FC0-U71 Tech Concepts and Terminology Practice Question
A technician needs to identify a network interface on a device. Which notational system is most commonly associated with MAC addresses?
⚠ Common exam trap
FC0-U71 often tests basic notational systems — the trap is overthinking it and choosing binary because MAC addresses are 'hardware' addresses, when the standard human-readable format is hexadecimal.
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
✓
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 analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Hexadecimal
Why this is correct
MAC addresses are 48-bit identifiers written as six colon- or hyphen-separated octets, each expressed in hexadecimal (0–9, A–F). Hexadecimal's base-16 grouping maps cleanly onto 8-bit bytes, so this notation uniquely satisfies the stem's requirement for identifying a network interface's hardware address.
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Binary
Why it's wrong here
Binary underlies all addressing but MAC addresses are conventionally displayed in hexadecimal, not strings of ones and zeros. Binary is tempting because hardware addresses are ultimately binary values, and it is correct when examining bit-level representations, yet it is not the notational system used to identify a network interface.
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Octal
Why it's wrong here
Octal uses base eight and appears in Unix file permissions, not MAC address notation. MAC addresses use hexadecimal, whose base sixteen maps cleanly onto the address's 48 bits. Octal is correct for representing permission bits such as 755, but it does not identify network interfaces.
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Decimal
Why it's wrong here
MAC addresses are written as six hexadecimal octets, such as 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E, so decimal notation does not represent them. Decimal is tempting because IPv4 dotted-decimal addresses use it, and decimal is correct for representing IPv4 addresses or readable numeric values, but not hardware addresses.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
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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.