Tech Concepts and Terminology practice questions

172

Why it fails: 172 is 10101100.

196

Why it fails: 196 is from a different operation.

128

Why it fails: 128 is 10000000, not the AND result.

MP3

Why it fails: MP3 is lossy audio.

JPEG

Why it fails: JPEG uses lossy compression.

ZIP

Why it fails: ZIP is an archive format, not a file type for images.

It connects to the internet and browses web pages.

Why it fails: Browsing the web is an application function, not the operating system's role; the OS manages hardware, memory, processes and files, providing the platform applications run on. It tempts because browsers ship with most systems, but internet access requires a browser and network stack, not the OS itself.

It converts high-level code into machine code.

Why it fails: Compiling high-level source into machine code is the job of a compiler or interpreter, not the operating system kernel. It is tempting because the OS does load and execute compiled binaries, but translation of source code happens before execution, outside the OS's core resource-management role.

It performs calculations for scientific simulations.

Why it fails: Scientific simulation calculations are performed by application software, not by the operating system. It is tempting because the OS schedules the CPU time and allocates memory those simulations consume, but it does not itself compute results; it manages the resources applications use.

IaaS

Why it fails: IaaS provides virtual machines and storage; you still manage the OS and applications.

DaaS

Why it fails: DaaS is Desktop as a Service, not email.

PaaS

Why it fails: PaaS provides a platform for application development, not full email service.

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

Why it fails: While it is true that hexadecimal uses digits 0-9 and letters A-F, this is a general property and not specifically about IP address representation.

Each hexadecimal digit represents 4 bits.

Why it fails: While it is true that each hexadecimal digit represents 4 bits, this is a general property and not specifically about IP address representation.

It is a base-8 system.

Why it fails: Hexadecimal is base-16, not base-8; base-8 is octal, which uses digits 0-7. The option is tempting because octal is also a compact power-of-two notation used in computing, so it can be confused with hexadecimal. However, the question asks about hexadecimal specifically, so describing it as base-8 is factually wrong.

Central processing unit (CPU)

Why it fails: CPU is important for gaming but not specifically for graphics processing; GPU is primary.

Power supply unit (PSU)

Why it fails: PSU provides power but does not directly improve graphics.

Hard disk drive (HDD)

Why it fails: HDD affects load times, not graphics processing.

The brand of the CPU

Why it fails: CPU brand does not directly limit RAM choice.

The color of the RAM

Why it fails: Color is aesthetic, not functional.

The size of the power supply

Why it fails: RAM power is negligible.

It converts source code into machine code.

Why it fails: Compilation is performed by a compiler or interpreter, not by the operating system, which manages hardware, processes, memory and files. It is tempting because toolchains ship with operating systems and the OS schedules the compiler process, but translation of source into machine code is a language-runtime task, not an OS function.

It performs calculations for scientific simulations.

Why it fails: Scientific computation is performed by application software such as MATLAB or simulation packages; the operating system merely supplies CPU scheduling, memory and I/O beneath them. It is tempting because the OS allocates the resources those workloads consume, but performing the calculations themselves is not its function.

It protects the computer from viruses.

Why it fails: Antivirus software does that, not the OS itself.

NOT

Why it fails: NOT is a unary operation, not binary (operates on single input).

SUBTRACT

Why it fails: Subtraction is an arithmetic operation, but not typically considered a 'binary operation' in the context of bitwise logic.

DIVIDE

Why it fails: Division is arithmetic, not a binary logic operation.

Louder operation

Why it fails: SSDs contain no spinning platters or moving actuator arms, so they operate silently; louder operation describes HDDs. It is tempting because both drive types emit some noise, but the mechanical components unique to hard drives are precisely what generate audible sound.

Higher capacity per dollar

Why it fails: SSDs cost substantially more per gigabyte than HDDs, so they deliver lower capacity per dollar, not higher. It is tempting because SSD pricing has fallen and large drives exist, but the metric inverts the actual cost-per-capacity relationship between the two technologies.

Fixed capacity

Why it fails: Cloud is elastic, not fixed; fixed capacity would limit availability.

Local installation required

Why it fails: Cloud services are accessed remotely, not locally installed.

MP3

Why it fails: MP3 uses lossy compression for audio.

JPEG

Why it fails: JPEG uses lossy compression, discarding some data.

SaaS (Software as a Service)

Why it fails: SaaS is the software as a service model, which would involve using the provider's email software. However, the company is moving its own email system, so it is not using the provider's software.

Public cloud

Why it fails: Public cloud is a deployment model, not a service model.

Hybrid cloud

Why it fails: Hybrid cloud is a deployment model, not a service model.

FireWire 400

Why it fails: FireWire 400, or IEEE 1394a, runs at 400 Mbps, which is slower than USB 2.0's signaling rate and far slower than modern USB 3.x. It is a legacy interface rarely found on contemporary laptops and would clearly bottleneck large video file transfers. It is not a realistic or fast choice for this scenario.

eSATA

Why it fails: eSATA offers up to 3 Gbps or 6 Gbps depending on revision, which is respectable, but it lacks the ubiquity and power delivery of modern USB. Many current laptops do not even include an eSATA port, so recommending it here is impractical. It is also generally slower than USB 3.2 Gen 2, so it would not be the fastest option.

USB 2.0

Why it fails: USB 2.0 has a maximum theoretical signaling rate of 480 Mbps, which in practice delivers roughly 35-40 MB/s of sustained throughput. For large video files this is a serious bottleneck, so a drive connected this way would still feel slow even with ample free space. It is an older standard and not the fastest option available for an external drive in this scenario.

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

Why it fails: Decoding the instruction is the decode phase, which follows fetch. During decode, the control unit interprets the instruction. The scenario specifically asks about the fetch phase, so describing decoding is incorrect even though it is part of the overall cycle.

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

Why it fails: Performing arithmetic or logical operations is the execute phase, not the fetch phase. During fetch, the CPU retrieves the instruction from memory; it does not yet act on data. Confusing fetch with execute would misrepresent the order of the machine cycle, which is fetch, decode, execute, and store.

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

Why it fails: Writing results back to memory or a register is the store phase, which occurs after execution. The fetch phase does not write data; it reads an instruction. This option describes a later stage of the machine cycle, so it does not answer the question about fetching.

0100

Why it fails: 0100 equals decimal 4, not 5, because the twos-place bit is set while the ones-place bit is clear. It is tempting as it mirrors the correct pattern for 4, and would be the right answer had the question asked for the binary representation of decimal 4 instead.

0011

Why it fails: 0011 evaluates to 3, since the two set bits represent 2 and 1, so it cannot represent decimal 5. It is tempting because four-bit binary strings look alike, and 0011 is a valid representation of a small integer; it would be correct if the question asked for decimal 3.

0110

Why it fails: Binary 0110 equals decimal 6, not 5, because the place values 4+2 are set. It is tempting as it mirrors the pattern of 0101 with the bits transposed, and 0110 is the correct answer for decimal 6, so it would be right if the stem asked for 6.

Binary

Why it fails: 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.

Octal

Why it fails: 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.

Decimal

Why it fails: 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.

Archive compression

Why it fails: Archive compression is a container format bundling multiple files, not an algorithm that discards image data, so it does not explain the quality loss. It is tempting because archiving shrinks stored data, and would be correct when packaging several files into one distributable unit.

Lossless compression

Why it fails: Lossless compression preserves every original bit, so quality cannot degrade; the stem describes discarded data and reduced quality. It is tempting because it is the technique applied to the image before the second compression, and would be correct if the file had to be restored byte-for-byte.

File compression

Why it fails: File compression is a generic term covering both lossless and lossy methods, so it does not identify the technique that discarded data. It is tempting because any size reduction is loosely called file compression, and would be correct if the question asked only whether compression occurred.

GPU

Why it fails: Slowdowns with multiple applications open stem from CPU scheduling contention, not graphics rendering; the GPU only becomes the bottleneck for 3D workloads such as gaming or video encoding. It is tempting because a weak GPU does cause stutter, but that scenario involves rendering, not concurrent application execution.

CPU

Why it fails: Slowdowns with many applications open typically stem from insufficient RAM, which forces paging to disk; the CPU schedules processes but does not store them. A CPU upgrade addresses sustained high processor utilisation from compute-intensive single tasks, not memory pressure from concurrent applications.

Hard drive

Why it fails: A slow hard drive delays loading and swapping, but the stem describes slowness while multiple applications are already open and running, which points to CPU contention. Storage is tempting because disk-bound systems feel sluggish, yet that manifests during launch or file access, not concurrent execution.

SSDs require a constant power supply to retain data.

Why it fails: Flash memory retains data without power, so this describes volatile DRAM, not SSDs. The statement would be true of system memory, where contents are lost on shutdown, making it irrelevant to the SSD-versus-HDD comparison the client asked about.

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

Why it fails: HDDs still lead on cost per gigabyte at high capacities, so this states an HDD advantage, not an SSD one. The statement would be accurate when specifying bulk archival storage where capacity per pound matters more than access latency.

SSDs use laser technology to read and write data.

Why it fails: SSDs store data in NAND flash cells addressed electrically; lasers read optical media such as CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs. The statement would describe optical drives, not solid-state storage, and so names no SSD advantage over an HDD.