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. Mega

2. Lost
Computer resources include the ____ - RAM - storage space - and peripherals.
Cache is ____ when the computer power is turned off.
_____________ people is one important way to protect software and data.
Random access storage allows access to any location in any _____.

3. Processing
_______________ is used to restore the file to its original condition by replacing the repeated patterns that were removed during file compression.
One survey indicated that 75 to 80% of computer crimes are committed by current or _______ employees.
Output is the result of ___________.
_______ are small text files left on your hard drive by websites you visit.

4. Charles Babbage
Fetch - ______ - execute and store are the four basic operations of the machine cycle.
Sending out __________ looking emails which attempt to solicit passwords or financial information is known as phishing.
_______ ________ was the first to define concepts that were to be later used in modern computers.
_____________ is the process of recomputing values in a spreadsheet.

5. Viruses
__________ appear as colored or underlined words on a webpag
Database ______________ create - maintain - and supervise the day to day operation of databases.
A print server manages one or more printers and stores printed ______.
Trojan horses can also carry ________ and destructive instructions.

6. Cable
_________ is the process of moving up - down - or sideways through the text or other screen display.
_____________ people is one important way to protect software and data.
A bus network has two endpoints and all computers are connected to a single wire or _____.
Sending out __________ looking emails which attempt to solicit passwords or financial information is known as phishing.

7. CPU
Second generation computers used ___________ instead of vacuum tubes.
Virtual reality is used in arcade games and in training simulators (example: _______ simulators).
Computer resources include the ____ - RAM - storage space - and peripherals.
In recent years - antivirus software has been one of the most popular categories of _______ software.

8. 10
On the job choices that reflect a person's values are called ____________ ethics.
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).
All the physical equipment in a computer system is called ________.
Examples include _____________ identification and retina scanners.

9. HTTP
If a ___________ on the bus is broken (i.e. one of the computers in the chain crashes) - the network may go down.
Analytical graphics are graphical forms that make _______ data easier to analyze.
Databases use structured files to _________ data.
____ is the communications protocol used by your browser to connect with web servers and display web pages on your computer.

10. Keyboard
A ________ - mouse - microphone - scanner - and camera are all examples of computer input devices.
Using a technology called pipelining - the processor can start executing an instruction ______ the previous instruction completes.
Meeting ___________ software is an example of groupware.
To convert seconds to milliseconds - _________ by 1000 (i.e. 5 seconds is equal to 5 -000 milliseconds).

11. Overheat
Groupware is software that allows several people to collaborate on projects over a _______.
Productivity software is designed to help people work more ___________.
The compiled program is saved as object code for later __________.
Overclocking is popular with computer gamers but can be dangerous as components may _________ and be damaged or catch fire.

12. Machine
Secondary storage refers to devices and media that store data _____________.
________ and assembly languages are low level languages.
__________ appear as colored or underlined words on a webpag
Digital Rights Management is a collection of technologies used to limit access and use of ___________ products such as music - movies and computer games.

13. Network interface
LISP is a programming language used primarily for creating __________ _____________ programs.
A MAC address is a series of numbers assigned by the manufacturer to a _________ ________ card at the factory.
A computer resource is any component required to perform ____.
A LAN (______ _____ Network) normally occupies a single building.

14. Widget
In a peer to peer network - workstations share responsibility for processing - storage - printing - and communications tasks without a ______.
The Windows registry is a database that maintains a record of installed ________ and peripheral devices - preferences - and settings.
A desktop ______ appears on the computer desktop and is a specialized utility that looks like a control and displays information.
A keystroke logger can be used to steal __________.

15. Direction
In a ring network - all packets flow in only one __________; there are no data collisions.
An ______ _______ is an interactive computer program that helps users solve problems.
Virtual reality is a computer generated artificial reality which projects a person into a sensation of _____ ____________ space.
Paint - photo _______ - and drawing software are all examples of graphics software.

16. Random
A programming language is a set of keywords and grammar rules used to create ____________ for a computer.
____ is an internet protocol used to make phone calls over the internet.
A computer's ____ size is the number of bits that the processor may process at any one time.
A hard drive - on the other hand - is a _______ access device - which allows it to go directly to the requested data.

17. RSI
With virtual memory - free _____ ____ space is used to extend the capacity of RAM.
Improper positioning of your keyboard and mouse can cause ___.
A megabyte is a unit of measurement roughly equaling one _______ bytes.
________ and assembly languages are low level languages.

18. Permission

19. Publisher
Examples of DTP software include MS __________ and PageMaker.
In computer programming - ______ errors refer to typographical errors and incorrect use of the programming language.
Read-Only Memory chips contain fixed computer start up instructions - are loaded at the factory - and are ___________.
________ row headings appear down the left frame of the spreadsheet.

20. Fiber optic
The instruction cycle is also often referred to as the ________ cycle.
_____ ______ cable transmits pulsating beams of light rather than electricity.
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).
By holding down the ctrl - alt - and del keys - ________ OS will open the task manager which displays a list of active processes.

21. Timeline
A unit of measure equaling 8 bits is a ____.
Many employers view IT _____________ with some degree of skepticism.
Usually - project management software allows the user to break a project down into a series of goals or events which are organized as a _________.
A _____ _______ is a program that is disguised as an innocent program to gain control of your computer.

22. Network
The bandwidth of a channel which carries digital data is typically measured in ____ ____ _________ (bps).
NAP stands for ________________ Point.
Groupware is software that allows several people to collaborate on projects over a _______.
Word processing software is used to create - edit - print - format and store ____.

23. E-waste
A LAN (______ _____ Network) normally occupies a single building.
______ data is data that has been converted into discrete digits such as 0s and 1s.
Disposal of _______ is a major environmental problem caused by information technology.
The motherboard contains the CPU and _______ chips as well as connections for the keyboard - mouse - and printer.

24. Resources
A keystroke logger can be used to steal __________.
______ times for PC storage devices are measured in milliseconds.
The instruction cycle is also often referred to as the ________ cycle.
System software helps the computer manage internal and external _________ and enables the computer to run applications.

25. 1971
The prefix '_____' means a thousand.
Freeware is software that is copyrighted but is available for ____.
_______________ is used to restore the file to its original condition by replacing the repeated patterns that were removed during file compression.
The first microprocessor was developed in _____.

26. Processors
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.
An example of parallel processing is when several ___________ work together sharing memory on the same task.
Disposal of _______ is a major environmental problem caused by information technology.
A MAC address is a series of numbers assigned by the manufacturer to a _________ ________ card at the factory.

27. Settings
A communications network that covers a large geographic area such as a country is called a ___.
Utility programs are designed to help monitor and configure ________ for the computer - the operating system - or applications.
With a ______ implementation - parts of the new system are implemented separately.
A what-if analysis allows a user to change the contents of a spreadsheet cell and find out how that would change the _______ of the calculation.

28. Human
________ row headings appear down the left frame of the spreadsheet.
They are for ______ use only and are ignored by the compiler when it processes the code.
A keyword has a predefined meaning for the ________ which translates each line of programming code into the machine language that the computer can understand.
Multiple files which have been consolidated into ___ file and compressed to reduce size and download time are said to be zipped.

29. Scrolling
SSL and TLS are protocols used to ________ transmit credit card data over the Internet.
______________ are the most expensive and fastest computers available.
_________ is the process of moving up - down - or sideways through the text or other screen display.
A field contains the smallest unit of meaningful data and can therefore be called the basic ________ block for a structured file or database.

30. Retype
The location on a spreadsheet where a row and a column intersect is called a ____.
Linux is an ____ _______ operating system that can be modified and freely distributed.
Cookies can save you time by not requiring you to _______ in the same information on subsequent visits to the same website.
TCP/IP is an example of a network ________________ protocol.

31. Supervisor
Desktop publishing software has reduced the time needed to create professional looking _______ projects.
The kernel is also known as the ___________.
A device ______ is system software used by the computer to control peripheral devices.
A ________ is a collection of interrelated files in a computer system.

32. Directly
Random access storage devices are able to go _____ to the requested data
A floppy disk - hard disk - and USB drive are all examples of _________ storage.
A macro - or keyboard _________ - is useful when a user has to type the same pattern of keystrokes over and over.
Common platforms include Apple Macintosh - ________ platforms and PC platforms.

33. Before
Backups are used to ________ files lost by operator error - viruses - or hardware failures.
Computer processing is the ____________ of data which transforms data into information.
Using a technology called pipelining - the processor can start executing an instruction ______ the previous instruction completes.
With virtual memory - free _____ ____ space is used to extend the capacity of RAM.

34. Ring
Nowadays - cash registers have been replaced by ___ terminals.
A ____ network has no endpoints and all computers are connected in a continuous loop.
An organization that provides internet access is called an ___.
The system's main interface screen is called the _______ and displays icons which provide fast access to information and programs.

35. Filename

36. Difference
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.
Personal Information Management software helps users organize and manage daily ________ activities.
Open source software projects promote user modification - peer review - _____ distribution - and copying.
Examples of personal finance manager software include ________ and Microsoft Money.

37. Processing
DHCP stands for Dynamic Host _______________ Protocol.
For every software _____________ - the CPU control unit carries out four basic operations known as the machine cycle.
_____ data can be text - images - numbers - or sounds.
Cache speeds up _________.

38. Copyrighted
Computer processing is the ____________ of data which transforms data into information.
Most computer processing takes place in a component called the ___.
Public domain software is not ___________ and can be copied without fear of prosecution.
LISP is a programming language used primarily for creating __________ _____________ programs.

39. Packet
A ______ is a small unit of data transmitted over a network.
Productivity software is designed to help people work more ___________.
Input - output - and storage equipment that can be added to a computer to enhance its functionality are called __________ devices.
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.

40. Web page
Meeting ___________ software is an example of groupware.
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 ________.
Dreamweaver - Macromedia Flash and MS FrontPage are all examples of ___ _____ design software.
The CPU consists of the control unit - the arithmetic/logic unit (ALU) and the _________ (high speed storage areas).

41. Partition
Spoofing makes it appear that a message came from someone other than the sender. This is a tactic often used by _________.
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.
A disk _________ is a section of a hard drive that is treated as a separate storage unit.
Forging an email ______'s name is called spoofing.

42. Guide
Private networks that are connected to remote sites via the internet are called ____.
A desktop ______ appears on the computer desktop and is a specialized utility that looks like a control and displays information.
For every software _____________ - the CPU control unit carries out four basic operations known as the machine cycle.
A wizard is an interactive computer utility that asks a user questions to _____ the user through a task.

43. Illegally
Software obtained _________ is said to be pirated.
RSI (Repetitive _______ Injury) affects tendons - muscles and nerves in the hands - wrists - arms and shoulders.
While the computer is running - it remains in main ______ and manages nonresident programs.
Current versions of Windows support ____ ______ up to 255 characters long.

44. Kilo

45. Phased
With a ______ implementation - parts of the new system are implemented separately.
In Windows - to see a list of active _________ - you must open the task manager.
Embedded computers are also called microcontrollers and are small - specialized microprocessors installed in ____ and smart appliances.
A service pack is a collection of Microsoft files for ________ improvements - bug fixes - and software updates.

46. Structured
To convert seconds to milliseconds - _________ by 1000 (i.e. 5 seconds is equal to 5 -000 milliseconds).
A __________ file uses a uniform format to store data for each person or thing in the file.
A unit of measure equaling one ______ digit is a bit.
The computer's main ______ typically consists of high speed RAM which stores instructions and data.

47. 64
A computer with a __ bit word size will transfer data within the microprocessor at 8 bytes at a time.
Most computer manufacturers use components (hard drives - processors - memory - etc.) supplied by other __________; this is called outsourcing.
A ___________ allows users to enter data in rows and columns to create financial schedules and tables arranged as a grid on a display.
The more _____ in a word - the faster the computer.

48. Services

49. Instruction
For every software _____________ - the CPU control unit carries out four basic operations known as the machine cycle.
Examples of information managed by ____ software include addresses - phone numbers - appointments - and to-do lists.
Site licenses allow software to be used on all computers at a specific ________.
______ generation languages are typically used for database applications.

50. Source
The information on a ROM chip _____ be altered by the user.
The public key encryption software used to encrypt documents such as _____ is called PGP.
___________ and security are MS Windows' two major weaknesses.
A compiler converts ______ code (the original code written by the programmer) into object code (an executable file).