FC0-U71 Tech Concepts and Terminology Practice Question
A technician is troubleshooting a computer that fails to boot. The technician checks the system's low-level software stored on a chip on the motherboard. Which type of software is being inspected?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is that candidates may think 'low-level software on a chip' refers to a device driver because drivers are also low-level, but drivers are stored on disk and loaded by the OS, whereas firmware is embedded on the motherboard.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Firmware
Firmware is low-level software stored on a chip (such as a ROM, EEPROM, or flash chip) on the motherboard that provides basic control of hardware and initializes the system during boot. The BIOS/UEFI is a prime example of firmware, so inspecting the chip on the motherboard means inspecting firmware. This is distinct from drivers, applications, and the OS, which reside on storage devices.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Firmware
Why this is correct
Firmware is low-level software stored on a motherboard chip, typically a ROM or flash memory device, that initialises hardware and starts the boot process. Inspecting it directly addresses the stem's constraint: software residing on a chip rather than on disk, which is exactly what the technician examines when a computer fails to boot.
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Device driver
Why it's wrong here
Device drivers are installed within the operating system on disk to let it control hardware, not stored in a motherboard chip. The option is tempting because drivers do mediate hardware access and are the right thing to inspect when a specific peripheral fails after the system has already booted.
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Application software
Why it's wrong here
Application software runs on top of the operating system to perform user tasks, and is stored on disk, not on a motherboard chip. It is tempting because applications are the most visible software layer, and reinstalling one is the right fix when a specific program misbehaves rather than the boot process.
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Operating system
Why it's wrong here
The operating system is installed on mass storage and loaded into RAM during boot; the chip-held low-level software is firmware. It is tempting because the OS does govern booting, and repairing it is the correct action when boot files on disk are corrupted rather than the firmware chip.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This FC0-U71 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the FC0-U71 exam.