CPU, Memory & Storage MCQs 2026

45 questions with detailed answers · 19 from past papers · 5 quiz batches available

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Read each question, think about the answer, then click Show Answer to reveal the correct option and explanation. Load 10 at a time so it stays manageable — perfect for one-topic study sessions on the bus or during a break.

Page 1 of 1 Questions 1–10 of 45

Q1 Past Paper · PPSC/FPSC/NTS medium

The fastest type of memory in a computer is
1. A RAM
2. B Hard disk
3. C Register
4. D ROM
💡 Explanation:
Registers, located inside the CPU, are the fastest memory in a computer.
Q2 medium

Cache memory is placed between the CPU and
1. A Main memory (RAM)
2. B Hard disk
3. C Monitor
4. D Keyboard
💡 Explanation:
Cache sits between the CPU and RAM to speed up data access.
Q3 Past Paper · PPSC/FPSC/NTS medium

Which memory is directly accessed by the CPU
1. A Hard disk
2. B DVD
3. C USB drive
4. D Main memory
💡 Explanation:
The CPU directly accesses primary (main) memory such as RAM.
Q4 medium

DRAM needs to be constantly
1. A Cooled
2. B Refreshed
3. C Formatted
4. D Cleaned
💡 Explanation:
Dynamic RAM (DRAM) must be refreshed continuously to retain its data.
Q5 medium

An SSD stores data on
1. A Spinning platters
2. B Flash memory chips
3. C Magnetic tape
4. D Optical discs
💡 Explanation:
SSDs store data on flash memory chips rather than spinning platters.
Q6 hard

The Instruction Register (IR) holds
1. A The next address
2. B ALU results
3. C Memory data
4. D The current instruction being executed
💡 Explanation:
The Instruction Register holds the instruction currently being executed.
Q7 easy

Registers are located
1. A Inside the CPU
2. B On the hard disk
3. C In the monitor
4. D In the power supply
💡 Explanation:
Registers are small storage locations inside the CPU.
Q8 easy

Which of the following has the largest storage capacity
1. A CD
2. B DVD
3. C Hard disk
4. D Floppy disk
💡 Explanation:
Among these, the hard disk has by far the largest storage capacity.
Q9 Past Paper · PPSC/FPSC/NTS medium

DRAM is mainly used as
1. A Cache memory
2. B Main memory
3. C Register
4. D ROM
💡 Explanation:
DRAM is used as the main memory (RAM) of a computer.
Q10 medium

The time taken to locate and retrieve data from memory is called
1. A Bandwidth
2. B Clock speed
3. C Refresh rate
4. D Access time
💡 Explanation:
Access time is the time required to locate and read data from memory.
Q11 medium

Which memory type is faster
1. A DRAM
2. B Both are equal
3. C SRAM
4. D Neither stores data
💡 Explanation:
SRAM is faster than DRAM, which is why it is used for cache.
Q12 Past Paper · PPSC/FPSC/NTS easy

The component containing the ALU and control unit is the
1. A CPU
2. B RAM
3. C Motherboard
4. D Hard disk
💡 Explanation:
The CPU contains the ALU and the control unit.
Q13 medium

Flash drives and SSDs are both examples of
1. A Volatile memory
2. B Non-volatile memory
3. C Cache memory
4. D Register memory
💡 Explanation:
Flash drives and SSDs are non-volatile; they retain data without power.
Q14 Past Paper · PPSC/FPSC/NTS medium

Which of these has the fastest data access time
1. A DVD
2. B Hard disk
3. C RAM
4. D Cache
💡 Explanation:
Cache has the fastest access time among these options.
Q15 easy

Cache memory is ______ than main memory
1. A Faster
2. B Slower
3. C Larger and cheaper
4. D Non-electronic
💡 Explanation:
Cache memory is faster (but smaller and costlier) than main memory.
Q16 easy

Which of the following is a secondary storage device
1. A RAM
2. B Cache
3. C Hard disk
4. D Register
💡 Explanation:
A hard disk is a secondary storage device used for permanent storage.
Q17 Past Paper · PPSC/FPSC/NTS easy

The storage capacity of a standard CD is about
1. A 700 MB
2. B 4.7 GB
3. C 25 GB
4. D 128 MB
💡 Explanation:
A standard CD holds about 700 MB of data.
Q18 Past Paper · PPSC/FPSC/NTS easy

The storage capacity of a standard single-layer DVD is about
1. A 700 MB
2. B 128 MB
3. C 25 GB
4. D 4.7 GB
💡 Explanation:
A single-layer DVD holds about 4.7 GB of data.
Q19 Past Paper · PPSC/FPSC/NTS medium

A single-layer Blu-ray disc can store about
1. A 700 MB
2. B 4.7 GB
3. C 25 GB
4. D 128 MB
💡 Explanation:
A single-layer Blu-ray disc holds about 25 GB.
Q20 Past Paper · PPSC/FPSC/NTS medium

Which storage device has no moving parts and uses flash memory
1. A Hard disk
2. B Solid State Drive (SSD)
3. C Magnetic tape
4. D CD-ROM
💡 Explanation:
An SSD uses flash memory and has no moving mechanical parts.
Q21 medium

Which of the following provides sequential access and is used for backups
1. A Magnetic tape
2. B SSD
3. C RAM
4. D Cache
💡 Explanation:
Magnetic tape offers sequential access and is used for archival backups.
Q22 Past Paper · PPSC/FPSC/NTS medium

Virtual memory uses part of the ______ as an extension of RAM
1. A Cache
2. B ROM
3. C Register
4. D Hard disk
💡 Explanation:
Virtual memory uses hard disk space to act as extra RAM.
Q23 hard

The correct order of memory from fastest to slowest is
1. A RAM, Register, Cache, HDD
2. B Register, Cache, RAM, HDD
3. C HDD, RAM, Cache, Register
4. D Cache, Register, RAM, HDD
💡 Explanation:
Speed order is Register, then Cache, then RAM, then Hard disk.
Q24 easy

A USB flash drive stores data using
1. A Magnetic disks
2. B Optical technology
3. C Flash memory
4. D Vacuum tubes
💡 Explanation:
USB flash drives use non-volatile flash memory to store data.
Q25 Past Paper · PPSC/FPSC/NTS easy

Primary memory is also known as
1. A Backup memory
2. B Secondary memory
3. C External memory
4. D Main memory
💡 Explanation:
Primary memory is also called main memory, directly used by the CPU.
Q26 medium

The number of bits a CPU can process at one time is called its
1. A Word length
2. B Clock speed
3. C Bandwidth
4. D Cache size
💡 Explanation:
Word length is the number of bits a CPU can process simultaneously.
Q27 Past Paper · PPSC/FPSC/NTS medium

L1, L2 and L3 are types of
1. A RAM
2. B ROM
3. C Cache memory
4. D Hard disk
💡 Explanation:
L1, L2 and L3 are levels of cache memory.
Q28 Past Paper · PPSC/FPSC/NTS easy

Which type of memory loses its contents when power is switched off
1. A ROM
2. B RAM
3. C Flash memory
4. D Hard disk
💡 Explanation:
RAM is volatile and loses its contents when power is removed.
Q29 easy

A group of wires that transfers data between components is called a
1. A Bus
2. B Port
3. C Register
4. D Slot
💡 Explanation:
A bus is a set of wires that transfers data between computer components.
Q30 medium

The control bus is used to carry
1. A Data only
2. B Addresses only
3. C Power
4. D Control and timing signals
💡 Explanation:
The control bus carries control and timing signals between components.
Q31 easy

Which of the following is generally faster
1. A Hard disk
2. B DVD
3. C SSD
4. D Magnetic tape
💡 Explanation:
An SSD is faster than hard disks, DVDs and magnetic tape.
Q32 Past Paper · PPSC/FPSC/NTS medium

SRAM is commonly used as
1. A Cache memory
2. B Hard disk
3. C Virtual memory
4. D Secondary storage
💡 Explanation:
Static RAM (SRAM) is fast and is commonly used for cache memory.
Q33 Past Paper · PPSC/FPSC/NTS easy

Which of the following is non-volatile memory
1. A RAM
2. B Cache
3. C ROM
4. D Register
💡 Explanation:
ROM is non-volatile and retains data even when power is off.
Q34 medium

PROM can be programmed
1. A Multiple times
2. B Only once
3. C Never
4. D Automatically
💡 Explanation:
PROM (Programmable ROM) can be written to only once by the user.
Q35 medium

EPROM is erased using
1. A Electricity
2. B A magnet
3. C Water
4. D Ultraviolet light
💡 Explanation:
EPROM (Erasable PROM) is erased by exposure to ultraviolet light.
Q36 medium

EEPROM is erased using
1. A Electrical signals
2. B UV light
3. C Heat
4. D Sound
💡 Explanation:
EEPROM (Electrically Erasable PROM) is erased and rewritten using electrical signals.
Q37 Past Paper · PPSC/FPSC/NTS easy

The main circuit board of a computer is called the
1. A CPU
2. B RAM
3. C Cache
4. D Motherboard
💡 Explanation:
The motherboard is the main circuit board connecting all components.
Q38 hard

Which register holds the address of the next instruction to be executed
1. A Accumulator
2. B MAR
3. C Program Counter
4. D Instruction Register
💡 Explanation:
The Program Counter (PC) holds the address of the next instruction.
Q39 hard

The register that stores intermediate results of the ALU is the
1. A Program Counter
2. B Accumulator
3. C MAR
4. D Instruction Register
💡 Explanation:
The accumulator stores intermediate results produced by the ALU.
Q40 Past Paper · PPSC/FPSC/NTS medium

MAR stands for
1. A Main Address Register
2. B Memory Access Register
3. C Multiple Address Register
4. D Memory Address Register
💡 Explanation:
MAR stands for Memory Address Register, holding the address to be accessed.
Q41 easy

The speed of the processor clock is measured in
1. A Gigahertz (GHz)
2. B DPI
3. C Bytes
4. D Pixels
💡 Explanation:
Processor clock speed is measured in Gigahertz (GHz).
Q42 medium

Which bus carries memory addresses in a computer
1. A Data bus
2. B Control bus
3. C Address bus
4. D Power bus
💡 Explanation:
The address bus carries the memory addresses being accessed.
Q43 medium

The data bus is used to
1. A Carry addresses
2. B Carry actual data
3. C Control timing
4. D Supply power
💡 Explanation:
The data bus transfers the actual data between CPU and memory.
Q44 Past Paper · PPSC/FPSC/NTS medium

Which of the following is the smallest and fastest memory
1. A RAM
2. B Hard disk
3. C Cache
4. D Register
💡 Explanation:
Registers are the smallest and fastest memory, located within the CPU.
Q45 Past Paper · PPSC/FPSC/NTS easy

RAM is an example of
1. A Secondary memory
2. B Primary memory
3. C Read-only memory
4. D Backup memory
💡 Explanation:
RAM is primary (main) memory used to hold data currently in use.

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CPU, Memory & Storage MCQs 2026

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