easyMultiple Choice
FC0-U71 Practice Question: Which file extension is typically associated with…
Which file extension is typically associated with a compressed archive?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse file types that contain compressed data (like .docx, which is a ZIP-based format) with actual compressed archives, leading them to incorrectly select .docx instead of .zip.
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
✓
.zip
The .zip file extension is the standard for compressed archives, using algorithms like DEFLATE (RFC 1951) to reduce file size and bundle multiple files into a single container. This makes it the correct answer for identifying a compressed archive format.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
.zip
Why this is correct
.zip is a compressed archive format, applying lossless DEFLATE compression to bundle multiple files into one container. Other extensions such as .exe, .docx or .txt are executables or documents, not archives, so .zip uniquely matches the stem's compressed archive requirement.
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.pdf
Why it's wrong here
.pdf is a fixed-layout document format, not a compression container, so it does not bundle multiple files into one archive. It tempts because PDFs use internal compression streams to shrink content, and when the requirement is a portable, print-faithful document rather than an archive, .pdf would be the correct choice.
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.exe
Why it's wrong here
.exe is a Windows executable containing runnable program code, not an archive format. It tempts because self-extracting archives ship as .exe files that unpack contents when run, and in a software distribution scenario delivering an installer executable would be the correct choice.
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.docx
Why it's wrong here
A .docx file is an Office Open XML document, not a compressed archive, though it is internally a ZIP container. It is tempting because that internal ZIP packaging lets tools unzip it to inspect XML parts, but the extension denotes a word-processing document, whereas .zip, .tar or .gz are the archive extensions.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.