Management Information System (MIS) Practice Exam

Which of the following is an example of secondary storage?

1. cache memory

2. read-only memory

3. hard disk drives

4. random access memory

The correct answer is: hard disk drives

Secondary storage refers to storage devices that are used to store data persistently and retain it even when the computer is powered off. These storage systems are crucial for saving larger amounts of data over the long term, as opposed to primary storage, which is typically more volatile. Hard disk drives, as the correct answer indicates, are a classic example of secondary storage. They have a high capacity, making them suitable for storing large volumes of data, including files, programs, and the operating system. Unlike primary storage types, such as cache memory and random access memory, hard disk drives are not directly accessed by the CPU, which means they are used to store data that does not need to be constantly retrieved at high speeds. In contrast, cache memory and random access memory (RAM) are types of primary storage. Cache memory is used to temporarily store frequently accessed data for quick retrieval by the CPU, while RAM is used for temporarily holding data that is being processed or utilized by active programs. Read-only memory (ROM) is also a type of primary storage that is non-volatile but typically used for firmware and system boot processes rather than general data storage. Thus, the nature of hard disk drives as persistent storage devices aligns perfectly with the definition of secondary storage, reinforcing