 that the R attribute is set indicating the file is set to read-only. The A attribute is the archive attribute indicating that the file has not been archived (backed up) or has been modified since the last back up.
Read the Question
As with any test question, it’s important that you read the wording of the question carefully. For example, the previous question indicated that you needed to perform two tasks:
- Navigate to the c:data folder
- Set the attribute to read-only
In real life, you could achieve the same result in one command like this:
attrib +r c:datastudy.txt
Using this command, you’ll achieve the correct result. However, it’s very likely the question would be graded as incorrect because you didn’t do it as two steps.
Similarly, this would also be marked as incorrect:
attrib -r study.txt
This command clears (instead of sets) the read-only attribute.
How Many Performance Based Questions Should I Expect?
These questions take a lot more effort for CompTIA to create than a typical multiple choice question. A programmer has to create the simulated environment so that it looks realistic and supports multiple actions. All of this costs time and money. With this in mind, I don’t expect to see more than about five or six questions for any exam.
Do I Get Partial Credit?
A common question people ask when taking these types of questions is if they get partial credit if they correctly perform part of the problem but not all of it. For example, if you correctly change the directory but do not change attribute, would you get any credit?
CompTIA isn’t saying, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t award partial credit for these performance based questions. In other words, the question is testing your ability to complete a task and either you can, or you can’t. Think back to the sharp shooter. Perhaps he can successfully load bullets into a gun but cannot hit a target. Should he get partial credit?
How Are These Questions Graded?
CompTIA isn’t giving any specifics about how the questions are graded but you can certainly expect them to be worth more than a typical multiple choice question. These questions are much deeper and require more knowledge to answer correctly.
If a regular question is worth 8 points on a CompTIA scale of 100 to 900, a performance based question might be worth 24 points or even 32 points. You can probably afford to get one or two of these wrong but if you answer them all incorrectly, you’ll probably fail the exam.
Performance Based Testing and the Command Prompt
The command prompt is relatively easy to simulate for a performance based question. Also, the command prompt has many similarities between operating systems so it’s easier to create vendor neutral questions. Because of this, make sure you have a good understanding of any command prompt objectives for the exam you plan on taking.
Along those lines, if you’re looking for a book that has in-depth coverage of the command prompt, you might like to check out this book: Windows 7 Portable Command Guide (ISBN 978-0789747359). It provides straightforward coverage of how to use the command prompt with a wealth of examples showing exactly what to type to accomplish specific tasks.
Performance Based Testing in the CASP Exam
CompTIA first used performance based testing in the CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP) exam when it was released in beta format. It has continued to be a part of the CASP exam since.
The CASP exam only gives you a score of pass/fail rather than a numerical score. This is different from other CompTIA exams and it’s not clear if they’re doing this because of the performance based questions or because of some other reason.
Performance Based Testing in the A+ Exam
The next version of the A+ exam has two exams (220-801 and 220-802) and they are due out in October 2012. CompTIA has been saying for several months that these exams will include performance based testing.
The command prompt is included in many of the objectives, so you can expect performance based questions using the command prompt on the A+ exams. Another strong possi