FC0-U71 Security Practice Question
Which TWO of the following are characteristics of a strong password? (Select TWO.)
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
✓
Includes uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols
Option A is correct because a strong password should combine uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols to increase its character-set complexity, making brute-force and dictionary attacks far less effective. Option C is correct because a minimum length of at least 12 characters significantly increases the number of possible combinations, which is a key factor in resisting cracking attempts. Options B, D, and E are not correct: a common dictionary word (B) is easily guessed via dictionary attacks, a birth date (D) is predictable personal information, and using only lowercase letters (E) severely limits the character set and thus the password's strength.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Includes uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols
Why this is correct
Mixing uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols increases the search space an attacker must exhaust, directly satisfying the complexity requirement for strong passwords. This character-variety approach makes brute-force and dictionary attacks substantially harder, since each added character class multiplies the possible combinations. It complements length, the other core strength factor.
- ✗
Uses a common dictionary word
Why it's wrong here
Dictionary words sit in attacker wordlists used for brute-force and credential-stuffing attacks, so they are guessable regardless of length. It is tempting because such passwords are memorable, but memorability is not a strength criterion; random passphrases of unrelated words are the correct approach.
- ✓
At least 12 characters long
Why this is correct
Twelve or more characters increases the search space exponentially, making brute-force and cracking attacks impractical. This satisfies the stem's strong-password characteristic, and length matters more than complexity alone because each added character multiplies guessing effort.
- ✗
Based on your birth date
Why it's wrong here
Birth dates are discoverable through social media and public records, sharply reducing the search space an attacker must cover. It is tempting because dates are easy to recall, but a strong password must avoid personal, publicly inferable data; random character strings or unrelated passphrases satisfy that requirement instead.
- ✗
Contains only lowercase letters
Why it's wrong here
A lowercase-only password shrinks the character set to 26 symbols, cutting the keyspace an offline cracking tool must exhaust. It is tempting because such passwords are quick to type, but strength requires mixing upper case, digits and symbols; the correct characteristics combine length with character-set diversity.
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JA
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.