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

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2. POS
Nowadays - cash registers have been replaced by ___ terminals.
Transistors were smaller - cheaper - and more _________ than vacuum tubes.
Utility programs are designed to help monitor and configure ________ for the computer - the operating system - or applications.
A ___ ________ is software that enables a user to find and access the various parts of the Internet.

3. Widget
CSMA/CD manages collisions on the network by deleting colliding signals and __________ the network.
A desktop ______ appears on the computer desktop and is a specialized utility that looks like a control and displays information.
A computer uses a ____ system (base 2). That means that it only has 2 digits to choose from (i.e. 0 and 1).
Output is the result of ___________.

4. Cannot
Paint - photo _______ - and drawing software are all examples of graphics software.
The information on a ROM chip _____ be altered by the user.
Common expansion cards include ________ cards - graphic cards - and memory cards.
The GUI (Graphic User Interface) is sometimes called a computer __________ and Microsoft Windows is an example of an operating system that uses a GUI.

5. Wide Area
UNIVAC was the first commercially successful _______ computer.
MIDI stands for Musicial ___________ Digital Interface.
Private _________ that connect internal personnel and selected vendors are called extranets.
The internet is an example of a WAN (______ ____ Network).

6. Execution
Examples of operating systems include ________ - Linux - Unix - and Macintosh OS.
__________ appear as colored or underlined words on a webpag
The BIOS (Basic ______________ System) also enables the computer to interpret keyboard commands and display characters on the monitor.
The compiled program is saved as object code for later __________.

7. Cursor
_____ ____ is a special feature that automatically continues text on the next line when the user reaches the right margin.
The ______ is a marker on the monitor which indicates where the next character will appear.
A __________ file uses a uniform format to store data for each person or thing in the file.
In a relational database - the _______ key holds a unique value for each record.

8. Memory
Primary storage - also known as RAM or _______ - is temporary data held in computer circuitry.
_______ is a version of UNIX popular for large websites and e-commerce servers.
In addition to displaying information in rows and columns - spreadsheet software can perform ______________ on inputted data.
____ ________ software detects and corrects certain types of common problems on hard disks - floppies - and CDs.

9. Free
The contents of ________ memory - which includes RAM - are lost when the power is turned off.
__________ is the study of safe and efficient work environments.
Freeware is software that is copyrighted but is available for ____.
When you install software or hardware - information is ______ in the registry.

10. Inference

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11. Com
VoIP stands for ______ over Internet Protocol.
Embedded computers are also called microcontrollers and are small - specialized microprocessors installed in ____ and smart appliances.
In addition to displaying information in rows and columns - spreadsheet software can perform ______________ on inputted data.
What part of the URL http://instantcert.com/landing.html is the top level domain? ___

12. Collisions
What part of the URL http://instantcert.com/landing.html is the top level domain? ___
Most computer manufacturers use components (hard drives - processors - memory - etc.) supplied by other __________; this is called outsourcing.
Packet _________ technology divides a message into packets that can be independently routed to their destination and then reassembled.
CSMA/CD is the Ethernet protocol that handles __________.

13. Print
Graphics software is designed to help users manipulate and ______ graphics.
Examples of an event include a key press or a mouse ______.
A typical computer includes the system and a variety of input - output and ______ devices.
Companies do this to keep _______ low.

14. Client/server
A ________ is a collection of interrelated files in a computer system.
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.
In a _____________ LAN - individual computer users share the services of a centralized computer.
The 1s and 0s used to represent digital data are known as _______ digits.

15. Securely
A ________ is a set of rules governing the exchange of data between hardware and software on a communications network.
SSL and TLS are protocols used to ________ transmit credit card data over the Internet.
Small pictures on the desktop that represent documents - procedures and programs are called _____.
Software obtained _________ is said to be pirated.

16. Time
Bandwidth is an expression of how much data can be sent through a communications channel in a given amount of ____.
Common syntax errors include incorrect or missing punctuation - _________ errors - and omitting keywords.
Open source software projects promote user modification - peer review - _____ distribution - and copying.
A ________ is a unit of measurement equaling 1024 bytes of data.

17. Hub
HTML (__________ Markup Language) tags are used to structure and format web pages and links to other documents.
The central computer is called a ____.
_______ are small text files left on your hard drive by websites you visit.
In a ring network - all packets flow in only one __________; there are no data collisions.

18. Constant
_________ data is defined as converting data from one format to a format compatible with the program you are currently using.
The opposite of a variable is a _________ - which is a factor that remains the same throughout the program.
An algorithm is a _______ or set of steps for solving a particular problem.
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.

19. Solved
_______ is the operating system installed on more than 80% of the world's personal computers.
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 ____.
A programming problem statement defines the scope of the problem - spells out the known information - and specifies when the problem has been ______.
A template is a ____________ document often provided with word processing software.

20. Sequential
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.
Random access is much faster than ___________ access storage (tape).
Digital Rights Management is a collection of technologies used to limit access and use of ___________ products such as music - movies and computer games.
The particular operating system and _________ model on which a computer system is based is called the platform.

21. Binary
A computer uses a ____ system (base 2). That means that it only has 2 digits to choose from (i.e. 0 and 1).
Overloading a computer system or network by making repeated requests to it and thereby denying access to legitimate users is called a _______ __ ________ attack.
___________ programming rules are called syntax.
_______ storage is temporary and holds data waiting to be processed.

22. CPU
System software helps the computer manage internal and external _________ and enables the computer to run applications.
Computer resources include the ____ - RAM - storage space - and peripherals.
A wiki is one or more ___ documents that can be viewed and changed by users.
The location on a spreadsheet where a row and a column intersect is called a ____.

23. Machine
An organization's internal _______ network is called an intranet.
A hard drive - on the other hand - is a _______ access device - which allows it to go directly to the requested data.
In Windows - to see a list of active _________ - you must open the task manager.
________ and assembly languages are low level languages.

24. Difference
Random access storage devices are able to go _____ to the requested data
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.
_______ storage is temporary and holds data waiting to be processed.
White hat hackers are computer professionals who break into computer systems with the owner's __________ to identify security flaws.

25. Processors
An example of parallel processing is when several ___________ work together sharing memory on the same task.
An algorithm is a _______ or set of steps for solving a particular problem.
Virtual machine technology allows users to simulate the hardware and software of one computer ____________ on another.
A computer's ____ size is the number of bits that the processor may process at any one time.

26. Unzipped
Zipped files are _________ as part of the installation process.
Examples of graphics file _______ include BMP - GIF - JPEG - TIFF - and PNG.
Harvard Graphics and MS __________ are examples of presentation graphics software.
_____________ is the process of recomputing values in a spreadsheet.

27. Meta
An ______ _______ is an interactive computer program that helps users solve problems.
Backbone connections are supplied by internet backbone __________ such as GTE - Sprint - UUNET and AT&T.
Search agents and _____ search tools allow you to automate your search process across many sites.
In programming - an event is defined as an ______.

28. Column
Web page design software allows users to create sophisticated web pages with ___________ features.
The toolbar displays menus and icons of commonly used ________ and options.
Many employers view IT _____________ with some degree of skepticism.
Lettered ______ headings appear across the top frame of the spreadsheet.

29. Open source
A gigabyte is a unit of measurement roughly equaling one _______ bytes.
Syntax refers to the _______ in which computer programming commands must be entered.
Linux is an ____ _______ operating system that can be modified and freely distributed.
A wizard is an interactive computer utility that asks a user questions to _____ the user through a task.

30. Cycle
DHCP stands for Dynamic Host _______________ Protocol.
Programmers use assembly languages to write ______ software.
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 _____.
FTP is a protocol used to copy _____ from one computer to another over the Internet.

31. Companies
Virtual memory uses the hard disk to _____ primary storage (RAM).
Most computer manufacturers use components (hard drives - processors - memory - etc.) supplied by other __________; this is called outsourcing.
The most common user interface for UNIX systems is the ________ ____ interface.
In word processing - the __________ for a document refers to the way text - graphics - headings - and page numbers appear on a page.

32. Services

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33. Syntax
In computer programming - ______ errors refer to typographical errors and incorrect use of the programming language.
Cyberspace is the world of communications in general; it includes wired and wireless communications - as well as the _________.
This can also be called a command-_____ interface.
HTML is a set of special instructions used to create ____ _____.

34. Bell
The ________ ________ is the computer software that manages the basic operation of the computer.
The opposite of a variable is a _________ - which is a factor that remains the same throughout the program.
UNIX was first developed by _____ Laboratories in 1969.
This act established financial reporting regulations to prevent corporate ______.

35. Third
One reason a tape drive takes longer to access data than a ____ drive is that tape drives use sequential access.
Micropayments are __________ payments for internet transactions as small as 25 cents.
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 ________.
_____ generation computers used integrated circuits.

36. Viruses
A device ______ is system software used by the computer to control peripheral devices.
ENIAC was the first ____________ electronic computer in the United States.
Commands written for a specific CPU or microprocessor are ____ _____ languages.
Trojan horses can also carry ________ and destructive instructions.

37. Microcomputers
To be an algorithm - a set of rules must be unambiguous and have a clear _________ point.
Adware is spyware that tracks surfing and online _________.
Personal computers are also called ______________.
_____________ people is one important way to protect software and data.

38. 10
_______ are notes included in the program code by the programmer.
Spoofing makes it appear that a message came from someone other than the sender. This is a tactic often used by _________.
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).
Forging an email ______'s name is called spoofing.

39. Organize
Tests run by laboratories to compare the overall speed of microprocessors are called __________.
When you install software or hardware - information is ______ in the registry.
In MS PowerPoint - the outline view helps you ________ the content of your material.
A field contains the smallest unit of meaningful data and can therefore be called the basic ________ block for a structured file or database.

40. Commands
Open source software projects promote user modification - peer review - _____ distribution - and copying.
The Internet is a worldwide computer _______ that connects hundreds of thousands of smaller networks.
Applications no longer had to include code to control low level hardware operations but instead called on operating system routines through simple standardized _________.
A print server manages one or more printers and stores printed ______.

41. Location
SSL (Secure _______ Layer) and TLS are protocols used to create a secure connection between a computer and a website.
DHCP stands for Dynamic Host _______________ Protocol.
A _____ _______ is a program that is disguised as an innocent program to gain control of your computer.
Site licenses allow software to be used on all computers at a specific ________.

42. Expansion
An electronic ______ ________ on the Internet where users conduct written discussions about a specific topic is called a newsgroup.
The ________ ________ is the computer software that manages the basic operation of the computer.
A MAC address is a series of numbers assigned by the manufacturer to a _________ ________ card at the factory.
An _________ slot is a slot on the motherboard where the user can plug in an expansion card.

43. Central
In a star network - all computers are connected to a _______ computer.
_________ authentication devices verify a person's identity using the person's physical characteristics.
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 information on a ROM chip _____ be altered by the user.

44. Checkbooks
The _______ ______ would be 'instantcert.com'; the top level domain just refers to the part after the period.
When an employee uses their employer's computer time for non-work activities - this is called theft of time and ________.
MIDI is a protocol used to communicate between electronic _______ instruments and the devices that control and manage them.
Financial software allows users to track income and expenses - manage __________ - create reports - and record tax information.

45. Transistors
The prefix '_____' means a thousand.
Integrated circuits were able to do the work of thousands of _____________ or vacuum tubes on a single miniature chip.
A ____ network has no endpoints and all computers are connected in a continuous loop.
The most common user interface for UNIX systems is the ________ ____ interface.

46. Local Area
A LAN (______ _____ Network) normally occupies a single building.
Values are the actual numbers or dates entered into ______.
Freeware is software that is copyrighted but is available for ____.
An IP address is a series of numbers used to identify a network ______.

47. Records
In a relational database - information is organized in rows and columns. Rows are called _______.
_________ authentication devices verify a person's identity using the person's physical characteristics.
In MS PowerPoint - the slide sorter view displays __________ of each slide - allowing you to change the order of your presentation.
The ______ is a marker on the monitor which indicates where the next character will appear.

48. 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 ________.
A wizard is an interactive computer utility that asks a user questions to _____ the user through a task.
Micropayments are __________ payments for internet transactions as small as 25 cents.
______________ are the most expensive and fastest computers available.

49. Requests
The goal is to overload the target server or network by suddenly bombarding it with thousands or even millions of _________ - making it unable to respond to requests from legitimate users.
UNIX is a proprietary multitasking operating system with built-in __________ capabilities that supports multiple users.
Note that the URL starts by indicating what _________ should be used to access the page (HTTP).
RSI (Repetitive _______ Injury) affects tendons - muscles and nerves in the hands - wrists - arms and shoulders.

50. Key
In a relational database - a ___ field is used to sort data.
A cryptographic key is a number - word - or phrase that must be used to ________ a message.
Utility programs are designed to help monitor and configure ________ for the computer - the operating system - or applications.
UNIVAC was the first commercially successful _______ computer.