GATE CS 2016 Set 1 — Question 30

MCQ+1 / -0.33EasySRTF (Preemptive SJF)Process SchedulingOperating System

Operating System → Process Scheduling → SRTF (Preemptive SJF)

Last updated 5 September 2026

Question

Consider an arbitrary set of CPU-bound processes with unequal CPU burst lengths submitted at the same time to a computer system. Which one of the following process scheduling algorithms would minimize the average waiting time in the ready queue?

Correct answer (A) Shortest remaining time first Solution The Shortest Job First (SJF) scheduling algorithm is optimal for minimizing the average waiting time for a given set of processes. Shortest Remaining Time First (SRTF) is the preemptive version of SJF. When all processes are submitted at the same time (i.e., they all have an arrival time of 0), SRTF behaves identically to non-preemptive SJF because no new process with a shorter burst time can arrive to preempt the currently running one. Therefore, SRTF will minimize the average waiting time in this scenario. Turn this into a strength. Explore AI-powered practice and doubt support with Success Tracker.

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Correct answer (A) Shortest remaining time first Solution The Shortest Job First (SJF) scheduling algorithm is optimal for minimizing the average waiting time for a given set of processes. Shortest Remaining Time First (SRTF) is the preemptive version of SJF. When all processes are submitted at the same time (i.e., they all have an arrival time of 0), SRTF behaves identically to non-preemptive SJF because no new process with a shorter burst time can arrive to preempt the currently running one. Therefore, SRTF will minimize the average waiting time in this scenario.

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