power-on self-test (POST), loading the bootloader, and initializing the kernel
Show Answer
Hide Answer
28. What is thrashing in the context of memory management
Answer: Thrashing occurs when a system spends more time swapping pages in and out of memory than executing actual processes, leading to severe performance degradation
Show Answer
Hide Answer
29. Explain the difference between batch processing and real-time processing
Answer: Batch processing involves executing a series of jobs without manual intervention, while real-time processing requires immediate processing and response to inputs, often used in time-sensitive applications
Show Answer
Hide Answer
30. What is the purpose of the kernel in an operating system
Answer: The kernel is the core component of an operating system that manages system resources, handles communication between hardware and software, and provides essential services for application execution
Show Answer
Hide Answer
31. Discuss the use of memory-mapped I/O in computer systems
Answer: Memory-mapped I/O allows hardware devices to be controlled and accessed by reading and writing specific memory addresses, simplifying device management and improving performance
Show Answer
Hide Answer
32. Explain the concept of virtual memory in an operating system
Answer: Virtual memory is a memory management technique that allows the execution of processes that may not be completely in memory, by extending the available memory through disk space
Show Answer
Hide Answer
33. Describe the difference between multiprogramming and multitasking
Answer: Multiprogramming refers to running multiple programs on a single processor by rapidly switching between them, while multitasking involves running multiple tasks simultaneously, often on multiple processors
Show Answer
Hide Answer
34. What is a deadlock and how can it be prevented in operating systems
Answer: A deadlock occurs when two or more processes are unable to proceed because each is waiting for the other to release a resource. It can be prevented by ensuring that at least one of the necessary conditions for deadlock is not met
Show Answer
Hide Answer
35. Explain the significance of cache memory in a computer system
Answer: Cache memory is a small, high-speed memory located close to the CPU, used to temporarily store frequently accessed data and instructions to speed up processing
Show Answer
Hide Answer
36. What is the difference between RISC and CISC architectures
Answer: RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture uses a small set of simple instructions, while CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer) architecture uses a larger set of more complex instructions
Show Answer
Hide Answer
37. Discuss the importance of file systems in an operating system
Answer: File systems manage how data is stored and retrieved on a disk, providing a way to organize, store, and access files efficiently
Show Answer
Hide Answer
38. How does paging differ from segmentation in memory management
Answer: Paging divides memory into fixed-size pages, while segmentation divides it into variable-sized segments based on logical divisions, such as functions or data structures
Show Answer
Hide Answer
39. Explain the concept of pipelining in computer architecture
Answer: Pipelining is a technique where multiple instruction phases are overlapped to improve CPU performance by executing different parts of instructions simultaneously
Show Answer
Hide Answer
40. What is the purpose of DMA in a computer system
Answer: Direct Memory Access (DMA) allows hardware subsystems to access system memory directly, bypassing the CPU, to speed up data transfer rates
Show Answer
Hide Answer
41. How do operating systems manage process scheduling
Answer: Operating systems use process scheduling algorithms to determine the order in which processes are executed, optimizing CPU utilization and ensuring efficient process management
Show Answer
Hide Answer
42. What are interrupts and how are they handled by the operating system
Answer: Interrupts are signals that indicate an event requiring immediate attention, and the operating system handles them by temporarily halting the current process, executing an interrupt handler, and then resuming the process
Show Answer
Hide Answer
43. Explain the concept of virtual machines and their use cases
Answer: Virtual machines are software emulations of physical computers, allowing multiple operating systems to run on a single physical machine, often used for testing, development, and server consolidation
Show Answer
Hide Answer
44. What is the difference between symmetric and asymmetric multiprocessing
Answer: Symmetric multiprocessing involves multiple processors sharing the same memory and I/O resources equally, while asymmetric multiprocessing assigns different tasks to different processors
Show Answer
Hide Answer
45. Describe the functioning of a disk scheduling algorithm
Answer: Disk scheduling algorithms determine the order in which disk I/O requests are processed, aiming to reduce seek time and improve disk throughput
Show Answer
Hide Answer
46. What is the significance of the Von Neumann architecture in computing
Answer: The Von Neumann architecture is a computer design model that describes a system where the CPU, memory, and input/output devices are connected by a common bus, with instructions and data stored in the same memory
Show Answer
Hide Answer
47. Explain how a time-sharing system works
Answer: A time-sharing system allows multiple users to share system resources simultaneously by allocating time slots to each user or process, ensuring efficient utilization of the CPU
Show Answer
Hide Answer
48. What are semaphores and how are they used in process synchronization
Answer: Semaphores are signaling mechanisms used to control access to shared resources in concurrent processing, helping to avoid race conditions and ensure data consistency
Show Answer
Hide Answer
49. Discuss the purpose and functionality of RAID in data storage
Answer: RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a technology that combines multiple physical disks into a single logical unit for data redundancy, performance improvement, or both
Show Answer
Hide Answer
50. How does an operating system manage memory allocation for processes
Answer: Operating systems manage memory allocation through techniques such as paging, segmentation, and dynamic allocation to ensure efficient and safe use of memory resources
Show Answer
Hide Answer
51. What is the role of a device driver in an operating system
Answer: Device drivers are specialized programs that allow the operating system to communicate with hardware devices, providing the necessary interface and control functions
Show Answer
Hide Answer
52. Describe the process of booting in a computer system
Answer: Booting is the process of starting up a computer and loading the operating system into memory, involving steps like power-on self-test (POST), loading the bootloader, and initializing the kernel
Show Answer
Hide Answer
53. What is thrashing in the context of memory management
Answer: Thrashing occurs when a system spends more time swapping pages in and out of memory than executing actual processes, leading to severe performance degradation
Show Answer
Hide Answer
54. Explain the difference between batch processing and real-time processing
Answer: Batch processing involves executing a series of jobs without manual intervention, while real-time processing requires immediate processing and response to inputs, often used in time-sensitive applications
Show Answer
Hide Answer
55. What is the purpose of the kernel in an operating system
Answer: The kernel is the core component of an operating system that manages system resources, handles communication between hardware and software, and provides essential services for application execution
Show Answer
Hide Answer
56. Discuss the use of memory-mapped I/O in computer systems
Answer: Memory-mapped I/O allows hardware devices to be controlled and accessed by reading and writing specific memory addresses, simplifying device management and improving performance
Show Answer
Hide Answer