File Systems in Operating Systems: MCQ Test for Learners
Master file systems in operating systems with this MCQ test. Explore key concepts like file types, directories, allocation methods and access controls to boost your knowledge.
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📋 Total Questions: 30
⏳ Time Limit: 30 minutes
📝 Marking Scheme: +1 for each correct answer. No negative marking.
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1. What is the primary function of a file system in an operating system?
To allocate memory to running processes
To manage files and directories on storage devices
To handle user authentication and permissions
To control hardware interactions with the CPU
2. Which file allocation method uses fixed-sized blocks linked together?
Contiguous allocation
Indexed allocation
Linked allocation
Variable allocation
3. What type of file stores system configuration and settings?
Text file
Binary file
Directory file
Configuration file
4. The file control block (FCB) contains information about:
CPU scheduling
Process memory allocation
File attributes and metadata
Cache memory structure
5. In which file allocation method does each file have its own index block?
Contiguous allocation
Indexed allocation
Linked allocation
Hash-based allocation
6. What is the purpose of a directory in a file system?
To store temporary files
To manage and organize files
To allocate memory for processes
To control access to external devices
7. Which term refers to the smallest unit of storage in a file system?
Sector
Cluster
Block
Byte
8. The process of mapping logical file names to physical locations on storage is known as:
File indexing
Address resolution
Path mapping
File allocation
9. Which of the following is not a file attribute?
File size
File type
File priority
File permissions
10. What is the primary advantage of indexed file allocation?
Sequential access efficiency
Easy direct access to file blocks
Reduced storage overhead
Simplified file management
11. What does a file system journal track?
User access history
Changes to files and directories
Physical storage locations
File permission updates
12. Which directory structure allows files to have multiple parent directories?
Single-level directory
Tree-structured directory
Graph directory structure
Multi-level directory
13. The FAT file system is primarily used in:
Linux-based systems
Windows-based systems
macOS systems
Mobile devices only
14. A file extension is typically used to indicate:
File size
File permissions
File type
File owner
15. What is a superblock in a file system?
A block containing metadata about the file system
A block storing user data
A block used for caching frequently accessed files
A backup block for the root directory
16. The process of reducing file size without losing data is called:
Compression
Encryption
Clustering
Defragmentation
17. What type of access method is used when data is retrieved in the order it is stored?
Direct access
Indexed access
Sequential access
Random access
18. The NTFS file system is known for its support of:
Small file sizes only
Limited directory structures
Advanced security and large storage capacities
No journaling capabilities
19. The command used to list files and directories in a Unix-like system is:
mkdir
ls
rm
cp
20. A contiguous file allocation method is best suited for:
Random access
Sequential access
Multi-user environments
Large, fragmented storage systems
21. What is a key disadvantage of linked file allocation?
Complex directory management
Difficulty in accessing large files sequentially
Lack of direct access capability
Increased storage overhead
22. In Linux, the inode stores information about:
File contents
File location on disk
File metadata
Directory structure
23. Which of the following is not a valid file operation?
Create
Rename
Delete
Share
24. A RAID system primarily provides:
Increased memory allocation
Fault tolerance and improved performance
File encryption
Process management
25. File permissions in Linux are typically represented by:
Binary values
Decimal numbers
Octal numbers
Hexadecimal codes
26. The Ext4 file system is commonly used in:
Windows operating systems
Unix-like operating systems
macOS operating systems
Embedded systems
27. A dangling pointer in file systems refers to:
A file that cannot be accessed due to broken links
A file that is hidden from the user
A corrupted directory structure
A file block without metadata
28. The process of reorganizing data on disk to reduce fragmentation is called:
Compression
Defragmentation
Journaling
Formatting
29. What is the primary purpose of file encryption?