ITE 180 Final Exam Review

nondirected question

"Tell me about your educational background..." is an example of:

extraneous variable

A(n) ___ is a factor that an evaluator tried to eliminate from a side-by-side test of competing products because it could bias the test results.

professional association

A(n) ___ is a formal organization that represents the interests of a group of help desk professionals.

budget

A(n) ___ is a plan prepared by a help desk manager to describe the costs to provide support services.

predecesor task

A(n) ___ is a project activity or step that must be completed before another task can begin.

request for proposal (RFP)

A(n) ___ is a purchasing procedure that invites competing vendors of products and services to submit proposals and prices for technology that meets specified requirements.

flowchard

A(n) ___ is a schematic diagram that uses symbols to represent the parts of a computer or network system.

project plan/project charter

A(n) ___ is a written narrative that describes the objectives, scope, methods, participants, deliverables, and timeline for a needs assessment project.

benchmark

A(n) ___ is an objective test or measurement used to evaluate the speed, capacity, capabilities, or productivity of competing technology products.

deliverable

A(n) ___ is the end result of an analysis project that recommends purchase, modification, upgrade, or construction of a technology solution.

cost-benefit analysis

A(n) _______ is a balance sheet that describes the expenses associated with a proposed technology solution and the advantages the solution will provide to an organization.

flowchart

A(n) _______ is a schematic diagram that uses symbols to represent the parts of a technology solution or office workflow.

anti-static

A(n) _______ wrist strap is used to ground a support specialist to a PC's power supply or system case when electric components must be handled.

Express

A(n) ________ installation is an option that installs only the most used features of an application software package.

code of ethical conduct

A(n) __________ is a set of behavior guidelines that a professional organization expects its members to follow.

Request for Proposal (RFP)

A(n) ____________ is a product purchasing tool that invites competing vendors to submit product and price proposals for technology products.

Benchmark

A(n) ____________ is an objective test or measurement used to evaluate the speed, capacity, capabilities, or productivity of competing technology products.

performance appraisal

A(n) ____________________ is a process to evaluate a help desk or support worker according to established criteria.

True

True or False? When making a decision about a new technology or service, an organization must consider what is feasible in terms of time, staffing, money, and technology.

False

True or False? Wrist and finger pain is usually the result of a mouse that needs maintenance.

ergonomics

Ways to design PC workspaces to minimize health problems and maximize worker safety, productivity, and comfort is called _________________.

user preferences

What is not an objective evaluation method for selecting a technology product?

behavioral question

What kind of interview question gives a job applicant an opportunity to describe what he or she did in a specific job situation?

weighted point method

What product evaluation method uses several criteria of predefined important to arrive at a numerical summary score for each competing product?

industry standard products

When support staff select office productivity software such as word processors or spreadsheets, they often use which decision strategy?

one to one

Which kind of training format tends to be the highest cost method?

build-versus-buy decision

A (n) considers whether to purchase a solution off the shelf or construct one from scratch.

True

A benchmark test of competing products is designed to use objective evaluation criteria instead of an evaluator's personal opinions. True or False?

ethical dilemma

A conflict that involves a decision between satisfying one's employer and the goals satisfying a client is probably a(n):

power conditioner

A device that regulates the electrical power on a circuit into which a PC or server will be connected is a(n) ___________________.

an Erlang

A measure of the number of support calls that can be processed in a given time period, often used to determine staffing levels in a help desk operation, is:

model

A narrative or diagram that describes the structure and operation of existing or proposed technology is called a:

Justify the value and expense of help desk services

A primary purpose of help desk performance statistics is to ___

Gantt chart

A project planning tool that shows basic information about each project task as horizontal bars on a timeline graph is call a _______.

user satisfaction survey

A questionnaire designed to measure the effectiveness of services among a sample of users is called:

12 or fewer

A small group training sessions usually includes _____ trainees.

False

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations are the responsibility of a safety engineer and not a concern of a technology installer. True or False?

A benchmark

An objective test or measurement that technology product evaluators use to compare two or more products is ___.

False

An uninterruptable power supply (UPS) is an electrical device that guarantees PC or server can operate in critical situations for an extended period when no electrical power is available. True or False?

True

True or False? The employee selection process for a help desk position can be described as an attempt to find applicants with the KSAs that most closely match the position's requirements.

False

True or False? The goals and objectives of an organization are usually long-term and do not normally impact decisions about a user's immediate needs for technology solutions and services.

False

By the early 1980s, hardware and software on PCs were standardized in most organizations. True or False?

True

During an interview for a help desk position, directed questions are open-ended and give an applicant an opportunity to talk in general terms compared with non-directed questions. True or False?

establish motivation

During which of these steps in a training session should a trainer cover what trainees achieve by the end of the training and why the training is useful?

Preparation

During which training step does a trainer develop details about the specific topics to cover and how to present them?

biometric reader

Hardware that can identify a user based on eye patterns, hand geometry, fingerprints, and other physical characteristics is called a(n) _________.

illegal

In a company's acceptable use guideline, accessing confidential employee information would likely by described as:

operating cost

In a cost-benefit analysis, hardware maintenance and repairs is generally considered a(n) ________.

acquisition cost

In a cost-benefit analysis, the development or purchase of software is generally considered a:

Preparation

In a user needs assessment project, an analyst tries to understand the organization goals, the decision criteria, the roles of stakeholders, and the sources of information during which of these phases? A. B. C. D.

True

In a user needs assessment project, software requirements should be considered first, followed by hardware needs. True or False?

technology feasibility

In a user needs assessment project, the fact that an organization is uncomfortable with risks due to reliance on a new, untested software application would be considered part of:

True

In smaller organizations, support specialists may perform some user support management tasks, such as project leader, supervisor, or user support manager. True or False?

increase

In the next decade, the U.S. labor market demand for user support workers is expected to:

user training program

One of the most effective ways to enable users to be more self-reliant is through a __________.

footprint

The length times the width of a computer case is called its ___

True

True or False? The larger the number of incompatible software packages an organization owns, the greater the cost to train and retrain workers.

True

The criteria an organization uses to make a decision about new technology or services are often based on the feasibility of time, staffing, money, and available technology. True or False?

down slightly

The display screen connected to a PC should be located so a user looks:

the width times the length of the case

The footprint of a desktop PC system case is ___________.

abandonment rate

The percentage of calls in which a user hangs up before support staff respond is called:

Anticipate possible installation problems

The purpose of a preinstallation site visit is to:

all carpel tunnel injuries are repetitive strain injuries

The relationship between carpel tunnel syndrome and repetitive strain injuries is ________________.

somewhat below the average level

Trainers should aim the level of the training at ___________ of the group of trainees.

True

True or False? A Gantt chart allows a project manager to ask what-if questions about how changes in resources impact the timeline of a project.

True

True or False? A benchmark test of competing products is designed to use objective evaluation criteria instead of an evaluator's personal opinions.

True

True or False? A cost center is a help desk operation that has an expense budget, but no offsetting income budget.

True

True or False? A cost-benefit analysis is often in the form of a side-by-side comparison of the expenses and payoffs associated with a potential solution.

True

True or False? A keyboard placed on a standard height office desk (30") can cause user discomfort because the angle of the user's wrists at the keyboard is unnatural.

False

True or False? A payroll clerk usually makes the final decision about whether or not a new payroll software application is needed.

True

True or False? A turnkey system is a package that includes hardware, software, network connectivity, and support services from a single vendor.

False

True or False? As a general rule, dominance in the software industry does not change over time; the best-selling products in the early 1980s are still the best-selling products today.

False

True or False? By the early 1980s, hardware and software for PCs were standardized in most organizations.

False

True or False? Help desk industry certification is now essentially a requirement for any user support position.

True

True or False? In a user needs assessment project, software requirements should generally be considered first, followed by hardware needs.

False

True or False? In order to avoid bias and favoritism, product evaluation and selection decisions are usually made by user support staff working alone, independent of other workers.

False

True or False? Industry-standard technology products are those selected by a panel of industry experts for use in most organizations.

False

True or False? Organizations that treat user support as a profit center may have difficulty justifying the cost of support services.

True

True or False? Some problems that user support analysts investigate turn out to be organizational problems instead of technology problems.

True

True or False? Support managers often user recordings of monitored support calls to help workers identify areas where performance improvement is needed.

True

True or False? Technology product standards originally emerged in order to reduce the cost to provide support for end users.

False

True or False? The build-versus-buy decision in a needs analysis project applies primarily to computer hardware.

False

True or False? Unlike a question in a knowledge and skills test, there is only one correct answer to a scenario question in a job interview.

Small organizations

Which of the following are more likely to use subjective selection criteria to choose among competing technology products? A. B. C. D.

Help desk fees for services

Which of the following aspects of help desk operation would you least expect to be covered in a help desk mission statement? A. Operational efficiency of users B. Help desk fees for services C. Customer satisfaction D. Effectiveness of help desk services

purchase

Which of the following is not a primary step in the needs analysis and assessment process? A. preparation B. investigation C. decision D. purchase

computer adaptive test

Which of the following testing methods is commonly used in industry certification exams? A. computer adaptive test B. scenario test C. traditional fixed-length test D. ITIL best practices test

Fees for help desk services

Which of these aspects of help desk operation would not normally be covered in a user support mission statement. True or False? A. B. C. D.

Programming skills

Which of these knowledge, skills, and abilities would a help desk manager probably not seek in an applicant for a help desk position? A. B. C. D.

expertise

Which of these skills deals with an ability to perform a task effectively and efficiently?

All of these

Which of these would you expect to find as members of a product standards committee? A. B. C. D.

Project Budget

Which of these would you least expect to find in a project charter? A. B. C. D.

acceptable use policies

___ adopted by organizations often describe how users are permitted to use technology, what users are not allowed to do, and the consequences or penalties for unauthorized or illegal use.

product standards

___ are an attempt to strike a reasonable balance between "select only this product" and "buy anything you want".

subjective criteria

___ are selection criteria that are neither measurable not repeatable in an evaluation of competing technology products and services.

Trial/Evaluation/Demonstration

___ copies of new software applications may have limited features or operate for a finite trial period, and are used to evaluate products.

ergonomics

___ deals with how to design hardware, software, and workspaces to minimize health problems and maximize worker safety, productivity, and job satisfaction.

Operational

_______ feasibility considers analysis of the existing technology or operational procedures that new technology must interact with.

downtime

______________ is a measure of the number of hours per week or month that a PC or server is unavailable for use because of power failures or other problems.