IBM C1000-120 flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Exam objective weighting

IBM publishes each domain with a percentage weight; the weights sum to 100 percent and indicate how many scored questions a domain contributes, guiding study time allocation.

Scaled score reporting

IBM certification exams typically report a scaled score rather than raw correct answers; the passing point is set on that scale and published with the exam description.

Multiple-response item rule

When a question asks you to choose more than one answer, the stem states the required count; selecting fewer or more than that count scores the item as incorrect.

Guessing strategy on scored exams

Because unanswered items earn no credit and wrong answers carry no additional penalty, every question should be answered, eliminating clearly wrong options first.

Online proctored delivery

Remote-proctored sessions require a supported browser, a working webcam and microphone, a stable connection, and a quiet private room; environment checks run before the exam starts.

Objective verb signals

Verbs such as identify and describe test recall, while configure, design, and troubleshoot require applied knowledge; match preparation depth to the verb used in each objective.

Version-specific behavior

Product behavior changes between releases; an answer correct for one version may be wrong for another, so the version named in the stem governs the expected answer.

Root cause versus symptom

A symptom describes the visible failure while the root cause is the underlying defect; correct answers in troubleshooting scenarios resolve the cause rather than suppressing the symptom.

Absolute qualifier distractor

Options using always, never, all, or only are usually incorrect because documented rules normally carry conditions; treat such options as suspect unless the documentation is unconditional.

Least privilege principle

Grant only the permissions required for the stated task and no more; security questions favor narrow, explicit grants over broad roles assigned for convenience.

Single point of failure

A component whose failure stops the whole service; redundancy only helps when every shared dependency is also redundant, so a shared database can defeat duplicated application servers.

Dependency ordering

Installation and configuration steps must follow technical dependency order, so a step that requires an existing resource cannot precede creation of that resource.

Constraint-driven answer selection

When several options are technically valid, the correct one satisfies every constraint stated in the scenario, including cost, latency, residency, and compatibility limits.

Authentication versus authorization

Authentication verifies identity, authorization determines permitted actions; a failure after successful login points to authorization or policy rather than credential problems.

Layered troubleshooting order

Diagnose from the bottom up: network reachability, then transport and TLS, then authentication, then authorization, then application logic; this isolates the failing layer quickly.

Integration compatibility triad

Before selecting an integration option, confirm protocol, authentication mechanism, and payload format all match between the two endpoints being connected.

Headroom sizing rule

Size capacity against peak load plus a growth margin, not average load; an option sized to the mean will fail during the busiest interval described in the scenario.

Lift-and-shift migration

Moving a workload to a new environment with minimal code change; it trades re-architecture effort for limited benefit from cloud-native features.

Re-architecture migration

Redesigning a workload to use platform-native services; it delivers greater scalability and resilience but requires code changes and longer timelines than relocation.

Error text matching

When a stem quotes a log line or status code, the correct option must be consistent with that exact value; options describing a different code are distractors.

Regulated workload indicator

Mentions of health, financial, or personal data signal that the answer must explicitly address encryption, audit logging, or data residency requirements.

Glossary-accurate terminology

Product terminology questions are scored against the vendor's own glossary; a generic industry synonym can be wrong even when conceptually similar.

Sibling-component swap distractor

A common wrong option substitutes a related component that performs a similar but distinct function; confirm which component actually owns the described responsibility.

Peak versus average load

Average utilization hides short bursts; capacity answers must survive the maximum concurrent demand stated or implied by the scenario.

Explicit deny precedence

In policy-based access systems an explicit deny overrides an allow; scenario answers must respect that ordering when both appear in the policy set.

Identity verification at check-in

Test centers and remote proctors require government-issued photo identification whose name matches the registration exactly; mismatches can prevent the exam from starting.

Scoring of unanswered items

Items left blank are treated as incorrect; there is no partial credit for an unanswered question, so completing the section is always preferable to leaving gaps.

Scenario constraint inventory

Before choosing, list every constraint in the stem, then eliminate any option that violates at least one; the remaining option is the intended answer.

Redundant shared dependency

Duplicating an application tier while keeping one shared database leaves a single point of failure; full availability requires redundancy at every layer.

Recall versus applied objectives

Objectives phrased as identify or list are answered from memory, while apply or configure objectives require practice with the actual interface and settings.

Payload format mismatch

Two systems can authenticate successfully yet still fail to exchange data if the payload encoding or schema differs; format is a separate compatibility dimension.

Change impact check

Before accepting a fix, confirm it does not violate another stated requirement; a solution that repairs one scenario while breaking another is scored incorrect.