Exam Tips - RAM and ROM

Exam Tips - RAM and ROM

Most common exam questions:

• "What does volatile mean?" → Loses data when power is turned off (always mention power!)
• "Difference between RAM and ROM?" → Give TWO differences: (1) RAM is volatile, ROM is non-volatile; (2) RAM is read/write, ROM is read-only
• "Why does ROM store the BIOS?" → BIOS must be available immediately on startup, before OS loads, and must never be lost
• "What does RAM store?" → Running programs, open files, operating system, data being processed

Key phrases to use:

• Volatile: "Loses data when power is off" (say exactly this!)
• Non-volatile: "Keeps data without power" or "Retains data when power off"
• RAM: "Fast read/write access" + "temporary storage" + "volatile"
• ROM: "Read-only" + "permanent/fixed instructions" + "non-volatile"

Common mistakes to avoid:

• Saying ROM stores documents or files - NO! It stores BIOS/firmware only
• Saying RAM is permanent - NO! It's temporary and volatile
• Confusing ROM with secondary storage (hard drive/SSD) - they're different!
• Forgetting to explain WHY volatile matters - always link to "loses data when power off"
• Not mentioning what each stores - RAM: programs/files; ROM: BIOS/boot instructions

Extended answer structure (4-6 marks):

1. Define volatility: RAM is volatile (loses data when power off), ROM is non-volatile (keeps data)
2. Access type: RAM is read/write (can store and retrieve), ROM is read-only (cannot easily change)
3. Purpose: RAM stores running programs and data being used, ROM stores BIOS and startup instructions
4. Speed: RAM is faster for both reading and writing
5. Example/justification: RAM needs to be fast for running programs, ROM needs to be permanent so boot code is never lost