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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. Desktop

2. Operating
Virtual reality is used in arcade games and in training simulators (example: _______ simulators).
System software includes device drivers - utility programs - and the __________ system.
A communications network that covers a large geographic area such as a country is called a ___.
A computer's ____ size is the number of bits that the processor may process at any one time.

3. Defragmentation
Site licenses allow software to be used on all computers at a specific ________.
In a star network - all computers are connected to a _______ computer.
By using a _______________ utility - files on a disk are rearranged so that they are stored in contiguous clusters.
The location on a spreadsheet where a row and a column intersect is called a ____.

4. Top
A database index can be used to _________ data in alphabetical or numerical order.
Output is the result of ___________.
___ allows a block of program code to be reused in other programs.
In MS Windows - the toolbar is located at the ____ of the window below the menu bar.

5. Run
Software designed to solve a specific problem is called ___________ software.
_____________ is the process of recomputing values in a spreadsheet.
Many common viruses attach themselves to an existing executable program - and when that program is copied to and ____ on other computers - the virus infects those computers.
Most computer processing takes place in a component called the ___.

6. Building
A field contains the smallest unit of meaningful data and can therefore be called the basic ________ block for a structured file or database.
Hubs have multiple ports. When a packet arrives at one port it is _______ to all other ports on the hub.
Micropayments allow customers to purchase goods and services for amounts so small as to be impractical for ________ _____ transactions.
________ transmission sends data via light waves at a frequency too low for human eyes to see.

7. Quickly
_____ ____ is a special feature that automatically continues text on the next line when the user reaches the right margin.
A _____ _____ is an example of a sequential access device; it retrieves data by starting at the beginning of the tape and reading each record until the required data is found.
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 ________.
According to security experts - _________ pose the greatest threat to their company's technology infrastructure.

8. Organize
The CPU consists of the control unit - the arithmetic/logic unit (ALU) and the _________ (high speed storage areas).
ROM chips contain data that is nonvolatile - meaning that this data is not lost when the computer is turned ____.
A database index can be used to _________ data in alphabetical or numerical order.
_____ generation computers used integrated circuits.

9. Checkbooks
Databases use structured files to _________ data.
The ______ is a marker on the monitor which indicates where the next character will appear.
Financial software allows users to track income and expenses - manage __________ - create reports - and record tax information.
The hub prevents packet collisions - but if the hub goes down the _____ stops.

10. Work
____ is used by copyright holders to prevent piracy of their products but can be inconvenient to legitimate users.
A computer resource is any component required to perform ____.
EarthLink - AT&T - and Road Runner are all examples of ISPs (Internet __________________).
Small pictures on the desktop that represent documents - procedures and programs are called _____.

11. Fourth
______ generation computers were microprocessor based.
The computer's main ______ typically consists of high speed RAM which stores instructions and data.
A print server manages one or more printers and stores printed ______.
The _______ ______ would be 'instantcert.com'; the top level domain just refers to the part after the period.

12. Fourth
______ generation languages are typically used for database applications.
A message that has not been _________ is called plaintext.
They are small programs which run in the ___________ and are used by devices such as modems - storage devices - mice - keyboards - monitors - printers - sound cards - network cards.
Mac OS X was rewritten for _____ architecture in 2006 and has a reputation for being an easy to use - reliable - and secure operating system.

13. Recalculation
_____________ is the process of recomputing values in a spreadsheet.
Mac OS X was rewritten for _____ architecture in 2006 and has a reputation for being an easy to use - reliable - and secure operating system.
The contents of ________ memory - which includes RAM - are lost when the power is turned off.
Memory - a programmable processor - an output device - and user-defined input were all concepts Babbage conceived for a calculating device he called a ___________ Engine in 1834.

14. Multimedia
Private networks that are connected to remote sites via the internet are called ____.
A cryptographic key is a number - word - or phrase that must be used to ________ a message.
Access (included with Microsoft _______) is an example of a popular Windows-based relational database application.
Web page design software allows users to create sophisticated web pages with ___________ features.

15. Unzipped
_____ generation computers used integrated circuits.
Zipped files are _________ as part of the installation process.
Transmission is limited to ______ range.
Paint - photo _______ - and drawing software are all examples of graphics software.

16. Radiation
The easiest way to reduce exposure to cellphone _________ is to use a headset.
Most Information Systems departments are managed by a ___.
_________ authentication devices verify a person's identity using the person's physical characteristics.
In a _____________ LAN - individual computer users share the services of a centralized computer.

17. Formats
Cache speeds up _________.
They are for ______ use only and are ignored by the compiler when it processes the code.
When data is ________ in one cell - data in other cells is automatically recalculated.
Examples of graphics file _______ include BMP - GIF - JPEG - TIFF - and PNG.

18. Copies

19. Professional

20. Compression
One ___________ is one thousandth of a second.
Common syntax errors include incorrect or missing punctuation - _________ errors - and omitting keywords.
The JPEG graphics format has built-in _____________ that can be adjusted by the user.
The most common type of database used on PCs is the relational database in which data is organized into related ______.

21. Proprietary
Linux is a non-___________ version of UNIX and is maintained by thousands of volunteer programmers around the world.
Web page design software allows users to create sophisticated web pages with ___________ features.
This UNIX-based kernel also contributes to stronger _________.
Defragmentation can improve _____ ______ performance by helping the computer operate more efficiently.

22. Changed
When data is ________ in one cell - data in other cells is automatically recalculated.
The contents of ________ memory - which includes RAM - are lost when the power is turned off.
The internet is an example of a WAN (______ ____ Network).
MIDI stands for Musicial ___________ Digital Interface.

23. Column
A _____ is a single keystroke or command used to automatically issue a longer - predefined series of keystrokes or commands.
Lettered ______ headings appear across the top frame of the spreadsheet.
Read-Only Memory chips contain fixed computer start up instructions - are loaded at the factory - and are ___________.
Productivity software is designed to help people work more ___________.

24. Served
In a ring network - all packets flow in only one __________; there are no data collisions.
Messages are divided into equal size packets and shipped over the network on a first come first _______ basis.
When plugged into a USB port - flash memory drives show up as an external drive and are a convenient way to transport and transfer _____.
______ ____________ software allows scheduling of events - management of costs and allocation of resources associated with a project.

25. Certification
This is where the term __________ (a group edited encyclopedia) comes from.
Many employers view IT _____________ with some degree of skepticism.
______________ are the most expensive and fastest computers available.
To convert seconds to milliseconds - _________ by 1000 (i.e. 5 seconds is equal to 5 -000 milliseconds).

26. Action
In programming - an event is defined as an ______.
Plaintext is also called __________.
NAP stands for ________________ Point.
Adware is spyware that tracks surfing and online _________.

27. Organize
In MS PowerPoint - the outline view helps you ________ the content of your material.
The internet is an example of a WAN (______ ____ Network).
Cookies can save you time by not requiring you to _______ in the same information on subsequent visits to the same website.
The central computer is called a ____.

28. Timeline
__________ includes the Web - chat rooms - blogs - member based services - conference calls and automatic teller machines (ATMs).
Usually - project management software allows the user to break a project down into a series of goals or events which are organized as a _________.
The columns are called _______.
A floppy disk - hard disk - and USB drive are all examples of _________ storage.

29. Javascript
__________ is widely supported by web browsers and adds interactive functions to HTML pages.
An algorithm is a _______ or set of steps for solving a particular problem.
__________ uses mathematical formulas to create coded messages.
The TCP/IP protocol breaks data up into packets - which are fixed-length blocks of data - for transmission over the network. This permits the message to be broken up into small parts which are then transmitted over separate _______ and yet all end up

30. Key
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 ____.
The prefix '____' means a million.
Personal Information Management software helps users organize and manage daily ________ activities.
The ________ ________ is the computer software that manages the basic operation of the computer.

31. Network
The Internet is a worldwide computer _______ that connects hundreds of thousands of smaller networks.
Sending out __________ looking emails which attempt to solicit passwords or financial information is known as phishing.
In the same year - they released the ________ computer.
____ ________ software detects and corrects certain types of common problems on hard disks - floppies - and CDs.

32. Communications
The prefix '_____' means a thousand.
Passwords are often encrypted using a hash function - which is a function that takes a string of characters of any length and converts it into a string of a ________ length.
TCP/IP is an example of a network ________________ protocol.
Productivity software is designed to help people work more ___________.

33. Cells
_____ generation computers used integrated circuits.
____ and RPG-I are examples of fourth generation languages.
Disposal of _______ is a major environmental problem caused by information technology.
Values are the actual numbers or dates entered into ______.

34. Programmable
The first microprocessor was developed in _____.
ENIAC was the first ____________ electronic computer in the United States.
A collection of fields make up a _______.
A ________ is a unit of measurement equaling 1024 bytes of data.

35. Filename

36. Intranets
A message that has not been _________ is called plaintext.
Private _________ that connect internal personnel and selected vendors are called extranets.
A hard drive - on the other hand - is a _______ access device - which allows it to go directly to the requested data.
Examples of operating systems include ________ - Linux - Unix - and Macintosh OS.

37. Directly
Linux was created in 1991 by Linus Torvalds - a programmer from ________.
__________ is widely supported by web browsers and adds interactive functions to HTML pages.
Random access storage devices are able to go _____ to the requested data
Reading through a program to make sure it is logical and free of errors is called _____ ________.

38. Network
__________ includes the Web - chat rooms - blogs - member based services - conference calls and automatic teller machines (ATMs).
A system of interconnected telephones - computers - or other communication devices that can communicate and share data is called a _______.
The internet is an example of a WAN (______ ____ Network).
Public key encryption uses ___ keys.

39. VPNs
FTP is a protocol used to copy _____ from one computer to another over the Internet.
Private networks that are connected to remote sites via the internet are called ____.
In programming - a _________ is a prewritten module designed for a specific task.
If a program exceeds its available RAM - the _________ _________ can use an area of hard disk called virtual memory to store parts of data files or programs until needed - thereby gaining almost unlimited memory capacity.

40. WAN
The primary key could be a unique series of numbers or characters; it doesn't have to be meaningful--just _______.
The computer's main ______ typically consists of high speed RAM which stores instructions and data.
A communications network that covers a large geographic area such as a country is called a ___.
Cookies can save you time by not requiring you to _______ in the same information on subsequent visits to the same website.

41. Off
Rule-based detection software is used by merchants for online transactions to detect and prevent _____ by establishing criteria each transaction must meet.
ROM chips contain data that is nonvolatile - meaning that this data is not lost when the computer is turned ____.
____ ________ software detects and corrects certain types of common problems on hard disks - floppies - and CDs.
A keystroke logger can be used to steal __________.

42. Scheduling
Meeting ___________ software is an example of groupware.
An algorithm is a _______ or set of steps for solving a particular problem.
The ALU is an area of the CPU optimized to handle _____ calculations (i.e. Add and Subtract) as well as logic comparisons (i.e. AND - NOT - and OR).
A unit of measure equaling 8 bits is a ____.

43. Hard disk
Passwords are often encrypted using a hash function - which is a function that takes a string of characters of any length and converts it into a string of a ________ length.
A template is a ____________ document often provided with word processing software.
Common syntax errors include incorrect or missing punctuation - _________ errors - and omitting keywords.
With virtual memory - free _____ ____ space is used to extend the capacity of RAM.

44. Bits
Examples of random access storage include computer hard disk drives - RAM - ____ _____ - floppy drives and CD-ROM drives.
File compression is a method of removing __________ elements of a file causing the file to require less storage space and less time to transmit.
The ________ ________ is the computer software that manages the basic operation of the computer.
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 ____.

45. Cars
When troubleshooting a computer program - ________ software is used to help identify and solve problems.
A bus network has two endpoints and all computers are connected to a single wire or _____.
In a _____________ LAN - individual computer users share the services of a centralized computer.
Embedded computers are also called microcontrollers and are small - specialized microprocessors installed in ____ and smart appliances.

46. Com
POS (______ __ _______) terminals are computer-based devices or systems that allow the merchant to process credit cards - track customer purchase habits - and manage inventory.
Nowadays - cash registers have been replaced by ___ terminals.
What part of the URL http://instantcert.com/landing.html is the top level domain? ___
Unlike a hub - a ______ sends packets only to the computer that is the intended recipient.

47. Application
Software designed to solve a specific problem is called ___________ software.
Public key encryption uses ___ keys.
Virtual reality is used in arcade games and in training simulators (example: _______ simulators).
A _________ is a limited working system - developed to test design concepts.

48. Secondary
Most computer processing takes place in a component called the ___.
A job search agent is an automated program that searches one or more __________ databases and notifies you when it finds leads that match your search criteria.
Public key encryption uses ___ keys.
A floppy disk - hard disk - and USB drive are all examples of _________ storage.

49. Whistleblowers
The Sarbanes-Oxley act requires full disclosure in accounting systems and protects corporate ______________.
Personal computers are also called ______________.
___ allows a block of program code to be reused in other programs.
The BIOS (Basic ______________ System) also enables the computer to interpret keyboard commands and display characters on the monitor.

50. CPU
A unit of measure equaling 8 bits is a ____.
Computer resources include the ____ - RAM - storage space - and peripherals.
Nowadays - cash registers have been replaced by ___ terminals.
A ________ - mouse - microphone - scanner - and camera are all examples of computer input devices.