Help Desk Support Multiple Choice – Flashcards
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A software company that discovers a bug in an infrequently used feature of a software package is likely to fix the problem by issuing a(n) ____.
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patch
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Which of these tasks does not normally occur during the first step in the incident management process.
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Verify that the caller is authorized to call
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Which of these is not normally part of an explanation to a user?
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Description of the various alternatives the support agent considered to find a solution.
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An internal user is one who is a ____.
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worker in the same organization that provides support services
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Incomplete coverage of a topic violates which of these four writing criteria?
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Content
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The usual sequence of incident escalation during help desk incident management is ____.
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from incident screener to product specialist
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A procedure or feature than accomplishes the same result as another feature that does not work correctly due to a software bug is called a ____.
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workaround
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The incident management step in which a user's problem is satisfactorily dealt with is called incident ____.
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resolution
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Which of these software packages includes features to present graphical information?
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Desktop publishing program, Word processing program, Spreadsheet program
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When a troubleshooter must select from among several diagnostic tests to gather information about a problem, the selection is based on ____ skills.
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decision making
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A telephone system that can answer calls, greet callers, provide menus, and route calls is a(n) ____.
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automated call distributor
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One measure of whether a support agent understands a problem is that they can express the user's problem in ____.
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the support agent's own words
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Viewing a system as a group of subsystems begins the search for a problem at ____.
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the beginning of a sequence of subsystems, the end of a sequence of subsystems, the middle of a sequence of subsystems
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Classifying end users as internal versus external is a classification by ____.
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relationship
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An automated service that consolidates and distributes information from newsgroups, blogs, forums and news websites is called ____.
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ListServ
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Performance problems in a PC are usually due to ___ problems.
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Hardware and Software
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A hardware device that was a first step toward decentralized computing was the ____.
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Terminal
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"Technical writing should be concise and it should be informative." is an example of a ____.
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Compound Sentence
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A cross-reference or link to where a reader can find additional information about a topic is called a(n) ____.
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Pointer
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The concept that similar items should be handled consistently throughout a document is called ____.
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Parallel Structure
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A document that is organized as a step-by-step introduction to the features of a software application is called a ____ manual.
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Tutorial
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Which of these is generally considered security threats?
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Virus, Spam email, Keystroke logger
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Which of these is not a recommended incident management strategy for support agents?
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Don't admit that you're wrong or don't know
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A situation where two software packages use resources in incompatible ways is called a(n) ____.
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Conflict
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A writer who performs each procedure or technical step in a document and tests each step with the hardware and software is doing a(n) ____ check.
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Technical Accuracy
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Which type of nonverbal behavior is the least effective posture for support agents?
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Fold arms
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Effective communication skills are important primarily to support agents who communicate ____.
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via telephone, face-to-face, via email
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A help desk software package that includes asset management can help a support staff control ____.
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an organization's equipment inventory
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Most hardware devices that malfunction today are ____.
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replaced
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The ability to step back from a troubleshooting situation and analyze one's own thinking process is called ____.
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Metacognition
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A PC that operates, but does not work as efficiently as it should, has a ____.
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Performance problem
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A user who presses the wrong sequence of keys in a software program is a victim of ____.
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user mistake
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A user who expects a software product to be able to perform a task for which it was not intended is a victim of a ____.
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user misunderstanding
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A user's first impression of a support agent comes from the ____.
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incident greeting
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Which of these devices is not a peripheral?
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Internal Memory
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The first PCs were used in businesses and homes in the ____.
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1970s
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One way to organize user support services that provides a single point of contact for an organization's workers or customers uses a(n) ____.
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help desk
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Which of these is not a service you would expect of a help desk or hotline?
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Operate a local network
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Which of these is an advantage to outsourcing as a way to provide user support?
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Outsourcing takes advantage of expertise a company does not have.
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Experienced technology users who need information on advanced topics are likely to need a ____.
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Reference manual
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When one hardware device conflicts with another device's use of system resources, the problem can often be diagnosed effectively by ____.
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examining the configuration
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During the development of a first draft, a technical writer is probably least concerned with ____.
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correct spelling
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Which of these was not a primary characteristic of computer use in the 1950s and 1960s?
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Served as an Internet host computer
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Hardware or software products that have been announced by vendors, but do not actually exist, are ____.
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vaporware
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Software with harmful or malicious intent to disrupt the business operation of a PC or network or to steal information or money is called ____.
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malware
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The ____ position is unlikely to exist in a help desk that is organized in a multi-level support model.
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Needs Assessment Analyst
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When a sequence of facts or steps is described, technical writers try to avoid which of these?
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Narrative Passage
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Application software that is intended for use in a specialized business environment is called ____.
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industry-specific applications
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The cognitive skills a troubleshooter uses to understand and explain an event or a situation are called ____.
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Critical thinking
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An incident management step, in which an incident is transferred to a support staff member who has greater experience or resources to handle difficult questions, is incident ____.
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escalation
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Which of these help desk positions is often staffed by an employee with programming or product development experience?
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Technical Support
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Put the numbered versions of a software package in sequence from the most significant change to the least significant. 1 - build#, 2 - release#, 3 - version#, 4 - update #
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3 - 2 - 4 - 1
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Support websites that use Web 2.0 technologies differ from earlier support websites primarily in ____.
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an emphasis on collaboration and communication among users
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An organization that provides a wide range of support services to users is called a(n) ____.
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user support center
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____ is not a category of management issues covered by the ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library).
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personnel management
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Tools a troubleshooter uses to get a description of a technology problem, learn a user's perspectives on the problem, and explain the solution to the user are called ____.
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communication skills
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____ is not a common source of job stress among user support workers.
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inadequate training, abusive users, inadequate resources
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Which of these sources of hardware problems is not one of the primary categories that account for most hardware support problems?
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Component design problems
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The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) measures ____.
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personality and work style preferences
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Troubleshooting technology problems can best be described as a(n) ____.
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iterative, repetitious procedure
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Analysis and evaluation of a user's message is likely to occur during which type of listening?
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critical
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Peripheral devices are part of a computer system's ____.
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hardware
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A feature of a website where discussions are posted by members of a user community is called a ____.
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user forum
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Another name for needs analysis is ____.
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needs assessment
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The ____ help desk position is normally staffed by an entry-level employee.
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incident screener
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KSA stands for ____.
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knowledge, skills, and abilities
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A troubleshooting activity where there is a current state of events X, a future desired state of events Y, and the troubleshooter's objective is to move from X to Y is called ____.
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problem solving
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A document with misspelled words violates which of these four general writing criteria?
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mechanics
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Dissatisfied clients are more likely than satisfied clients to ____.
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contact the help desk repeatedly for assistance
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Which category of help desk incident is: "My PC runs slowly when I access the Internet with a modem in the evenings"?
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a problem
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When a support agent does not know the answer to a question, a good incident management strategy is to tell the user ____.
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you will research the question and get back to the user
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Fine lines that extend from the top and bottom of a font's letters are called ____.
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serifs
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Root cause analysis is an iterative process that asks a series of ____ questions.
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Why?
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Which of these is not a primary strategy for a support organization that aims for customer service excellence?
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Meet all of a client's demands.
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A support agent who feels that a user needs substantial assistance with the organization of files on their PC should ____.
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point the user to useful information about file organization
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In a telephone communication, which of the following is the least likely telephone activity a support agents needs to develop?
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a way to hang up on abusive users
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What is the sequence of these steps in the technical writing process? A) proofread the document B) generate a list of ideas C) arrange for an outside reviewer D) write a first draft
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B, D, C, A
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Software that is developed collaboratively by a loose-knit team of programmers who agree to distribute the source code without cost is called ____.
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open source
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The goal of the multi-level support model is to handle most support incidents at ____.
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the lowest support level
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A substantially rewritten software package that contains major new features is called a(n) ____.
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new release
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Which of these is not one of the four goals of incident management?
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Complete the incident in the least amount of time possible
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Which of these words is least descriptive of the information on a webpage?
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comprehensive
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Computer technology generally doubles in capacity every two ____.
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years
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Hardware components that cannot operate together in the same PC are called ____.
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incompatible
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A reading level that is appropriate for most technical documentation is ____.
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10th grade
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Which of these technology trends may permit a support agent to answer questions about multiple operating systems from a single PC?
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virtualization
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Which of these forms of documentation often contains hyperlinks to related topics?
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online help
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Complete information on a particular end-user topic is usually organized together, in one document, organized in a(n) ____.
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reference format
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A website that contains large numbers of misspelled words and grammatical errors fails which of these general criteria ____.
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mechanics
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Which of these sequences is the order of the steps below in the iterative problem-solving process? a) formulate and test hypothesis b) collect information c) analyze results d) consider alternative explanations
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b, d, a, c
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Which of these types of documents is often used to describe the steps to install a software package?
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user guide or manual
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Application software used to prepare printed materials that include graphic images, such as newsletters, flyers, brochures, and posters, is called ____.
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desktop publishing
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"I can give you a workaround for this problem, then later we can diagnose the cause of the problem so you don't encounter it again." is an example of ____.
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empathy
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Due to increased use of the Internet, which of these are likely to increase in the future as a percentage of the total cost of a computer system?
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Information costs
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The position description for the Level 1 Help Desk Agent in this chapter illustrates that ____.
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network support and user support may be combined in a single position
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The intended audience of a document is generally described in the ____.
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introduction
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A software package feature that periodically checks the vendor's website for software updates is called ____.
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automatic update
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The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the demand for user support workers in the next 10 years will ____.
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increase significantly
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Detailed steps on how to perform a task are generally described in which part of a document?
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Body
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If a PC, over a period of time, takes longer and longer to perform a task such as a File Save operation, it likely has a ____.
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performance problem
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The user support staff is most likely to experience conflict with the IT department over ____.
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application software development
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A series of letters that represent a phrase is called ____.
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an acronym or initialism
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A computer user who enters an incorrect formula in a spreadsheet that results in a serious error is a victim of which common problem?
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User mistake
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Major coding mistakes made by programmers when they write software are called ____.
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bugs
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The purpose of support standards is to accomplish all but which of the following?
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expand supported products
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Most software problems that impact end users occur ____.
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during the installation and configuration of the software
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The ____ technology trend may change the way users access software and data.
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cloud computing
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Which of these is not one of the trends that led to growth in decentralized computing during the 1980s and 1990s?
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Increase in the cost of large-scale computer systems
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The most effective strategy for using a script is to ____.
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restate the scrip in your own words
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Which of these hardware devices is more likely to fail during the operation of a PC?
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CD or DVD drive
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A 48- to 72-hour period during which a PC or component is operated nonstop prior to installation at a user site is ____.
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a burn-in test
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Posts to a user forum with commentary on a single topic, arranged in date order, are called _____.
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thread
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The principle concept in the multi-level support help desk model is ____.
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lower level help desk staff can refer difficult problems to higher levels
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In order to make effective use of a new or upgraded technology, a user may require ____.
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training
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A company that contracts with another organization that specializes in user support is using ____.
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outsourcing
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A mental model to help a computer troubleshooter understand and explain a problem situation is based on ____.
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critical thinking
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Which of these forms of knowledge bases is the least interactive?
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vendor manuals
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Which of these categories of computer software can add thousands of dollars to the cost of a computer system?
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specialized software
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Remote access to a user's PC can be implemented with a ____.
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virtual private network
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Effective communication skills are based primarily on a support agent's ability to ____.
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listen and read effectively, understand a user's problem, communicate solutions to a user
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Businesses and organizations first began to use data communications and network technology to connect computer systems in the ____.
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1980s
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Software that helps users to communicate with family, friends and business colleagues by posting personal information, status updates, and photos is called ____.
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social media
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LBE Helpdesk, featured in this chapter, is an example of a(n) ____.
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a commercial help desk package
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The development of mass-market application software and personal computer operating became available in the ____.
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1980s
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"Development of software is not a frequent user support function" is an example of ____.
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nominalization
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The abbreviation CPU for central processing unit is an example of a(n) _____.
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initialism
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A software package used to prepare budgets, reports, forecasts, and financial statements is a ____.
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spreadsheet program
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Documentation that describes the steps to perform a task or a checklist of steps is ____.
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procedural documentation
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Network problems are often traceable to ____.
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a combination of hardware, operating systems, and application software
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Inexperienced support agents tend to speak ____ when they experience stress in a conversation with a user.
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too fast
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In critical thinking, a hypothesis is usually based on a ____.
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mental model
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A user who purchases an image scanner that is incompatible with the PC to which he or she wants to connect it is a victim of a ____.
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wrong product purchase
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Which of these version numbers is likely the most recent version of a software package?
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3.61
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Which of these categories of workers increased during the 1980s and contributed to growth in the number of computer users?
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workers in offices who create and use information
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Which type of nonverbal behavior is suggested for effective voice quality?
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use inflection to add interest, speak at a normal pitch, use a warm, upbeat tone of voice
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Which of these responsibilities would you least expect to find in a position description for a user support specialist?
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operates a large-scale computer
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Which of these is a collection of interconnected computers with large, networked storage devices that hosts cloud computing services?
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storage gateway
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In help desk jargon, ACD stands for ____.
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automated call distributor
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Tools to manage service level agreements (SLAs) in a help desk software package probably are of greatest use by ____.
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a help desk manager
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Most components today use which of these strategies to maximize hardware compatibility?
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plug and play standards
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A follow-up question a troubleshooter asks to get additional information about a problem situation is called a(n) ____.
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probe
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Theft of information, use of a computer to commit sabotage or embezzlement, and fraudulent use of a computer are examples of ____.
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computer crimes
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Use of a computer for unauthorized access to information about a customer, patient, or student is called ____.
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invasion of privacy
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The incident management step in which a closed incident is stored for later use in a knowledge base of solved problems is ____.
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archive the incident
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Under normal circumstances, the body of a document should be formatted in a ____ typeface.
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serif
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Reinstalling a software package to fix a problem with an inoperative program is an example of the ____ troubleshooting strategy.
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module replacement
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In a troubleshooting situation, a modem failed to work when a replacement USB cable was installed. Which of these critical questions would likely lead a troubleshooter to the source of the modem failure?
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have you made any recent changes to your PC?
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Which of these is not a characteristic of technical writing?
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Concludes with the most important point at the end of a section
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____ is not one of the five critical questions suggested in the chapter.
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How much experience do you have using this system?
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Rebooting a system in an attempt to fix a problem is an example of the ____ problem-solving strategy.
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Look for an obvious solution.
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Theft of information, use of a computer to commit sabotage or embezzlement, and fraudulent use of a computer are examples of ____.
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computer crimes
