Tech+ Practice Test: 60 Questions With Memory Hooks
What this is
60 questions written from StashGrid’s own hands-on lessons, covering all six Tech+ exam domains. The table below shows how much each domain counts on the real exam, so you know where to spend your study time. Click an answer to see right away whether you got it, why, a memory hook to make it stick, and the lesson that teaches it. At the end you get a score per domain and a list of lessons to review.
What the exam tests
| Tech+ FC0-U71 domain | Share of the exam | Questions here |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 Tech concepts and terminology | 13% | 7 |
| 2.0 Infrastructure | 24% | 11 |
| 3.0 Applications and software | 18% | 9 |
| 4.0 Software development concepts | 13% | 7 |
| 5.0 Data and database fundamentals | 13% | 7 |
| 6.0 Security | 19% | 9 |
The real exam has up to 70 questions in 60 minutes and passes at 650 on a 100–900 scale. Our questions are multiple choice and built only from what our labs teach, so treat this as a check on the hands-on side, not a full mock exam. StashGrid isn’t affiliated with CompTIA. Domain names and weights are from the FC0-U71 exam details.
I wrote the wrong answers. Some of them are very convincing. You’re welcome. — Nyx
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Domain 1Q1. How many bits are in one byte?
The answer is B. A byte is 8 bits, enough for 256 different values (0 to 255).
Remember it: A byte is a bite of 8.
Learn it: Binary, hex and data sizes
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Domain 1Q2. What is the binary number 1010 in decimal?
The answer is C. Reading right to left the places are worth 1, 2, 4, 8. The 1s sit in the 8 and 2 places: 8 + 2 = 10.
Remember it: Read binary right to left: 1, 2, 4, 8, and add up the places holding a 1.
Learn it: Binary, hex and data sizes
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Domain 1Q3. Which number system uses the digits 0 to 9 and the letters A to F?
The answer is D. Hexadecimal is base 16: 0 to 9, then A (10) to F (15). Two hex digits make one byte.
Remember it: Hex has six letters to reach sixteen digits.
Learn it: Binary, hex and data sizes
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Domain 1Q4. A new 2 TB drive shows about 1,863 GB in Windows. Why?
The answer is B. The maker uses decimal units (1 TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes); Windows divides by 1,024 and still prints GB. Same bytes, two ways of counting.
Remember it: The box counts in thousands, Windows in 1,024s. Nothing’s missing.
Learn it: Binary, hex and data sizes
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Domain 1Q5. A 100 Mbps internet plan downloads files at roughly what top speed?
The answer is B. Network speeds are in bits; download windows show bytes. Divide by 8: 100 ÷ 8 = 12.5 MB/s at best.
Remember it: Small b is bits, big B is bytes. Divide by 8.
Learn it: Binary, hex and data sizes
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Domain 1Q6. What is the first step of the CompTIA troubleshooting method?
The answer is B. Gather information, question the user and look for recent changes before guessing at causes.
Remember it: Find it before you fix it.
Learn it: The troubleshooting method (capstone)
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Domain 1Q7. Which of these is an input device?
The answer is C. Input devices send information into the computer (keyboard, mouse, microphone); monitors, printers and speakers are output.
Remember it: Input goes IN: keys, clicks and your voice.
Learn it: Computer hardware explained
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Domain 2Q8. Which component loses everything stored in it when the power goes off?
The answer is C. RAM is volatile working memory. Drives and flash keep data without power (non-volatile).
Remember it: RAM forgets when the lights go out.
Learn it: Computer hardware explained
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Domain 2Q9. Which type of storage is usually the fastest in a new PC?
The answer is C. NVMe SSDs sit on the PCIe bus and reach thousands of MB/s; SATA SSDs top out around 550 MB/s; HDDs are slower still.
Remember it: NVMe stands for Non-Volatile Memory Express. Express is the hint.
Learn it: Computer hardware explained
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Domain 2Q10. Thunderbolt uses which connector shape?
The answer is B. Thunderbolt 3 and later use the USB-C shape. Look for the lightning-bolt icon to tell it apart from plain USB-C.
Remember it: Same USB-C shape, plus a lightning bolt for extra speed.
Learn it: Computer hardware explained
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Domain 2Q11. Which connector does a wired Ethernet cable use?
The answer is B. Ethernet uses the 8-pin RJ45 plug. RJ11 is the narrower telephone plug.
Remember it: RJ45 for the network, RJ11 for the phone: the bigger plug is the network.
Learn it: Cabling and connectors
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Domain 2Q12. A laptop gets the address 169.254.10.5. What most likely happened?
The answer is B. 169.254.x.x is an automatic (APIPA) address a device gives itself when no DHCP server answers.
Remember it: 169.254 means “no DHCP, no luck.”
Learn it: DHCP explained
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Domain 2Q13. What turns a name like stashgrid.ai into an IP address?
The answer is B. DNS is the internet’s directory: it looks up the IP address that belongs to a name.
Remember it: DNS is the internet’s phone book.
Learn it: DNS explained
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Domain 2Q14. Which Wi-Fi band reaches farthest through walls but is the most crowded?
The answer is A. Lower frequencies travel farther and through walls better, but 2.4 GHz is shared with neighbours, Bluetooth and microwaves.
Remember it: 2.4 goes far but it’s a busy road.
Learn it: Wi-Fi standards and channels
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Domain 2Q15. A PC shuts off at random when it’s working hard, but the fans and temperatures look fine. Which part is a likely suspect?
The answer is B. A weak or failing PSU can’t deliver enough power under load, so the PC cuts out.
Remember it: Random shutdowns? Suspect the power supply.
Learn it: Computer hardware explained
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Domain 2Q16. What does the number of CPU cores tell you?
The answer is B. Each core is an independent worker inside the CPU; threads let each core juggle more than one task.
Remember it: Cores are workers. More workers, more jobs at once.
Learn it: Computer hardware explained
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Domain 2Q17. Besides HDMI, which video port is common on PC monitors and graphics cards?
The answer is A. DisplayPort is a video and audio connection used mostly on PCs and monitors.
Remember it: HDMI for the TV, DisplayPort for the desk.
Learn it: Computer hardware explained
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Domain 2Q18. Which address is burned into a network card and identifies it on the local network?
The answer is B. The MAC address is the hardware address of the network card; the IP address can change from network to network.
Remember it: MAC is the name tag sewn into the shirt; IP is the mailing address.
Learn it: Networking glossary
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Domain 3Q19. What is the biggest single file a FAT32 USB stick can hold?
The answer is B. FAT32 caps a single file at 4 GB, which is why a 5 GB video refuses to copy. Reformatting to exFAT fixes it (and erases the stick).
Remember it: FAT32 is a 4-gig suitcase.
Learn it: Operating systems and software
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Domain 3Q20. Which file system works on both Windows and Mac and allows very large files on a USB stick?
The answer is B. exFAT removes the 4 GB limit and is read and written by both Windows and macOS.
Remember it: exFAT is the stick that Windows and Mac can both share, with no 4 GB limit.
Learn it: Operating systems and software
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Domain 3Q21. What is the default file system for a Windows system drive?
The answer is A. Windows installs onto NTFS, which also stores file permissions.
Remember it: NTFS = New Technology File System: Windows’ own.
Learn it: Operating systems and software
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Domain 3Q22. Why should you turn on file extensions in File Explorer?
The answer is B. With extensions hidden, invoice.pdf.exe looks like invoice.pdf. Showing them reveals that it’s a program.
Remember it: The last dot tells the truth.
Learn it: Operating systems and software
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Domain 3Q23. Which of these is open-source software?
The answer is A. Linux’s code is public and free to use. The others are proprietary.
Remember it: Open source: you can read the recipe.
Learn it: Operating systems and software
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Domain 3Q24. What lets the operating system talk to a specific piece of hardware, like a printer?
The answer is A. A driver is the small program that translates between the OS and one device.
Remember it: Drivers drive the hardware.
Learn it: Operating systems and software
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Domain 3Q25. Why install software updates promptly?
The answer is B. Most attacks on home PCs use flaws that already have a fix, so patching closes the door.
Remember it: Patch the hole before someone climbs through it.
Learn it: Operating systems and software
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Domain 3Q26. Android is built on which kernel?
The answer is B. Android runs on the Linux kernel, with Google’s own layers on top.
Remember it: Inside every Android is a little Linux.
Learn it: Operating systems and software
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Domain 3Q27. Paying every month or year to keep using software is called what?
The answer is C. Subscriptions such as Microsoft 365 charge regularly for access; stop paying and the license ends.
Remember it: Subscription: you rent it, you don’t own it.
Learn it: Operating systems and software
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Domain 4Q28. What do you call a named value that should never change while a program runs?
The answer is B. Constants (often written in CAPITALS, like MAX_TRIES) hold values the program shouldn’t change. Variables can change.
Remember it: Constants are constant; variables vary.
Learn it: Programming basics
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Domain 4Q29. Which data type holds only True or False?
The answer is C. A Boolean has just two values, true and false; branches use them to decide which way to go.
Remember it: Boolean: a light switch, on or off.
Learn it: Programming basics
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Domain 4Q30. In a flowchart, which shape means a decision?
The answer is C. A diamond asks a yes/no question with two arrows out. Ovals start and end, rectangles are steps, parallelograms are input or output.
Remember it: Diamonds are decisions.
Learn it: Programming basics
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Domain 4Q31. Which of these is usually a compiled language?
The answer is B. C++ is compiled into a program file before it runs. Python, JavaScript and PowerShell are interpreted line by line.
Remember it: Compiled code is cooked before serving; scripts are cooked to order.
Learn it: Programming basics
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Domain 4Q32. Which kind of loop keeps going as long as a condition stays true?
The answer is B. A while loop repeats until its condition becomes false; a for loop runs a set number of times or once per item.
Remember it: While it’s raining, keep the umbrella up.
Learn it: Programming basics
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Domain 4Q33. HTML is best described as what kind of language?
The answer is C. HTML marks up content (headings, links, images) for a browser to lay out; it doesn’t run logic on its own.
Remember it: Markup marks things up; it doesn’t make decisions.
Learn it: Programming basics
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Domain 4Q34. What is a named, reusable block of code that can take inputs and return a result?
The answer is B. Functions package steps under one name, like greet(who), so you can call them again and again.
Remember it: Write it once, call it often: that’s a function.
Learn it: Programming basics
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Domain 5Q35. Which column uniquely identifies every row in a database table?
The answer is B. The primary key (often id) is unique for each record, so rows never get mixed up.
Remember it: The primary key is the row’s fingerprint.
Learn it: Data and databases
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Domain 5Q36. Which SQL command reads data from a table?
The answer is C. SELECT reads rows; INSERT adds, UPDATE changes and DELETE removes.
Remember it: SELECT is for seeing.
Learn it: Data and databases
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Domain 5Q37. What happens if you run an UPDATE statement with no WHERE clause?
The answer is C. Without WHERE, UPDATE applies to all rows. Always write the WHERE first.
Remember it: No WHERE, everywhere.
Learn it: Data and databases
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Domain 5Q38. Photos, videos and chat messages are which kind of data?
The answer is B. They don’t fit neatly into rows and columns, so they’re unstructured.
Remember it: If it won’t fit in a spreadsheet, it’s unstructured.
Learn it: Data and databases
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Domain 5Q39. What does the 3-2-1 backup rule mean?
The answer is B. Keep three copies of what matters, on two different media, with one copy somewhere else (or in the cloud).
Remember it: Three copies, two kinds, one away from home.
Learn it: Data and databases
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Domain 5Q40. A column that points to the primary key of another table is called what?
The answer is A. Foreign keys link tables together; that link is what makes a database relational.
Remember it: A foreign key visits another table.
Learn it: Data and databases
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Domain 5Q41. Which of these is a NoSQL document database?
The answer is C. MongoDB stores flexible JSON-like documents instead of fixed tables. The others are relational SQL databases.
Remember it: MongoDB keeps documents, not tables.
Learn it: Data and databases
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Domain 6Q42. Which password habit gives the most protection?
The answer is B. Length beats complexity, and uniqueness stops one breach unlocking every account. A password manager makes that practical.
Remember it: Long, unique, and remembered by the manager, not by you.
Learn it: Strong passwords and passphrases
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Domain 6Q43. What is the best extra protection to add to an account besides a password?
The answer is B. MFA asks for a second factor, such as an app code or security key, so a stolen password alone isn’t enough.
Remember it: Something you know plus something you have.
Learn it: Strong passwords and passphrases
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Domain 6Q44. An email from “your bank” says your account closes in 24 hours unless you click a link. What should you do first?
The answer is C. Urgency plus a link is the classic phishing pattern. Go to the real site yourself, and report the message.
Remember it: Urgent plus a link equals a lure.
Learn it: Read email headers and report phishing
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Domain 6Q45. In the CIA triad, what does the A stand for?
The answer is B. Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability: keep data secret, correct, and reachable when needed.
Remember it: CIA: Can’t see it, Isn’t changed, Always there.
Learn it: Network security explained
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Domain 6Q46. Encrypting a laptop’s drive mainly protects which part of the CIA triad?
The answer is A. Encryption keeps data secret from anyone who steals the laptop, which is confidentiality.
Remember it: Encryption keeps secrets secret.
Learn it: Network security explained
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Domain 6Q47. Malware that locks your files and demands payment is called what?
The answer is C. Ransomware encrypts files and demands money. Tested offline backups are the best recovery.
Remember it: Ransomware holds your files hostage. Backups pay the ransom for free.
Learn it: Data and databases
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Domain 6Q48. Why should you use a standard (non-administrator) account day to day?
The answer is B. Least privilege: if something nasty runs, it only gets standard rights and can’t change the whole system.
Remember it: Don’t carry the master key to buy milk.
Learn it: Network security explained
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Domain 6Q49. What does the padlock (HTTPS) in a browser address bar tell you?
The answer is B. HTTPS means your traffic to that site is encrypted. Scam sites can have a padlock too, so it doesn’t prove the site is trustworthy.
Remember it: The padlock locks the pipe, not the person at the other end.
Learn it: What happens when you type a URL
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Domain 6Q50. Someone phones claiming to be from IT and asks for your password to “fix your account”. What should you do?
The answer is C. Real IT staff never need your password. This is social engineering; verify through a number you already trust.
Remember it: IT never needs your password. Anyone who asks isn’t IT.
Learn it: Read email headers and report phishing
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Domain 6Q51. You sign in with a password and then a PIN. How many authentication factors is that?
The answer is B. Both are something you know, so it’s still single-factor. Multi-factor needs two different kinds: something you know, something you have, something you are.
Remember it: Two of the same kind is still one factor.
Learn it: Lock down your own devices
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Domain 6Q52. What is the best protection against losing your files to ransomware?
The answer is C. Ransomware scrambles files it can reach. A backup that is unplugged or offline lets you restore them without paying.
Remember it: Ransomware can’t encrypt what isn’t plugged in.
Learn it: Lock down your own devices
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Domain 6Q53. Your laptop is stolen. What stops the thief from reading your files straight off the drive?
The answer is A. Disk encryption (BitLocker, FileVault) makes the drive unreadable without your key, even if it’s pulled out and plugged into another computer.
Remember it: Encryption: no key, no files.
Learn it: Lock down your own devices
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Domain 6Q54. Why should you install security updates soon after they come out?
The answer is B. Once a fix is public, attackers can compare before and after to find the hole, then go after everyone who clicked “remind me later”.
Remember it: A public fix is a public map.
Learn it: Lock down your own devices
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Domain 4Q55. Which language has to be compiled before it can run?
The answer is C. C source code is turned into a machine-code program by a compiler (like gcc) first. Python is interpreted, HTML is markup, SQL is a query language.
Remember it: C gets Compiled.
Learn it: Programming languages compared
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Domain 4Q56. SQL is what kind of language?
The answer is B. SQL (Structured Query Language) asks a database for data and changes it. It doesn’t build programs or lay out pages.
Remember it: SQL asks the database questions.
Learn it: Programming languages compared
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Domain 4Q57. A C program has a typo and gcc refuses to build it. What kind of error is that?
The answer is C. The compiler caught it before the program ever ran, so it’s a compile-time error. A runtime error happens while the program is running.
Remember it: Caught before it runs = compile time.
Learn it: Programming languages compared
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Domain 3Q58. A downloaded file’s SHA-256 hash matches the one on the vendor’s website. What does that prove?
The answer is B. A matching hash only proves the bytes are identical to the ones the vendor published. It says nothing about whether the vendor or the file is safe.
Remember it: Same hash, same file. Nothing more.
Learn it: Install software safely
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Domain 3Q59. Which kind of license lets anyone read and change the source code?
The answer is C. Open source licenses publish the code and allow changes (within the license’s rules). Freeware is free to use but the code is usually closed.
Remember it: Open source: the recipe is open.
Learn it: Install software safely
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Domain 3Q60. An email attachment is called invoice.pdf.exe. What is it?
The answer is B. Only the last extension counts. .exe is a Windows program, and hiding known file extensions makes it look like a harmless PDF.
Remember it: Only the last extension counts.
Learn it: Install software safely
Keep studying
- Tech+ roadmap — every lesson in exam order
- Network+ roadmap and its 68-question practice test — the next step up
- Networking glossary — plain-words definitions
Questions written by StashGrid with AI help, from our own tested lessons, and checked against them before publishing. Spotted an error? Tell us and we’ll fix it.