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Process states (new, ready, running, waiting, terminated) in Operating Systems - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

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Challenge - 5 Problems
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Process States Mastery
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🧠 Conceptual
intermediate
2:00remaining
Understanding the 'Ready' state in process management

Which of the following best describes the Ready state of a process in an operating system?

AThe process is prepared to run and waiting for CPU allocation.
BThe process has finished execution and is terminated.
CThe process is waiting for an I/O operation to complete.
DThe process is currently executing instructions on the CPU.
Attempts:
2 left
💡 Hint

Think about when a process is ready but not yet running.

📋 Factual
intermediate
2:00remaining
Identifying the 'Waiting' state cause

What causes a process to enter the Waiting state?

AThe process is waiting for an event like I/O completion or a signal.
BThe process is waiting for CPU time to start running.
CThe process has completed execution and is cleaning up resources.
DThe process is being created and initialized.
Attempts:
2 left
💡 Hint

Consider what happens when a process cannot continue until something external finishes.

🔍 Analysis
advanced
2:30remaining
Sequence of process states during execution

Consider a process that is created, runs, waits for I/O, then finishes. Which sequence of states correctly represents this process lifecycle?

ANew → Waiting → Ready → Running → Terminated
BNew → Ready → Running → Waiting → Ready → Running → Terminated
CNew → Running → Ready → Waiting → Running → Terminated
DNew → Ready → Waiting → Running → Terminated
Attempts:
2 left
💡 Hint

Think about the order a process moves through states when it pauses for I/O and resumes.

❓ Comparison
advanced
2:00remaining
Difference between 'New' and 'Terminated' states

Which statement correctly compares the New and Terminated states of a process?

ANew means the process is waiting for I/O; Terminated means it is running.
BNew means the process is finished; Terminated means it is just created.
CBoth New and Terminated mean the process is waiting for CPU time.
DNew means the process is being created; Terminated means the process has finished execution.
Attempts:
2 left
💡 Hint

Think about the start and end points of a process lifecycle.

❓ Reasoning
expert
3:00remaining
Why a process cannot move directly from 'Waiting' to 'Running'

Why does a process typically not move directly from the Waiting state to the Running state?

ABecause the process moves directly from New to Running, skipping Waiting.
BBecause the process must first be terminated before running again.
CBecause the process must return to the Ready state to wait for CPU scheduling.
DBecause the process is deleted after waiting and cannot run again.
Attempts:
2 left
💡 Hint

Consider how the CPU scheduler decides which process runs next.

Practice

(1/5)
1. Which process state indicates that a process is ready to use the CPU but is not currently running?
easy
A. Ready
B. Running
C. Waiting
D. New

Solution

  1. Step 1: Understand the meaning of the Ready state

    The Ready state means the process has all resources except the CPU and is waiting to be assigned the CPU.

  2. Step 2: Compare with other states

    Running means the process is using the CPU; Waiting means it is waiting for an event; New means it is being created.

  3. Final Answer:

    Ready -> Option A

  4. Quick Check:

    Ready = waiting for CPU [OK]
Hint: Ready means waiting for CPU, not running yet [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Confusing Ready with Running
  • Thinking Waiting means ready
  • Mixing New with Ready
2. Which of the following correctly lists the process states in the order a process typically goes through from start to finish?
easy
A. New -> Ready -> Running -> Waiting -> Terminated
B. New -> Running -> Ready -> Waiting -> Terminated
C. New -> Ready -> Waiting -> Running -> Terminated
D. New -> Waiting -> Ready -> Running -> Terminated

Solution

  1. Step 1: Recall the typical process lifecycle

    A process starts as New, then moves to Ready when prepared to run, then Running when executing.

  2. Step 2: Understand transitions to Waiting and Terminated

    While running, it may wait for I/O (Waiting), then return to Ready or finish (Terminated).

  3. Final Answer:

    New -> Ready -> Running -> Waiting -> Terminated -> Option A

  4. Quick Check:

    Correct lifecycle order = New -> Ready -> Running -> Waiting -> Terminated [OK]
Hint: Process starts New, then Ready, then Running [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Swapping Ready and Running order
  • Putting Waiting before Ready
  • Skipping New state
3. Consider a process that is currently in the Waiting state. What will happen next when the event it is waiting for occurs?
medium
A. It moves to the Terminated state immediately.
B. It moves directly to Running state.
C. It stays in Waiting until manually terminated.
D. It moves to the Ready state to wait for CPU allocation.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Understand the Waiting state

    Waiting means the process is paused, waiting for an event like I/O completion.

  2. Step 2: What happens after the event?

    When the event occurs, the process becomes Ready to run but must wait for CPU scheduling.

  3. Final Answer:

    It moves to the Ready state to wait for CPU allocation. -> Option D

  4. Quick Check:

    Waiting ends -> Ready state [OK]
Hint: Waiting ends, process goes to Ready, not Running directly [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Thinking Waiting goes directly to Running
  • Assuming immediate termination
  • Believing process stays Waiting forever
4. A process is stuck in the Running state and never moves to Waiting or Terminated. What is the most likely cause?
medium
A. The process has just been created and is initializing.
B. The process is waiting for CPU allocation.
C. The process is in an infinite loop without I/O or exit.
D. The process has completed and is terminated.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Analyze the Running state behavior

    Running means the process is executing instructions on the CPU.

  2. Step 2: Understand why it never leaves Running

    If it never moves to Waiting or Terminated, it likely loops endlessly without I/O or exit calls.

  3. Final Answer:

    The process is in an infinite loop without I/O or exit. -> Option C

  4. Quick Check:

    Infinite loop causes stuck Running [OK]
Hint: Infinite loop keeps process Running endlessly [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Confusing Running with Ready
  • Thinking process is terminated
  • Assuming process is waiting for CPU
5. A process moves from Ready to Running, then to Waiting, and back to Ready multiple times before termination. What does this pattern indicate about the process's behavior?
hard
A. The process is stuck in an infinite loop without I/O.
B. The process frequently waits for I/O or external events during execution.
C. The process is terminated and restarted repeatedly.
D. The process is never scheduled to run on the CPU.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Understand state transitions

    Moving from Running to Waiting means the process pauses for I/O or events.

  2. Step 2: Returning to Ready means it resumes waiting for CPU after I/O completes.

    This cycle repeats until the process finishes and terminates.

  3. Final Answer:

    The process frequently waits for I/O or external events during execution. -> Option B

  4. Quick Check:

    Running -> Waiting -> Ready cycle = I/O waits [OK]
Hint: Running to Waiting means I/O wait, then Ready to run again [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Thinking process restarts after termination
  • Assuming infinite loop
  • Believing process never runs