What term describes the set of instructions that directs the hardware on how to perform tasks?

• A. OS
• B. RAM
• C. Software
• D. ROM

Answer: (C)

This question tests understanding of software—the collection of programs and instructions that tell the computer’s hardware what to do. Software is the broad umbrella term that covers all the instructions run by the processor, from small utilities to full operating systems. The operating system is a specific type of software that manages hardware resources, but software as a category includes many other programs as well. RAM is the temporary memory that holds data and code being used, not the instructions themselves. ROM stores non-volatile, built-in firmware, which provides low-level instructions, but again, it’s not the general term for the instructions that run a system. So, the set of instructions directing hardware to perform tasks is best described as software.