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. Keyboard
A megabyte is a unit of measurement roughly equaling one _______ bytes.
The prefix '_____' means a thousand.
The hub prevents packet collisions - but if the hub goes down the _____ stops.
A ________ - mouse - microphone - scanner - and camera are all examples of computer input devices.

2. MYCIN
The contents of ________ memory - which includes RAM - are lost when the power is turned off.
Built in 1951 - UNIVAC was considerably smaller and more powerful than ______.
______ - PROSPECTOR - CARES - CLUES and CLIPS are all examples of expert systems.
POS (______ __ _______) terminals are computer-based devices or systems that allow the merchant to process credit cards - track customer purchase habits - and manage inventory.

3. Unzipped
Examples of an event include a key press or a mouse ______.
Zipped files are _________ as part of the installation process.
This act established financial reporting regulations to prevent corporate ______.
This can also be called a command-_____ interface.

4. Data
Most computer manufacturers use components (hard drives - processors - memory - etc.) supplied by other __________; this is called outsourcing.
A _________ is a limited working system - developed to test design concepts.
Early computers stored ____ for calculations and programs on punched cards.
___________ and security are MS Windows' two major weaknesses.

5. Remarks
A keyword has a predefined meaning for the ________ which translates each line of programming code into the machine language that the computer can understand.
_______ are notes included in the program code by the programmer.
Analytical graphics are also called _________ graphics and make sales figures and economic trends easier to understand.
White hat hackers are computer professionals who break into computer systems with the owner's __________ to identify security flaws.

6. PDA
Handheld computers and ____s are examples of embedded systems because the operating system resides on a single chip.
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 ____.
Applications no longer had to include code to control low level hardware operations but instead called on operating system routines through simple standardized _________.
The prefix '_____' means a thousand.

7. Change
_______________ are politically motivated hackers who attack computer systems intending to cause large scale physical or financial harm.
_______ ________ was the first to define concepts that were to be later used in modern computers.
A _________ is a graphical representation of a series of steps needed to solve a problem.
In programming - a variable represents a value that can ______.

8. Musical
MIDI is a protocol used to communicate between electronic _______ instruments and the devices that control and manage them.
With a parallel implementation - the old and new systems are operated side by side until the new system is proven to be ________.
Read-Only Memory chips contain fixed computer start up instructions - are loaded at the factory - and are ___________.
Examples include _____________ identification and retina scanners.

9. GUI
The ___ allows a user to operate the computer by using a mouse or keystrokes to select icons and commands from menus.
Random access storage allows access to any location in any _____.
Personal Information Management software helps users organize and manage daily ________ activities.
A firewall can be _________ or software-based or a combination of the two.

10. Network interface
In 1976 - Steve Jobs and Steve _______ founded Apple Computer Corporation.
A MAC address is a series of numbers assigned by the manufacturer to a _________ ________ card at the factory.
____ is an internet protocol used to make phone calls over the internet.
The ___ allows a user to operate the computer by using a mouse or keystrokes to select icons and commands from menus.

11. Real world

12. Printed
Desktop publishing software has reduced the time needed to create professional looking _______ projects.
A field contains the smallest unit of meaningful data and can therefore be called the basic ________ block for a structured file or database.
When data is ________ in one cell - data in other cells is automatically recalculated.
Groupware is software that allows several people to collaborate on projects over a _______.

13. Sender's

14. Organize
In MS PowerPoint - the outline view helps you ________ the content of your material.
This UNIX-based kernel also contributes to stronger _________.
The 1s and 0s used to represent digital data are known as _______ digits.
Public domain software is not ___________ and can be copied without fear of prosecution.

15. Word

16. Syntax
_______ errors can be found with a debugger.
Overloading a computer system or network by making repeated requests to it and thereby denying access to legitimate users is called a _______ __ ________ attack.
A ________ is a collection of interrelated files in a computer system.
___ software is used to design products - maps - structures and civil engineering drawings.

17. Employees

18. Peripheral
____ is the communications protocol used by your browser to connect with web servers and display web pages on your computer.
The computer's main ______ typically consists of high speed RAM which stores instructions and data.
Using a technology called pipelining - the processor can start executing an instruction ______ the previous instruction completes.
Input - output - and storage equipment that can be added to a computer to enhance its functionality are called __________ devices.

19. SQL
Public domain software is not ___________ and can be copied without fear of prosecution.
A LAN (______ _____ Network) normally occupies a single building.
____ and RPG-I are examples of fourth generation languages.
The ________ ________ is the computer software that manages the basic operation of the computer.

20. Transistors
The more _____ in a word - the faster the computer.
Integrated circuits were able to do the work of thousands of _____________ or vacuum tubes on a single miniature chip.
________ transmission sends data via light waves at a frequency too low for human eyes to see.
The monitor - speakers - and printer are examples of computer ______ devices.

21. Denial of service
_________ is the process of moving up - down - or sideways through the text or other screen display.
Screening job applicants and limiting employee ______ to only information needed to do a specific job are examples of people controls.
A computer's ____ size is the number of bits that the processor may process at any one time.
Overloading a computer system or network by making repeated requests to it and thereby denying access to legitimate users is called a _______ __ ________ attack.

22. Email
FTP is a protocol used to copy _____ from one computer to another over the Internet.
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).
Public key encryption is used to transmit credit card data in secure e-commerce transactions and it is also used for secure ______.
Random access storage devices are able to go _____ to the requested data

23. Click
Zipped files are _________ as part of the installation process.
Syntax refers to the _______ in which computer programming commands must be entered.
Examples of an event include a key press or a mouse ______.
Financial software allows users to track income and expenses - manage __________ - create reports - and record tax information.

24. Free
Private _________ that connect internal personnel and selected vendors are called extranets.
Data consists of ___ facts and figures that is processed to produce information.
Open source software projects promote user modification - peer review - _____ distribution - and copying.
The series of events which takes place in a set order and at specified intervals - that occurs when the processor retrieves an instruction from storage and executes it - is called the instruction _____.

25. Macro
___________ and security are MS Windows' two major weaknesses.
A _____ is a single keystroke or command used to automatically issue a longer - predefined series of keystrokes or commands.
_____ memory drives plug into the computer's USB ports and have memory capacities of up to several gigabytes.
CSMA/CD manages collisions on the network by deleting colliding signals and __________ the network.

26. Word wrap
Transferring data from a ______ computer to a local computer is called downloading.
_____ ____ is a special feature that automatically continues text on the next line when the user reaches the right margin.
Servers can store files or provide services (i.e. printing) to ________ on the network.
Utility programs are designed to help monitor and configure ________ for the computer - the operating system - or applications.

27. Copied
A computer with a __ bit word size will transfer data within the microprocessor at 8 bytes at a time.
Hubs have multiple ports. When a packet arrives at one port it is _______ to all other ports on the hub.
A desktop ______ appears on the computer desktop and is a specialized utility that looks like a control and displays information.
_____ ______ cable transmits pulsating beams of light rather than electricity.

28. Protocol
_______ are notes included in the program code by the programmer.
To convert seconds to milliseconds - _________ by 1000 (i.e. 5 seconds is equal to 5 -000 milliseconds).
Plaintext is also called __________.
Note that the URL starts by indicating what _________ should be used to access the page (HTTP).

29. Networking
The instruction cycle is also often referred to as the ________ cycle.
Settings automatically used by a program unless changed by the user are called _______ settings.
A database index contains a list of keys and each key provides a pointer to the ______ that contains the rest of the fields related to that key.
UNIX is a proprietary multitasking operating system with built-in __________ capabilities that supports multiple users.

30. Tape drive
Most computer manufacturers use components (hard drives - processors - memory - etc.) supplied by other __________; this is called outsourcing.
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.
A modem is a device that sends and receives data over __________ lines to and from computers.
System software helps the computer manage internal and external _________ and enables the computer to run applications.

31. Beta
________ ________ plan and implement new or improved computer services.
____ testing involves checking a program by running it with real world data.
Examples of operating systems include ________ - Linux - Unix - and Macintosh OS.
Second generation computers used ___________ instead of vacuum tubes.

32. Bits
The series of events which takes place in a set order and at specified intervals - that occurs when the processor retrieves an instruction from storage and executes it - is called the instruction _____.
SSL and TLS are protocols used to ________ transmit credit card data over the Internet.
A desktop ______ appears on the computer desktop and is a specialized utility that looks like a control and displays information.
The more _____ in a word - the faster the computer.

33. BIOS
RAM - which stands for Random Access Memory - stores __________ data which is waiting to be stored - processed - or output - and this data is lost if the computer is turned off.
The ____ is a set of instructions contained in ROM that tell the computer how to find the operating system and load it into RAM.
Examples of word size in _____ computers include 16 - 32 - and 64 bits.
Dreamweaver - Macromedia Flash and MS FrontPage are all examples of ___ _____ design software.

34. Transistors
Primary storage - also known as RAM or _______ - is temporary data held in computer circuitry.
Many employers view IT _____________ with some degree of skepticism.
Fiber optic cable consists of dozens or hundreds of thin strands of ______ or plastic; it is more secure and can carry much more data than normal copper telephone wire.
Second generation computers used ___________ instead of vacuum tubes.

35. Execution
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 ____.
Examples of graphics file _______ include BMP - GIF - JPEG - TIFF - and PNG.
Cache is ____ when the computer power is turned off.
The compiled program is saved as object code for later __________.

36. ISP
An organization that provides internet access is called an ___.
When you click the link - it takes you to a site that looks just like Paypal; you enter your login information on this fake site and now the _________ have your username and password.
An algorithm is a _______ or set of steps for solving a particular problem.
A program that ______ itself repeatedly on to the computer's hard disk or into the computer's memory is called a worm.

37. Network
A __________ file uses a uniform format to store data for each person or thing in the file.
Output is the result of ___________.
The hub prevents packet collisions - but if the hub goes down the _____ stops.
The cursor is often a blinking rectangle and its location is called the __________ point.

38. Network Access
NAP stands for ________________ Point.
When an employee uses their employer's computer time for non-work activities - this is called theft of time and ________.
The CPU consists of the control unit - the arithmetic/logic unit (ALU) and the _________ (high speed storage areas).
The compiled program is saved as object code for later __________.

39. Collisions
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.
CSMA/CD is the Ethernet protocol that handles __________.
A firewall is designed to protect a computer or network from _________.
_____ ______ cable transmits pulsating beams of light rather than electricity.

40. WAN
A hard drive - on the other hand - is a _______ access device - which allows it to go directly to the requested data.
Companies do this to keep _______ low.
The BIOS (Basic ______________ System) also enables the computer to interpret keyboard commands and display characters on the monitor.
A communications network that covers a large geographic area such as a country is called a ___.

41. Importing
In the same year - they released the ________ computer.
The internet is an example of a WAN (______ ____ Network).
_______ are computer depictions of humans often found in computer games and training software.
_________ data is defined as converting data from one format to a format compatible with the program you are currently using.

42. TIFF
____ is a graphics file format used on both PCs and Macs for high quality printable files.
A computer uses a ____ system (base 2). That means that it only has 2 digits to choose from (i.e. 0 and 1).
______ times for PC storage devices are measured in milliseconds.
System software helps the computer manage internal and external _________ and enables the computer to run applications.

43. Checkbooks
Financial software allows users to track income and expenses - manage __________ - create reports - and record tax information.
The Internet is a worldwide computer _______ that connects hundreds of thousands of smaller networks.
A megabyte is a unit of measurement roughly equaling one _______ bytes.
With serial processing - instructions are executed ______________ in the order received.

44. Finland
A computer's ____ size is the number of bits that the processor may process at any one time.
Early personal computers featured command-driven interfaces which required the user to ____ complicated instructions to operate the computer.
Linux was created in 1991 by Linus Torvalds - a programmer from ________.
DHCP stands for Dynamic Host _______________ Protocol.

45. Formats
ENIAC was the first ____________ electronic computer in the United States.
One reason a tape drive takes longer to access data than a ____ drive is that tape drives use sequential access.
Examples of graphics file _______ include BMP - GIF - JPEG - TIFF - and PNG.
Syntax refers to the _______ in which computer programming commands must be entered.

46. Database
Input - output - and storage equipment that can be added to a computer to enhance its functionality are called __________ devices.
A ________ is a collection of interrelated files in a computer system.
A ___ ________ is software that enables a user to find and access the various parts of the Internet.
The easiest way to reduce exposure to cellphone _________ is to use a headset.

47. Digital
_____ _____ languages are based on human languages and include C - C++ and FORTRAN.
Access (included with Microsoft _______) is an example of a popular Windows-based relational database application.
When data is ________ in one cell - data in other cells is automatically recalculated.
______ data is data that has been converted into discrete digits such as 0s and 1s.

48. Cycle
Secondary storage refers to devices and media that store data _____________.
One ___________ is one thousandth of a second.
The series of events which takes place in a set order and at specified intervals - that occurs when the processor retrieves an instruction from storage and executes it - is called the instruction _____.
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 ____.

49. Windows

50. High level
_____ _____ languages are based on human languages and include C - C++ and FORTRAN.
For a computer to be able to take advantage of dual core or quad core technology - the installed ________ __________ has to support it.
In everyday life - we generally use a base ___ system - meaning that we have 10 digits to choose from when we are expressing a number (i.e. 0 through 9).
FTP can be used on any _______ network such as a LAN or the Internet and is compatible with any operating system.