CompTIA FC0-U71 - CompTIA Tech+ Certification Exam

The CompTIA Tech+ Study Guide (Exam FC0-U71, 3rd Edition, 2025) clearly states:

“Assembly language is the lowest level of code in which people can write. It allows the developer to provide instructions directly to the hardware.”

Furthermore, in the Exam Essentials section of the same chapter, it emphasizes:

“Know which programming language is best for direct hardware access. For direct hardware access, a low-level programming language such as assembly is the best.”

Therefore, assembly (assembled) languages offer the highest level of hardware optimization because they operate closest to machine code and interact directly with CPU instructions.

Verified Reference:

Chapter 6: Software Development Concepts — “Assembly Language” (pp. 356–357).

Chapter 6: Exam Essentials (p. 378).

The CompTIA Tech+ Study Guide (Exam FC0-U71, 3rd Edition, 2025) defines phishing as:

“Creating a site or sending an email that masquerades as a legitimate secure site but actually steals your information is called phishing.”

It further explains:

“When people talk about phishing, it’s generally in the context of suspicious email because that’s how the term originated. Hackers sent out messages hoping to get someone to take the bait.”

By deleting a suspicious email without opening or clicking links, the user is practicing anti-phishing awareness — a key cybersecurity best practice.

Verified Reference:

Chapter 11: Security Best Practices — “Recognizing Suspicious Sites, Links, and Ads” and “Phishing” (pp. 587–589).

A firewall can block traffic between workstations if it's not properly configured. If a user cannot connect from one device to another on the network, it is likely that the firewall settings are preventing this communication.

“Firewalls control the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. If improperly configured, they may block legitimate access between devices.” — CompTIA ITF+ Study Guide

Other options:

B. Database – Not related to connectivity

C. Anti-malware – Protects from malicious software, not network configuration

D. Certificate – Used for secure communication, but not basic connectivity

Correct answer: A

Web browsers store cached data to improve loading speeds and remember form inputs. If outdated credentials are appearing, clearing the cache ensures that old stored data is removed and the page loads fresh content.

“Cached data can include stored form data, which may result in outdated information being auto-filled. Clearing the browser cache resolves this.” — CompTIA ITF+ Official Curriculum

Correct answer: C

Pseudocode represents logic written in plain, human-readable language that resembles programming structure but isn’t actual code:

“Pseudocode allows programmers to design algorithms using readable statements before translating them into actual code.”

Branch and sequence refer to control flow structures, and object-oriented refers to a programming paradigm.

The CompTIA Tech+ Study Guide (Exam FC0-U71, 3rd Edition, 2025) clearly defines Platform as a Service (PaaS) as the most appropriate for developers seeking a managed coding environment:

“Platform as a Service (PaaS) adds a layer to IaaS that includes software development tools such as runtime environments. Because of this, it can be very helpful to software developers; the vendor manages the various hardware platforms. This frees up the software developer to focus on building their application and scaling it.”

It also provides examples:

“Examples of PaaS include Google App Engine, Microsoft Azure, Red Hat OpenShift, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Elastic Beanstalk, Engine Yard, and Heroku.”

This clearly shows that PaaS allows developers to focus on writing code without managing the underlying infrastructure—exactly what the question describes.

Verified Reference:

Chapter 9: Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence — Section “Cloud Services” and Table 9.1 (pp. 494–496).

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) refers to any data that can be used to identify an individual uniquely. Full name and date of birth are classic examples of PII.

“PII includes data such as names, birth dates, Social Security numbers, and other information that can directly or indirectly identify a person.” — CompTIA ITF+ Security Essentials

Correct answers: A and B

Data at rest refers to information stored on a device or disk, such as a hard drive. The encryption that protects it is typically file-level encryption (or full-disk encryption).

“File-level encryption applies encryption to individual files or directories on storage media and is used to protect data at rest.” — CompTIA ITF+ Study Guide

VPN and HTTPS protect data in transit.

Plaintext means data is unencrypted, and therefore is not protective.

Therefore, A is the correct answer.

If the student’s built-in camera isn't functioning, it is likely due to a missing or outdated device driver. Updating the camera driver allows the OS to properly interface with the hardware.

“Drivers are essential software that enables communication between the OS and hardware devices. A malfunctioning camera often points to a driver issue.” — CompTIA ITF+

Correct answer: B

The CompTIA Tech+ Study Guide (Exam FC0-U71, 3rd Edition, 2025) explains:

“Inside the BIOS, you can make system configuration selections such as changing the system time, selecting a preferred boot device, or enabling/disabling features.”

Additionally, it details:

“The CMOS chip must have power constantly or it will lose its information (just like RAM does when your computer is powered off). To prevent CMOS from losing its rather important information, motherboard manufacturers include a small battery called the CMOS battery to power the CMOS memory.”

If the system time resets or becomes incorrect after power off, it indicates a BIOS or CMOS battery issue. Configuring or replacing the BIOS/CMOS settings resolves it.

Verified Reference:

Chapter 1: Core Hardware Components — “BIOS and CMOS” (pp. 20–21).