100 Computer Quiz Questions & Answers 2026

Computer Hardware — 25 Questions

1. What does CPU stand for? (Central Processing Unit — the "brain" of the computer)
2. What does RAM stand for? (Random Access Memory — temporary working memory)
3. What does GPU stand for? (Graphics Processing Unit)
4. What is a motherboard? (Main circuit board connecting all computer components)
5. What does SSD stand for? (Solid State Drive — faster than HDD, no moving parts)
6. What does HDD stand for? (Hard Disk Drive — uses magnetic platters)
7. What is the BIOS? (Basic Input/Output System — firmware for booting the computer)
8. What is a heat sink? (Component that dissipates heat from CPU/GPU)
9. What does USB-C do differently? (Universal connector — can transmit data, video, and power)
10. What is a pixel? (Smallest element of a digital image or screen)
11. What does MHz/GHz measure in a CPU? (Clock speed — cycles per second)
12. What is cache memory? (Fast memory in CPU for frequently used data)
13. What is HDMI? (High-Definition Multimedia Interface — video/audio connection)
14. What does 64-bit mean for a processor? (Can process 64 bits of data at once — more memory addressable)
15. What is overclocking? (Running CPU/GPU faster than rated speed)
16. What is a NIC? (Network Interface Card — enables network connectivity)
17. What is RAID? (Redundant Array of Independent Disks — multiple drives for performance/redundancy)
18. What is a PSU? (Power Supply Unit — converts AC to DC for computer components)
19. What does "bit" vs "byte" mean? (1 byte = 8 bits)
20. How many bytes in a kilobyte? (1,024 bytes)
21. What is the difference between a CPU core and a thread? (A core is a physical processing unit; a thread is a virtual sequence of execution)
22. What is VRAM used for? (Storing image data for the GPU to render graphics)
23. What is the term for a computer's "boot" process? (Starting up the computer and loading the operating system)
24. What is a chipset on a motherboard? (A set of chips that manage data flow between the CPU and other components)
25. What is the difference between a laptop and a desktop computer's main advantage? (Portability for laptops vs typically more power and upgradability for desktops)

Operating Systems & Software — 25 Questions

1. What are the three main desktop OS types? (Windows, macOS, Linux)
2. Who makes Windows? (Microsoft)
3. What is Linux? (Open-source OS kernel — used in servers, Android, and desktop distros)
4. What does OS stand for? (Operating System)
5. What is a file extension? (.txt, .pdf, .jpg — identifies file type)
6. What does .exe mean? (Executable file — Windows program)
7. What is an open-source program? (Source code is publicly available and free to modify)
8. What does GUI stand for? (Graphical User Interface)
9. What does CLI stand for? (Command Line Interface — text-based)
10. What is a driver? (Software allowing OS to communicate with hardware)
11. What is virtualization? (Running multiple virtual machines on one physical machine)
12. What is a kernel? (Core of an OS managing hardware and system calls)
13. What does "sudo" do in Linux? (Super User Do — runs command with admin privileges)
14. What is a cookie in web browsers? (Small file storing user data/session info)
15. What is a VPN? (Virtual Private Network — encrypts internet connection and masks IP)
16. Who created Linux? (Linus Torvalds, in 1991)
17. What is macOS based on? (A Unix-based operating system developed by Apple)
18. What is a "process" in an operating system? (An instance of a running program)
19. What is multitasking in an OS? (Running multiple processes or applications simultaneously)
20. What is the Windows Registry? (A database storing low-level settings for the Windows OS and applications)
21. What is "Safe Mode" used for in Windows? (Starting the OS with minimal drivers and services to troubleshoot issues)
22. What is freeware? (Software available for use at no cost, though not necessarily open source)
23. What is shareware? (Software distributed for trial use, often with limited features until purchased)
24. What is malware? (Malicious software designed to harm or exploit a system)
25. What does "ctrl+alt+delete" typically do on Windows? (Opens task manager or security options)

Networking & Internet — 25 Questions

1. What is an IP address? (Unique numerical label for a device on a network)
2. What is IPv4 vs IPv6? (IPv4 = 32-bit (4.3 billion addresses); IPv6 = 128-bit (virtually unlimited))
3. What does DNS stand for? (Domain Name System — translates domain names to IP addresses)
4. What is a MAC address? (Media Access Control — unique hardware identifier for network device)
5. What does HTTP stand for? (HyperText Transfer Protocol)
6. What is a router? (Device directing network traffic between networks)
7. What is a firewall? (Security system monitoring and filtering network traffic)
8. What does LAN stand for? (Local Area Network — small geographic area)
9. What does WAN stand for? (Wide Area Network — large geographic area — the internet is a WAN)
10. What is bandwidth? (Maximum data transfer rate of a network)
11. What is packet switching? (Breaking data into packets sent independently over a network)
12. What does FTP stand for? (File Transfer Protocol)
13. What is a subnet mask? (Divides IP address into network and host portions)
14. What is port 80 used for? (HTTP — standard web traffic)
15. What is port 443 used for? (HTTPS — secure web traffic)
16. What is a modem used for? (Converting digital data to signals for transmission over phone or cable lines)
17. What does Wi-Fi use to transmit data wirelessly? (Radio waves)
18. What is a proxy server? (An intermediary server that relays requests between clients and other servers)
19. What does ping measure in networking? (The round-trip time for a request to reach a server and return)
20. What does DHCP stand for? (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol — automatically assigns IP addresses)
21. What is the difference between upload and download speed? (Upload sends data from your device; download receives data to your device)
22. What is a "hotspot" in networking? (A location providing wireless internet access, often via a mobile device)
23. What is the OSI model used for? (A conceptual framework describing how data moves through a network in 7 layers)
24. What is a "ping" command used to test? (Whether a network host is reachable and how long it takes to respond)
25. What is net neutrality? (The principle that internet providers should treat all data equally without discrimination)

Computing History & File Formats — 25 Questions

1. What was the first electronic general-purpose computer? (ENIAC, completed in 1945)
2. Who is considered the father of the modern computer? (Charles Babbage, for his conceptual Analytical Engine)
3. Who is considered the first computer programmer? (Ada Lovelace, for her work on Babbage's Analytical Engine)
4. What was the first widely used personal computer operating system? (MS-DOS, by Microsoft)
5. What does .jpg/.jpeg stand for as a file format? (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
6. What does .pdf stand for? (Portable Document Format)
7. What does .png stand for? (Portable Network Graphics)
8. What does .mp3 represent? (MPEG Audio Layer III, a compressed audio format)
9. What does .mp4 represent? (A common digital video container format)
10. What does .csv stand for? (Comma-Separated Values, used for storing tabular data)
11. What does .zip refer to as a file type? (A compressed archive file format)
12. What does .html stand for? (HyperText Markup Language)
13. What company created the first commercially successful spreadsheet software? (VisiCorp, with VisiCalc, though Lotus and Microsoft Excel became dominant later)
14. What was the first widely used web browser? (Mosaic, released in 1993)
15. Who invented the first computer mouse? (Douglas Engelbart, in the 1960s)
16. What was the first graphical user interface computer to reach mass-market success? (The Apple Macintosh, 1984)
17. What programming language is one of the oldest still in active use? (FORTRAN, developed in the 1950s)
18. What was the floppy disk's typical storage capacity at its peak (3.5-inch)? (1.44 MB)
19. What technology preceded the SSD and HDD for early data storage? (Punch cards and magnetic tape)
20. Who co-founded Intel, a major chip manufacturer? (Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce)
21. What was the first search engine widely used before Google? (Several, including AltaVista and Yahoo)
22. What is the significance of the Apollo Guidance Computer? (It was used to navigate the Apollo missions to the Moon, an early example of embedded computing)
23. What does "Y2K" refer to in computing history? (The year 2000 problem, related to date formatting in older systems)
24. What was the first computer virus to spread widely on early networks? (The Morris Worm, in 1988, though earlier viruses like Creeper existed)
25. What does ASCII stand for? (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)