Testout Comptia A+
94 questions across 0 topics. Use the find bar or section chips to jump to what you need.
You need to replace a broken monitor on a desktop system. You decide to replace it with a spare monitor that wasn't being used. Even though the monitor is made by a different manufacturer than the desktop computer, it still works with the computer. Which computer design concept makes this possible?
Standardization
You are looking at a female TRS connector on the computer. Which device uses this connector?
Speaker
You are connecting an older dot matrix printer to a computer. The printer's cable is a D-shaped connector with 25 pins. Which port type does the printer connect to?
Parallel port
You are providing telephone support for a user who is trying to connect a computer to a projector. You know that the projector only has a VGA port. How would you describe the connector that the user should look for?
D-shaped with 15 pins
Which of the following BEST describes a key feature of the DisplayPort interface used for connecting video monitors to computers?
DisplayPort can send both video and audio signals over the same cable.
You are helping a customer over the phone. The customer needs to connect a monitor that uses a digital interface. Which port should you instruct her to look for on the back of her PC?
DVI
The CEO of your small company has asked you to connect his laptop computer to the small conference room LED TV. The CEO will be showing a new promotional video that demonstrates the new company strategy through images and sound. Which of the following cable types would work BEST for connecting his laptop to the display?
HDMI
Which connector on the back of a computer is used to attach a mouse to a modern PC system?
USB
How many pins are on a VGA connector?
15
Which of the following is the term used for a set of programs that acts as an interface between the applications that are running on a computer and the computer's hardware?
Operating System
Ability to use multiple processing devices.
multiprocessing
Ability to run multiple applications simultaneously.
Multitasking
Ability to run multiple parts of an application simultaneously.
Multithreading
Part of the operating system core is responsible for controlling security, managing the file system, and providing a platform for applications to run on. What is this feature's name?
The Kernel
Windows includes a set of features that improves its visual appearance. These features include, but are not limited to: Glass effects Window animations Flip 3D Snap Shake What is this set of features called?
Windows Aero
Which Windows tool do you use to browse the file system on a drive?
File Explorer
Which of the following items are likely to be displayed in the notification area of a computer running the Windows operating system? (Select two.) The current time. Icons representing all currently open applications. Shortcuts to open recently used documents. A volume control. Shortcuts to launch recently used applications. Icons representing all currently open documents.
A volume control and the current time
Which component of Windows prompts the user for credentials or permissions to minimize the dangers of unintended software installations?
User Account Control (UAC)
Which operating system(s) include the following features? Cortana Cloud storage Continuum Microsoft Store Microsoft Edge
Windows 10
What would you enter at the command prompt to start a new Bourne-again shell (bash) session?
bash
What would you enter at the command prompt on a Linux system to display the IP addresses and the subnet masks assigned to each network interface on a Linux system?
ifconfig
What would you enter at the command prompt on a Linux system to display a list of files and subdirectories that exist within the present working directory?
ls
You want to know more about the usage, command syntax, and options available with the Linux ifconfig command. What would you enter at the command prompt to display this information about ifconfig?
man ifconfig
A technician wants to move a file called widget.txt from the current directory to /home/fred. Which of the following commands would the technician use?
mv widget.txt /home/fred
What would you enter at the command prompt on a Linux system to display the present working directory?
pwd
A technician would like to completely shut down and power down the system 10 minutes after notifying all users. Which of the following commands should the technician use?
shutdown -h +10 message
You are logged in as a user with limited system privileges. You are the Linux system administrator, and you have the password to the root user account. When you need to switch to root user to perform administrative tasks, what command should you enter at the command prompt?
su -
A technician is tasked with installing the Windows OS on a Mac OS computer so that the computer can boot to either the Mac OS or the Windows OS. Which Mac OS feature should the technician use to complete this task?
Boot camp
Which of the following Mac features is used to launch apps, switch between running apps, access the Trash, and access specific folders?
The dock
When assisting users, a technician often uses the Mac OS Force Quit functions and the Linux kill command. Which of the following situations would require their use?
A runaway application does not respond to user input.
You're working on a Mac computer that has an issue with a non-responsive application. You need to stop the application using the Force Quit feature. Which of the following keyboard shortcuts can be used to access the Force Quit feature?
Command+Option+Esc
Mac allows you to scroll by sliding two fingers up or down on a touchscreen.What is the name of the Mac feature that lets you perform functions using finger motions?
Gestures
The primary modifier key on Apple systems, used like the Ctrl key on a Windows system.
command
Typically only found on Apple notebooks and is used to access the F1-F12 keys on the keyboard.
Fn
Primarily used for text document navigation on macs
control
Used for application and navigation shortcuts on mac keyboards
Alt/Option
Mission Control is a desktop and windows management utility that is used to access several Mac OS features. Which of the following are Mac features accessed through Mission Control? (Select three.) All Windows Secure Notes Multiple Desktops System Preferences Spotlight Dashboard Boot Camp
All Windows, Multiple desktops, Dashboard
A Mac OS user has forgotten the location of an important spreadsheet document. Which Mac OS feature could be used to find the spreadsheet?
Spotlight
Timothy works in the graphic arts departments and has received approval to upgrade his video card. The card has arrived, and you are ready to begin the upgrade. To ensure your personal safety, which of the following should you do FIRST?
Disconnect power
Your U.S.-based company has recently purchased an old office building where employees are being assigned to work. As you are setting up the employees' desktop computers, you come to one location where the nearest wall outlet has only two prongs. All of the metal-enclosed desktop computers have three-prong cords. Which of the following is the BEST way to proceed with that particular desktop computer?
Find a different outlet that uses three prongs
Of the following choices, which action could be most physically harmful to you? Looking into the end of a fiber optic cable. Using a computer without a surge protector. Wearing a grounding strap while installing a modem. Force-ejecting a stuck DVD disc using a straightened paper clip.
Looking into the end of a fiber optic cable
To improve the safety of your location and to comply with regulations regarding work environments with hazardous materials, you have been assigned to assemble Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for all chemicals used in your shop. How should you obtain these documents?
Download them from the manufacturer's website
What is the purpose of an MSDS?
To document how to safely handle and dispose of hazardous materials.
The fan in a 450-Watt power supply is malfunctioning. What action should you take?
Replace the power supply unit
What is your top priority when responding to emergencies and hazardous situations?
The safety of everyone in the area
Which of the following are safe methods of lifting heavy objects? (Select TWO.) Pull up with your arms. Lift with your legs. Bend your knees with your back straight. Use a lifting strap around the object and your neck. Bend at the waist.
Lift with your legs Bend your knees with your back straight
A technician works in a factory where there is a significant amount of EMI (electromagnetic interference) emissions. Due to this EMI, several of the computers that control the factory's manufacturing machines are unable to communicate with the network. Which of the following network cabling options would be the BEST for reestablishing network communications?
Fiber optic cable (immune to EMI)
Which of the following will help reduce the threat of static discharge when working on computer hardware? (Select TWO.) Remain in physical contact with the server chassis at all times. Place your hardware on an insulating layer of 1/4 inch Styrofoam. Store unused components in static shielding bags. Leave the system plugged into a grounded wall outlet. Reduce the humidity in the room to around 30%. Touch the leads on the PC components with your finger to dissipate any static charge.
Remain in physical contact with the server chassis at all times. Store unused components in static shielding bags.
You work for a store that sells and repairs computers. Due to the room's layout, while repairing computers, you must walk from one side of the carpeted room to the other frequently. Which of the following would BEST protect you from static electricity buildup?
ESD wrist strap
To prevent ESD when replacing internal computer components, you attach an anti-static wrist strap to your wrist. Where should the other end be fastened? (Select TWO.) Ground wire on the wall power outlet Ground wire on the power supply Screw on the wall power outlet Metal area on the computer case Anti-static mat
Metal area on the computer case Anti-static mat
You work for a large company that has over 1000 computers. Each of these computes uses a wireless mouse and keyboard. Therefore, your company goes through a lot of alkaline batteries. When these batteries can no longer power the intended device, you must decide what to do with them. Unless otherwise dictated by your local authorities, which of the following would be the EASIEST way to deal with these batteries?
They can be trashed
Your company has a plan in place to upgrade each employee's laptop computer to a newer model every three years. As a result, you often have old laptop batteries. Unless otherwise dictated by your local authorities, which of the following is the BEST way to deal with these types of batteries?
They must be recycled
Which of the following components requires special disposal procedures to comply with environmental guidelines?
Notebook batteries (Ni-cad and NiMH batteries)
Displays a brief summary of how to use the command.
--help
Displays more extensive documentation about the command. Use the Q key to quit and go back to the shell prompt.
info
Changes directories in the file system. For example, to change to the /home directory in the file system, you would enter cd /home at the shell prompt.
cd
Copies files and directories from one location in the file system to another. For example, to copy the widget.odt file to the /home/rtracy directory, you would enter cp widget.odt /home/rtracy at the shell prompt. To copy an entire directory structure, include the -R option, which specifies that the directory contents be recursively copied.
cp
Moves and/or renames files and directories from one location or name to another. For example, to move the widget.odt file in your current working directory to the /home/rtracy directory, you would enter mv widget.odt /home/rtracy at the shell prompt. Before moving it, you could rename it to newwidget.odt by entering mv widget.odt newwidget.odt or, alternatively, you could rename and move it simultaneously by entering mv widget.odt /home/rtracy/newwidget.odt.
mv
Deletes files and directories from the file system. For example, to delete the widget.odt file, you would enter rm widget.odt at the shell prompt.
rm
Displays the contents of a text file on the screen. For example, to view the contents of the widget.txt file, you would enter cat widget.txt at the shell prompt.
cat
Displays the contents of a text file on the screen, pausing the output one screen at a time. For example, to view the contents of the widget.txt file one page at a time, you would enter less widget.txt at the shell prompt.
less
Displays the first few lines of a text file on the screen. For example, to view the first lines of the widget.txt file, you would enter head widget.txt at the shell prompt.
head
Displays the last few lines of a text file on the screen. For example, to view the last lines of the widget.txt file, you would enter tail widget.txt at the shell prompt. The -f option can be used with tail to monitor a file for changes. If new content is added to the end of the file (such as a log file), the new lines will be displayed on the screen.
tail
Edits the contents of a text file. The vi uses four different operating modes: Command mode Command-line mode Insert mode Replace mode For example, to edit the contents of the widget.txt file, you would enter vi widget.txt at the shell prompt. You would then press the i key to enter Insert mode and make the necessary changes to the file. When done editing the file, you would press the Esc key to enter Command mode. Then you would press the : key to enter command-line mode where you would enter exit or wq (for write and quit) to save your changes and exit the vi editor.
vi
Shuts down or reboots the system in a secure manner. The syntax of the shutdown command is shutdown -h|-r +m message. The options for the shutdown command include: +m specifies when to perform the shutdown operation. m is the amount of time is specified in minutes. -h instructs the system to shut down and power down. -r instructs the system to reboot after the shutdown. -p powers off the machine. message specifies a message that is sent to all users that accompanies the standard shutdown notification.
shutdown
What type of computer, also known as a notebook, has a monitor that folds down to cover the keyboard for transport?
Laptop
What would be an appropriate use for a supercomputer?
Tallying census results or cgi in a film.
The concept that enables one physical computer to run an operating system or application (called a hypervisor) that allows multiple virtual machines to share the underlying physical hardware
Virtualization
Doesn't require an operating system, they are the operating system that is designed to share hardware resources among machines
Hypervisor type 1
Requires an existing operating system since it runs as application software.
Hypervisor type 2
You want to build a computer that can stand upright on a desk and takes up the least amount of space possible. Which case type should you select?
Micro-ATX slim tower
Which of the following motherboard form factors BEST allows for low-consumption power supplies?
Mini-ITX
Which of the following form factors does not have expansion slots on the motherboard, but instead uses a riser card for expansion cards?
NLX
You work as the IT administrator for a small corporate network. One of the company employees needs to add an additional PCI card to the motherboard. When you open the computer, you see that the card purchased will not fit due to the card's height. Which of the following is the BEST method for using the newly purchased card?
Use a riser card to allow the new card to be installed parallel to the motherboard.
A computer's power supply converts mains AC to low-voltage regulated DC power for the internal components of a computer. You are building a new computer. You are deciding which type of power supply to install. Which of the following definitions BEST describes a valid type of power supply?
A dual-rail power supply provides separate rails (PCB traces) used to balance the power load between multiple circuits, which prevents any one circuit from becoming overloaded.
You are building a new computer from both new and used parts. The video card is a PCIe video card that requires an 8-pin power connector. However, your power supply doesn't have an 8-pin PCIe power connector. Which solution would be the least expensive option for your system?
Use an adapter cable to connect two 4-pin Molex connectors to the 8-pin PCIe connector.
Which of the following statements are true regarding power supply wattage? (Select TWO). The watt rating indicates how much power can be supplied to various devices. A system's wattage requirement equals the highest wattage requirement for a single individual circuit. A system's wattage requirement does not depend on the amount of devices in the system. The lower the wattage rating, the more amps a power supply can deliver. The wattage requirement for each individual circuit uses formula W = V x A.
The watt rating indicates how much power can be supplied to various devices. The wattage requirement for each individual circuit uses formula W = V x A.
You are testing the power supply in a PC system by measuring the voltage available on the 4-pin Molex connector. The voltage on the red wire is +5.1 volts. What should you do?
Nothing. The power supply is working normally.
You are testing the power supply in a PC system by measuring the voltage available on the 4-pin Molex connector. The voltage on the yellow wire is +10.1 volts. What should you do?
Replace the power supply. The yellow wire on a Molex connector should provide +12 volts DC. The fact that this power supply is only supplying 10.1 volts DC indicates that it is failing and should be replaced.
You are trying to troubleshoot a desktop power supply issue using a voltmeter. Which of the following options are the MOST common voltages produced by the power supply? (Select TWO). +/- 110 v +/- 120 v +/- 10 v +/- 12 v +/- 5 v
+/- 12 v +/- 5 v
When you try to boot your computer, it hangs after POST. When you access the UEFI setup program, you see that the date is several years behind, and the time is set to 12:01 a.m. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this behavior?
The motherboard battery has failed.
You have a computer with a dual-core 64-bit processor that uses the x86-x64 instruction set. You want to install the 32-bit application on the computer. Which of the following BEST describes the action you should perform? During installation, install the 32-bit compatibility drivers. Replace the processor with a 32-bit processor. Edit the BIOS and configure the processor to run in 32-bit mode. Install the application normally.
Install the application normally
When using Intel chips, which of the following features BEST allows a single processor to run two threads in parallel instead of processing single threads linearly?
Hyper-threading
Which of the following refers to placing two processors on a single processor chip or die?
Multi-core
Which of the following is a characteristic of a multi-processor system?
Multiple processor sockets on the motherboard
Brian is a new employee on the development team. As part of his job, he runs three virtual machines (VMs) on his computer. Each VM runs a different Windows license. After a while, Brian notices that his VMs are not running as fast as he thought. He has asked you to explore the issue. Which of the following BEST describes why Brian's VMs are running slowly?
Brian's computer has a single-core CPU configured to use hyper-threading.
Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of a CPU socket?
A CPU socket is a single connector between a microprocessor and the motherboard.
You are in the process of purchasing several new computers to replace broken or outdated computers. After much research, you have determined to purchase computers that use AMD sockets. Which of the following BEST describes an AMD and why you would select this option? (Select TWO). Typically, an AMD has a larger market share. Typically, AMD chips are less expensive. Typically, an AMD uses numbers to represent the number of pins on the socket. Typically, an AMD uses a Pin Grid Array (PGA) socket type. Typically, an AMD uses a land grid array (LGA) socket type.
Typically, an AMD uses a Pin Grid Array (PGA) socket type. Typically, AMD chips are less expensive.
You have been using the same computer for several years. To extend its service life, you decide to upgrade the processor. You check the motherboard documentation and purchase the fastest processor supported by the motherboard. However, when you start the computer, it beeps regularly, nothing is displayed on the screen, and it doesn't start. While troubleshooting this computer, which of the following would be BEST to try first?
Update the UEFI firmware.
You have been using the same computer for several years. To improve performance, you decide to upgrade the processor. You check the motherboard documentation and purchase the fastest processor supported by the motherboard. However, when you try to start the computer, it beeps regularly, and nothing is displayed on the screen. Which of the following actions would MOST likely rectify this issue? (Select TWO). Flash the UEFI firmware. Press F8 while booting the computer. Return the CPU for a new one. Reinstall the old processor in the motherboard. Verify that the CPU fan is connected to the motherboard.
Flash the UEFI firmware Reinstall the old processor in the motherboard
Your motherboard has two memory slots and supports a maximum of 8 GB of RAM. You are using a 32-bit version of Windows. After installing two 4 GB modules and booting your system, you find that Windows only recognizes 3.5 GB of RAM. Which of the following would MOST likely fix this issue?
Upgrade to a 64-bit version of Windows.
You would like to upgrade the processor in your system to a 64-bit processor. Which of the components will you most likely need to upgrade as well to take full advantage of the new processor?
Operating system
You are a high school student learning about computers and how to build them. As a class project, you have built a new computer. You power on your computer and begin to configure the system. After a short while, you notice smoke coming from the PC, and shortly after that, the computer stops working. After removing the computer case, you see that the CPU and surrounding areas are burnt and very hot. You realize that the costly mistake you made was not using a heat sink. When rebuilding your computer, which of the following cooling systems would MOST efficiently remove heat from the CPU? Passive heat sink Heat sink, thermal paste, and fan Active heat sink, thermal paste, liquid pipes, and fan Passive heat sink, thermal paste, liquid pipes, and fan Passive heat sink with thermal paste
Active heat sink, thermal paste, liquid pipes, and fan
You work at a computer repair store. You just upgraded the processor (CPU) in a customer's computer. The computer starts, but it shuts down shortly after starting Windows. Which of the following is MOST likely causing the computer to automatically shut down? The computer has a virus. The fan has no power. The CPU is not supported by the BIOS. The CPU is bad.
The fan has no power.
Looking for a different version?
CBTs get updated every year. Search for the exact version you're taking (e.g. "cyber awareness 2025").
Search all study materials