The two categories of system software are _____.

• A. Utilities and operating systems
• B. Drivers and utilities
• C. System firmware and utilities
• D. Applications and drivers

Answer: (C)

System software provides the foundation that lets all other software run. It typically falls into two broad groups: the operating system and utility programs. The operating system handles core tasks like managing hardware resources, coordinating programs, memory, security, and input/output. Utility programs, on the other hand, are tools that help maintain and optimize the system—things like disk cleanups, antivirus, backup tools, and system monitors.

System firmware sits at a lower level, embedded in hardware to initialize and test components during boot, and isn’t usually grouped with the main categories of system software. Device drivers are essential for enabling hardware communication, but they’re components that support the OS rather than forming a primary two-way split with utilities. Applications are user-facing software that run on top of the system software, not part of these core system-software categories.

So the two broad categories of system software are the operating system and utility programs.