Windows Operating System MCQ Test

1. Who develops the Windows operating system?

• A. Google
• B. IBM
• C. Microsoft
• D. Apple

Answer: Microsoft

2. What type of software is Windows?

• A. A programming language
• B. Utility software only
• C. System software
• D. Application software

Answer: System software

3. What is the desktop in Windows?

• A. A type of file
• B. The main screen shown after logging in
• C. A storage device
• D. The processor

Answer: The main screen shown after logging in

4. What is an icon on the Windows desktop?

• A. A printer setting
• B. A small picture representing a file, folder or program
• C. A memory chip
• D. A network cable

Answer: A small picture representing a file, folder or program

5. What is the Taskbar used for?

• A. Editing photos
• B. Storing files
• C. Showing open programs and quick access to apps
• D. Managing memory

Answer: Showing open programs and quick access to apps

6. Which key combination opens the Start menu?

• A. Ctrl+Alt+Del
• B. Ctrl+Esc
• C. Alt+Tab
• D. Shift+Esc

Answer: Ctrl+Esc

7. Which shortcut switches between open applications?

• A. Shift+Tab
• B. Alt+Tab
• C. Alt+F4
• D. Ctrl+Tab

Answer: Alt+Tab

8. Which shortcut closes the active window?

• A. Alt+F1
• B. Alt+F4
• C. Ctrl+W
• D. Ctrl+F4

Answer: Alt+F4

9. Which shortcut opens the Run dialog box?

• A. Win+E
• B. Win+R
• C. Win+L
• D. Win+X

Answer: Win+R

10. Which shortcut shows the desktop by minimising all windows?

• A. Win+P
• B. Win+M only
• C. Win+D
• D. Win+S

Answer: Win+D

11. Which shortcut locks the computer?

• A. Win+B
• B. Win+L
• C. Win+K
• D. Win+Q

Answer: Win+L

12. What does Ctrl+Alt+Del open in modern Windows?

• A. A security screen with options including Task Manager
• B. The Control Panel
• C. File Explorer
• D. The Start menu

Answer: A security screen with options including Task Manager

13. Which utility shows running applications and lets you end them?

• A. Task Manager
• B. Disk Cleanup
• C. Device Manager
• D. Control Panel

Answer: Task Manager

14. Which shortcut opens Task Manager directly?

• A. Ctrl+Alt+T
• B. Alt+Shift+Esc
• C. Ctrl+Shift+Esc
• D. Ctrl+Esc

Answer: Ctrl+Shift+Esc

15. What is the Recycle Bin used for?

• A. Holding deleted files until they are permanently removed
• B. Backing up the system
• C. Storing programs
• D. Cleaning the registry

Answer: Holding deleted files until they are permanently removed

16. Which shortcut deletes a file permanently, bypassing the Recycle Bin?

• A. Alt+Delete
• B. Shift+Delete
• C. Delete
• D. Ctrl+Delete

Answer: Shift+Delete

17. What is a folder in Windows?

• A. A container used to organise files
• B. A type of program
• C. A hardware device
• D. A printer driver

Answer: A container used to organise files

18. Which shortcut creates a new folder in File Explorer?

• A. Alt+N
• B. Ctrl+N
• C. Ctrl+Shift+N
• D. Ctrl+F

Answer: Ctrl+Shift+N

19. Which key renames a selected file?

• A. F1
• B. F5
• C. F2
• D. F3

Answer: F2

20. Which key refreshes the current window?

• A. F5
• B. F2
• C. F9
• D. F7

Answer: F5

21. Which shortcut copies a selected item?

• A. Ctrl+X
• B. Ctrl+D
• C. Ctrl+C
• D. Ctrl+V

Answer: Ctrl+C

22. Which shortcut cuts a selected item?

• A. Ctrl+Z
• B. Ctrl+X
• C. Ctrl+V
• D. Ctrl+C

Answer: Ctrl+X

23. Which shortcut pastes a copied item?

• A. Ctrl+P
• B. Ctrl+V
• C. Ctrl+X
• D. Ctrl+C

Answer: Ctrl+V

24. Which shortcut selects all items in a folder?

• A. Ctrl+S
• B. Ctrl+L
• C. Ctrl+A
• D. Ctrl+E

Answer: Ctrl+A

25. What does the Control Panel do?

• A. Compiles code
• B. Plays media
• C. Edits documents
• D. Provides settings for hardware, software and user accounts

Answer: Provides settings for hardware, software and user accounts

26. Which tool lists all hardware and lets you update drivers?

• A. Device Manager
• B. Task Manager
• C. Disk Cleanup
• D. Registry Editor

Answer: Device Manager

27. Which utility frees space by removing temporary files?

• A. Device Manager
• B. Disk Defragmenter
• C. Task Scheduler
• D. Disk Cleanup

Answer: Disk Cleanup

28. What does Disk Defragmenter do?

• A. Deletes files
• B. Rearranges fragmented data so files load faster
• C. Installs drivers
• D. Formats the disk

Answer: Rearranges fragmented data so files load faster

29. Should a solid state drive (SSD) be defragmented regularly?

• A. Yes, weekly
• B. Only on Windows 7
• C. No, it is unnecessary and causes wear
• D. Only when full

Answer: No, it is unnecessary and causes wear

30. What does formatting a drive do?

• A. Backs up files
• B. Speeds up the processor
• C. Prepares it for use and erases existing data
• D. Installs Windows automatically

Answer: Prepares it for use and erases existing data

31. Which file system is used by modern Windows installations?

• A. FAT12
• B. NTFS
• C. HFS+
• D. ext4

Answer: NTFS

32. Which drive letter is normally assigned to the main hard disk?

• A. C:
• B. B:
• C. A:
• D. D:

Answer: C:

33. Which drive letters were traditionally reserved for floppy drives?

• A. A: and B:
• B. E: and F:
• C. X: and Y:
• D. C: and D:

Answer: A: and B:

34. What is a shortcut in Windows?

• A. A system setting
• B. A link that points to a file or program elsewhere
• C. A copy of a file
• D. A compressed folder

Answer: A link that points to a file or program elsewhere

35. What symbol usually marks a shortcut icon?

• A. A small arrow in the corner
• B. A blue dot
• C. A yellow star
• D. A red cross

Answer: A small arrow in the corner

36. What is the Windows Registry?

• A. A database of configuration settings for Windows
• B. A backup folder
• C. A list of installed printers
• D. A user manual

Answer: A database of configuration settings for Windows

37. Which command opens the Registry Editor?

• A. cmd
• B. dxdiag
• C. msconfig
• D. regedit

Answer: regedit

38. Which command opens the Command Prompt from the Run box?

• A. term
• B. shell
• C. run
• D. cmd

Answer: cmd

39. Which command in Command Prompt lists the contents of a directory?

• A. list
• B. show
• C. dir
• D. ls

Answer: dir

40. Which command changes the current directory in Command Prompt?

• A. goto
• B. move
• C. chdir only
• D. cd

Answer: cd

41. Which command creates a new directory in Command Prompt?

• A. create
• B. md or mkdir
• C. newdir
• D. makedir

Answer: md or mkdir

42. Which command clears the Command Prompt screen?

• A. clear
• B. wipe
• C. cls
• D. reset

Answer: cls

43. Which command checks a disk for errors?

• A. chkdsk
• B. diskchk
• C. scandisk only
• D. fixdisk

Answer: chkdsk

44. Which command displays the computer's IP configuration?

• A. netstat
• B. ipconfig
• C. ifconfig
• D. ping

Answer: ipconfig

45. Which command tests connectivity to another computer?

• A. ping
• B. connect
• C. netsend
• D. trace

Answer: ping

46. What does Safe Mode do?

• A. Encrypts the disk
• B. Speeds up the system
• C. Disables the keyboard
• D. Starts Windows with only essential drivers for troubleshooting

Answer: Starts Windows with only essential drivers for troubleshooting

47. What does System Restore do?

• A. Formats the drive
• B. Reinstalls Windows
• C. Returns system files and settings to an earlier point in time
• D. Deletes all personal files

Answer: Returns system files and settings to an earlier point in time

48. Does System Restore delete personal documents?

• A. Only photos
• B. Yes, all of them
• C. Only downloads
• D. No, it mainly affects system files and settings

Answer: No, it mainly affects system files and settings

49. What is Windows Update used for?

• A. Managing printers
• B. Installing security patches and improvements
• C. Changing the wallpaper
• D. Editing documents

Answer: Installing security patches and improvements

50. What is Windows Defender?

• A. Built-in antivirus and security software
• B. A backup drive
• C. A web browser
• D. A file compression tool

Answer: Built-in antivirus and security software

51. What is a firewall in Windows?

• A. A feature that filters incoming and outgoing network traffic
• B. A cooling fan
• C. A backup utility
• D. A disk partition

Answer: A feature that filters incoming and outgoing network traffic

52. What is a user account in Windows?

• A. A hardware device
• B. A printer
• C. A profile with its own settings, files and permissions
• D. A network cable

Answer: A profile with its own settings, files and permissions

53. Which account type can install software and change system settings?

• A. Administrator
• B. Visitor
• C. Guest
• D. Standard user

Answer: Administrator

54. What does UAC stand for?

• A. User Applied Configuration
• B. User Account Control
• C. Universal Access Client
• D. Updated Application Cache

Answer: User Account Control

55. What is the purpose of User Account Control?

• A. To speed up startup
• B. To manage disk space
• C. To prompt before changes that need administrator permission
• D. To install drivers

Answer: To prompt before changes that need administrator permission

56. Which folder normally stores a user's personal files?

• A. C:\Temp
• B. C:\Users\<name>
• C. C:\Windows
• D. C:\Program Files

Answer: C:\Users\<name>

57. Which folder contains installed application files by default?

• A. C:\Temp
• B. C:\Users
• C. C:\Program Files
• D. C:\Windows\System32

Answer: C:\Program Files

58. What is a ZIP file?

• A. A compressed archive containing one or more files
• B. An image format
• C. A disk partition
• D. A system driver

Answer: A compressed archive containing one or more files

59. Which shortcut takes a screenshot of the entire screen to the clipboard?

• A. F12
• B. Print Screen
• C. Ctrl+P
• D. Alt+S

Answer: Print Screen

60. Which shortcut captures only the active window?

• A. Print Screen
• B. Ctrl+Print Screen
• C. Alt+Print Screen
• D. Shift+Print Screen

Answer: Alt+Print Screen

61. Which built-in tool captures part of the screen?

• A. WordPad
• B. Snipping Tool
• C. Paint only
• D. Notepad

Answer: Snipping Tool

62. What is the difference between Sleep and Hibernate?

• A. Sleep shuts the computer down
• B. Hibernate is faster to resume
• C. Sleep keeps the session in RAM; Hibernate saves it to disk and uses no power
• D. There is none

Answer: Sleep keeps the session in RAM; Hibernate saves it to disk and uses no power

63. What is Plug and Play?

• A. Automatic detection and configuration of new hardware
• B. A backup method
• C. A game mode
• D. A power setting

Answer: Automatic detection and configuration of new hardware

64. Which Windows feature encrypts an entire drive?

• A. BitLocker
• B. OneDrive
• C. Defender
• D. Cortana

Answer: BitLocker

65. What is File Explorer used for?

• A. Browsing the web
• B. Browsing and managing files and folders
• C. Editing images
• D. Compiling programs

Answer: Browsing and managing files and folders

66. Which shortcut opens Windows Settings?

• A. Win+I
• B. Win+C
• C. Win+S
• D. Win+A

Answer: Win+I

67. Which shortcut opens the Action Centre or notifications?

• A. Win+T
• B. Win+A
• C. Win+V
• D. Win+N only

Answer: Win+A

68. Which shortcut opens clipboard history in Windows 10 and later?

• A. Win+V
• B. Ctrl+H
• C. Win+C
• D. Win+B

Answer: Win+V