A set of programs that direct computers to perform specific information processing activities for end users is

Computer software is divided into system software, which manages the computer's own hardware and internal operations, and application software, which is written to help end users carry out specific, real-world information-processing tasks such as typing documents, managing accounts, or analysing data.

The description in the question, "a set of programs that direct computers to perform specific information processing activities for end users," points directly to this second category. Application software exists precisely because ordinary users need programs built for particular jobs: word processors for writing, spreadsheets for calculations, and database systems for record-keeping, all serving the end user's own tasks rather than the computer's internal housekeeping.

System software, by contrast, works mainly behind the scenes to keep the computer running rather than to serve a user's chosen task directly. The operating system is one specific type of system software responsible for managing hardware and resources, and translators (such as compilers and interpreters) convert program code into machine instructions; neither is defined by performing tasks chosen by an end user.

Exam tip: whenever a definition mentions serving "end users" and specific tasks rather than managing the machine itself, the term being tested is application software.