CIS105 - MIDTERM EXAM (ARIZONA STATE
UNIVERSITY EARNED ADMISSIONS) QUIZZES &
ANS..
Introduction
This simulation mirrors the CIS105 Introduction to Computer Information Systems mid-
term examination delivered in ASU’s Earned Admissions track.
It is constructed to assess mastery of:
• Core hardware/software concepts and operating-system literacy
• Productivity-suite proficiency (word-processing, spreadsheet, and presentation
tools)
• Internet protocols, cloud services, and digital communication etiquette
• Foundational security, privacy, and ethics topics
• Emerging technologies and societal impacts of computing
All items are original, scenario-based, and aligned with the 2024-2025 ASU Earned
Admissions curriculum framework.
Work through each explanation to solidify high-level digital fluency for the proctored
mid-term and for subsequent university coursework.
Question 1
A student opens a 12-page APA report and wants the page number to appear
automatically at the top-right of every page. Which Word feature should be used?
A. Insert → Page Number → Top of Page
B. Insert → Header → Edit Header
C. Design → Page Color
D. References → Table of Contents → Page Numbers
Answer: A. Insert → Page Number → Top of Page
Solution: The Page-Number gallery places a dynamic field in the header that updates on
every page. Option B only opens the header pane without inserting the field; C changes
background; D inserts TOC page references, not headers.
Question 2
Which file extension indicates that a workbook contains macros created with VBA?
A. .xlsx
B. .xml
C. .xlsm
D. .csv
pg. 1
,Answer: C. .xlsm
Solution: .xlsm is the macro-enabled format; .xlsx strips macros for security. XML (B) is
markup; CSV (D) is plain text.
Question 3
While editing a large PowerPoint deck you decide to reuse a slide from last semester’s
file. Which command imports ONLY slide 3 from the old deck without altering its theme?
A. New Slide → Duplicate Selected Slides
B. Home → Paste → Keep Source Formatting
C. Review → Compare
D. Insert → Reuse Slides → Browse → Slide 3 → Keep Source Formatting
Answer: D. Insert → Reuse Slides → Browse → Slide 3 → Keep Source Formatting
Solution: Reuse Slides lets you cherry-pick individual slides and choose whether to
accept the source theme. Duplicate (A) works inside the same file; Paste (B) requires the
slide to be copied first; Compare (C) merges comments, not single slides.
Question 4
A Chromebook with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB eMMC storage is best described as:
A. a thin client that off-loads most processing to Google data centres
B. a workstation optimised for 3-D rendering
C. a thick client that stores all user files locally on SATA SSD
D. a server-class machine running Active Directory
Answer: A. a thin client that off-loads most processing to Google data centres
Solution: Chromebooks run cloud-centric ChromeOS and stream applications, making
them modern thin clients. They are not 3-D workstations (B), do not use SATA SSD (C),
and do not host AD (D).
Question 5
You need to send a 450 MB video to a classmate. Which Internet service is MOST
appropriate?
A. SMS text message
B. Email attachment via POP3
C. Cloud storage share-link (OneDrive, Google Drive)
D. FTP active mode without login
Answer: C. Cloud storage share-link (OneDrive, Google Drive)
Solution: Cloud links handle large files and provide resume capability. SMS (A) is limited
to a few MB; POP3 (B) usually caps at 20-25 MB; anonymous FTP (D) is obsolete and
insecure.
Question 6
A Windows folder shows 1.2 GB of research images. Which action REDUCES the total
size on disk without deleting any files?
A. Compress the folder (Properties → Advanced → Encrypt contents)
pg. 2
, B. Compress the folder (Properties → Advanced → Compress contents)
C. Move the folder to OneDrive
D. Change the view to Large icons
Answer: B. Compress the folder (Properties → Advanced → Compress contents)
Solution: NTFS compression shrinks file size. Encrypt (A) does not reduce size;
OneDrive (C) moves data but does not compress locally; view change (D) is cosmetic.
Question 7
You open Task Manager and see CPU utilisation stuck at 100 % by a single process
named “WinUpdate.exe” located in C:\Users\CurrentUser\AppData\Roaming. This
MOST likely indicates:
A. legitimate Windows Update activity
B. a crypto-mining trojan masquerading as system software
C. a hardware driver failure
D. normal idle-state behaviour
Answer: B. a crypto-mining trojan masquerading as system software
Solution: Legitimate Windows Update runs from %SystemRoot%\System32, not
AppData\Roaming; 100 % single-process load from roaming folder is classic malware
behaviour.
Question 8
Which topology provides the HIGHEST fault tolerance for a campus network backbone?
A. Bus
B. Star
C. Ring
D. Mesh
Answer: D. Mesh
Solution: Mesh offers multiple redundant paths; failure of one link does not isolate
devices. Bus (A) and Ring (C) fail on a single break; Star (B) depends on one core switch.
Question 9
A friend claims that turning off Wi-Fi and using only cellular data prevents location
tracking. Which statement is TRUE?
A. Cellular carriers can still triangulate position via tower signals
B. Airplane mode is required to stop ALL tracking
C. Disabling GPS is sufficient to prevent location inference
D. No tracking is possible without Wi-Fi
Answer: A. Cellular carriers can still triangulate position via tower signals
Solution: Tower triangulation uses signal-time-of-flight; GPS (C) is separate; Airplane
mode (B) stops transmission but is not the only method; D is false.
Question 10
You paste a chart from Excel into Word and choose “Link & Keep Source Formatting.”
pg. 3
UNIVERSITY EARNED ADMISSIONS) QUIZZES &
ANS..
Introduction
This simulation mirrors the CIS105 Introduction to Computer Information Systems mid-
term examination delivered in ASU’s Earned Admissions track.
It is constructed to assess mastery of:
• Core hardware/software concepts and operating-system literacy
• Productivity-suite proficiency (word-processing, spreadsheet, and presentation
tools)
• Internet protocols, cloud services, and digital communication etiquette
• Foundational security, privacy, and ethics topics
• Emerging technologies and societal impacts of computing
All items are original, scenario-based, and aligned with the 2024-2025 ASU Earned
Admissions curriculum framework.
Work through each explanation to solidify high-level digital fluency for the proctored
mid-term and for subsequent university coursework.
Question 1
A student opens a 12-page APA report and wants the page number to appear
automatically at the top-right of every page. Which Word feature should be used?
A. Insert → Page Number → Top of Page
B. Insert → Header → Edit Header
C. Design → Page Color
D. References → Table of Contents → Page Numbers
Answer: A. Insert → Page Number → Top of Page
Solution: The Page-Number gallery places a dynamic field in the header that updates on
every page. Option B only opens the header pane without inserting the field; C changes
background; D inserts TOC page references, not headers.
Question 2
Which file extension indicates that a workbook contains macros created with VBA?
A. .xlsx
B. .xml
C. .xlsm
D. .csv
pg. 1
,Answer: C. .xlsm
Solution: .xlsm is the macro-enabled format; .xlsx strips macros for security. XML (B) is
markup; CSV (D) is plain text.
Question 3
While editing a large PowerPoint deck you decide to reuse a slide from last semester’s
file. Which command imports ONLY slide 3 from the old deck without altering its theme?
A. New Slide → Duplicate Selected Slides
B. Home → Paste → Keep Source Formatting
C. Review → Compare
D. Insert → Reuse Slides → Browse → Slide 3 → Keep Source Formatting
Answer: D. Insert → Reuse Slides → Browse → Slide 3 → Keep Source Formatting
Solution: Reuse Slides lets you cherry-pick individual slides and choose whether to
accept the source theme. Duplicate (A) works inside the same file; Paste (B) requires the
slide to be copied first; Compare (C) merges comments, not single slides.
Question 4
A Chromebook with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB eMMC storage is best described as:
A. a thin client that off-loads most processing to Google data centres
B. a workstation optimised for 3-D rendering
C. a thick client that stores all user files locally on SATA SSD
D. a server-class machine running Active Directory
Answer: A. a thin client that off-loads most processing to Google data centres
Solution: Chromebooks run cloud-centric ChromeOS and stream applications, making
them modern thin clients. They are not 3-D workstations (B), do not use SATA SSD (C),
and do not host AD (D).
Question 5
You need to send a 450 MB video to a classmate. Which Internet service is MOST
appropriate?
A. SMS text message
B. Email attachment via POP3
C. Cloud storage share-link (OneDrive, Google Drive)
D. FTP active mode without login
Answer: C. Cloud storage share-link (OneDrive, Google Drive)
Solution: Cloud links handle large files and provide resume capability. SMS (A) is limited
to a few MB; POP3 (B) usually caps at 20-25 MB; anonymous FTP (D) is obsolete and
insecure.
Question 6
A Windows folder shows 1.2 GB of research images. Which action REDUCES the total
size on disk without deleting any files?
A. Compress the folder (Properties → Advanced → Encrypt contents)
pg. 2
, B. Compress the folder (Properties → Advanced → Compress contents)
C. Move the folder to OneDrive
D. Change the view to Large icons
Answer: B. Compress the folder (Properties → Advanced → Compress contents)
Solution: NTFS compression shrinks file size. Encrypt (A) does not reduce size;
OneDrive (C) moves data but does not compress locally; view change (D) is cosmetic.
Question 7
You open Task Manager and see CPU utilisation stuck at 100 % by a single process
named “WinUpdate.exe” located in C:\Users\CurrentUser\AppData\Roaming. This
MOST likely indicates:
A. legitimate Windows Update activity
B. a crypto-mining trojan masquerading as system software
C. a hardware driver failure
D. normal idle-state behaviour
Answer: B. a crypto-mining trojan masquerading as system software
Solution: Legitimate Windows Update runs from %SystemRoot%\System32, not
AppData\Roaming; 100 % single-process load from roaming folder is classic malware
behaviour.
Question 8
Which topology provides the HIGHEST fault tolerance for a campus network backbone?
A. Bus
B. Star
C. Ring
D. Mesh
Answer: D. Mesh
Solution: Mesh offers multiple redundant paths; failure of one link does not isolate
devices. Bus (A) and Ring (C) fail on a single break; Star (B) depends on one core switch.
Question 9
A friend claims that turning off Wi-Fi and using only cellular data prevents location
tracking. Which statement is TRUE?
A. Cellular carriers can still triangulate position via tower signals
B. Airplane mode is required to stop ALL tracking
C. Disabling GPS is sufficient to prevent location inference
D. No tracking is possible without Wi-Fi
Answer: A. Cellular carriers can still triangulate position via tower signals
Solution: Tower triangulation uses signal-time-of-flight; GPS (C) is separate; Airplane
mode (B) stops transmission but is not the only method; D is false.
Question 10
You paste a chart from Excel into Word and choose “Link & Keep Source Formatting.”
pg. 3
