©2024 TVET CDACC
061306T4CSC
COMPUTER SCIENCE LEVEL 6
ICT/OS/CS/CR/02/6/A
UNDERSTAND OPERATING SYSTEMS
July/August 2024
TVET CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT, ASSESSMENT AND CERTIFICATION
COUNCIL (TVET CDACC)
WRITTEN ASSESSMENT
TIME: 3 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATE
1. The paper consists of two sections: A and B
2. Answer ALL questions in Section A and any Three from section B
3. Marks for each question are indicated in the brackets
4. A separate answer booklet will be provided
5. Do not write on the question paper
This paper consists of FOUR (4) printed pages
Candidates should check the question paper to ascertain that all pages are printed as
indicated and that no questions are missing.
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©2024 TVET CDACC
SECTION A: (40 Marks)
Answer ALL the questions in this section
1. Outline TWO relationships between operating systems and computer hardware.
(2 Marks)
2. State any THREE functions of the Memory Management Unit (MMU). (3 Marks)
3. Critical section is a fundamental concept in concurrent programming and operating
system design that plays a crucial role in the overall performance of an operating system.
Explain THREE reasons why Critical sections are important in an operating system.
(6 Marks)
4. Regularly checking for and installing device driver updates is an essential maintenance
task to a computer operating system. List FOUR benefits of keeping drivers updated.
(4 Marks)
5. Distinguish between the following terms as applied in operating systems. (6 Marks)
a) Internal and external fragmentation.
b) Paging and segmentation.
c) Processes and threads.
6. Computer administrators can control several file attributes within a computer system.
State any FOUR benefits of controlling these attributes. (4 Marks)
7. Race condition arises when the outcome of operations depends on the relative timing of
their execution. Outline THREE reasons why race conditions are notoriously difficult to
detect in software. (3 Marks)
8. Page fault is a mechanism used by the operating system to manage memory efficiently in
demand-paged virtual memory systems. Explain how a page fault occurs. (2 Marks)
9. Outline FOUR factors to consider when choosing a file organization method. (4 Marks)
10. Explain the following memory allocation strategies employed by operating systems.
(6 Marks)
a) First Fit
b) Best Fit
c) Coalescing
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©2024 TVET CDACC
SECTION B: (60 Marks)
Answer any THREE questions in this section
11. An organization that has jobs that can be queued, scheduled, and executed without
requiring immediate user interaction plans to acquire an operating system.
a) Recommend the most suitable operating system the organization should acquire.
(2 Marks)
b) Discuss SEVEN reasons that justify your choice of operating systems in 11 a) above.
(14 Marks)
c) Outline FOUR limitations of your choice of operating systems in 11 a) above.
(4 Marks)
12. An operating system is essential application software that is installed in every computing
device.
a) Discuss any SIX reasons why a computer needs an operating system. (12 Marks)
b) Briefly explain the following Operating System Architectures giving an example in
each case. (8 Marks)
i) Monolithic Kernel Architecture
ii) Microkernel Architecture
iii) Layered Architecture
iv) Hybrid kernel architecture
13. Process management is a crucial aspect of operating systems that ensures efficient
utilization of resources and smooth execution of programs.
a) Explain FIVE process management tasks the operating systems undertakes.
(10 Marks)
b) The Table below shows the arrival time and CPU burst time for three processes. Use
it to answer the questions that follow.
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©2024 TVET CDACC
Process Arrival time (ms) CPU burst (ms)
A 0 8
B 1 5
C 4 1
Assuming the operating system uses a preemptive version of shortest job first.
i) Calculate the waiting time for each process. (3 Marks)
ii) Calculate the turnaround time for each process. (3 Marks)
iii) Calculate the average waiting time. (1 Mark)
iv) Calculate the average turnaround time. (1 Mark)
v) Draw a Gantt chart to show the order of execution. (2 Marks)
14.
a) Discuss FIVEsecurity options that can be configured in local policy settings to
enhance system security. (10 Marks)
b) Performance Monitor is a versatile tool in Windows-based computers that is very
valuable to system administrators. Explain FIVE common uses of Performance
Monitor. (10 Marks)
THIS IS THE LAST PRINTED PAGE.
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