computer exam objectives

1. Database
1. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a distributed database?
A: Data may be spread across several smaller databases connected via telecommunications devices.
B: It enables local offices to create, manage, and use their own databases.
C: It gives local sites more direct access to frequently-used data.
D: It eases issues associated with who can access and change data.
2. The ____is a nontechnical, but important role that ensures that data is managed as an important
organizational resource.
A: data manager
B: data administrator
C: database administrator
D: database manager
3. _____ is a popular database management system developed by Microsoft and frequently used on
personal computers.
A: Access
B: Excel
C: DB2
D: Informix
4. In the relational data model, each row of the table represents a ____.
A: data attribute
B: data entity
C: primary key
D: relationship
5. The ____ design of a database involves identifying the relationships among the different data items
and grouping them in an orderly fashion.
A: detailed
B: enterprise
C: physical
D: logical
6. The repetition of data in separate files is known as ____.
A: data integrity
B: program-data dependence
C: data redundancy
D: data independence
7. An information analysis tool that involves the automated discovery of patterns and relationships in a
data warehouse is called ____.
A: a data mart
B: a data base query
C: data management
D: data mining
8. The ____ allows managers and other database users to access, modify, and make queries about data
contained in the database to generate reports.
A: database query language
B: database report writer
C: data definition language
D: data manipulation language
9. The definition of the logical and physical structure of the data and relationships among the data in the
database is called the ____.
A: logical data model
B: physical data model
C: schema
D: data definition language
10. In the relational data model, the columns of the table represent ____.
A: domains
B: entities
C: attributes
D: access paths
11. A situation where programs and data developed and organized for one application are incompatible
with programs and data organized differently for another application is called ____.
A: data redundancy
B: program-data dependence
C: the traditional approach to data management
D: data integrity
12. A highly skilled and trained systems professional who directs or performs all activities related to
maintaining a successful database environment is called a(n) ____.
A: database administrator
Page 1 of 10

2. B: data administrator
C: data resource manager
D: information resource manager
13. A _____ works with users to decide the content of the database, to create a logical database model to
meet the needs of the users, to document the numbers and frequency of the different kinds of data
requests to be made, and to define the data-edit changes and controls needed for the database.
A: system administrator
B: data administrator
C: database administrator
D: systems analyst
14. Software packages, often written in the Java programming language for use on computers that are
running the Windows NT operating system, that connect end users to databases holding the
information they need to access are called ____.
A: DBMSs
B: application servers
C: data warehouses
D: data mining
15. A(n) ____ is a database that holds business information from many sources in the enterprise, covering
all aspects of the company's processes, products, and customers.
A: OLTP database
B: data storage bin
C: data warehouse
D: transactional database
16. ____ is the process of capturing a company's collective expertise wherever it resides and distributing it
wherever it can help produce the biggest payoff.
A: competitive intelligence
B: counterintelligence
C: knowledge management
D: business intelligence
17. A character of information is represented by a(n)____.
A: bit
B: byte
C: field
D: attribute
18. A field or set of fields in a record that uniquely identifies the record is called a(n) ____.
A: attribute
B: hierarchy of data
C: entity
D: primary key
19. A(n) _____ data model depicts an owner-member relationship in which a member can have many
owners.
A: relational
B: hierarchical
C: network
D: E-R
20. Once data has been placed into a relational database, users can make inquires and analyze data. ____
involves eliminating rows in the data table according to certain criteria.
A: data normalizing
B: joining
C: projecting
D: selecting
21. The most widely used database model is the ____ model.
A: enterprise
B: hierarchical
C: network
D: relational
22. The _____ data model describes data using a standard tabular format.
A: network
B: E-R diagram
C: network
D: relational
33. The term ____ is sometimes used to describe how well a database performs as the size of the database
or the number of concurrent users is increased.
A: data integrity
B: database size
C: integration
Page 2 of 10

3. D: scalability
34. Which of the following is NOT an expectation of the database administrator?
A: have a clear understanding of the fundamental business of the organization
B: be proficient in the use of selected database management systems
C: stay abreast of emerging technologies and new design approaches
D: set data standards and data definitions that apply across the many databases that an organization
may have
35. Which of the following statements about SQL is NOT true?
A: SQL stands for "standard query language."
B: It was developed in the 1970s at the IBM Research Laboratory in San Jose, California.
C: The American National Standards Institute adopted SQL as the standard query language for relational
databases in 1986.
D: uses standardized and simplified procedures for retrieving, storing, and manipulating data in a database
system.
36. To use the database approach to data management, additional software called a(n) ____is required.
A: data resource manager
B: database management system
C: application manager
D: database manager
Network and Internet
47. ___ enables information to be transmitted to your computer directly, as digital data, over existing
phone wires at a speed exceeding 500 Kbps.
A: ISDN
B: WATS
C: DSL
D: T1
48. The ____ signal is a continuous, curving signal.
A: analog
B: digital
C: binary
D: modulated
49. A coaxial cable consists of an inner conductor wire surrounded by insulation, called the ____.
A: jacket
B: dielectric
C: conductive shield
D: insulator
50. A ____ consists of communications media, devices, and software needed to connect two or more
computer systems and/or devices.
A: telecommunications model
B: computer network
C: local area network
D: wide area network
51. Which of the following statements about the use of telecommuting is NOT true?
A: Public policy often encourages companies to consider the use of telecommuting.
B: Almost all jobs and all employees can use telecommuting to improve their effectiveness.
C: Telecommuting can enable people who are not able to participate in the normal workforce to become
productive workers.
D: Telecommuting is often convenient for workers and can also lead to reduced corporate costs.
52. ____ is systems software that controls the computer systems and devices on a network and allows them
to communicate with each other.
A: Communications software
B: A network operating system
C: Network management software
D: Network software
53. In a ____ network, each computer is set up as an independent computer. However, other computers
can still access specific files on each computer's hard drive or share its printer. These types of networks
have no server.
A: bus
B: local area
C: peer-to-peer
D: client/server
54. ____ digital networks are typically faster (from 64 Kbps to 2 Mbps) than standard phone lines and carry
more signals than analog networks.
A: ISDN
Page 3 of 10

4. B: DSL
C: T1
D: DSL
55. Extracting data from a composite analog signal to a digital signal is called ____.
A: modulating
B: demodulating
C: digitizing
D: converting
56. ___ is a form of transmission media that transmits signals using light beams generated by lasers.
A: Coaxial cable
B: Microwave
C: Twisted pairs of wires
D: Fiber-optic cable
57. Which of the following is NOT a form of communications channel?
A: simplex
B: complex
C: half-simplex
D: full-duplex
58. ___ is an intercompany, application-to-application communication of data in a standard format that
permits the recipient to perform a standard business transaction.
A: EDI
B: Electronic document distribution
C: Data switching
D: MMDS
59. Most ____ provide(s) error checking and message formatting.
A: communications software
B: network operating systems
C: network management software
D: SNMP software
60. The world's largest public international network is ____.
A: the UPSNet
B: the WWW
C: the WAN
D: the Internet
61. The ____ was developed by AT&T to increase the number of voice calls that could be handled through
existing cables. It has a speed of 1.544 Mbps developed from two dozen 64-Kbps channels, together
with one 8-Kbps channel for carrying control information.
A: ISDN
B: DSL
C: T1 carrier
D: POTS
62. A telecommunications device that allows several signals to be transmitted over a single
telecommunications medium at the same time is a ____.
A: modem
B: multiplexer
C: front-end processor
D: switched line processor
63. Which transmission media is most difficult to "tap into" to intercept communications?
A: twisted pairs
B: coaxial cable
C: microwave
D: fiber-optic cable
64. A form of communications channel that can transmit data in either direction, but not simultaneously, is
called ____.
A: simplex
B: half-duplex
C: complex
D: full-duplex
65. ____ give(s) personal computer users access to vast databases, the Internet, and other services.
A: Distance learning
B: Electronic document distribution
C: Video conferencing
D: Public network services
66. Rules that ensure communications among computers of different types and from different
manufacturers are called ____.
A: OSI models
Page 4 of 10

5. B: TCP/IP
C: SNAs
D: protocol
67. The term "____" refers to telecommunications in which a wide band of frequencies is available to
transmit information, and this allows for more information to be transmitted in a given amount of time.
A: baseband
B: narrowband
C: bandwidth
D: broadband
68. ____ states that the information-carrying capacity of a channel is directly proportional to its bandwidth.
A: Moore's law
B: Shannon's fundamental law of information theory
C: Law of entropy
D: Electromagnetic theory
69. A ____ is placed in a computer's expansion slot to allow it to communicate with the local area network.
A: network interface card
B: modem
C: network operating system
D: connector
70. The ____ is a logical model that describes how networks are structured or configured.
A: transmission protocol
B: client/server architecture
C: network topology
D: OSI model
71. _____ is a specialized subset of telecommunications that refers to the electronic collection, processing,
and distribution of data, typically between computer system hardware devices.
A: Computer networking
B: Business telecommunications
C: Asynchronous communications
D: Data communications
72. A basic processing strategy where all processing occurs in a single location or facility is called ____.
A: centralized processing
B: multiprocessing
C: decentralized processing
D: distributed processing
73 A ____ carries a signal between sender and receiver.
A: modem
B: transmitter
C: computer network
D: communications medium
74. ____ is a billing method for heavy users of voice services.
A: WATS
B: POTS
C: DSL
D: PBX
75. The wired connection between your home or small business and the central office is called the ____.
A: switched line
B: local area network
C: local loop
D: PBX
76. A telecommunications device that can break a network into subnets and can also determine preferred
transmission paths to a final destination is called a ____.
A: gateway
B: switch
C: bridge
D: router
77. ____ is the most-widely installed LAN technology, and it is specified in the IEEE 802.3 standard.
A: ATM
B: SNA
C: Ethernet
D: Bluetooth
78. ____ transmission requires line-of-sight transmission and short distances (under a few hundred yards)
to connect various devices and computers.
A: Microwave
B: Cellular
C: Infrared
Page 5 of 10

6. D: Fiber-optics
79. Terrestrial microwave stations are usually placed in series from ____ to ____ miles apart before the
curvature of the earth makes it impossible for the towers to "see one another."
A: 1 to 10
B: 10 to 30
C: 30 to 70
D: 70 to 100
80. Which of the following is NOT considered an advantage of the client/server approach?
A: reduced costs
B: improved performance
C: increased security
D: simplified vendor environment
81. The speed at which signals can be transmitted depends on the ____.
A: channel capacity
B: channel media
C: channel bandwidth
D: channel format
82. Both voice and phone conversations are examples of ____, where the receiver gets the message
instantaneously, when it is sent.
A: synchronous communications
B: data communications
C: asynchronous communications
D: broadband communications
83. A telecommunications line that allows one transmission device to connect to other transmission
devices is called a ____.
A: dedicated line
B: multiplexed line
C: duplexed line
D: switched line
84. ____ is a business application of networks that involves installing software on a file server for users to
share.
A: EDI
B: Electronic software distribution
C: Electronic document distribution
D: File server
85. The two most common forms of communications satellites are ____ and ____.
A: business and military
B: geostationary and line-of-sight
C: terrestrial and extra-terrestrial
D: geostationary and low-earth-orbit
86. The term "____" refers to telecommunications in which a wide band of frequencies is available to
transmit information, and this allows for more information to be transmitted in a given amount of time.
A: baseband
B: narrowband
C: bandwidth
D: broadband
87. ____ twisted-pair wire cable has a special conducting layer within the normal insulation, which makes
the cable less prone to electrical interference, or "noise."
A: Unshielded
B: UTP
C: Shielded
D: Category 1
88. Countries that have few laws concerning telecommunications and databases are called ____.
A: transborder data flow countries
B: data pirates
C: data havens
D: data entry ports
89. ____ is a way to connect computers where the applications and database reside on one host computer,
and the user interacts with the application and data using a "dumb" terminal.
A: File server
B: Terminal-to-host
C: Client/server
D: Distributed computing
90. A ____ network has a central hub with devices located at the end of the communications line that
originate from the central hub.
A: bus
Page 6 of 10

7. B: hybrid
C: star
D: ring
91. In the ____ architecture, the entire file is downloaded from the host computer to the user's computer in
response to a request for data.
A: centralized computing
B: file server
C: client/server
D: distributed computing
92. ____ is a communications standard that simplifies communications among cell phones, handheld
computers, and other wireless devices.
A: ATM
B: Bluetooth
C: MMDS
D: SNA
93. Each type of telecommunications media uses different types of ____ to link them to devices.
A: modems
B: connectors
C: links
D: channels
94. A ____ is a communications system that can manage both voice and data transfer within a building
and to outside lines.
A: multiplexer
B: PBX
C: local loop
D: switched line
95. A strategy for processing where computers are placed at remote locations but connected to each other
via telecommunications devices is called ____.
A: multiprocessing
B: distributed processing
C: centralized processing
D: decentralized processing
96. Which of the following statements is NOT true about push technology?
A: The use of push technology is also frequently referred to as "Webcasting."
B: Most push systems rely on HTTP or Java technology to collect content from Web sites and deliver it
to a central server for users to access.
C: Before they can automatically receive "pushed" information, users must download and install software that
acts like a TV antenna, capturing transmitted content.
D: The use of push technology can lead to information overload and clog up communications links with traffic.
97. A ____ is software that creates a unique, hypermedia-based menu on your computer screen, which
provides a graphical interface to the Web.
A: CSS
B: Java program
C: Web browser
D: search engine
98. ___ is one of the leaders in instant messaging. Approximately 40 million people use its Instant
Messenger and approximately 50 million people use its client program, ICQ.
A: Yahoo!
B: Microsoft
C: Prodigy
D: America Online
99. ____ is a protocol that describes how groups of messages can be stored on and sent between
computers. It is used to form a virtual forum for the electronic community, and this forum is divided
into newsgroups.
A: PPP
B: Usenet
C: Instant messaging
D: E-mail
100. The ____ is used as a standard way to designate where Internet elements such as servers, documents,
newsgroups, etc. can be found.
A: seven-layer OSI model
B: TCP/IP
C: URL
D: e-mail address
101. ____ is a technique used to verify the identity of a message sender for processing on-line financial
Page 7 of 10

8. transactions. The technique uses public key encryption and a "hashing" algorithm that prevents the
reconstruction of the original message.
A: Cryptography
B: Tunneling
C: Digital signature
D: XML
102. ____ is a secure connection between two points across the Internet.
A: A tunnel
B: A VPN
C: VOIP
D: An extranet
103. ____ was established in 1991 to enable businesses to connect to the Internet
A: SAP
B: Commercial Internet Exchange
C: EDI
D: E-commerce Interchange
104. A(n) ____ submits keywords to several individual search engines and returns the results from all search
engines queried.
A: Web browser
B: search engine
C: meta-search engine
D: applet
105. A(n) ____ device prepares voice transmission using voice-over-IP by squeezing the recorded sound
data and slicing it for packets for transfer over the Internet.
A: modem
B: PBX
C: codec
D: router
106. Using ____ technology, network managers can route phone calls and fax transmissions over the same
network that they use for data.
A: voice-over-IP
B: content streaming
C: hypermedia
D: XML
107. In analyzing a web address such as http://www.course.com, which of the following statements is
NOT true?
A: The "http" specifies the access method and tells your software to access this particular file using the
HyperText Transport Protocol.
B: The "www" part of the address signifies that the address is associated with the World Wide Web service.
C: The "course.com" part of the address is the domain name that identifies the Internet host site.
D: For all countries, except the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the right most part of the domain
name is the country code.
108. A ____ is a device that sits between your internal network and the Internet and limits access into and
out of your network based on your organization's access policy.
A: firewall
B: virtual private network
C: router
D: tunnel
109. A(n)____ is a network that links selected resources of a company's intranet with its customers,
suppliers, or other business partners. It is built on Web technologies.
A: internet
B: extranet
C: WAN
D: VPN
110. Which of the following statements about HTML is NOT true?
A: It represents an evolving standard page description language for Web pages.
B: Various vendors have added new tags to the standard that only work for that vendor's Web browser.
C: Regardless of minor inconsistencies, all browsers work the same way when used to view the same
Web page.
D: Many word processor programs can actually generate the HTML needed to create a Web page.
111. Which of the following statements about obtaining "free" information from the Internet is NOT true?
A: The Web browser software is used to locate those Web pages that match the keywords you specify.
B: Free information and advice may not always be, unbiased, truthful, or helpful.
C: Free services can change or even stop their offerings with little or no warning.
D: Useful software can be found and downloaded at no cost.
112. ____ is a method of transferring multimedia files over the Internet so that the data stream of voice and
Page 8 of 10

9. pictures plays more or less continuously.
A: FTP
B: VOIP
C: Content streaming
D: Instant messaging
113. People who have registered domain names in the hope of selling the names to corporations or people
at a later date are called ____.
A: Web blackmailers
B: cyber-squatters
C: URL grabbers
D: domain stealers
114. Which of the following tasks is NOT performed by a firewall?
A: It permits e-mail from selected users outside your company to pass through to your employees.
B: It prevents your employees from accessing selected Web sites.
C: It prevents users on remote systems from logging onto your network computers using the telnet utility.
D: It routes messages in the most efficient manner.
115. A(n) ____ is an internal corporate network built using Internet and World Wide Web standards.
A: virtual private network
B: LAN
C: extranet
D: intranet
116. ____ and ____ are two communications protocols that transmit data packets over telephone lines,
allowing dial-up access to the Internet.
A: TCP and IP
B: SLIP and PPP
C: Telnet and FTP
D: Usenet and Instant messaging
117. The set of conventions used to pass packets of data from one host computer to another on the Internet
is called the ____.
A: telnet
B: Internet protocol (IP)
C: the seven-layer OSI model
D: uniform resource locator (URL)
118. Which of the following identifies a set of emerging standards for describing Web documents?
A: XML, XHTML, CSS, and DHMTL
B: ICQ, Java, and hypermedia
C: Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer
D: CIX, HTTP, and URL
119. Which of the following statements about usage of the Internet is NOT true?
A: It is possible to listen to radio telecasts and view interactive talk shows.
B: Some corporations have started to use Internet video to broadcast corporate messages or to advertise on the
Web.
C: Doctors are reluctant to use Internet video to monitor and control surgical operations.
D: Employees can connect to the workplace via a virtual office on the Web.
120. Which of the following statements is NOT true about the building and use of an intranet?
A: Most employees will require considerable training to make effective use of their corporate intranet.
B: Most companies already have the foundation for an intranet: a network that uses the Internet's TCP/IP
protocol and computers with Web browser software.
C: Use of an intranet can lead to a substantial reduction in the need for paper.
D: An intranet can pull all corporate computers, software, and databases into a single system that enables
employees to find information wherever it resides.
121. Any company that provides individuals and organizations with access to the Internet is called a(n)
____.
A: registrar
B: backbone
C: ISP
D: PPP
122. Which of the following statements about the use of Java applets is NOT true?
A: Java software runs not only on Sun Microsystems computers but on other computers as well.
B: Java is used by programmers to make Web pages "come alive," adding graphics, animation, and real-time
updates.
C: Java enables software writers to create compact "just-in-time" programs that can be dispatched across a
network such as the Internet.
D: A Web page with an embedded Java applet contains an additional HTML tag called JAV, which
refers to the Java applet.
123. A ____ is software that creates a unique, hypermedia-based menu on your computer screen, which
Page 9 of 10

10. provides a graphical interface to the Web.
A: CSS
B: Java program
C: Web browser
D: search engine
124. What Internet service enables two or more people to engage in on-line, interactive "conversation?"
A: Usenet
B: Newsgroups
C: Content streaming
D: Chat rooms
125. A(n) ____ is a Web site that contains files, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and appointment
calendar. It essentially allows your desktop computer, phone books, appointment scheduler, and other
important information to be with you wherever you are.
A: telecommuting Web site
B: Internet office
C: virtual office
D: home page
126. ____ is the process of converting a message into a secret code and changing the encoded message
back to regular text.
A: Encryption
B: Fraud
C: Encoding
D: Cryptography
127. Which of the following statements about the World Wide Web is NOT true?
A: The Web was developed by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN in Geneva, and he conceived of it as a way to
manage documents.
B: The Web has grown to a collection of tens of thousands of independently-owned computers that work
together as one Internet service.
C: The Web is a menu-based system that uses the file-server model.
D: An ordinary phone line connection to the Internet is unlikely to provide sufficient speed for a satisfactory
Web experience.
Page 10 of 10