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 system by which the computer BIOS and operating system recognizes a device and the operating system automatically installs and configures a device driver.






2. Aka DDR3 SDRAM.






3. A 20- or 24- pin connector that supplies power from a PC's power supply to the motherboard.






4. A file system used by operating systems for organizing - reading - and writing optical discs.






5. A plug designed for testing a specific port type (e.g. - serial - parallel - or USB). The plug does not connect to a cable but reroutes the sending pins to the receiving pins. Using special software on the computer - a loopback test is performed in w






6. An organization that creates standards for laptop computer peripheral devices.






7. Aka Wireless Fidelity.






8. A part of the NTFS file system used to store a transaction-based database - with all file accesses treated as transactions - and if a transaction is not complete - NTFS will roll back to the last successful transaction.






9. Software instructions stored in ROM chips. It exists on most PC components and on the motherboard.






10. The protocol used by DHCP servers and clients. A DHCP server allocates IP addresses within the scope of addresses configured on the server by an administrator. DHCP clients request IP addresses and other IP configuration settings from DHCP Servers.






11. 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.






12. A connector commonly used for PC keyboards. It is much smaller than the original DIN connector.






13. A variation of the PGA CPU packaging that was used with Pentium CPUs.






14. In reference to IDE PATA drives - the master drive on the second channel.






15. The type of electrical current delivered by a battery in which the electrons flow in only one direction.






16. The amount of time it takes a packet to travel from one point to another.






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






18. 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.






19. In an IP packet - a value field that shows how many routers the packet can cross before being discarded.






20. The name used by the Windows operating systems to identify the first parallel port.






21. A network in which all of the computers essentially operate as both servers (providing access to shared resources) and clients (accessing those shared resources).






22. A CPU power-saving mode that allows a CPU to reduce its speed without losing its place so it does not stop working altogether. SMM also allows the CPU to trigger power saving in other components.






23. An LCD display characteristic that indicates the amount of time in milliseconds (ms) it takes for a single pixel to go from the active to the inactive state and back again.






24. A protocol used by e-mail clients for communicating with e-mail servers. This protocol is replacing the POP protocol. IMAP allows users to connect to e-mail servers and not only retrieve e-mail - which removes the messages from the server - as they c






25. An assigned address or range of addresses on a system's address bus that - together with an interrupt request line (IRQ) - allows a device to be recognized by the processor.






26. Aka denial of service (DoS) attack.






27. A chip that works with a serial port - converting outgoing data from parallel to serial and incoming data from serial to parallel.






28. A double-sided - double-layer digital versatile disc (DVD) that stores 17.08 GB of data - or over eight hours of video.






29. A display device that uses liquid crystals to display images.






30. A version of the FAT file system used by hard drives and some flash drives (thumb drives - etc.) - using a 32-bit file allocation table.






31. In an access control list - a record containing just one user or group account name and the permissions assigned to that account.






32. Circuitry in a PC on an adapter card - or directly on the motherboard - that controls the output from the PC to the display device.






33. A type of power supply that converts AC power to voltages needed for a device. AC adapters are generally used for portable PC systems and other devices.






34. The practice of forcing a CPU or other computer component to run at a higher clock rate than the manufacturer intended.






35. This attack occurs when someone sends a large number of requests to a server - overwhelming the server so it stops functioning on the network.






36. Aka Advanced Technology eXtended.






37. Cabling that contains a single copper wire surrounded by several layers of insulating plastic and a woven wire sheath that provides protection.






38. Aka surge protector.






39. Aka peripheral component interconnect.






40. A digital display interface standard developed by the Video Electronics Standards Association that supports both video and audio signals - contains HDCP copy protection - and is unique because it is royalty-free to manufacturers.






41. Aka video RAM.






42. In a computer - pathways that power - data - and control signals travel from one component to another within the system.






43. Aka boot record.






44. In a disk drive - the rotating shaft used to spin the disks.






45. Aka New Low-profile eXtended.






46. Aka American National Standards Institute.






47. A DVD drive that cannot write to but can read DVD discs.






48. Aka uninterruptible power supply.






49. The top-level folder or directory in the file structure. This appears the same - regardless of the underlying file system.






50. A computer display that uses liquid crystal or plasma technology and does not require the bulk of a large picture tube. The screen enclosure can be as thin as one to two inches.