Practice Test GeeksIC3 - Digital Literacy Certification Practice Test
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- Digital Literacy Hardware and Software Concepts Flashcards

6 cards from real IC3 practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. What is the difference between SSD and HDD storage?

    Answer: SSDs use flash memory with no moving parts while HDDs use spinning magnetic disks

    SSDs store data on flash memory chips with no moving parts, offering faster speeds and greater durability. HDDs use spinning magnetic platters read by a mechanical arm.

  2. What is virtualization technology?

    Answer: Running multiple virtual computers on a single physical machine using software

    Virtualization uses software (a hypervisor) to create multiple virtual machines on a single physical computer, each running its own operating system and applications independently.

  3. What is the purpose of an operating system's task manager or activity monitor?

    Answer: To view and manage running processes, CPU usage, memory consumption, and system performance

    Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (macOS) provides real-time information about running processes, resource usage, and system performance, and allows users to end unresponsive applications.

  4. What is firmware and how does it differ from regular software?

    Answer: Firmware is permanent software embedded in hardware that controls basic device functions

    Firmware is specialized software permanently stored on a hardware device's memory chip that provides low-level control for the device's specific hardware functions.

  5. What is the role of cache memory in a computer system?

    Answer: It provides ultra-fast temporary storage for frequently accessed data to speed up processing

    Cache memory is a small, extremely fast memory located close to or within the CPU that stores copies of frequently accessed data to reduce the time needed to fetch them from slower main memory.

  6. What does 'open source software' mean?

    Answer: Software whose source code is publicly available and can be viewed, modified, and distributed

    Open source software has publicly available source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and redistribute, typically under a license that defines how it may be used and shared.