Communications
Complete Practice Exam 2026/2027 – 200+
Questions with Detailed Answers
SECTION 1: NETWORK FUNDAMENTALS & ARCHITECTURE
Questions 1–50
Question 1
A company is expanding its office space and needs to add network cabling. The
primary requirements are support for speeds up to 10 Gbps, immunity to
electromagnetic interference from nearby heavy machinery, and the ability to span
a distance of 550 meters for backbone connections. Which cable type is the most
suitable choice?
A) Cat6a UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair)
B) Multimode Fiber Optic Cable
C) Single-mode Fiber Optic Cable
D) Cat8 Shielded Twisted Pair (STP)
Correct Answer: B) Multimode Fiber Optic Cable
Rationale: The key constraint is the 550-meter distance. At 10 Gbps, Cat6a UTP is
limited to 100 meters, making option A unsuitable. Cat8 STP is also limited to a
30-meter reach at its top speeds. This makes fiber the necessary medium. While
single-mode fiber supports vastly longer distances (up to 40 km+), it uses more
expensive laser-based transceivers, which is overkill for a short 550 m intra-
campus backbone. Multimode fiber with VCSEL-based optics is specifically
designed and cost-optimized for distances up to 550 meters (with OM4 standard) at
,10 Gbps. Its inherent immunity to electromagnetic interference (EMI) perfectly
addresses the machinery requirement .
Question 2
What is the primary purpose of a network switch?
A) To connect multiple devices and forward data only to the intended recipient
using MAC addresses
B) To broadcast data to all connected devices indiscriminately
C) To convert digital signals into analog for transmission
D) To amplify and regenerate signals over long distances
Correct Answer: A) To connect multiple devices and forward data only to the
intended recipient using MAC addresses
Rationale: Switches operate at Layer 2 of the OSI model and use MAC addresses
to forward frames intelligently, reducing collisions and improving network
efficiency compared to hubs. Unlike hubs that broadcast data to all ports, switches
create separate collision domains per port .
Question 3
Which OSI layer is responsible for reliable data delivery, error detection, and
retransmission?
A) Network Layer
B) Data Link Layer
C) Transport Layer
D) Physical Layer
Correct Answer: C) Transport Layer
Rationale: The Transport Layer (Layer 4) manages end-to-end communication,
error recovery, flow control, and segmentation. Protocols like TCP operate at this
layer to ensure reliable data delivery, error checking, and sequencing of data
between hosts .
,Question 4
Which component converts digital signals into analog signals for transmission over
traditional phone lines?
A) Router
B) Switch
C) Modem
D) Repeater
Correct Answer: C) Modem
Rationale: A modem (modulator-demodulator) converts digital data to analog for
transmission over analog lines (e.g., POTS) and back again for reception. The term
is a combination of modulator and demodulator .
Question 5
What is the primary function of a router in a network?
A) Connect multiple devices within the same LAN
B) Forward data between different networks based on IP addresses
C) Amplify signals to extend network distance
D) Assign IP addresses to devices
Correct Answer: B) Forward data between different networks based on IP
addresses
Rationale: Routers operate at Layer 3 (Network layer) of the OSI model and make
forwarding decisions based on logical IP addresses. They connect different
networks and determine the best path for data transmission .
Question 6
What does a repeater do?
, A) It connects two different network types
k. k. k. k. k.
B) It amplifies and regenerates a signal to extend the transmission distance
k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k.
C) It filters packets based on IP addresses
k. k. k. k. k. k.
D) It converts analog signals to digital
k. k. k. k. k.
Correct Answer: B) It amplifies and regenerates a signal to extend the
k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k.
transmission distance
k. k.
Rationale: A repeater operates at the Physical Layer (Layer 1) and restores signal
k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k.
strength and shape, allowing data to travel longer distances without degradation. It
k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k.
regenerates the signal rather than simply amplifying it .
k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k.
Question 7 k.
Which topology connects all devices in a closed loop?
k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k.
A) Star
B) Bus
C) Ring
D) Mesh
CorrectAnswer: C) Ring k. k. k.
Rationale: In a ring topology, each device connects to two other devices forming a
k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k.
circular path. Data travels in one direction around the ring, passing through each
k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k.
device until it reaches its destination .
k. k. k. k. k. k. k.
Question 8 k.
What is the main advantage of a star topology?
k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k.
A) Redundancy of connections k. k.
B) Easy fault isolation because each device connects to a central hub
k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k.
C) Minimal cabling requirements k. k.
D) High tolerance to cable breaks
k. k. k. k.
CorrectAnswer: B) Easy fault isolation because each device connects to a
k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k. k.
central hub
k. k.