N10-009 Networking Concepts Practice Question
A network technician is explaining the difference between TCP and UDP to a junior technician. Which of the following correctly identifies a characteristic of TCP but NOT of UDP?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse the three-way handshake with general connection establishment, forgetting that UDP is stateless and never performs any handshake, while TCP always does before data transfer.
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
✓
It uses a three-way handshake to establish a connection before data transfer.
TCP is a connection-oriented protocol that uses a three-way handshake (SYN, SYN-ACK, ACK) to establish a reliable connection before any data is transmitted, ensuring ordered delivery and error recovery. UDP, in contrast, is connectionless and sends datagrams without any prior setup, making the three-way handshake a defining characteristic of TCP only.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
It provides connectionless communication with minimal overhead.
Why it's wrong here
This statement accurately describes User Datagram Protocol (UDP), not TCP. TCP is a connection-oriented protocol, meaning it establishes and maintains a logical connection between endpoints throughout the data transfer session. This connection management, along with features like sequencing, acknowledgments, and flow control, introduces significant overhead compared to UDP's minimalist, connectionless approach.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question asked 'Which of the following correctly identifies a characteristic of UDP but NOT of TCP?', then this option would be correct.
- ✗
It supports multicast and broadcast transmissions.
Why it's wrong here
TCP is fundamentally designed for unicast communication, establishing a one-to-one connection between two specific endpoints. Its reliability mechanisms, such as acknowledgments and retransmissions, are impractical and inefficient in a multicast or broadcast scenario where a single sender transmits to multiple receivers simultaneously. UDP, lacking these connection and reliability features, is the protocol typically employed for efficient multicast and broadcast transmissions.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct if the question were: 'Which of the following is a characteristic of UDP but NOT of TCP?' because UDP supports multicast and broadcast, while TCP is connection-oriented and unicast only.
- ✓
It uses a three-way handshake to establish a connection before data transfer.
Why this is correct
TCP is a connection-oriented protocol that initiates communication with a three-way handshake. This process involves the client sending a SYN (synchronize) packet, the server responding with a SYN-ACK (synchronize-acknowledge) packet, and the client concluding with an ACK (acknowledge) packet. This handshake establishes a reliable, full-duplex connection, ensuring both parties are ready to transmit and receive data before any application data is exchanged.
- ✗
It is commonly used for real-time applications like VoIP and video streaming.
Why it's wrong here
While TCP offers reliability, its mechanisms, including retransmissions of lost packets and ordered delivery, introduce latency that is detrimental to real-time applications. Applications such as Voice over IP (VoIP) and live video streaming prioritize low latency and timely delivery over absolute data integrity, often tolerating minor packet loss. Therefore, these applications typically utilize UDP, which provides faster, connectionless delivery without the overhead of retransmissions.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct if the question were: 'Which of the following correctly identifies a characteristic of UDP but NOT of TCP?'
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The N10-009 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓It uses a three-way handshake to establish a connection before data transfer.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
TCP is a connection-oriented protocol that initiates communication with a three-way handshake. This process involves the client sending a SYN (synchronize) packet, the server responding with a SYN-ACK (synchronize-acknowledge) packet, and the client concluding with an ACK (acknowledge) packet. This handshake establishes a reliable, full-duplex connection, ensuring both parties are ready to transmit and receive data before any application data is exchanged.
✗It provides connectionless communication with minimal overhead.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
TCP is connection-oriented, not connectionless; UDP provides connectionless communication with minimal overhead, so this describes UDP, not TCP.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question asked 'Which of the following correctly identifies a characteristic of UDP but NOT of TCP?', then this option would be correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the terms 'connectionless' and 'connection-oriented' or incorrectly associate minimal overhead with TCP due to its reliability features.
✗It supports multicast and broadcast transmissions.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
UDP supports multicast and broadcast transmissions, but TCP does not. The question asks for a characteristic of TCP that is NOT of UDP, so this option describes a feature of UDP, not TCP.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct if the question were: 'Which of the following is a characteristic of UDP but NOT of TCP?' because UDP supports multicast and broadcast, while TCP is connection-oriented and unicast only.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the transport layer protocols, thinking TCP also supports multicast/broadcast due to its use in some streaming scenarios, or they may misremember the features of each protocol.
✗It is commonly used for real-time applications like VoIP and video streaming.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
UDP is commonly used for real-time applications like VoIP and video streaming, not TCP. The question asks for a characteristic of TCP but NOT UDP, so this option describes a UDP characteristic.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct if the question were: 'Which of the following correctly identifies a characteristic of UDP but NOT of TCP?'
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the use cases of TCP and UDP, mistakenly thinking TCP is used for real-time applications due to its reliability, or they may not realize that real-time apps prioritize speed over reliability, which UDP provides.
Analysis generated from the official N10-009blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
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Related to this question
Learn chapter
TCP/IP Model and Protocol Suite
Key term
User Datagram Protocol
User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a fast, connectionless network protocol that sends data without first checking if the receiver is ready or if the data arrived safely.
Key term
UDP
UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is a communication protocol that sends data quickly without first checking if the receiver is ready or if the data arrived correctly.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This N10-009 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 N10-009 exam.