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






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






3. In the laser printing process - the step in which the laser beam creates a negative of the image that will eventually appear on the printout. Each place that the laser beam touches loses most of its charge - creating an image - whereas the rest of th






4. A blanket term used for DVD discs regardless of the type of data they contain.






5. The term used for dynamic space allocation that can be formatted with a file system.






6. Aka root key.






7. Aka Spam over Instant Messaging.






8. Also called mirroring - this RAID array type provides fault tolerance because all the data is written identically to the two drives in the mirrored set.






9. Threats that are not truly malicious code - but can have indirect negative effects - such as decreasing performance or using up bandwidth. Grayware includes spyware - adware - spam - and spim.






10. Aka audio modem riser.






11. In networks - when data can travel in either direction - but only in one direction at a time.






12. Aka adapter card.






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






14. A chip that retains system settings such as the time - keyboard settings - and boot sequence.






15. 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.






16. Aka systray.






17. In reference to the Windows operating systems - one that can utilize more than 4 GB of address space. Depending on the version - 64-bit Windows can address a maximum of from 8 to 192 GB.






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






19. In the domain name system - a name that is registered under a top-level domain - such as mcgraw-hill.com or microsoft.com.






20. Aka asynchronous transfer mode.






21. A number that identifies a device on a SCSI chain.






22. The first physical sector on a floppy disk or the first sector on a hard drive partition. The boot record contains information about the OS. The boot record on a primary active partition is used to start the operating system. Also called the boot sec






23. 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.






24. A pen-sized tool that has a plunger at one end. When pressed - the plunger causes small - hooked prongs to extend from the other end of the tool for retrieving dropped objects from inside a computer.






25. An operating system recovery tool introduced in Windows Me and improved in later versions of Windows. System Restore creates restore points - which are snapshots of Windows - its configuration - and all installed programs. If your computer has nonfat






26. The primary input device for a PDA - shaped like a pen and used to press small keys on a keypad - tap the screen to select items - or write data on the screen.






27. Aka optical character recognition.






28. A mat that provides a path to ground for a static charge and is designed for the desktop or floor of a workspace. One placed on the workbench reduces the risk of electrostatic discharge for components placed on it - while one placed on the floor prov






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






30. Aka Advanced Technology eXtended.






31. Aka KVM switch.






32. In reference to IDE PATA drives - the slave drive on the second channel.






33. A component of a CPU that is responsible for all logical and mathematical operations in the system.






34. In reference to parallel ports - a mode in which the parallel device connected to the parallel port can receive data but cannot send data. CMOS settings (system settings) may refer to this mode as "Transfer only."






35. A word used to describe memory that cannot work without a steady supply of power.






36. A fiber-optic connector that resembles an RJ-45 network connector and is less expensive and easier to work with than ST or SC connectors.






37. A wireless mode requiring a wireless access point (WAP).






38. A network connection over long distances - traditionally using phone lines or satellite communications.






39. Aka double-data rate (DDR) SDRAM.






40. The difference in value between a display's brightest white and darkest black. Modern LCD displays have a contrast ratio of 500:1 or greater.






41. A firewall consisting of software that you can install on any computer - as opposed to the software built into a hardware firewall. Also called personal firewalls because they are designed to be installed on individual desktop computers.






42. The fine copper lines that are the electronic circuits through which power - data - and control signals travel on a circuit board.






43. The moving of data from one storage device to another.






44. A drive that can be safely installed and removed while a computer is up and running without damaging the data stored on the drive.






45. In power supplies - the amount of wattage the power supply can handle.






46. A type of thermal printer in which a heated print head burns dots into the surface of heat-sensitive paper.






47. A DVI mode that supports digital video signals and is partially compatible with HDMI. Aka also digital video interface and High-Definition Multimedia Interface.






48. A term applied to a CPU - motherboard - or other components that conform to the newer 64-bit architecture. Also referred to as 64-bit.






49. 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.






50. A device that uses a measurement of a body part - such as a fingerprint or retina scan.