IT Fundamentals and Computer Hardware
Core concepts
A candidate must be able to name the major internal components and explain what each does: CPU (cores, clock speed, cache levels), RAM (volatile working memory), storage (HDD vs SSD, NVMe, SATA), motherboard and chipset, PSU, and expansion buses (PCIe). Understand the boot sequence: firmware (BIOS/UEFI) performs POST, then locates a boot device and hands control to the bootloader. Distinguish input, output, and storage peripherals, and know common ports and connectors (USB-A/C, HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet RJ45, Thunderbolt).
Traps in questions
Questions often blur volatile vs non-volatile memory: RAM loses contents on power loss, SSDs and HDDs do not. Do not confuse RAM with storage capacity, nor clock speed with the number of cores. Remember that UEFI replaces legacy BIOS and supports GPT disks and Secure Boot. A common trap is treating cache as slower than RAM; cache is faster and smaller. Another is assuming an SSD improves network speed - it improves I/O, not bandwidth. Also separate throughput from latency.
Worked example / rule of thumb
A user complains a workstation is slow when opening large files but fast on the network. Rule of thumb: match the bottleneck to the resource. Disk-bound symptoms (long file-open waits, high disk queue) point to storage; adding RAM helps only when memory pressure causes paging. If free RAM is low and paging is high, add RAM; if disk activity is saturated with adequate RAM, move to an SSD. This bottleneck-first reasoning answers most hardware performance questions.
Exam focus
Be ready to match a component to its function, identify the correct port for a device, and choose an upgrade that addresses a stated symptom rather than a generic 'faster computer' answer.