CPN Computer Foundation Examination (CFE) (Nigeria)

Which characteristic of a computer describes its ability to perform repetitive tasks with the same speed, accuracy, and efficiency without experiencing fatigue or lack of concentration?

• AVersatility
• BDiligence
• CAccuracy
• DStorage capacity

Which historical figure is widely recognized as the 'Father of the Computer' due to his design of the Analytical Engine?

• AAlan Turing
• BCharles Babbage
• CJohn von Neumann
• DBlaise Pascal

Which core electronic component was the defining technology of the first generation of computers (approx. 1940-1956)?

• ATransistors
• BIntegrated Circuits (ICs)
• CVacuum Tubes
• DMicroprocessors

The second generation of computers (approx. 1956-1963) witnessed a massive reduction in heat generation and physical footprint. This improvement was primarily due to the introduction of which component?

• ATransistors
• BVacuum tubes
• CIntegrated circuits
• DVery Large Scale Integration (VLSI)

Which technology breakthrough marked the transition into the third generation of computing (approx. 1964-1971)?

• AMagnetic drum storage
• BMicroprocessors
• CIntegrated Circuits (ICs)
• DArtificial Intelligence algorithms

Fourth-generation computers are characterized by the integration of thousands of integrated circuits onto a single silicon chip. What is this technology called?

• ATransistorization
• BUltra Large Scale Integration (ULSI)
• CVery Large Scale Integration (VLSI)
• DThermionic Emission

Which of the following technologies is most closely associated with the fifth generation of computers?

• AMagnetic core memory
• BHigh-level programming languages
• CUltra Large Scale Integration (ULSI) and Artificial Intelligence
• DCommand-line operating systems

Which type of computer is designed to handle massive processing tasks for hundreds of users simultaneously, commonly serving as the centralized data hub for large enterprise databases, insurance databases, or banking networks?

• ASupercomputer
• BMainframe computer
• CMinicomputer
• DMicrocomputer

A digital computer processes discrete values, whereas an analog computer measures continuous physical variables. What is a computer that integrates both digital and analog processing techniques called?

• AHybrid computer
• BMainframe computer
• CIntegrated processor
• DQuantum computer

To maintain proper physical computer hygiene and prevent component damage, what is the recommended procedure for cleaning a computer monitor or LCD screen?

• ASpray a standard glass cleaner directly onto the screen and wipe with paper towels
• BUse a dry, lint-free microfiber cloth, and if necessary, dampen the cloth slightly with d…
• CScrub the screen using a damp sponge and household dishwashing liquid
• DSpray compressed air directly onto the glass from a distance of less than one inch

Why is regular dusting and physical cleaning of a desktop computer's internal cooling fans considered a critical hardware hygiene practice?

• AIt increases the storage capacity of the solid-state drive
• BIt prevents dust buildup which acts as an insulator, leading to overheating and thermal t…
• CIt prevents the operating system from contracting software viruses
• DIt automatically updates the motherboard's BIOS firmware

Which historical mechanical calculation machine was developed by Herman Hollerith for the 1890 United States Census, introducing punch cards to process census data?

• AThe Pascaline
• BThe Tabulating Machine
• CThe Difference Engine
• DThe Stepped Reckoner

Developed by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert in 1946, ENIAC was a major milestone in computing history. What does ENIAC stand for?

• AElectronic Numerical Integrator and Computer
• BElectronic Network Integrated Analog Calculator
• CEngineered Numerical Integration and Calculation
• DElectronic Numerical Intelligence and Computation

John von Neumann introduced the stored-program concept in his 1945 proposal for which early computer?

• AEDVAC
• BUNIVAC I
• CENIAC
• DColossus

What is the decimal representation of the unsigned 8-bit binary number 00011011?

• A11
• B27
• C43
• D54

Which of the following is the primary subsystem within the Central Processing Unit (CPU) responsible for executing mathematical calculations and making logical decisions?

• AControl Unit (CU)
• BArithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
• CL1 Cache Memory
• DInstruction Register

Which of the following contains ONLY input devices?

• ABarcode reader, Flatbed scanner, Digital microphone
• BKeyboard, Inkjet printer, Optical mouse
• CLaser printer, LCD monitor, Audio speakers
• DFlatbed scanner, Barcode reader, Dot matrix printer

What is the key functional difference between Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read-Only Memory (ROM)?

• ARAM is permanent and ROM is temporary memory
• BRAM is volatile (loses data when powered off) while ROM is non-volatile (retains data whe…
• CRAM is stored on magnetic media while ROM is stored on optical media
• DRAM can only be read by the system, whereas ROM is writable at high speed

A system bus is split logically into three specialized buses. Which bus carries the physical memory addresses of data indicating where the CPU wants to read or write?

• AControl Bus
• BAddress Bus
• CData Bus
• DPCIe Bus

What is the primary purpose of Level 1 (L1) and Level 2 (L2) cache memory in modern processor architecture?

• ATo act as virtual memory when primary RAM is completely full
• BTo permanently store the operating system's boot configuration settings
• CTo provide the CPU with high-speed access to frequently used instructions and data
• DTo perform arithmetic operations on floating-point numbers

In a mechanical Hard Disk Drive (HDD), what is the smallest addressable unit of physical data storage on a track?

• ASector
• BCylinder
• CCluster
• DPlatter

Unlike mechanical Hard Disk Drives, Solid State Drives (SSDs) have no moving parts. Which technology does an SSD use to store data persistently?

• AElectromagnetic induction coil platters
• BNAND flash memory
• CDynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM)
• DOptical pits and lands

In traditional computer motherboard architectures, what is the role of the Northbridge controller chipset?

• AManaging slow peripheral connections like USB, PCI slots, and SATA drives
• BConnecting the CPU directly to high-speed interfaces like RAM and the PCI Express graphic…
• CConverting alternating current (AC) power to stable direct current (DC)
• DExecuting the Power-On Self-Test (POST) program at startup

Which type of non-volatile semiconductor memory chip can be erased completely and reset to its initial state by exposing it to ultraviolet (UV) light through a small quartz window?

• APROM (Programmable ROM)
• BEPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM)
• CEEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM)
• DSRAM (Static RAM)

What is the correct logical order of the four primary steps in a CPU's basic instruction cycle?

• AFetch, Decode, Execute, Store
• BStore, Fetch, Execute, Decode
• CDecode, Fetch, Execute, Store
• DFetch, Execute, Decode, Store

Which of the following high-speed motherboard expansion bus interfaces is designed primarily for attaching graphics cards, NVMe solid-state drives, and high-performance network adapters directly to the CPU?

• AUSB 3.2
• BSATA III
• CPCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express)
• DIDE (Integrated Drive Electronics)

In hardware maintenance and computer hygiene, what is the primary function of an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)?

• ATo convert direct current (DC) from the wall outlet into alternating current (AC) for the…
• BTo dynamically increase the clock speed of the CPU when running demanding programs
• CTo provide battery backup power during a mains power failure, allowing systems to save da…
• DTo automatically block network-based intrusion attacks at the hardware level

Which motherboard form factor is the largest of the standard consumer options, typically measuring 12 by 9.6 inches and offering the most PCI Express expansion slots?

• AMicro-ATX
• BMini-ITX
• CATX
• DNano-ITX

Double Data Rate (DDR) SDRAM achieves higher transfer rates than Single Data Rate (SDR) RAM by utilizing which technique?

• ARefreshing dynamic capacitor charges twice per second
• BAccessing memory banks over an analog rather than a digital channel
• CTransferring data on both the rising and falling edges of the system clock signal
• DDoubling the physical size of the data bus on the motherboard

What is the boolean output of a logic NAND gate if both of its inputs are logic level 1 (True)?

• A0 (False)
• B1 (True)
• CHigh impedance
• DIndeterminate (requires clock signal)

Which of the following best defines the primary purpose of an Operating System?

• ATo act as a spreadsheet application for business accounting tasks
• BTo act as an intermediary between the user/applications and the computer hardware, managi…
• CTo compile high-level programming language code into machine execution files
• DTo connect the local computer to the Internet using wireless protocols

Which file extension is commonly used to identify an Adobe Acrobat portable document format file?

• A.docx
• B.pdf
• C.zip
• D.xlsx

In modern operating systems, files are organized in a tree-like layout. What is this organization structure called?

• AFlat database filesystem
• BHierarchical directory structure
• CRelational network mapping
• DSequential tape cataloging

When moving a file from one directory to another on the SAME NTFS logical partition, how does the operating system execute this operation?

• AIt duplicates all physical data blocks to a new sector location and then erases the origi…
• BIt simply updates the directory pointer records to point to the existing file location, l…
• CIt compresses the file blocks, moves them, and then decompresses them in the target direc…
• DIt converts the file to a temporary system stream and uploads it to virtual RAM before re…

Which type of operating system is designed to respond to external events within strict, guaranteed time constraints, making it critical for industrial machinery and medical devices?

• ABatch Operating System
• BReal-Time Operating System (RTOS)
• CDistributed Operating System
• DMulti-user Time-sharing System

What is the operating system condition known as 'thrashing'?

• AThe physical head of the hard drive colliding with the magnetic platter surface
• BThe system spending more time swapping pages of memory in and out of secondary storage th…
• CAn antivirus scan consuming all CPU processing cycles during threat removal
• DThe accumulation of multiple corrupted temporary files in the root folder

In operating system process scheduling, which preemptive algorithm allocates a small, fixed unit of CPU time (called a time slice or quantum) to each process in a circular queue?

• AFirst-Come, First-Served (FCFS)
• BRound Robin (RR)
• CShortest Job First (SJF)
• DPriority Scheduling

What is the primary role of a device driver in a computer system?

• ATo provide a backup electricity source to the motherboard
• BTo act as a software translation layer, allowing the operating system to communicate with…
• CTo physically connect external peripheral cables to the motherboard ports
• DTo compile high-level application code into executable machine binaries

Which of the following is a major advantage of the NTFS file system compared to the older FAT32 file system?

• ANTFS does not support file permissions or encryption, making it faster to access
• BNTFS supports file security permissions, journaling for recovery, and files larger than 4…
• CNTFS is compatible with all legacy 8-bit operating systems
• DNTFS consumes much less storage overhead on very small flash drives

During the cold boot sequence of a computer, what is the role of the Power-On Self-Test (POST)?

• ATo connect the operating system to the local area network
• BTo diagnose and verify that essential hardware components (CPU, RAM, video card, keyboard…
• CTo clean up temporary cache files and scan the hard disk for malware
• DTo load the graphical user interface desktop files into the monitor buffer

What is the primary cause of filesystem fragmentation on a mechanical hard drive?

• AOverheating of the disk controller chip
• BFiles being written, modified, and deleted over time, leaving non-contiguous gaps of stor…
• CThe read/write head touching the rotating surface of the magnetic platter
• DThe conversion of files from binary format to ASCII characters

In Linux file management, which command is used to modify read, write, and execute permissions on a file?

• Achown
• Bchmod
• Cls -la
• Dgrep

Which of the following describes the 'Mutual Exclusion' condition required for an operating system deadlock to occur?

• AProcesses must hold allocated resources while waiting for additional resources to be freed
• BAt least one resource must be held in a non-shareable mode, meaning only one process can…
• CResources cannot be forcibly taken from a process; they must be released voluntarily
• DA closed chain of processes exists, where each process holds resources needed by the next

In operating system architecture, what is the primary distinction between Kernel Space and User Space?

• AKernel Space stores user graphics, while User Space manages disk drivers
• BKernel Space runs with full hardware access and elevated privileges, while User Space run…
• CKernel Space is volatile memory, whereas User Space is non-volatile hard disk storage
• DKernel Space is reserved for web servers, while User Space runs office application databa…

Which RAID configuration level provides data striping without any parity or mirroring data, offering high performance but zero fault tolerance?

• ARAID 0
• BRAID 1
• CRAID 5
• DRAID 10