topics not covered by IC on DSST Computing & IT

[rvm]

Here are few topics on my Computing & IT exam (DSST) which were not covered by IC or not covered thoroughly enough.

• Program structures: logical order & conditional variables as well as no conditional variables
  
• Understand in depth, data representation & text transfers between computers
  
• Which company set a precedence for companies not being liable for user infringements?
  
• Political, economic and social change brought on by technology?
  
• Understand vertical market software & horizontal market software
  
• Understand how Mac OSX can run on Windows.  This is usually called Dual-Boot but there's another name referenced by DDST.
  
• Sarbanes-Oxley vs Computer Fraud & Abuse Act vs Patriot Act - which major concepts are associated with which ACT?
  
• 1950s company which was competitor to IBM
  
• Understand DHCP & Mac Addresses
  
• Understand the differences between TCP and IP and what each protocol does (IC touches on this but not enough)
  

I've worked in the software industry for over 20 years so I have a definite advantage.  This should be a super easy test and 90% of it was super easy for me ... except is it VERY poorly written and I told them so at the end of the test.  It asks questions where there are multiple answers which could be correct such that the questions would be similar to "Who are Donald Duck's nephews?"  We know they are Huey, Dewey & Louie.  But if you did not study IC or take the DSST practice exams, you won't know they mean the answer they want is Louie.  Ok, this is a childish example but I'm hoping to instill my point that you at least need to know the terms of Computing & IT.  Last, this exam is out-dated which is another reason to study the DSST material provided on online because computer terms evolve over time.

Scored 474 on my last day with the flu.

Here's a tip.  Computer professionals tend to make things as simple for themselves as possible.  When you don't know an answer, look for a connection between the terms.  For example, Linux is named after its creator Linus Torvalds.  And, Lempel–Ziv is a universal lossless data compression algorithm which is essentially a ZIP file.  Notice the relationship between ZIV and ZIP.  Not all computers terms follow suit but many do so if you get to a question and have no idea of the answer, look for similar relationships within the letters.