Test your basic knowledge |

DSST Introduction To Computing

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. Kilo

2. Circuit boards

3. Finland
A message which has been encrypted is called __________.
Multiple files which have been consolidated into ___ file and compressed to reduce size and download time are said to be zipped.
Linux was created in 1991 by Linus Torvalds - a programmer from ________.
In a peer to peer network - workstations share responsibility for processing - storage - printing - and communications tasks without a ______.

4. Flash drives
_______ is the operating system installed on more than 80% of the world's personal computers.
By using a _______________ utility - files on a disk are rearranged so that they are stored in contiguous clusters.
Linux was created in 1991 by Linus Torvalds - a programmer from ________.
Examples of random access storage include computer hard disk drives - RAM - ____ _____ - floppy drives and CD-ROM drives.

5. Print
To prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data - you encrypt data when you send it and this data is decrypted by its authorized recipient using an encryption ____.
Graphics software is designed to help users manipulate and ______ graphics.
A browser ________ is spyware that changes browser settings without your knowledge.
____ is a popular graphics file format used in applications such as web pages where flexibility in file size is important.

6. Disk drive
Integrated circuits were able to do the work of thousands of _____________ or vacuum tubes on a single miniature chip.
Examples of DTP software include MS __________ and PageMaker.
_____ ____ is a special feature that automatically continues text on the next line when the user reaches the right margin.
A file server is a centralized computer that acts like a __________ - storing programs and data shared by users on the LAN.

7. 255
For example - the largest number an 8-bit variable can hold is ____ (2 to the power of 8 equals 256 - but a computer starts at 0 - so it can express anywhere from 0 through 255).
An IP address is a series of numbers used to identify a network ______.
The cursor is often a blinking rectangle and its location is called the __________ point.
SSL (Secure _______ Layer) and TLS are protocols used to create a secure connection between a computer and a website.

8. Pretty Good
To convert from word size to bytes - you must ______ by 8 because there are 8 bits in a byte. Therefore - when we're dealing with a 64 bit word size - we divide by 8 and the result is 8 bytes.
MIDI is a protocol used to communicate between electronic _______ instruments and the devices that control and manage them.
PGP (_______ ______ Privacy) encryption software is available for free download on the web.
Database ______________ create - maintain - and supervise the day to day operation of databases.

9. Clients
Screening job applicants and limiting employee ______ to only information needed to do a specific job are examples of people controls.
ISPs are connected to the internet backbone via a ___.
Individual computers (PCs - workstations) are called ________ and the centralized computer is called a server.
FTP can be used on any _______ network such as a LAN or the Internet and is compatible with any operating system.

10. Bits
The Windows registry is a database that maintains a record of installed ________ and peripheral devices - preferences - and settings.
A communications network that covers a large geographic area such as a country is called a ___.
The more _____ in a word - the faster the computer.
A firewall can be _________ or software-based or a combination of the two.

11. Recorded
System software includes device drivers - utility programs - and the __________ system.
Built in 1951 - UNIVAC was considerably smaller and more powerful than ______.
A wizard is an interactive computer utility that asks a user questions to _____ the user through a task.
When you install software or hardware - information is ______ in the registry.

12. Hard disk
System ______________ involves converting files - software and hardware to the new system.
The BIOS (Basic ______________ System) also enables the computer to interpret keyboard commands and display characters on the monitor.
Multimedia authoring software combines video - text - animation - graphics and sound to create __________ multimedia applications.
With virtual memory - free _____ ____ space is used to extend the capacity of RAM.

13. One
This data is _____ when the computer is turned off.
______ generation languages are typically used for database applications.
TCP/IP is an example of a network ________________ protocol.
Multiple files which have been consolidated into ___ file and compressed to reduce size and download time are said to be zipped.

14. Drivers
SSL (Secure _______ Layer) and TLS are protocols used to create a secure connection between a computer and a website.
System software include device ________ - operating systems - and compilers.
Overloading a computer system or network by making repeated requests to it and thereby denying access to legitimate users is called a _______ __ ________ attack.
________ and assembly languages are low level languages.

15. Quickly
Examples of cache include L1 - L2 - and L3. In all cases - cache is storage located closer to the processor than RAM and therefore can be accessed much more ________.
One ___________ is one thousandth of a second.
For a computer to be able to take advantage of dual core or quad core technology - the installed ________ __________ has to support it.
Database ______________ create - maintain - and supervise the day to day operation of databases.

16. Certification
Many employers view IT _____________ with some degree of skepticism.
__________ appear as colored or underlined words on a webpag
In a ring network - all packets flow in only one __________; there are no data collisions.
The information on a ROM chip _____ be altered by the user.

17. Securely
Floppy disk - external hard drive - CD-RW - tape - and USB flash drive are all examples of ______ media.
SSL and TLS are protocols used to ________ transmit credit card data over the Internet.
The system's main interface screen is called the _______ and displays icons which provide fast access to information and programs.
A spreadsheet ________ is a built-in formula which performs common calculations.

18. Fields
The columns are called _______.
Examples of personal finance manager software include ________ and Microsoft Money.
A wizard is an interactive computer utility that asks a user questions to _____ the user through a task.
___________ programming rules are called syntax.

19. Fraud
A named collection of data that exists on a storage medium such as a hard disk - floppy disk - or CD is called a ____.
The monitor - speakers - and printer are examples of computer ______ devices.
This act established financial reporting regulations to prevent corporate ______.
A floppy disk - hard disk - and USB drive are all examples of _________ storage.

20. Type
IP addresses can be changed by the network _______________.
Early personal computers featured command-driven interfaces which required the user to ____ complicated instructions to operate the computer.
____ testing involves checking a program by running it with real world data.
Personal computers are also called ______________.

21. TCP/IP
Like hubs - switches have multiple ______.
Analytical graphics are also called _________ graphics and make sales figures and economic trends easier to understand.
An iteration control structure directs the computer to ______ one or more instructions until a certain condition is met.
FTP can be used on any _______ network such as a LAN or the Internet and is compatible with any operating system.

22. Whistleblowers
_____________ is the process of recomputing values in a spreadsheet.
The Sarbanes-Oxley act requires full disclosure in accounting systems and protects corporate ______________.
Utility programs are designed to help monitor and configure ________ for the computer - the operating system - or applications.
A field contains the smallest unit of meaningful data and can therefore be called the basic ________ block for a structured file or database.

23. Insertion
Handheld computers and ____s are examples of embedded systems because the operating system resides on a single chip.
The cursor is often a blinking rectangle and its location is called the __________ point.
According to security experts - _________ pose the greatest threat to their company's technology infrastructure.
This is where the term __________ (a group edited encyclopedia) comes from.

24. Motherboard
The location on a spreadsheet where a row and a column intersect is called a ____.
The main circuit board of the computer is called the ___________.
Examples include _____________ identification and retina scanners.
A field contains the smallest unit of meaningful data and can therefore be called the basic ________ block for a structured file or database.

25. Memory
Column headings are used to select an entire _______ with a mouse click.
A _____ takes digital signals from a computer and converts them to analog signals to transmit over a telephone line.
_______ is the operating system installed on more than 80% of the world's personal computers.
The motherboard contains the CPU and _______ chips as well as connections for the keyboard - mouse - and printer.

26. Access
Screening job applicants and limiting employee ______ to only information needed to do a specific job are examples of people controls.
_____ memory drives plug into the computer's USB ports and have memory capacities of up to several gigabytes.
Transmission is limited to ______ range.
__________ is the study of safe and efficient work environments.

27. Publisher
When a file is saved to disk - it isn't always saved in adjacent sectors; in other words - the data making up the file is spread out over the hard drive. This is called fragmentation. Fragmentation _____ ______ file retrieval.
When talking about personal computers - the CPU (________ Processing Unit) is synonymous with the silicon chip known as the microprocessor - which is programmed to perform various tasks on the data it receives.
Examples of DTP software include MS __________ and PageMaker.
The public key encryption software used to encrypt documents such as _____ is called PGP.

28. Legitimate
A ______ is a small unit of data transmitted over a network.
Sending out __________ looking emails which attempt to solicit passwords or financial information is known as phishing.
This act established financial reporting regulations to prevent corporate ______.
The number of bits limits how big of a number can be expressed. To calculate this limit - simply do 2n - where n is the number of ____.

29. Implementation
System ______________ involves converting files - software and hardware to the new system.
The ______ is a marker on the monitor which indicates where the next character will appear.
___________ and security are MS Windows' two major weaknesses.
In addition to displaying information in rows and columns - spreadsheet software can perform ______________ on inputted data.

30. Value
A _________ is a limited working system - developed to test design concepts.
A spreadsheet ________ is a built-in formula which performs common calculations.
Overloading a computer system or network by making repeated requests to it and thereby denying access to legitimate users is called a _______ __ ________ attack.
A spreadsheet _____ is any number used in a calculation.

31. PDA
Handheld computers and ____s are examples of embedded systems because the operating system resides on a single chip.
Trojan horses can also carry ________ and destructive instructions.
________ row headings appear down the left frame of the spreadsheet.
A unit of measure equaling 8 bits is a ____.

32. Compression
A compiler converts ______ code (the original code written by the programmer) into object code (an executable file).
The JPEG graphics format has built-in _____________ that can be adjusted by the user.
A system of interconnected telephones - computers - or other communication devices that can communicate and share data is called a _______.
With virtual memory - free _____ ____ space is used to extend the capacity of RAM.

33. Phased
Overloading a computer system or network by making repeated requests to it and thereby denying access to legitimate users is called a _______ __ ________ attack.
A computer resource is any component required to perform ____.
With a ______ implementation - parts of the new system are implemented separately.
Databases use structured files to _________ data.

34. Text
Multimedia technology presents information in a format which includes ____ - graphics - video and sound.
System software includes device drivers - utility programs - and the __________ system.
____ testing involves checking a program by running it with real world data.
This data is _____ when the computer is turned off.

35. Top
In MS Windows - the toolbar is located at the ____ of the window below the menu bar.
______ times for PC storage devices are measured in milliseconds.
__________ appear as colored or underlined words on a webpag
FTP can be used on any _______ network such as a LAN or the Internet and is compatible with any operating system.

36. Permanently
Cyberspace is the world of communications in general; it includes wired and wireless communications - as well as the _________.
Secondary storage refers to devices and media that store data _____________.
A cryptographic key is a number - word - or phrase that must be used to ________ a message.
Critics of certification exams maintain that a multiple choice test can't accurately measure a person's ability to deal with _____ ______ software and equipment.

37. Ports
Paint - photo _______ - and drawing software are all examples of graphics software.
Like hubs - switches have multiple ______.
Personal computers are also called ______________.
In MS PowerPoint - the outline view helps you ________ the content of your material.

38. OOP
In 1976 - Steve Jobs and Steve _______ founded Apple Computer Corporation.
A megabyte is often abbreviated as ___.
Some computers have a ______ chip containing the circuits for two microprocessors; this is called a dual core processor.
___ allows a block of program code to be reused in other programs.

39. Loop
An IP address is a series of numbers used to identify a network ______.
With a parallel implementation - the old and new systems are operated side by side until the new system is proven to be ________.
Overclocking is popular with computer gamers but can be dangerous as components may _________ and be damaged or catch fire.
The section of code that repeats is called a _____ or an iteration.

40. Cyphertext
This can also be called a _____ key - index - or keyword. Most database applications allow for multiple keys so that users can sort records in different ways.
A message which has been encrypted is called __________.
Groupware is software that allows several people to collaborate on projects over a _______.
A compiler converts ______ code (the original code written by the programmer) into object code (an executable file).

41. Service Provider
In 1976 - Steve Jobs and Steve _______ founded Apple Computer Corporation.
Web page design software allows users to create sophisticated web pages with ___________ features.
Integrated circuits were able to do the work of thousands of _____________ or vacuum tubes on a single miniature chip.
EarthLink - AT&T - and Road Runner are all examples of ISPs (Internet __________________).

42. Biometric

43. Employees

44. Reliable
_____________ occurs when stored files on a hard drive are scattered across noncontiguous sectors.
With a parallel implementation - the old and new systems are operated side by side until the new system is proven to be ________.
To convert seconds to milliseconds - _________ by 1000 (i.e. 5 seconds is equal to 5 -000 milliseconds).
Freeware is software that is copyrighted but is available for ____.

45. Illegally
Such information includes information related to company finances - _________ - products and procedures.
Software obtained _________ is said to be pirated.
The internet backbone consists of high speed - high capacity transmission lines that use the newest communications technology to ________ data across the internet.
_____ _____ languages are based on human languages and include C - C++ and FORTRAN.

46. Purchases
A unit of measure equaling one ______ digit is a bit.
Adware is spyware that tracks surfing and online _________.
_________ is the process of moving up - down - or sideways through the text or other screen display.
TCP/IP is an example of a network ________________ protocol.

47. Three dimensional
Defragmentation can improve _____ ______ performance by helping the computer operate more efficiently.
Such information includes information related to company finances - _________ - products and procedures.
Virtual reality is a computer generated artificial reality which projects a person into a sensation of _____ ____________ space.
Mac OS X was rewritten for _____ architecture in 2006 and has a reputation for being an easy to use - reliable - and secure operating system.

48. Charles Babbage
_______ ________ was the first to define concepts that were to be later used in modern computers.
Backups are used to ________ files lost by operator error - viruses - or hardware failures.
Computer processing is the ____________ of data which transforms data into information.
Applications no longer had to include code to control low level hardware operations but instead called on operating system routines through simple standardized _________.

49. Operating
A keyword has a predefined meaning for the ________ which translates each line of programming code into the machine language that the computer can understand.
An advantage of a network is that it allows for the sharing of ___________ devices; users on a network can share devices such as printers and modems.
System software includes device drivers - utility programs - and the __________ system.
Virtual memory uses the hard disk to _____ primary storage (RAM).

50. Reliability