FC0-U71 Tech Concepts and Terminology — 50 Questions

Question 1

A network technician needs to perform a bitwise AND operation on two binary numbers: 10110110 and 11001101. What is the result in decimal?

Accepted Answer

132. Bitwise AND compares each bit position: 1 AND 1 = 1, otherwise 0. Computing 10110110 AND 11001101 yields 10000100 in binary, which equals 128 + 4 = 132 in decimal.

Answer

172

Answer

196

Answer

128

Question 2

A file is compressed using a lossless algorithm. Which of the following file types is most likely the result?

Accepted Answer

PNG. PNG uses lossless compression (DEFLATE) and preserves every pixel exactly, making it the correct answer for a file produced by a lossless algorithm. It is widely used for images where fidelity matters, such as screenshots, logos, and line art.

Answer

MP3

Answer

JPEG

Answer

ZIP

Question 3

Which of the following best describes the function of an operating system?

Accepted Answer

It manages hardware resources and provides services for application software.. An operating system is the software layer that manages hardware resources—CPU, memory, storage, and peripherals—and provides services and APIs that application software relies on. It handles process scheduling, memory allocation, file systems, and device drivers. This definition distinguishes it from applications that run on top of it.

Answer

It connects to the internet and browses web pages.

Answer

It converts high-level code into machine code.

Answer

It performs calculations for scientific simulations.

Question 4

A system administrator is configuring a server to provide email services for a small business. The business wants to avoid managing the underlying infrastructure. Which cloud service model best fits this need?

Accepted Answer

SaaS. SaaS delivers fully managed applications where the provider handles all underlying infrastructure, patching, and maintenance — the customer simply uses the email service. This matches the requirement to avoid managing infrastructure. Examples include Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Zoho Mail.

Answer

IaaS

Answer

DaaS

Answer

PaaS

Question 5

A network technician is analyzing a hexadecimal IP address representation. Which TWO of the following are common uses of hexadecimal notation? (Select TWO).

Accepted Answer

It is used for memory addresses and MAC addresses.. Option B is correct because hexadecimal notation is commonly used to express memory addresses (e.g., 0x7FFF) and MAC addresses (48-bit values written as 12 hex digits like 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E). Option E is correct because HTML/CSS colour codes are conventionally written in hexadecimal (e.g., #FF0000 for red), where each pair of hex digits represents the red, green, and blue channel values. Option A is a true statement about hexadecimal's character set, but it describes the format rather than a use, so it does not answer the question asking for common uses. Option C is also a true fact about hexadecimal (one hex digit encodes 4 bits), but again it is a property, not a use. Option D is simply false, since hexadecimal is a base-16 system, not base-8 (base-8 is octal).

Answer

It uses digits 0-9 and letters A-F.

Answer

Each hexadecimal digit represents 4 bits.

Answer

It is a base-8 system.

Question 6

A user wants to upgrade a desktop computer for better gaming performance. Which TWO components should the user consider upgrading to improve graphics processing? (Select TWO).

Accepted Answer

Graphics processing unit (GPU). Option B (Graphics processing unit (GPU)) is correct because the GPU is the component that directly renders 3D graphics and performs the parallel floating-point calculations games rely on, so upgrading it yields the largest gain in frame rate and visual quality. Option D (Random access memory (RAM)) is correct because insufficient or slow RAM (e.g., moving from 8 GB DDR4-2400 to 16 GB DDR4-3200) can bottleneck game loading, texture streaming, and overall system responsiveness, so more/faster RAM supports better gaming performance. Option A (CPU) is not marked correct because while the CPU handles game logic and physics, the question specifically targets graphics processing, which is GPU-bound. Option C (PSU) is not marked correct because it only supplies power and does not process graphics, though a higher-wattage unit may be needed to support a new GPU. Option E (HDD) is not marked correct because storage affects load times and asset streaming, not graphics processing itself.

Answer

Central processing unit (CPU)

Answer

Power supply unit (PSU)

Answer

Hard disk drive (HDD)

Question 7

A user is experiencing slow performance and wants to upgrade their computer's RAM. Which TWO factors should they consider when purchasing new RAM? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

The RAM type (e.g., DDR4 vs DDR5). Option D is correct because the RAM type (e.g., DDR4 vs DDR5) must match the motherboard's memory standard; DDR4 and DDR5 modules are physically keyed differently and are not interchangeable, so buying the wrong generation means the RAM will not fit or function. Option E is correct because the number of available RAM slots on the motherboard determines how many modules can be installed and whether the user can expand capacity later, which directly affects the upgrade plan. The brand of the CPU (A) is irrelevant to RAM selection since CPU brand alone does not dictate memory compatibility. The color of the RAM (B) is purely cosmetic and has no effect on performance or compatibility. The size of the power supply (C) does not determine RAM compatibility, as RAM draws very little power and is not a limiting factor in PSU selection.

Answer

The brand of the CPU

Answer

The color of the RAM

Answer

The size of the power supply

Question 8

Which of the following best describes the function of an operating system?

Accepted Answer

It manages hardware resources and provides a platform for applications.. The OS manages hardware resources and provides services for application software.

Answer

It converts source code into machine code.

Answer

It performs calculations for scientific simulations.

Answer

It protects the computer from viruses.

Question 9

A support technician is explaining binary operations to a junior technician. Which TWO of the following are valid binary arithmetic operations? (Select TWO.)

Accepted Answer

AND. AND and XOR are standard binary operations; NOT is unary; OR is included but only TWO must be selected. The correct ones are AND and XOR.

Answer

NOT

Answer

SUBTRACT

Answer

DIVIDE

Question 10

A company is choosing between HDD and SSD storage for new laptops. Which THREE of the following are advantages of SSDs over traditional HDDs? (Select THREE.)

Accepted Answer

Lower power consumption. Option C (Lower power consumption) is correct because SSDs have no spinning platters or moving actuator arms, so they draw significantly less power than HDDs, which extends laptop battery life. Option D (Faster read/write speeds) is correct because SSDs use NAND flash memory with no mechanical seek or rotational latency, delivering much higher IOPS and throughput than magnetic HDDs. Option E (Greater resistance to physical shock) is correct because SSDs contain no moving parts, making them far less susceptible to damage from drops, vibration, or impact than HDDs with spinning platters and read/write heads. Option A (Louder operation) is incorrect because SSDs are silent while HDDs produce audible noise from spinning platters and actuator movement. Option B (Higher capacity per dollar) is incorrect because HDDs still offer more storage capacity per dollar than SSDs, making SSDs more expensive per gigabyte.

Answer

Louder operation

Answer

Higher capacity per dollar

Question 11

A systems administrator is configuring a new server and needs to ensure high availability and reliability. Which THREE of the following are characteristics of cloud computing that support high availability? (Select THREE.)

Accepted Answer

Resource pooling. Resource pooling (B) is correct because it lets the provider aggregate compute, storage, and network resources across many customers and dynamically allocate them, so workloads can be redistributed or failed over to healthy capacity, supporting high availability. On-demand self-service (C) is correct because it allows the administrator to provision additional instances or resources automatically without human intervention from the provider, enabling rapid scaling and recovery when demand spikes or a component fails. Broad network access (D) is correct because resources are reachable over standard network protocols from anywhere, allowing redundant, geographically distributed access paths and failover rather than dependence on a single local connection. Fixed capacity (A) is incorrect because static, pre-provisioned capacity cannot absorb failures or demand surges and is the opposite of the elasticity that supports availability. Local installation required (E) is incorrect because cloud services are delivered remotely over the network, and requiring local installation would undermine the redundancy and remote accessibility that cloud computing provides.

Answer

Fixed capacity

Answer

Local installation required

Question 12

A graphic designer needs to save an image with high quality and no data loss. Which THREE file formats should the designer consider for lossless compression? (Select THREE.)

Accepted Answer

TIFF. TIFF (A) is correct because it is a raster image format that supports lossless compression schemes such as LZW and ZIP, preserving every pixel of the original image for high-quality editing and archiving. ZIP (B) is correct because it is a lossless compression format/algorithm that reduces file size without discarding any data, and it is commonly used to compress image files without quality loss. PNG (C) is correct because it is a raster image format designed for lossless compression, using DEFLATE to preserve exact pixel data while supporting transparency. MP3 (D) is not correct because it is a lossy audio codec, not an image format, and it discards audio data to reduce file size. JPEG (E) is not correct because it is a lossy image format that permanently discards visual data during compression, so it cannot meet the no-data-loss requirement.

Answer

MP3

Answer

JPEG

Question 13

A company is moving its email system to a cloud provider. The provider offers the software, platform, and infrastructure. Which TWO cloud service models are being used? (Select TWO.)

Accepted Answer

PaaS (Platform as a Service). The scenario states the provider offers the software, platform, and infrastructure, which maps directly to the three cloud service models. Option B, PaaS (Platform as a Service), is correct because the provider supplies the platform (runtime, middleware, and development environment) on which the email application runs. Option E, IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), is correct because the provider also delivers the underlying infrastructure such as virtual machines, storage, and networking. Option A, SaaS, is not marked correct here even though the provider offers software, because the question asks specifically for the platform and infrastructure service models being used. Options C (Public cloud) and D (Hybrid cloud) are deployment models, not service models, so they do not answer the question.

Answer

SaaS (Software as a Service)

Answer

Public cloud

Answer

Hybrid cloud

Question 14

A user at a small office complains that their laptop has become very slow when opening large video files from an external drive, even though the drive shows plenty of free space. A technician suspects the drive's connection is the bottleneck. Which of the following connection types would provide the fastest sustained data transfer for this external drive?

Accepted Answer

USB 3.2 Gen 2. The user's problem is throughput, so the fastest interface matters. USB 3.2 Gen 2 delivers 10 Gbps signaling and practical sustained speeds near or above 900 MB/s, far exceeding USB 2.0, eSATA, and FireWire 400. Choosing it ensures the drive connection is not the limiting factor when opening large video files.

Answer

FireWire 400

Answer

eSATA

Answer

USB 2.0

Question 15

A technician is explaining to a junior colleague how a CPU executes instructions. The colleague asks what happens during the fetch phase of the machine cycle. Which of the following best describes the fetch phase?

Accepted Answer

The CPU retrieves an instruction from memory and places it into the instruction register.. The fetch phase is the first step of the machine cycle, where the CPU reads the next instruction from memory into the instruction register. Decode, execute, and store follow. The other options describe execute, store, and decode phases, respectively, so only the option about retrieving an instruction fits the scenario.

Answer

The CPU decodes the instruction to determine which operation to perform.

Answer

The CPU performs arithmetic or logical operations on data held in registers.

Answer

The CPU writes the result of an operation back to main memory or a register.

Question 16

Which of the following is the binary representation of the decimal number 5?

Accepted Answer

0101. The decimal number 5 in binary is 0101, because 4 (2^2) + 1 (2^0) = 5. Reading the bits left to right as 8-4-2-1 place values: 0*8 + 1*4 + 0*2 + 1*1 = 5. This is the correct 4-bit binary representation of decimal 5.

Answer

0100

Answer

0011

Answer

0110

Question 17

A technician needs to identify a network interface on a device. Which notational system is most commonly associated with MAC addresses?

Accepted Answer

Hexadecimal. MAC addresses are 48-bit identifiers typically written as six groups of two hexadecimal digits separated by colons or hyphens (e.g., 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E). Hexadecimal is the notational system most commonly associated with MAC addresses because each byte maps cleanly to two hex digits, making the address compact and readable. This is why network tools, ipconfig/ifconfig output, and switch ARP tables all display MAC addresses in hex.

Answer

Binary

Answer

Octal

Answer

Decimal

Question 18

A digital image is stored in a file that retains all original data without any loss. Later, the file is compressed using a technique that discards some data to reduce file size, but the image quality is lower. Which type of compression was applied?

Accepted Answer

Lossy compression. Lossy compression permanently discards some data to achieve smaller file sizes, and the resulting image quality is reduced — which matches the scenario where the file was originally lossless but then compressed with quality loss. The question explicitly states that data is discarded and quality is lower, which is the defining characteristic of lossy compression.

Answer

Archive compression

Answer

Lossless compression

Answer

File compression

Question 19

A user notices that their computer runs slowly when multiple applications are open simultaneously. Which hardware component is most likely insufficient for the current workload?

Accepted Answer

RAM. When multiple applications run simultaneously, each active process and its working data must reside in memory for the CPU to access it quickly. If RAM is insufficient, the OS resorts to paging/swapping to disk, which is orders of magnitude slower and manifests as system-wide sluggishness under multitasking. Adding more RAM directly addresses this bottleneck by allowing more concurrent processes to stay resident in fast memory.

Answer

GPU

Answer

CPU

Answer

Hard drive

Question 20

An IT professional is explaining to a client the difference between an HDD and an SSD. Which statement best describes a key advantage of an SSD over an HDD?

Accepted Answer

SSDs are more resilient to physical shock because they have no moving parts.. SSDs store data in NAND flash memory with no moving mechanical parts, so they tolerate drops, vibration, and shock far better than HDDs, whose spinning platters and moving read/write heads are vulnerable to physical damage. This durability advantage is a direct consequence of the solid-state design and is a key differentiator in mobile and ruggedized environments.

Answer

SSDs require a constant power supply to retain data.

Answer

SSDs provide larger storage capacities at a lower cost per gigabyte.

Answer

SSDs use laser technology to read and write data.