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. Aka file allocation table.






2. The practice of applying a digital signature to device driver code.






3. DRAM that runs at the speed of the system bus (up to 100-133 MHz).






4. A portion of a program that can run separately from and concurrently with other portions of the program. Also called thread of execution.






5. An icon that represents a link to any object that an icon can represent. Activating a shortcut (by double-clicking it) is a quick way to access an object or to launch a program from the desktop without having to find the actual location of the object






6. A processor packaging that uses pads on the processor that come in contact with pins in the socket on the motherboard - permitting a higher density than possible with PGA.






7. A handheld device used to measure electrical resistance - voltage - and/or current.






8. [1] A device that is the central connecting point of a LAN. A hub is little more than a multiport repeater taking incoming signals on one port and repeating them to all other ports. Ethernet hubs have been largely replaced by Ethernet switches.. [2]






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






10. Aka top-level domain.






11. The use of a biometric for authentication.






12. Windows run-line utility for testing the DirectX support. Launch this program when experiencing video problems and/or audio problems when running DirectX applications.






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






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






15. Digital versatile disc (DVD) discs that can be written to - but data cannot be overwritten. This standard is newer than DVD-R. This term also refers to the drives that can write to these discs.






16. An area on the top left of the Windows XP Start menu containing shortcuts to Windows Update and programs for browsing the Internet and using e-mail.






17. A special disk used for recovering an OS failure in Windows 2000. It requires that you create the ERD while the system is healthy - and then use it - along with the Windows Setup CD - to repair Windows.






18. A remote KVM switch that captures the keyboard - video - and mouse signals - encodes them into IP packets - and sends them over an IP network.






19. The filename for the System Configuration Utility - which allows you to test various scenarios for Windows startup for troubleshooting purposes.






20. 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.






21. A device that records video content to disk.






22. A dark spot on an LCD screen caused when a transistor is permanently off.






23. A string of characters that a user enters - along with an identifier - such as a user name - in order to be authenticated.






24. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - an international nonprofit organization that sets standards as part of its charter.






25. In the laser printing process - the stage in which the image is removed from the photosensitive drum so it can accept the next image.






26. A cable medium that transmits light pulses rather than electrical signals - so it is not susceptible to electromagnetic interference (EMI).






27. The circuit board in a computer to which all other components directly or indirectly connect. Also called a mainboard - system board - mobo - or planar board.






28. Aka parts grabber.






29. Aka Small Computer System Interface.






30. Aka External Serial ATA.






31. 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






32. A screen device for video output. Also called a monitor.






33. A compartment in a portable computer's case that holds a single media device that can be swapped with another. For instance - you may swap an optical drive - a secondary hard drive - or a floppy drive into and out of a single bay.






34. Aka Balanced Technology eXtended.






35. Aka Extended Video Graphics Array.






36. A digital video interface that has several modes - including one that offers downward compatibility with analog displays. It requires a special connector - which comes in several variations to support the DVI modes.






37. An identifier assigned to a process when it starts.






38. Aka central processing unit.






39. An action - such as the CTRL-ALT-DELETE key combination or the insertion of a smart card - that clears memory of certain types of viruses before a user logs on.






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






41. A virtual communication circuit that is created and remains available between two endpoints - which are normally some form of data terminal equipment (DTE). Telecommunications companies provide PVC service to companies requiring a dedicated circuit b






42. 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.






43. In the laser printer - the heated rollers that fuse the toner to the paper.






44. A DVD of any type that can contain data on only one side.






45. A socket for a PGA CPU that has a retention lever as well as contacts to match the number of pins on the CPU. The lever is used to attach the CPU to the socket in a manner that does not require force to insert or to remove the CPU.






46. A generic term for a collection of information on known malware (not just viruses).






47. Cable that consists of pairs of wires twisted around each other. The twists help to boost each wire's signals and make them less susceptible to electromagnetic interference (EMI).






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






49. The displayable number of pixels - expressed as x and y numbers - such as 1024






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