BECE Information and Communication Technology 2017 Paper

Concept:The storage medium is the physical material that holds data and instructions. Among the given options, this matches secondary storage.Explanation:Primary storage, like $\mathrm{RAM}$ and $\mathrm{ROM}$, holds only the data and instructions being used right now.It is closely tied to the processor and does not permanently keep all programs and information.Secondary storage is the physical material on which a computer keeps data, instructions, and information for future use.Common examples include hard disks, solid-state drives, flash drives, and optical discs.These media are non-volatile, so their contents remain safe even after the computer is switched off.Cache storage is a very fast, small memory used by the $\mathrm{CPU}$, while tertiary storage is meant for automated archival of large data sets.Thus, they do not define the everyday physical material used for keeping data, instructions, and information.Answer:B. Secondary storage.