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. Pretty Good
_______ errors can be found with a debugger.
A ___ is a commonly used component that connects devices on the LAN.
Graphics software is designed to help users manipulate and ______ graphics.
PGP (_______ ______ Privacy) encryption software is available for free download on the web.

2. Input
A ______ is a small unit of data transmitted over a network.
HTML is a set of special instructions used to create ____ _____.
The Windows registry is a database that maintains a record of installed ________ and peripheral devices - preferences - and settings.
_____ data can be text - images - numbers - or sounds.

3. Server
Private _________ that connect internal personnel and selected vendors are called extranets.
In a peer to peer network - workstations share responsibility for processing - storage - printing - and communications tasks without a ______.
When a computer performs several tasks simultaneously - this is called ________ processing.
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).

4. Fields
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.
Examples of DTP software include MS __________ and PageMaker.
The columns are called _______.
This act established financial reporting regulations to prevent corporate ______.

5. Permission

6. Business
Personal Information Management software helps users organize and manage daily ________ activities.
System ______________ involves converting files - software and hardware to the new system.
A ____ network has no endpoints and all computers are connected in a continuous loop.
Virtual reality is used in arcade games and in training simulators (example: _______ simulators).

7. Kilo

8. Location
SSL and TLS are protocols used to ________ transmit credit card data over the Internet.
DHCP stands for Dynamic Host _______________ Protocol.
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 ________.
Site licenses allow software to be used on all computers at a specific ________.

9. Settings
Utility programs are designed to help monitor and configure ________ for the computer - the operating system - or applications.
_______________ are politically motivated hackers who attack computer systems intending to cause large scale physical or financial harm.
Relocating business _________ to lower cost locations in foreign countries is called offshoring.
Multimedia technology presents information in a format which includes ____ - graphics - video and sound.

10. Change
In programming - a variable represents a value that can ______.
In programming - an event is defined as an ______.
Telephone lines have traditionally been _______.
In Windows - to see a list of active _________ - you must open the task manager.

11. TIFF
A spreadsheet _____ is any number used in a calculation.
A ________ - mouse - microphone - scanner - and camera are all examples of computer input devices.
Note that the URL starts by indicating what _________ should be used to access the page (HTTP).
____ is a graphics file format used on both PCs and Macs for high quality printable files.

12. Resources
System software helps the computer manage internal and external _________ and enables the computer to run applications.
ROM chips contain data that is nonvolatile - meaning that this data is not lost when the computer is turned ____.
Microsoft Windows is the world's best selling ________ __________.
Input - output - and storage equipment that can be added to a computer to enhance its functionality are called __________ devices.

13. SQL
Spoofing makes it appear that a message came from someone other than the sender. This is a tactic often used by _________.
____ and RPG-I are examples of fourth generation languages.
A spreadsheet _____ is any number used in a calculation.
An organization's internal _______ network is called an intranet.

14. Peripheral
This act established financial reporting regulations to prevent corporate ______.
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.
A program or instruction book that helps users learn how to use a product by taking the user through a series of _____ is called a tutorial.
Messages are encrypted using a cryptographic _________ and a key.

15. Network
Groupware is software that allows several people to collaborate on projects over a _______.
A desktop ______ appears on the computer desktop and is a specialized utility that looks like a control and displays information.
Rule-based detection software is used by merchants for online transactions to detect and prevent _____ by establishing criteria each transaction must meet.
Each connection _____ on a network is called a node.

16. Work
Read-Only Memory chips contain fixed computer start up instructions - are loaded at the factory - and are ___________.
A computer resource is any component required to perform ____.
A _____ is a single keystroke or command used to automatically issue a longer - predefined series of keystrokes or commands.
HTML (__________ Markup Language) tags are used to structure and format web pages and links to other documents.

17. Solved
___________ programming rules are called syntax.
A programming problem statement defines the scope of the problem - spells out the known information - and specifies when the problem has been ______.
Primary storage - also known as RAM or _______ - is temporary data held in computer circuitry.
Linux is a non-___________ version of UNIX and is maintained by thousands of volunteer programmers around the world.

18. Component
_________ authentication devices verify a person's identity using the person's physical characteristics.
Unlike a hub - a ______ sends packets only to the computer that is the intended recipient.
In programming - a _________ is a prewritten module designed for a specific task.
Examples of personal finance manager software include ________ and Microsoft Money.

19. Raw
An example of parallel processing is when several ___________ work together sharing memory on the same task.
A message which has been encrypted is called __________.
Data consists of ___ facts and figures that is processed to produce information.
A megabyte is a unit of measurement roughly equaling one _______ bytes.

20. Former
One survey indicated that 75 to 80% of computer crimes are committed by current or _______ employees.
First generation computers used _______ _____ to store individual bits of data.
With a parallel implementation - the old and new systems are operated side by side until the new system is proven to be ________.
Second generation computers used ___________ instead of vacuum tubes.

21. Hardware
___ allows a block of program code to be reused in other programs.
Linux is an ____ _______ operating system that can be modified and freely distributed.
A firewall can be _________ or software-based or a combination of the two.
A file extension is an optional file identifier that is separated from the main file name by a ______.

22. Commands
Note that the URL starts by indicating what _________ should be used to access the page (HTTP).
Applications no longer had to include code to control low level hardware operations but instead called on operating system routines through simple standardized _________.
Access (included with Microsoft _______) is an example of a popular Windows-based relational database application.
This act established financial reporting regulations to prevent corporate ______.

23. Debugging
A disk _________ is a section of a hard drive that is treated as a separate storage unit.
Alpha testing involves desk checking and _________.
A database index can be used to _________ data in alphabetical or numerical order.
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.

24. Multimedia
Web page design software allows users to create sophisticated web pages with ___________ features.
CIO stands for _______ ____________ Officer.
A file server is a centralized computer that acts like a __________ - storing programs and data shared by users on the LAN.
Commands written for a specific CPU or microprocessor are ____ _____ languages.

25. Java
The 1s and 0s used to represent digital data are known as _______ digits.
Examples of OOP languages include C++ and _____.
Critics of certification exams maintain that a multiple choice test can't accurately measure a person's ability to deal with _____ ______ software and equipment.
If an operating system attaches a special significance to a symbol - you won't be able to use it in a ________.

26. Services

27. Benchmarks
CSMA/CD manages collisions on the network by deleting colliding signals and __________ the network.
Tests run by laboratories to compare the overall speed of microprocessors are called __________.
Site licenses allow software to be used on all computers at a specific ________.
Primary storage - also known as RAM or _______ - is temporary data held in computer circuitry.

28. Communications
TCP/IP is an example of a network ________________ protocol.
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.
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).
With virtual memory - free _____ ____ space is used to extend the capacity of RAM.

29. Chief Information
Handheld computers and ____s are examples of embedded systems because the operating system resides on a single chip.
A keyword has a predefined meaning for the ________ which translates each line of programming code into the machine language that the computer can understand.
Spelling and grammar checkers flag unrecognized words - misspelled words - and incorrect grammar with different color ________ lines.
CIO stands for _______ ____________ Officer.

30. Glass
Forging an email ______'s name is called spoofing.
Like hubs - switches have multiple ______.
___ allows a block of program code to be reused in other programs.
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.

31. CPU
When plugged into a USB port - flash memory drives show up as an external drive and are a convenient way to transport and transfer _____.
Computer resources include the ____ - RAM - storage space - and peripherals.
A collection of fields make up a _______.
Public key encryption is used to transmit credit card data in secure e-commerce transactions and it is also used for secure ______.

32. Biometric

33. Project management
______ ____________ software allows scheduling of events - management of costs and allocation of resources associated with a project.
_______ are computer depictions of humans often found in computer games and training software.
Most computer processing takes place in a component called the ___.
Public domain software is not ___________ and can be copied without fear of prosecution.

34. Print
Syntax refers to the _______ in which computer programming commands must be entered.
Graphics software is designed to help users manipulate and ______ graphics.
An IP address is a series of numbers used to identify a network ______.
Common expansion cards include ________ cards - graphic cards - and memory cards.

35. Clients
_________ systems were first used in second generation computers.
The ___ allows a user to operate the computer by using a mouse or keystrokes to select icons and commands from menus.
Individual computers (PCs - workstations) are called ________ and the centralized computer is called a server.
Desktop publishing software has reduced the time needed to create professional looking _______ projects.

36. GUI
The desktop is a feature of the ____ (graphic user interface) and is found in OS software like MAC OS and MS Windows.
An IP address is a series of numbers used to identify a network ______.
For every software _____________ - the CPU control unit carries out four basic operations known as the machine cycle.
The process of converting cyphertext to plaintext is ___________

37. Whistleblowers
A _______ __________ plan is used to restore information technology functions after operations have been interrupted by an event such as a hurricane.
Messages are divided into equal size packets and shipped over the network on a first come first _______ basis.
Micropayments are __________ payments for internet transactions as small as 25 cents.
The Sarbanes-Oxley act requires full disclosure in accounting systems and protects corporate ______________.

38. Bell
______ times for PC storage devices are measured in milliseconds.
UNIX was first developed by _____ Laboratories in 1969.
UNIX is a proprietary multitasking operating system with built-in __________ capabilities that supports multiple users.
System software helps the computer manage internal and external _________ and enables the computer to run applications.

39. Tables
Forging an email ______'s name is called spoofing.
The most common type of database used on PCs is the relational database in which data is organized into related ______.
The cursor is often a blinking rectangle and its location is called the __________ point.
An _________ slot is a slot on the motherboard where the user can plug in an expansion card.

40. Filename

41. Algorithm
Companies do this to keep _______ low.
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 ____.
Messages are encrypted using a cryptographic _________ and a key.
Analytical graphics are graphical forms that make _______ data easier to analyze.

42. Execution
Bandwidth is an expression of how much data can be sent through a communications channel in a given amount of ____.
The compiled program is saved as object code for later __________.
A _________ ________ card (NIC) is used by a computer to transmit and receive data over a network.
_____ ___ is a collection of photos and drawings designed to be inserted in documents.

43. Charles Babbage
_______ ________ was the first to define concepts that were to be later used in modern computers.
This data is _____ when the computer is turned off.
Examples of an event include a key press or a mouse ______.
_______ is a version of UNIX popular for large websites and e-commerce servers.

44. Reliability

45. Machine
A _____ takes digital signals from a computer and converts them to analog signals to transmit over a telephone line.
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 section of code that repeats is called a _____ or an iteration.
The instruction cycle is also often referred to as the ________ cycle.

46. Processors
FTP is a protocol used to copy _____ from one computer to another over the Internet.
An example of parallel processing is when several ___________ work together sharing memory on the same task.
______ data can be represented as a wave.
On the job choices that reflect a person's values are called ____________ ethics.

47. Internet
Unlike a hub - a ______ sends packets only to the computer that is the intended recipient.
_______ are small text files left on your hard drive by websites you visit.
The more _____ in a word - the faster the computer.
Cyberspace is the world of communications in general; it includes wired and wireless communications - as well as the _________.

48. NAP
The location on a spreadsheet where a row and a column intersect is called a ____.
ISPs are connected to the internet backbone via a ___.
A _____ takes digital signals from a computer and converts them to analog signals to transmit over a telephone line.
The most common type of database used on PCs is the relational database in which data is organized into related ______.

49. Administrators
______ data can be represented as a wave.
In recent years - antivirus software has been one of the most popular categories of _______ software.
__________ is widely supported by web browsers and adds interactive functions to HTML pages.
Database ______________ create - maintain - and supervise the day to day operation of databases.

50. Remarks
The first microprocessor was developed in _____.
_______ are notes included in the program code by the programmer.
CSMA/CD is the Ethernet protocol that handles __________.
The internet is an example of a WAN (______ ____ Network).