Test your basic knowledge |

Comptia A + Certification

Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. A command-line tool installed with the TCP/IP protocol suite that is used for testing communications between two hosts.






2. A single-pin RCA phone jack for transferring digital audio from CD and DVD players to amplifiers and speakers.






3. Wide-ultra-extended graphics array






4. Aka wireless access point.






5. A group of wires used to identify addresses in main system memory in a computer. The number of wires in an address bus is called the width of the bus and determines the number of unique memory locations that can be addressed using binary math with th






6. A chip that keeps track of the date and time on a PC. Set the date and time through your operating system or in the BIOS Setup program.






7. Unsolicited messages sent over an instant messaging service - such as Windows Messenger.






8. In Windows - an Advanced Options menu choice that will start Windows without the Windows GUI (EXPLORER.EXE) and with only a simple Command Prompt window from which you can launch Windows administrative utilities.






9. A type of printer that transfers ink to paper by causing a print head to strike a printer ribbon containing ink against the paper.






10. A type of KVM switch that is controlled through a mechanical switch on the box.






11. In the laser printing process - the step at which the heat-sensitive toner is fused to the paper by heated fusing rollers.






12. Aka Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP).






13. An extension of the SATA standard for external SATA devices - with speeds triple that of USB 2.0.






14. The digital versatile disc (DVD) encoding format used for data storage.






15. A RAM standard that replaces the original DDR2 standard and requires far less power - while providing almost twice the bandwidth. A stick of DDR3 SDRAM has 240 pins - but is keyed so it will not fit into a socket designed for DDR2. DDR3 SO-DIMMs have






16. The third version of the IEEE 1394 standard; it is a departure from the old standards in that it uses Category 5e twisted pair cable with RJ-45 connectors - combining Ethernet and FireWire.






17. A group of tests - stored in the BIOS and performed as a PC boots up - to check for the presence and function of system components.






18. A process that places the logical structure of a file system on a partitioned volume.






19. Aka fast page mode.






20. A type of DSL service in which the download speed is higher than the upload speed.






21. A 9-pin D-shell connector.






22. An interface on a PC that originally was unidirectional and operated at a speed of 150 KBps - but now has several operation modes.






23. A power supply form factor that pairs with an ATX motherboard and case.






24. A small group of computers communicating wirelessly with one another without the use of a centralized wireless access point (WAP).






25. A coherent and concentrated light beam - also simply called a laser.






26. On a motherboard - the type and location of components - as well as the size of the board itself.






27. A small device containing a microchip used to generate unique passwords for logging on to a computer or a network.






28. An expansion bus architecture that uses serial communications rather than the parallel communications of PCI. Also called PCI Express and PCI-E.






29. A network connection device that passes traffic between two networks - using the physical address (MAC address) of the destination device.






30. The amount of data that can travel over a network at a given time.






31. Aka secure socket layer.






32. Aka enhanced parallel port (EPP) mode.






33. A TPM is a special microchip - installed on a motherboard - that stores passwords - keys - and digital certificates. Various services - such as BitLocker can store such security data in this chip.






34. The name used by the Windows operating systems to identify the second parallel port.






35. A utility for migrating data from many computers - or if you need to perform what Microsoft calls a "wipe-and-load migration" from and to the same computer. Available in Windows XP - Vista - and Windows 7.






36. Aka floating-point unit.






37. Aka Advanced Technology eXtended.






38. An optical semiconductor used in small projectors and in rear-projection televisions.






39. Aka motherboard.






40. An area of the Windows taskbar used by programs and some hardware devices to display status icons. Also called thenotification area or system tray.






41. A type of display device that includes a touch-sensitive face to accept input from the user.






42. Aka dual inline memory module (DIMM).






43. A protocol for computer-to-computer (host-to-host) transfer of files over a TCP/IP network - regardless of the operating system in use.






44. A video signaling method in which analog video information is transmitted as two or more discrete signals. Two general types of component video are RGB Video and S-Video.






45. The connecting point of a mounted drive to a folder on an NTFS volume.






46. A technology for LCD displays in which transistors are positioned at each pixel.






47. A single dot on a display screen. A contraction of "Picture Element."






48. A printer that includes one or more other functions - such as a scanner and fax machine.






49. An internal bus in a CPU that connects it to memory and video.






50. An automated software installation that does not require a person be present to respond to prompts for information.