The CompTIA A+ exams test on the basics of computer hardware and provide a good vendor-neutral baseline of introductory IT knowledge. For most, though, once they've passed those entry-level exams, they don't think about it twice. Some keep their A+ current through CEU credits, while others move on to higher level certifications.

If you're new to IT, however — whether as a student or through a career switch — then A+ certification can be a great place to start. If you're uncertain of where you stand, then we have a handy measuring stick: What follows is a self-test of 25 questions based on topics in the latest iteration of the CompTIA A+ exams (220-901 and 220-902).

The answers appear at the end of the questions. Good luck!

1. Both ECP (Enhanced Capabilities Port) and EPP (Enhanced Parallel Port) support bidirectional communication via parallel ports. Which of the following statements is true?
A. Both are defined by IEEE Standard 1248
B. EPP offers transfer rates higher than ECP
C. EPP is used for non-printer peripherals
D. Both can achieve transfer rates in excess of 25 Mbps

2. Traditionally, DDR3 memory voltage has typically been:
A. 2.6 volts
B. 1.5 volts
C. 1.0 volts
D. 0.5 volts

3. At its maximum 64-bit, 533 MHz range, what is the maximum speed available with PCI-X 2.0?
A. 4.26 GBps
B. 1.06 GBps
C. 264 MBps
D. 133 MBps

4. Which of the following connects the system bus to other fast buses (such as PCIe) and typically handles communication between the CPU, RAM, and the fast bus cards?
A. South bridge
B. North bridge
C. East bridge
D. West bridge

5. You've been sent to fetch a spare 144-pin SoDIMM card from storage for installation in a user's laptop. For identification purposes, how many notches will this card have?
A. Three
B. Two
C. One — near one side
D. One — near the center
E. None

6. You are removing fans from a number of PCs that are to be scrapped and notice that the Molex connectors on some have three pins while others have four pins. What is the fourth pin used for?
A. Additional grounding
B. Higher voltage
C. Variable speed control
D. Reserve

7. Thunderbolt devices can be daisy-chained up to a maximum of:
A. Eight
B. Six
C. Four
D. Two

8. The ATA 8 standard is used with hybrid drives and can attain speeds of 600 Mbps. Which cable types does it work with? (Choose two)
A. 24 wire
B. 40 wire
C. 72 wire
D. 80 wire

9. You are working on a server that has been acting up and notice that there are multiple drives within the same SCSI target. In this case, what is being used to differentiate/identify each of the drives?
A. Logical Unit Number (LUN)
B. MAC Address
C. SSID
D. BSSID

10. You have ten 1 TB hard drives configured in a RAID 10 array on a small server. Assuming the drives are empty, how much storage space is available on that server?
A. 5 TB
B. 9 TB
C. 10 TB
D. 20 TB

11. Which type of cache is also known as "back-side cache"?
A. L4
B. L3
C. L2
D. L1

12. A heat sink that contains a fan to pull air away is known as:
A. active
B. passive
C. contained
D. superfluous

13. What is the maximum transfer speed of eSATA?
A. 6 GBps
B. 12 GBps
C. 20 GBps
D. 24 GBps

14. Which of the following represents the maximum color depth (bit/pix) available with HDMI version 1.4?
A. 12
B. 24
C. 48
D. 96

15. Which band does Bluetooth operate in?
A. 2.4 GHz
B. 5.0 GHz
C. 7.4 GHz
D. 9.0 GHz

Please visit GoCertify to attempt the remaining 10 questions of this quiz.





ANSWERS

1. C
2. B
3. A
4. B
5. D
6. C
7. B
8. B and D
9. A
10. A
11. C
12. A
13. A
14. C
15. A