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 type of arithmetic logic unit (ALU) that is used to perform specialized functions - such as division and large decimal number operations. Also called a math coprocessor.






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






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






4. A CPU technology that allows two threads to execute at the same time within a single execution core. This technology is considered to be partially parallel execution. Intel introduced it in the Pentium 4 Xeon CPU. Also known as simultaneous multithre






5. The boot loader file in Windows 2000 and Windows XP. During the boot loader phase - NTLDR takes control of the system - switches the CPU to protected mode - starts the file system - and reads the BOOT.INI file.






6. Aka compact disc.






7. 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.






8. 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






9. Aka video RAM.






10. Aka dynamic RAM.






11. Also called 1000Base-T - this networking standard supports speeds up to 1 Gbps.






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






13. Aka boot record.






14. A VESA standard for power management in display devices.






15. Aka Advanced Technology Attachment.






16. 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.






17. A key on a laptop that is combined with the FN key to toggle the laptop's speaker on and off. The SPEAKER ON/OFF key is usually one of the standard function keys - such as F3 - that displays a speaker symbol.






18. A computer's temporary working space - usually in DRAM chips.






19. A protocol that transfers e-mail messages between mail servers. Clients also use this protocol to send e-mail to mail servers.






20. 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.






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






22. A memory error-checking method in which the parity bit is used to ensure that the total number of 1s in the data stream is odd.






23. Aka hacker.






24. A small program - such as those that can be run from the Windows Sidebar.






25. A 36-pin connector mounted to a device's parallel interface.






26. A menu that opens from the Start button on the taskbar.






27. The Internet service that manages access to Internet domain names and the naming system it uses for computers and resources connected to the Internet or in a private network.






28. Aka thumb drive.






29. Aka DDR3 SDRAM.






30. A heat dissipation device - usually a passive metal object with a flat surface attached to a component - such as a chip.






31. A CPU component that manages the CPU cache.






32. The read-only DVD discs sold at retail stores - containing video or software and having a maximum capacity of 15.9 GB of data. This term also applies to the drives that can only read DVDs.






33. A program that blocks browser pop-ups.






34. Aka demilitarized zone.






35. An external bus that connects into the PC's PCI bus. With USB - you can theoretically connect up to 127 devices to your computer.






36. Aka parts grabber.






37. 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






38. A protocol used with WPA wireless encryption that was broken by hackers.






39. 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.






40. 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.






41. A local bus designed for video only - it provides a direct link between the processor and the video card - giving the video card direct access to main memory.






42. An LCD display using an old technology that has a grid of horizontal and vertical wires with a transistor at the end of each wire. When two transistors (one at the x-axis and one at the y-axis) send voltage along their wires - the pixel at the inters






43. A virus that is self-replicating.






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






45. The redirection of incoming traffic to the requesting internal hosts that initiated the communication with an external host.






46. Aka Scalable Link Interface.






47. The classic PC serial port that complies with the Recommended Standard-232 (RS-232) in its circuitry - cabling - and connector design - and transfers data one bit at a time.






48. In Windows 2000 and Windows XP - an Advanced Options menu choice that starts Windows normally - except that video mode is changed to the lowest resolution - using the currently installed video driver. This option does not switch to the basic Windows






49. A virus that downloads to a user's computer through a pop-up window that appears in a Web browser. It requires an action on the part of a user - such as clicking a button that implies acceptance of something like free information.






50. In the FAT file system - the top-level directory in which the operating system stores information about files - including a reference to the FAT table so it knows where to find the file's contents on disk. The NTFS file system also has a root - or to