System Software

    AQA
    GCSE

    System software serves as the essential interface between hardware, application software, and the user, governing the allocation and management of computer resources. It encompasses the Operating System (OS), responsible for processor scheduling, memory management, and peripheral control, alongside utility programs that maintain system efficiency. Mastery requires distinguishing these functions from application software and understanding the specific roles of utilities such as encryption, defragmentation, and compression in optimizing performance and security.

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    Objectives
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    Exam Tips
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    Pitfalls
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    Key Terms
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    Mark Points

    What You Need to Demonstrate

    Key skills and knowledge for this topic

    • Award 1 mark for identifying that the Operating System (OS) acts as an interface between the user and the hardware
    • Credit responses that explain multitasking as the OS allocating small time slices of the CPU to each active process sequentially
    • Award 1 mark for stating that device drivers translate commands from the OS into instructions that specific hardware can understand
    • For defragmentation, candidates must state that file fragments are grouped together to reduce read/write head movement, not just 'to tidy the disk'

    Marking Points

    Key points examiners look for in your answers

    • Award 1 mark for identifying that the Operating System (OS) acts as an interface between the user and the hardware
    • Credit responses that explain multitasking as the OS allocating small time slices of the CPU to each active process sequentially
    • Award 1 mark for stating that device drivers translate commands from the OS into instructions that specific hardware can understand
    • For defragmentation, candidates must state that file fragments are grouped together to reduce read/write head movement, not just 'to tidy the disk'

    Examiner Tips

    Expert advice for maximising your marks

    • 💡In 6-mark 'Discuss' questions about open source vs proprietary software, ensure you cover implications for the specific scenario (e.g., security, support costs), not just general definitions
    • 💡When describing data compression, explicitly mention 'lossy' or 'lossless' and justify why that type is appropriate for the specific file type mentioned (e.g., text vs. image)
    • 💡Avoid using the term 'drivers' in isolation; always refer to 'device drivers' and link them to the specific peripheral mentioned in the question stem

    Common Mistakes

    Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

    • Believing that defragmentation creates more free space on the disk; examiners require the understanding that it consolidates existing free space
    • Confusing System Software with Application Software; candidates often incorrectly list web browsers or word processors as examples of system software
    • Vaguely stating the OS 'manages memory' without specifying that it moves data between RAM and Virtual Memory when RAM is full

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Likely Command Words

    How questions on this topic are typically asked

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