Pearson Practice Test INF-308: Information Technology Specialist Computational Thinking

The INF-308 practice test contains 231 questions and covers the following objectives: 

Foundational Concepts – 28 questions  

Understand and recognize different types of data (ISTE 3B, 5B)  

• Understand and recognize structured and unstructured data  
• Understand and recognize different types of data such as text, numeric, data/time, image, and audio  
• Understand and recognize data encoding (ascii, binary, character mapping)  

Recognize and apply logical reasoning (ISTE 3A, 5B)  

• Recognize and apply Boolean and logical operators  
• Recognize and apply inductive reasoning  
• Recognize ambiguity in a logical reasoning problem 
• Recognize and apply deductive reasoning  

Explain algorithmic thinking (ISTE 5A, 5D)  

• Explain the purpose of algorithmic thinking  
• Understand the purpose of abstraction and model building 
• Understand the purpose and capabilities of automation  

Identify and Collect Data – 35 questions  

Assess data needs and available data (ISTE 3B, 5B, 5C)  

• Identify the data needed to solve a problem 
• Assess relevance of existing data sets  
• Determine the gap between existing data and data needs  

Understand data quality (ISTE 3B, 5B)  

• Understand validity 
• Understand reliability  
• Explain data cleaning in data sets  

Collect the data needed to solve a problem (ISTE 1D, 2B, 3B, 3C, 5B)  

• Collect relevant data using existing data sources 
• Including selection of appropriate tools to gather, analyze, and process data  
• Including retrieval of information from a data source, such as a list, a table, an infographic, etc.  
• Choose a method for creating original data sets such as an observation or a survey  
• Including input-validation methods  
• Explain the legal and ethical dimensions of data collection  

Apply Abstraction – 41 questions  

Identify patterns in and apply abstraction to data (ISTE 5A, 5B, 5C)  

• Identify patterns in data  
• Organize data using models such as tables, charts, and graphs 
• Sort and filter data by relevant criteria  
• Identify similarities, differences, and subsets in a data set  
• Make predictions by examining patterns  

Recognize, create and interpret abstract models (ISTE 5C, 5D)  

• Recognize an abstract representation, such as a model, variable, function, or procedure  
• Create an abstract model to understand complex systems or facilitate problem solving 
• Interpret a process flow diagram  

Specify a Solution – 39 questions  

Define and decompose a problem (ISTE 4B, 5A, 5C)  

• Identify an appropriate problem statement based on information provided  
• Define the scope and limitations of a problem  
• Identify decisionmakers, collaborators, and target audience  
• Break down a problem into component parts by using decomposition  

Identify requirements (ISTE 4A, 4B, 6A)  

• Select a design process, such as iterative or incremental  
• Identify prerequisites for a solution  
• Identify the possible outcomes of a solution 
• Choose appropriate tools to develop a solution, such as flow charts, spreadsheets, pseudocode, surveys  

Automate a Solution – 64 questions  

Use a sequence of steps in algorithms (ISTE 5B, 5D)  

• Create a sequence of steps 
• Evaluate the outcome of a sequence of steps  
• Recognize when to combine steps into re-usable procedures and functions  

Automate repetitive tasks by using iteration (ISTE 5D)  

• Recognize when to use iteration 
• Including when to use nested loops  
• Determine the outcome of an algorithm that uses iteration  
• Create an algorithm that uses iteration  

Use selection statements in algorithms (ISTE 5D)  

• Recognize when to use selection statements  
• Including when to use nesting in selection statements  
• Determine the outcome of an algorithm that uses selection statements  
• Create an algorithm that uses selection statements  

Use variables in algorithms (ISTE 5D)  

• Recognize when to use variables  
• Determine the outcome of an algorithm that uses variables  
• Create an algorithm that uses variables  

Present and Improve a Solution – 24 questions  

Produce a computational artifact to present a solution to a target audience (ISTE 6A, 6C, 6D) 

• Choose an effective medium for communicating a solution to a target audience  
• Including video, flow diagram, pdf, html prototype, chart, infographic, diagram, graph  
• Create an original computational artifact to communicate a solution to a target audience  

Collaborate on computational artifacts (ISTE 1C, 7B)  

• Interpret a design for a computational artifact  
• Critique and provide feedback on a design for a computational artifact  
• Incorporate collaborative feedback into a computational artifact  

Perform iterative design on an automated solution (ISTE 1D, 4C, 5C, 5D)  

• Create a prototype to evaluate the effectiveness of an automated solution  
• Compare the efficiency of multiple possible solutions  
• Troubleshoot an automated solution 
• Use iterative testing to improve an automated solution