SA1 Operating Systems Lecture Practice Test 2026 - Free Operating Systems Practice Questions and Study Guide

A process is in the "Ready" state when it is waiting for the operating system to assign it to a processor for execution. In this state, the process has all the necessary resources and is ready to run but is currently not executing because the CPU is busy with other processes. It sits in the ready queue, where the operating system can schedule it as soon as CPU resources become available.

This is distinct from the "Waiting" state, where a process is not only ready but also waiting for some event to occur (such as I/O completion) before it can continue execution. The "Running" state indicates that a process is currently executing on the CPU. Lastly, a "Terminated" state signifies that the process has completed its execution and can no longer be scheduled.

Thus, identifying that a process is in the "Ready" state underscores its condition of being prepared to execute as soon as it gets CPU time.