Issue date: Nov 7, 1999

Can you pass an 8th-grade computer quiz?
Try these sample questions from a test kids in one state must pass -- if they want to graduate.

omputer literacy is fast becoming as important in education as the three R's. In a matter of years, almost all of America's schools have become wired. In North Carolina, students are the first in the nation to be put to the test. All eighth-graders now take a computer proficiency test. They have until 12th grade to pass it, a requirement to graduate from high school starting with the class of 2001. In the test's first year, 77.5% of the state's eighth-graders passed.

Here, test your computer savvy with these sample questions from that eighth-grade test. (Print this out and show it to your children!)

1. Software programs that allow you to legally copy files and give them away at no cost are called what?
A. time share
B. public domain
C. shareware
D. probeware

2. What general term describes the physical equipment of a computer system, such as its video screen, keyboard and storage devices?
A. hardware
B. input
C. software
D. output

3. For a social studies report, Fred needs to illustrate the products of North Carolina with pictures and comparison graphs. He would most likely use which software programs?
A. spreadsheet and statistical
B. spreadsheet and database
C. graphing and clip art
D. clip art and drawing

4. Bryan has created a 10-page story but wants to print only the first two pages. Which printer command should he select?
A. from ______ to _____
B. print all
C. print preview
D. page setup

5. What is a picture that is saved on a diskette and can be pasted into a document?
A. clip art
B. clipboard
C. annotation
D. subscript

6. A word processor would most likely be used to do which of the following?
A. keep an account of money spent
B. maintain an inventory
C. type a biography
D. do a computer search in the media center

7. All of the following are examples of electronic databases except which one?
A. a collection of country-music CDs
B. a CD-ROM encyclopedia
C. computerized student information
D. online catalog

8. Compared with a traditional card catalog, which of the following is an advantage of an electronic card catalog?
A. contains information on more books
B. less costly to install and operate
C. allows books to be shelved more quickly
D. allows sophisticated search strategies

9. What is the function of a disk drive?
A. to print sheets of paper
B. to read from or write information to a floppy disk
C. to display information or pictures on a screen
D. to calculate numbers

10. Telecomputing involves the transmission of all of the following except which one?
A. text
B. graphics
C. sound
D. disks

11. Which term refers to the speed at which information is telecomputed?
A. megabyte load
B. interface speed
C. cycles per second
D. baud rate

12. Which of the following best describes uploading information?
A. receiving information from a host computer
B. storing data on the hard drive
C. sending information to a host computer
D. storing data on a disk drive

How to score
Check your answers against those upside down at the end of the quiz. Count the number you got right to see how computer literate you are.

Up to 4: Stick to pen and paper.
5 to 8: Better than Dagwood -- but not quite Dilbert.
9 to 11: Almost perfect. That's OK, though; we hate perfectionists.
12: Congratulations! You probably bought Microsoft at $10, too.

answers 1. B 2. A 3. C 4. A 5. A 6. C 7. A 8. D 9. B 10. D 11. D 12. C

Source: Questions released from the North Carolina Test of Computer Skills, state Department of Public Instruction. Scoring system above does not reflect actual test.
http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/accountability/testing/testing/index.html