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. An early PC hard drive interface.






2. Aka thermal compound.






3. At first - a terminal was not much more than a display - a keyboard - and the minimal circuitry for connecting to the mainframe. Now - a terminal can be a computer running Windows or other operating system - plus terminal client emulation software th






4. 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.






5. An address that a DHCP client will assign to itself after requesting an address and failing to receive one from a DHCP server. The address it will assign is in the 169.254 /16 network - which is the range of addresses from 169.254.0.1 to 169.254.255.






6. 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.






7. 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.






8. A power management standard - introduced by Intel in 1992 - that defines four power-usage operating levels.






9. An area of a physical hard disk that defines space that will be used for logical drives.. (v.) To define the space to be used for logical drives using a special program - such as the Windows Setup program.






10. Aka communication network riser.






11. Super XGA - a video graphics mode with a maximum resolution of 1280






12. A connection over a wide area network.






13. A process applied to digitally signed code to unencrypt the signature data and use the information to verify the program code was not modified since the signature was added.






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






15. A depressed area on an optical disc that is alternated with raised areas to be interpreted as data.






16. A unit of measurement of actual delivered power - calculated by the formula watts = volts






17. A user interface that takes advantage of the video system's graphics capabilities for manipulated graphic elements that represent objects and tasks.






18. In Windows - an Advanced Options menu choice that starts Windows without several drivers and components and loads only very basic - non-vendor-specific drivers for mouse - video - keyboard - mass storage - and system services. Safe Mode also displays






19. A component that you can install into a system onsite - such as memory modules - heat sinks - and CMOS batteries.






20. Authentication is validation of a user account and password that occurs before the security components of Windows will give the user access to the computer.






21. The early standard developed by PCMCIA for credit-card-sized devices used in laptops.






22. Aka DDR3 SDRAM.






23. The disruption of signal transmission caused by the radiation of electrical and magnetic fields. Electric motors are a common source of EMI.






24. A file or folder name that breaks the 8.3 file-naming convention used in the FAT file system. This term continues to be used on newer file systems.






25. A server containing source files for installing software onto client computers. The shared folder containing these files is a software distribution point.






26. A device - usually resembling a power strip - that protects equipment from power surges.






27. A TCP/IP protocol developed as a solution to the dwindling number of IP addresses on the Internet and that also serves to hide IP addresses on a private network from the Internet.






28. A component of the Windows operating system that resides in a file and is loaded into memory during the kernel loading phase of the Windows startup.






29. A command-line command - installed with the TCP/IP protocol suite - which provides statistical information about the TCP/IP protocols and network connections involving your computer - depending on the switches you use when you enter the command.






30. A pixel that is permanently turned on - causing the pixel to show constantly as red - green - or blue. Also called a stuck pixel.






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






32. In an IP configuration - the address of the local router that acts as a gateway from the local network to other IP networks.






33. A value assigned to a process that controls the order in which the program code is executed in relation to other code.






34. An installation of Windows that is not automated - where the user is required to pay attention throughout the entire process to provide information and to respond to messages. Also called a manual installation.






35. Aka continuity RIMM.






36. A specialized chip that controls DMA channels.






37. A special modifier key on a laptop keyboard that when pressed together with certain alphanumeric keys - changes the output of the pressed key. It is often called the function key.






38. Aka read-only memory.






39. Audio connectors that use a 1/8" single pin plug.






40. In router configuration - a term that is used to describe traffic that is allowed - as in allowing traffic using a certain port number through the router.






41. The order in which the BIOS will search devices for an operating system to start.






42. In Windows Vista - a vertical bar found by default on the right side of the desktop. Here - you will find gadgets and mini-programs.






43. A circuit card in a PC that controls the output to the display device(s).






44. A network in which dedicated computers called servers store data and provide print services or other capabilities to computers running the appropriate client service or services.






45. Synchronous graphics random access memory is a type of RAM used on video adapters.






46. An Intel specification for the PC 32-bit architecture defining CPUs - motherboards - and other components.






47. Software that runs on the computers in a network and that receives services from servers.






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






49. Aka audio modem riser.






50. Dual inline package. A very tiny slide that indicates two states. Motherboard and other circuit cards often have one or more groupings of DIP switches for configuring options.