Support 10.10 Exam Prep

OS X Support Essentials 10.
10 Exam Preparation Guide
OSX Support Essentials 10.10

Exam Preparation Guide
Updated January 2015
OS X Support Essentials 10.10 Exam Preparation Guide
Contents
About This Guide ..............................................................................................................3
Exam Details .......................................................................................................................4
Recommended Exam Preparation .............................................................................4
Part One: Installation and Configuration ................................................................6
Part Two: User Accounts .................................................................................................11
Part Three: File Systems ..................................................................................................17
Part Four: Data Management.......................................................................................23
Part Five: Applications and Processes.......................................................................28
Part Six: Network Configuration .................................................................................35
Part Seven: Network Services.......................................................................................41
Part Eight: System Management ................................................................................45
TM and 2015 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of
their respective companies. Mention of third-party products is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an
endorsement nor a warranty. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of these
vendors or products.
About This Guide

This guide provides information you need to prepare for the Apple
Certified Support Professional (ACSP) certification.
Becoming an Apple Certified Support Professional

The Apple Training and Certification program is designed to keep you at
the forefront of Apple technology. Certification creates a benchmark to
demonstrate your proficiency in specific Apple technologies and gives you
a competitive edge in todays evolving job market.
Apple oers four OS X certifications:
Apple Certified Associate - Mac Integration

Apple Certified Associate - Mac Management
Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP)
Apple Certified Technical Coordinator (ACTC)
Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) certification verifies an

understanding of OS X core functionality and an ability to configure key
services, perform basic troubleshooting, and support multiple users with
essential OS X capabilities. ACSP certification is designed for the help desk
professional, technical coordinator, or power user who supports OS X users,
manages networks, or provides technical support for the Mac.
Students earn ACSP certification by passing the OS X Support Essentials
10.10 Exam.
For information on all OS X certifications, go to http://training.apple.com/
certification/osxyosemite.
What are the benefits of ACSP Certification?

Besides dierentiating you as a skilled user and support professional for
OS X Yosemite, ACSP certification allows you to leverage the power of the
Apple brand. When you pass the certification exam, you receive an email
detailing how youll receive your Apple certificate, along with instructions
on how to order a framed version. The email includes LinkedIn, Facebook,
and Twitter icons to make it easy for you to share your certification news
with your networks on these sites.
You also receive a login for the Apple Certification Records System, where
you can do the following:
Update your profile information and opt in to display your Apple

Certification on the Apple Certified Professionals Registry
Review your certification progress
Provide access to employers to verify your certifications
Download your certification logo to use on business cards, rsums,

websites, and more
Exam Details
The Apple Pro Training Series book OSX Support Essentials 10.10 by Kevin M.
White and Gordon Davisson prepares you to take the certification exam to
earn Apple Certified Support Professional certification.
The OS X Support Essentials 10.10 Exam is a computer-based test oered at
Apple Authorized Training Centers (AATCs). To find the closest AATC, visit
training.apple.com/locations.
Many AATCs schedule certification exam sessions at training.apple.com/
schedule. If you dont see a session scheduled at your nearest AATC,
contact the AATC to find out whether a session can be scheduled. Note: All
AATCs oer all OSX and pro apps exams, even if they dont oer the
corresponding course.
The OS X Support Essentials 10.10 Exam details are as follows:
Approximately 80 technical questions
Passing score is 73 percent (scores are NOT rounded).
Five unscored demographic questions.

The exam uses a random pool of multiple-choice, true/false, and
interactive-media questions.
Details on exam scoring are at training.apple.com/certification/faq.

Exam duration is two hours.
Some exams are available in other languages. For details, visit
training.apple.com/certification/localized.
The exam timer doesnt start until you view the first technical question. You
may not access any resources or references during the exam.
If you have questions about exams, please visit training.apple.com/
certification/faq.
Recommended Exam Preparation

The following exam preparation is recommended:
Gain experience with OS X
Review the objectives and questions in this guide
Complete the Yosemite 101: OS X Support Essentials 10.10 course

Study the Apple Pro Training Series book OSX Support Essentials 10.10
by Kevin M. White and Gordon Davisson
Gain experience with OS X

Theres no substitute for time spent learning the technology. After you read
the book or take the class, spend time increasing your familiarity with OS X
to ensure your success on the certification exam.
Learn from experts

Apple Authorized Training Centers (AATCs) oer classes where you can
learn the technology by using it, and benefit from the expertise of Apple
Certified Trainers and your peers. Visit the Apple Training and Certification
website to find course oerings at nearby AATCs.
Study the Apple Pro Training Series book

Apple Pro Training Series books are the basis for the related Apple
certification exams. The book for this exam is Apple Pro Training Series OSX
Support Essentials 10.10. You can purchase the book at peachpit.com (click
here to save 30 percent). Creative Edge, an on-demand digital library, oers
subscription access to the Apple Training and Apple Pro Training Series, as
well as thousands of other reference videos and books. If you use an iPad,
you can get an electronic version on the iBooks Store. Some books are also
available in other languages. Click here for details.
Review the objectives and questions

Even if youre self-taught or have taken courses that dont use the Apple
Pro Training Series curriculum, you can still prepare for the certification
exam by completing the tasks and reviewing the questions in the
following sections.
The exam objectives describe the knowledge domains assessed by the
exam. The review questions summarize what you should have learned in
each lesson. Please note that although this guide divides the objectives
into lessons or knowledge areas, questions are presented randomly during
the exam.
The number of test questions drawn from each knowledge area is
indicated for each lesson.
Part One: Installation and Configuration

After completing Part One, Installation and Configuration, in OSX Support
Essentials 10.10, you should be able to complete the following tasks.
Questions are drawn randomly from the following objectives:
Describe the process for creating an external Yosemite Recovery

volume.
State the methods by which the Yosemite installer may be obtained.
State the current minimum hardware and software requirements.
List four critical steps that should be taken before installing OS X.
Given a Mac with Internet access, identify the latest version of firmware
thats available for the computer.
Navigate to the Support or Downloads pages on the Apple website to

find the latest compatible firmware update.
Describe the process for reinstalling OS X using the Yosemite Recovery

volume.
Describe how formatting a Mac computers hard disk into a single

partition can simplify the process of preparing to install OS X.
Describe how formatting a Mac computers hard disk into multiple

partitions can simplify the process of configuring and using the Mac.
Describe how maintenance of multiple operating systems can be

simplified by installing them on a multiple-partition drive.
Describe how keeping operating system data and user data separate
can be simplified by installing OS X on a multiple-partition drive.
Describe the OS X installation process, including decisions made in

response to Installer interface options.
List the utilities available to the user when a Mac is booted from the
OS X recovery volume.
Configure a Mac with OS X for use on a local area network with

Internet access.
State where in the GUI interface you configure a Mac computers

network settings.
Describe how configuration profiles are used to manage settings on an

OS X computer running Yosemite.
Describe how Setup Assistant is used to configure settings on an OS X

computer running Yosemite.
State the minimum hardware and software requirements for installing

OS X Yosemite.
Given a Mac with OS X installed, verify that the computer meets the
minimum hardware requirements to install the latest OS X software.
State the types and sources of data that Migration Assistant can
migrate data from.
Compare and contrast the five categories of preferences in System

Preferences: Personal, Hardware, Internet & Wireless, System, and Other.
Describe how software and security updates are made available to

client computers via the Software Update preference pane in System
Preferences and the Software Update and App Store items in the Apple
menu.
Given a Mac with OS X installed, identify any updates that have been
installed.
Define the system terms version number, build number, and serial
number as they pertain to an installation of OS X.
Given a Mac with OS X installed, identify the system version number,

build number, and serial number.
Lesson One review questions

After completing this lesson, you should be able to answer the following
questions.
1. What are the minimum hardware requirements for upgrading
a system with OS X Yosemite?
2. Which four steps must you take before upgrading a system
with OS X Yosemite?
3. How can you identify whether a Mac requires a firmware
update?
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a singlepartition disk with OS X? How about a multiple-partition disk?
5. How can you acquire the OS X Yosemite installer?
6. Which options can you select from during the OS X Yosemite
installation?
7. When troubleshooting issues with the OS X Installer, how can
you get more information about the installation progress?
Answers
1. The minimum requirements for upgrading OS X Yosemite are:
Mac OS X v10.6.8 or later
2GB of memory
8GB of available space
Some features require an Apple ID
Some features require a compatible Internet service
provider
Compatible Mac model (as listed on http://
www.apple.com/osx/how-to-upgrade/)
2. Four steps you should take before upgrading a system to
OS X Yosemite are:
Verify application compatibility
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Back up important files and folders

Document critical settings
Install Apple software and firmware updates
3. You can identify a Mac computers firmware version by
opening the full system report in the System Information
application or System Profiler application. You can verify
whether a Mac computers firmware is up to date by visiting
the Apple support website, which maintains a list of available
firmware updates.
4. Single-partition drives are easier to set up initially, but they
arent as flexible for administration and maintenance.
Multiple-partition drives require repartitioning during setup
but provide several separate partitions, which can be used to
segregate user data and host multiple operating systems.
5. The OS X Yosemite installer can be downloaded from the Mac
App Store for free.
6. During installation of OS X, the only optional choice is to
define an installation destination other than the Mac
computers current default system disk.
7. During installation of OS X, you can view detailed installation
progress by choosing Window > Installer Log from the menu
bar.
Lesson Two review questions

questions.
1. Which process is used to guide a user through the initial
configuration of OS X?
2. Which key features do you gain by setting up iCloud?
3. Aside from initial OS X configuration, where can you manage
iCloud settings?
4. What are the five System Preferences categories?
5. How do the four default System Preferences categories dier?
6. Whats a profile? How are profiles managed?
7. Where can you locate the system version number, build
number, and hardware serial number? Whats the significance
of these numbers?
Answers
1. The Setup Assistant process guides a user through initial
configuration of OS X.
2. iCloud is a free service from Apple that provides cloud
storage and communication services for applications,
including Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Notes, Safari,
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Keychain, Photos and any other applications that support

iCloud integration. iCloud also provides Find My Mac
technology for help locating a lost or stolen system.
3. After initial OS X setup, iCloud settings can be managed from
iCloud or Internet Accounts preferences.
4. System Preferences is divided into five categories: Personal,
Hardware, Internet & Wireless, System, and Other.
5. Generally, Personal preferences aect only a single user;
Hardware preferences adjust hardware and peripheral
settings; Internet & Wireless preferences aect personal and
system network settings; and System preferences aect all
users and often require administrative access.
6. A profile is a document with the filename extension
.mobileconfig that contains system settings as defined by an
administrator. Opening a profile document prompts the
system to install the profile and configure the settings.
Installed profiles can be managed via Profiles preferences.
7. The system version, build number, and hardware serial
number are located in the About This Mac dialog or the login
screen. The system version number defines the specific
version of OS X currently installed. The system build number
is an even more specific identifier used primarily by
developers. And the hardware serial number is a unique
number used to identify your specific Mac.
Lesson Three review questions

questions.
1. Which utilities are available when started up from OS X
Recovery?
2. Which two resources does the local hidden OS X Recovery HD
need to reinstall OS X?
3. Which two methods can be used to create an external OS X
installation disk?
Answers
1. The OS X Recovery System provides access to Restore System
From Time Machine Backup, Install/Reinstall OS X, Get Help
Online via Safari, Disk Utility, Startup Disk, Firmware Password
Utility, Network Utility, Terminal, and Reset Password.
2. The local hidden OS X Recovery HD doesnt include the OS X
installation assets. So reinstalling OS X from here requires
high-speed Internet access and the ability to verify access to
the installation assets. Upgraded Mac systems are verified by
entering the Apple ID used to purchase OS X Yosemite.
Verification is automatic for Mac systems that included OS X
Yosemite when purchased new.
3. The OS X Recovery Disk Assistant can create a small OS X

Recovery disk that lacks the OS X installation assets. An OS X
Installation disk, which includes the full OS X installation
assets, can be created by using the createinstallmedia
command line tool found inside the Install OS X Yosemite
application.
Lesson Four review questions

questions.
1. Which application can you open to initiate Apple software
updates?
2. By default, which items are always installed via automatic
software updates?
3. How can you prevent a user from installing software updates?
4. Which applications are used to manually acquire and install
OS X software updates?
5. Whats the best way to discover which software has been
installed on the system?
Answers
1. All Apple software updates are handled via the Mac App
Store.
2. By default, system files and security updates are automatically
installed when available.
3. You can prevent automatic updates for all users by disabling
the options in App Store preferences. You can further restrict
a users ability to use the Mac App Store by configuring
parental controls for the users account.
4. OS X software updates can be downloaded from the Apple
Support website using any current web browser. Updates
take the form of installation packages that are installed via
the installer application.
5. The Installations section of System Information will show the
history of all software installed via the Mac App Store or the
OS X Installer.
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Part Two: User Accounts

After completing Part Two, User Accounts, in OSX Support Essentials 10.10,
you should be able to complete the following tasks. Questions are drawn
randomly from the following objectives:
Given a Mac with OS X installed, create and manage user accounts.
Describe the process for deleting a user account from an OS X

computer and the result of deleting the account.
Describe the process for restoring a user account on an OS X

computer..
List the five types of user accounts in OS X.
Describe a security risk related to enabling the sharing user account in

OS X.
Describe a security risk related to using an administrator account as

the primary user account in OS X.
Describe an advantage of using an administrator account as the

primary user account in OS X.
List the default folders in a user home folder.
List the resources that an administrator can limit in the Parental

Controls pane in System Preferences.
Describe three errors that can occur when fast user switching is
enabled and two users access the same file or peripheral in OS X.
Describe messages that indicate whether a file, peripheral, or

application is busy.
Describe errors that can occur when fast user switching is enabled and
two users access a specific application at the same time.
Describe how some applications CANNOT be opened by more than

one user at a time.
Describe a security risk that can result when fast user switching is
enabled and other local users switch to their accounts.
Describe how users who fast-switch to their accounts can access

volumes mounted by other logged-in users.
Given a Mac with OS X installed, secure the user environment.
Describe the key features and benefits of iCloud supported on a Mac

running OS X Yosemite.
Compare and contrast the five types of users.

Identify the three attributes of user accounts in OS X.
Describe a security risk related to enabling the Guest account in OS X.
Describe a security risk related to enabling the root user account in
OS X.
Compare and contrast the functions of each of the default folders in a

users home folder in OS X.
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Describe how to enable and disable the firmware password.
Compare and contrast the methods for changing and resetting

passwords.
Compare and contrast how each of these passwords function in OS X:

login, firmware, resource, keychain, and Apple ID.
Compare and contrast the roles of keychains, keychain items, and

keychain first aid.
Describe how resetting a user account password can cause the

keychain and user account password to get out of sync.
Describe the requirements necessary for FileVault to unlock accounts

that were initially encrypted with Legacy FileVault.
Describe how the Firmware password feature prevents users from

changing passwords for user accounts other than their own.
Describe the functions and features of the keychains in OS X.

Describe how to reset a user account password using an Apple ID.
Describe the privacy controls available for a user account.
Describe the security features oered by iCloud for Mac computers
running OS X.
Lesson Five review questions

questions.
1. What are the five types of user accounts in OS X? How are
they dierent?
2. What are some security risks associated with each type of
user account?
3. Which two password methods are supported by OS X
Yosemite for local user accounts?
4. What are account attributes?
5. How can you limit a user account from having full access to
all applications?
6. What types of resource contention issues can occur when fast
user switching is enabled?
7. Which storage-related security risk can occur when fast user
switching is enabled?
Answers
1. Standard is the default account type, administrative users can
make changes to the system, a guest user doesnt require a
password, sharing-only users can access only shared files, and
the root user has unlimited access to any file or folder in the
system.
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2. Standard user accounts are very secure, assuming they have

strong passwords. Administrative users can make changes
that may negatively aect the system or other user accounts.
A guest user could fill shared folders with unwanted files.
Sharing-only users are generally very secure as long as they
dont have too much access to other users items. The
potential for mayhem with root user access is nearly
unlimited.
3. In OS X Yosemite, local user accounts can take advantage of a
locally saved password or a password thats linked to an
Apple ID.
4. Account attributes are the individual pieces of information
used to define a user account. Examples include full name,
account name, user ID, Universally Unique ID (UUID), group,
and home folder.
5. Parental controls can further limit a user account. Examples
include enforcing a simple Finder, limiting applications and
widgets, limiting Mac App Store content, setting time limits,
and filtering content for several applications included in OS X.
6. Resource contention occurs when fast user switching is
enabled and a user tries to access an item that another user
has open in the background. Document contention occurs
when a user attempts to open a document that another user
has already opened. Peripheral contention occurs when a
user attempts to access a peripheral thats already in use by
another users open application. Application contention
occurs when a second user attempts to access an application
that has been designed to run only once on a system.
7. When fast user switching is enabled, all users are allowed to
see other users locally connected disks.
Lesson Six review questions

questions.
1. A users home folder contains which default folders? What
are some optional folders that can be added to a users home
folder?
2. When you delete a local user account, the Users & Groups
preferences gives you three options for dealing with the
users home folder content. What are they?
3. Which three primary sources can Migration Assistant pull
from?
4. How do you make OS X associate a new local user account
with a manually migrated or restored users home folder?
13
Answers
1. The default folders in a users home folder are Desktop,
Documents, Downloads, Library (hidden), Movies, Music,
Pictures, and Public. Optional home folder items include
Applications and Sites folders.
2. When deleting a local user account, OS X can archive the
home folder content into a compressed disk image, leave the
home folder content in the /Users folder, or delete the home
folder content. Optionally, OS X can perform a secure erase on
the home folder content.
3. Migration Assistant can migrate information from other OS X
systems, other Windows systems, and other disks, including
Time Machine backups.
4. Before the local user account is created on a system, you
must first copy the restored users home folder to the /Users
folder. Then after you create the new user in Users & Groups
preferences with the same account name, the system will
prompt you to associate the new account with the restored
home folder.
Lesson Seven review questions

questions.
1. What does the master password do?
2. When users change their own account password, how is their
login keychain aected?
3. What options are available when you try to change the
password for a user account with an Apple ID password?
4. Which methods can be used to reset a users lost account
password?
5. How does resetting a users account password aect that
users login keychain?
6. How does resetting the master password aect existing
Legacy FileVault user accounts?
7. How can you limit the use of Location Services?
8. How can you ensure that audio recordings used for Dictation
service remain private?
9. Which feature can you enable to locate a lost Mac system?
10. How does the Firmware Password Utility help prevent users
from making unauthorized password changes?
Answers
1. The master password is used to reset local account
passwords.
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2. When users change their own account passwords, the system

keeps their login keychain passwords in sync.
3. When you change the password for a user account with an
Apple ID password, youre given the option to either change
to a separate, locally saved password or to change the Apple
ID password.
4. Local account passwords can be reset by an administrator in
Users & Groups, by the master password at login, by a
FileVault recovery key at startup, and by the Reset Password
application in OS X Recovery. Local accounts with Apple ID
passwords can also be resent online via https://
appleid.apple.com.
5. The account password reset process wont change any
keychain passwords. Therefore, the users keychains dont
automatically open when the user logs in with a new
password. The user will have to manually change the
keychain passwords using the Keychain Access utility.
6. If a master password is reset because it was lost, Legacy
FileVault accounts cant be reset by the new master password.
7. The Privacy pane of Security & Privacy preferences can be
used to allow or disallow applications access to Location
Services, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, and Accessibility
application access.
8. Audio recordings used for the Dictation service arent sent to
Apple if the Use Enhanced Dictation feature is enabled in
Dictation & Speech preferences.
9. iCloud Find My Mac allows you to remotely locate a lost Mac
system. You enable this feature in iCloud preferences. To
locate a lost Mac system, you can use the iCloud website or
the Find My iPhone app on an iOS device.
10. The Firmware Password Utility prevents users from starting
up from another system disk. This in turn prevents them from
using an OS X Recovery System to reset local passwords
without authorization.
Lesson Eight review questions

questions.
1. Which types of items can be stored in a keychain?
2. How does the keychain system help protect your
information?
3. Where are the keychain files stored?
4. What application is used to manage keychain settings?
5. When and why would you set up an iCloud Security Code?
15
6. Whats required to set up the iCloud Keychain service on

multiple Apple devices?
Answers
1. Keychains are used to store secrets such as resource
passwords, digital certificates, and encryption keys. The
keychain system can also securely store Safari AutoFill
information, Internet Account settings, and secure text notes.
2. The keychain system manages encrypted files that are used
to securely save your items. By default, all users have login
and Local Items keychains that use the same password as
their account. Not even other administrative users can access
your keychain secrets without knowing the keychains
password.
3. Each user starts with a login keychain saved at /Users/
<username>/Library/Keychain/ login.keychain and a Local
Items/iCloud keychain saved in the /Users/<username>/
Library/Keychains/<UUID> folder. Administrative users can
manage systemwide authentication assets with the /Library/
Keychain/System.keychain. Finally, Apple maintains several
items in /System/Library/Keychains/ for OS X system use.
4. Keychains can be managed from the /Applications/Utilities/
Keychain Access application.
5. An iCloud Security Code can be set up the first time you
enable the iCloud Keychain service for a specific Apple ID. The
iCloud Security Code can be used to set up other devices for
the iCloud Keychain service and can be used to regain access
to the iCloud keychain if you lose all your Apple devices.
6. Additional Apple devices must be authorized to use the
iCloud Keychain service using a combination of the Apple ID
password and another method. One method involves using
an iCloud Security Code, the other method is to authorize
access from another Apple device that has already been
configured for the iCloud Keychain service.
16
Part Three: File Systems

After completing Part Three, File Systems, in OSX Support Essentials 10.10,
you should be able to complete the following tasks. Questions are drawn
randomly from the following objectives:
Describe the implications and process for converting Legacy FileVault

data to FileVault.
State the requirements for FileVault.
Describe how to force eject an item thats in use.
Describe the tools and methods used to enable FileVault on a volume

connected to a Mac running OS X Yosemite.
Describe the tools and methods used to decrypt a FileVault-encrypted

volume using a recovery key.
Describe the tools and methods used to gather information about the
format, partition scheme, bus type, and available space on local hard
disks and volumes.
Use Disk Utility and System Information.
Describe how to securely erase the remaining space on a drive

connected to a Mac running OS X Yosemite.
Describe the tools and methods used to reset home folder

permissions.
Dierentiate between hard disks, partitions, and volumes.

Compare and contrast GUID, APM, and MBR partition map schemes.
Compare and contrast the volume formats supported by OS X:
Mac OS Extended
Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
Mac OS Extended (Journaled, Case-Sensitive)
UFS
FAT32
NTFS
ExFAT
Mac OS Extended (Journaled, Encrypted)
Describe how file system journaling works in OS X.
Describe the function of the Secure Empty Trash feature in the Finder.
Describe how FileVault secures user data.

Describe the Verify and Repair features of Disk Utility.
Compare and contrast the erase options available in Disk Utility,
(including single-pass, 3-pass, and 7-pass erases).
Describe how power failures and force ejecting a disk can corrupt a
volume.
17
Identify three ways to unmount a disk from the Finder in OS X.
Describe how the Get Info window in the Finder can be used to
manage permissions for files and folders.
Describe how Disk Utility can be used to repair permissions for files
and folders.
Describe the function of each of the permission settings and ACL

settings on OS X files and folder.
Given a Mac with OS X installed, identify the owner and group for any
file.
Use the Get Info command in the Finder.
Describe why the root of any users home folder in OS X is accessible to

other users.
Describe the permissions settings on the Shared folder in OS X that

allow it to act as a shared storage location for local user accounts.
Describe what it means to ignore volume ownership, including when

its useful to do so, and one potential risk when ignoring ownership.
Describe how anyone can access any file on the drive while ownership
is ignored.
Describe how the organization of the OS X file system allows multiple

users to safely share local files and folders.
Define the term sticky bit as it applies to the OS X file system.
Describe Target Disk Mode.

Given a Mac with OS X installed, manage file ownership and
permissions.
Identify the owner and group permission settings for users home
folders in OS X.
Lesson Nine review questions

questions.
1. How are disks, partitions, and volumes dierent from one
another?
2. What are the two primary partition schemes for Macformatted disks? What are their dierences?
3. What two volume formats are supported for an OS X system
volume?
4. How does file system journaling work?
5. What is Core Storage, and what two major OS X features are
implemented via Core Storage?
6. What are the four erase options available in Disk Utility? How
are they all dierent?
7. How does the Secure Empty Trash feature in Finder work?
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8. How can you ensure that previously deleted items are

securely erased?
9. How can you encrypt a disk without losing its contents?
10. What four methods can be used to eject a volume or disk
from the Finder?
11. Whats the potential side eect of improperly unmounting or
ejecting a disk or volume?
Answers
1. Disks are the actual storage hardware; partitions are logical
divisions of a disk used to define the storage space; and
volumes, contained inside partitions, are used to define how
the individual files and folders are saved to the storage.
2. GUID Partition Table is the default partition scheme on Intelbased Mac computers, and Apple Partition Map is the default
partition scheme on PowerPC-based Mac computers.
3. The volume formats supported as system volumes for OS X
are Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and Mac OS Extended
(Journaled, Encrypted).
4. File system journaling records which file operations are in
progress at any given moment. This way, if a power failure or
system crash occurs, after the system restarts, it will be able to
quickly verify the integrity of the volume by replaying the
journal.
5. Core Storage is a file system management layer thats used by
OS X to provide disk encryption as used by FileVault, and
combine separate disks as used by Fusion Drive.
6. The four erase options in Disk Utility are:
Fastest, which simply replaces the volumes directory
structure
A second choice, which provides good security by writing
zeroes on top of all the previous disk data
A third choice, which provides even better security by
writing three separate passes of information on top of the
previous disk data
Most Secure, which provides the best security by writing
seven separate passes of information on top of the
previous disk data
7. Secure Empty Trash will perform a 7-pass erase on the
contents of the Trash folder.
8. From the Erase tab in Disk Utility, you can choose to securely
erase the free space of a disk or volume. This securely erases
any previously deleted files on the selected disk or volume.
19
9. From the Finder, you can encrypt a disk without losing its
contents by secondary (or Control-) clicking the disk and
choosing Encrypt from the shortcut menu.
10. The four methods used to eject a volume or disk from the
Finder are:
Drag the disk icon to the Trash in the Dock
Press and hold the Eject key for a few moments to
unmount and eject optical media
Select the volume you want to eject and choose Eject from
the File menu
In the Finder sidebar, click the small Eject button next to
the volume you want to unmount and eject
11. Improperly unmounting or ejecting a drive or volume may
cause data corruption. The system automatically verifies and
repairs an improperly unmounted or ejected volume the next
time it becomes available to the Mac.
Lesson Ten review questions

questions.
1. How does FileVault protect a users data?
2. What are the system requirements for using FileVault?
3. Which users are allowed to unlock a FileVault-protected
system?
4. How can you unlock a FileVault-protected system when all
user accounts have lost their passwords?
Answers
1. FileVault protects the entire system volume and all its data by
using strong XTS-AES 128 encryption. During system startup,
a FileVault-enabled user must enter a password to decrypt
the system volume.
2. To enable FileVault, OS X systems must have the hidden OS X
Recovery HD volume on the system disk. Also, any Legacy
FileVault accounts must be decrypted and returned to normal
accounts before FileVault can be enabled.
3. Any user whos FileVault enabled is allowed to unlock a
FileVault-protected system. This includes any local or cached
network user account that was enabled when FileVault 2 was
set up or created after FileVault 2 was enabled. Further,
administrators may return to Security & Privacy preferences to
enable additional accounts.
4. A FileVault-protected system can be unlocked using the
recovery key that was generated during the FileVault setup
20
process. This key can be entered during system startup and

will allow you to reset the users account password.
Lesson Eleven review questions

questions.
1. How do you identify the ownership and permissions of a file
or folder in the Finder?
2. How do ACLs dier from standard UNIX file system
permissions?
3. Whats the locked file flag?
4. Why is the root, or beginning, level of a users home folder
visible to other users?
5. How does the default organization of the file system allow
users to safely share local files and folders?
6. Whats unique about the permissions of the /Users/Shared
folder?
7. What does it mean when you choose the option to ignore
volume ownership in the Finder? What are the security
ramifications of ignoring volume ownership?
Answers
1. An items ownership and permissions can be identified using
the Info or Inspector windows in the Finder.
2. Standard UNIX file system permissions allow for permissions
to be set only for one owner, one group, and all others. ACLs,
on the other hand, allow for an essentially unlimited list of
permissions entries.
3. The locked file flag prevents anyone, including the items
owner, from editing an item. Only the items owner can
unlock the item to then allow modification.
4. The root level of a users home folder is visible to other users
so they can navigate to the Public shared folder.
5. Every home folder contains a Public folder that other users
can read and a Drop Box folder that other users can write to.
All other subfolders in a users home folder (except the
optional Sites folder) have default permissions that dont
allow access to other users. The Shared folder is also set for all
users to share items.
6. The Shared folder is set up to allow all users to read and write
files, but only the user who owns an item can delete it from
the Shared folder. This is accomplished using the sticky bit
permissions setting.
7. You can choose to ignore ownership on any nonsystem
volume. This will ignore any ownership rules and grant any
21
logged-on user unlimited access to the contents of the

volume. Its a potential security risk because it will allow any
local user account to have full access to the volume, even if
that user didnt originally mount the volume.
Lesson Twelve review questions

questions.
1. Which two built-in OS X applications can be used to gather
information about storage devices?
2. What does the Disk Utility Verify and Repair feature do?
3. What is target disk mode and how is it engaged?
4. Which permissions are modified by the Disk Utility Repair
Permissions feature?
5. How can you reset a users home folder permissions?
Answers
1. Disk Utility and System Information can both be used to
gather information about storage devices.
2. The Disk Utility Verify and Repair feature is used to verify or
repair the partition scheme and directory structure of a
volume. These elements contain the information used to
locate files and folders on the volume.
3. Target disk mode is a Mac-specific hardware feature that,
when engaged, will share the Mac computers internal disks
through the FireWire ports. Target disk mode can be engaged
from Startup Disk preferences or by holding down the T key
as you turn on the Mac.
4. The Disk Utility Repair Permissions feature repairs only the
ownership and permissions for items installed by Apple.
However, this may resolve issues with third-party products.
5. A users home folder permissions can be reset from the Reset
Password application on OS X Recovery.
22
Part Four: Data Management

After completing Part Four, Data Management, in OSX Support Essentials
10.10, you should be able to complete the following tasks. Questions are
drawn randomly from the following objectives:
Given a Mac with OS X installed, manage user and system files.
Describe the tools and methods used to create aliases and links.
Describe the tools and methods used to navigate to and view the
contents of hidden folders in the Finder.
Describe the tools and methods used to install fonts.
Describe the types and function of metadata as it applies to the file

system.
Compare and contrast the System, Local, User, and network domains,
including what resources are stored in each, and the order in which
OS X searches for resources in the file system.
Describe OS X extended attributes and give one example of

information the system keeps as an extended attribute.
Compare and contrast these file types: extensions, frameworks, fonts,

preferences, startup items, and logs.
Compare and contrast file system packages and bundles, and their
purposes.
Identify where each of these file types are located in the file system:
extensions, frameworks, fonts, preferences, startup items, and logs.
Describe how Spotlight metadata is used in OS X.
Given a Mac with OS X installed, archive files.
Compare and contrast disk images created with Disk Utility and zip
archives created by the Finder in OS X.
Describe the options available when creating a new blank image using
Disk Utility in OS X.
Given a Mac with OS X installed, configure and manage Time Machine.
Compare and contrast the features and functions of aliases and links as
implemented in OS X.
Describe the structure and purpose of the AppleDouble metadata

format.
List the four default top-level folders visible in the Finder: Applications,
Library, System, and Users.
Describe how and why the Finder hides certain folders by default.
Identify potential privacy and security issues with Spotlight.
Describe where metadata indexes and plug-ins are stored in the OS X
file system.
Describe the tools and methods used to manage a zip archive of

selected items in the Finder.
23
Describe how encryption is utilized in a Time Machine backup.
Describe how Time Machine functions.
List issues such as space limitations that interfere with backups.
Describe the tools and methods used to configure Time Machine to

backup and restore data from specific volumes to specific destinations.
Identify the files that are always omitted from Time Machine backups.
Describe issues with backing up large database files that are frequently
updated.
Describe the archive format used by Time Machine.

Describe why a specific archived file may not be available due to
backup or retention schedule parameters.
Lesson Thirteen review questions

questions.
1. Why does the Finder hide certain folders at the root of the
system volume?
2. Which two methods are used to hide items from the Finder?
3. What does OS X use bundles or packages for?
4. How does an alias dier from a symbolic link?
5. Why would you use an archive file instead of a disk image?
Why would you use a disk image instead of an archive file?
6. What type of file is created by the Finder when you select the
Archive option?
7. Which action on OS X is set as the default for opening zip
archive files?
8. Which OS X application is responsible for the creation and
management of disk images?
Answers
1. The Finder hides traditional UNIX resources from average
users because they dont need to have access to those items.
If users need access to these UNIX items, they can access
them from Terminal.
2. The Finder doesnt show items with periods at the beginning
of their filenames or items with the hidden file flag enabled.
Both methods for hiding items can be managed only from
the command line interface.
3. Bundles and packages are used to combine complex items
into individual folders. Packages have the additional
advantage of appearing as a single item in the Finder. This
allows software developers to combine resources into a
single item and prevents users from seeing and potentially
24
damaging those resources through deletion or moving of

files.
4. Both aliases and symbolic links act as a shortcut to an original
item. However, an alias contains additional information that
allows the system to keep track of the original item if its
renamed or moved within the same volume whereas any
change to an original item breaks a symbolic link.
5. Archive files are much simpler to create in the Finder and are
compatible with third-party operating systems. Disk images
are more dicult to create and manage but oer greater
flexibility. Primarily, disk images can be easily modified and
converted. However, OS X style disk images are not
compatible with third-party operating systems.
6. The Archive option in the Finder creates compressed zip
archive files.
7. By default on OS X, double-clicking a zip archive causes the
system to expand the contents of the zip archive next to the
same location as the original zip archive.
8. Disk Utility is the primary application for creating and
managing disk images.
Lesson Fourteen review questions

questions.
1. What are the four default top-level folders visible in the
Finder?
2. What are six common system resources? What purpose does
each resource serve? Where are they located in the file
hierarchy?
3. What are the four system resource domains? What purpose
does each domain serve?
4. What purpose does the ~/Library/Containers folder serve?
What items will you find in this folder?
5. What happens when a user double-clicks a font file?
6. How can you identify duplicate fonts?
Answers
1. The four default top-level folders visible in the Finder are:
Applications, containing applications all local users have
access to
Library, containing system resources all local users have
access to
System, containing necessary system resources
Users, containing all the local user home folders
25
2. Six common system resources are:

Extensions, which attach themselves to the system kernel
to provide hardware and peripheral driver support
Frameworks, which are shared code libraries that provide
additional software resources for both applications and
system processes
Fonts
Preference files, which contain application and system
configuration information
LaunchAgents and LaunchDaemons, used by launchd to
provide services that automatically start when needed at
system startup or at user login
Logs, which are text files that contain error and progress
entries from nearly any application or system service
3. The four system resource domains are:
User, containing applications and system resources specific
to each user account
Local, containing applications and system resources
available to all users on the local Mac
Network (optional), containing applications and system
resources available to any Mac that has an automated
network share
System, containing applications and system resources
required to provide basic system functionality
4. The ~/Library/Containers folder contains resources for
sandboxed applications. The system creates and maintains a
separate container folder for each sandboxed application the
user opens. A sandboxed application is more secure because
it can access only items inside its container.
5. Double-clicking a font file automatically opens a preview of
the font in the Font Book application. From here, the user can
click the Install Font button to copy the font into ~/Library/
Fonts.
6. The Font Book application shows a small dot next to the
name of any font that has duplicate resources.
Lesson Fifteen review questions

questions.
1. Whats file system metadata? What are some examples of file
system metadata?
2. What are some of the common file flags used by OS X?
3. What are file system tags? Where can you find tags in the user
interface?
26
4. How does the Spotlight search service use metadata?

5. Where does Spotlight store its metadata index databases?
How about the Spotlight plug-ins?
6. What are some privacy and security concerns with the
Spotlight service?
7. How do you resolve an issue where a Spotlight search doesnt
find the correct items?
Answers
1. Metadata is information stored outside of a file or folder. It
provides additional information about files and folders.
Examples include file flags, extended file attributes, and
permissions.
2. Common file flags include the locked flag, which locks files
from changes, and the hidden flag, which hides the item in
the Finder.
3. File system tags are a type of metadata that allow you to
quickly assign keywords, or tags, to any item. The user can
customize the tag names and colors.
4. The Spotlight search service creates index databases of file
system metadata so that it can perform normally timeintensive searches nearly instantly. File system tags can be
found in the Finder sidebar, Spotlight search, and any open or
save document dialogs.
5. Spotlight metadata index databases are stored at the root of
every volume in a /.Spotlight-V100 folder. However, a Legacy
FileVault users database is stored in the users encrypted
home folder. And the Mail application maintains its own
database in each users home folder at ~/Library/Mail/V2/
MailData/Envelope Index. Spotlight plug-ins can be located in
any of the Library folders in a folder named Spotlight.
6. Though Spotlight indexes file and folder permissions, it allows
other users to search the contents of locally attached
nonsystem volumes when ownership is ignored on those
volumes.
7. Forcing a rebuild of the Spotlight index databases is a
common technique to resolve search issues. You can force a
rebuild by adding an item to the Spotlight preferences
Privacy list and then removing the item. This deletes the
current index database and forces the system to build a new
one.
Lesson Sixteen review questions

questions.
1. Which backup destination disks does Time Machine support?
27
2. How does Time Machine maintain a backup history of the file

system?
3. Which types of files are omitted from Time Machine backups?
4. Why is Time Machine inecient at backing up large
databases?
5. Why might a previously backed-up item no longer be
available in Time Machine?
6. Which four methods can be used to restore from a Time
Machine backup?
Answers
1. Time Machine can back up to any Mac OS Extended volume
or network shares hosted from Time Capsule or OS X Server.
2. Time Machine starts with a full copy of the file system to the
backup disk. Then it maintains a list of changes to the file
system, and every hour copies only the changes to the
backup disk. In the backup, it creates a simulation of the full
file system using hard links for files that havent changed.
3. Time Machine always ignores temporary files, Spotlight
indexes, items in the Trash, log files, and anything else that
can be considered a cache. Time Machine also ignores any
files that an application has defined as exempt, or any files
that you have defined as exempt in Time Machine
preferences.
4. Time Machine is inecient at backing up large databases
because it must back up the entire database file every time
any change, no matter how small, is made to the database.
5. A previously backed-up item wont be available if your
backup volume filled up and Time Machine had to start
deleting older items to make room for newer ones.
6. Methods for restoring from a Time Machine backup include
navigating through the backup history via the Time Machine
application, restoring a user account via Migration Assistant,
restoring an entire system via OS X Recovery, and manually
restoring items via the Finder.
Part Five: Applications and Processes

After completing Part Five, Applications and Processes, in OSX Support
Given a Mac with OS X installed, manage and support applications.
Describe the features and functions of Quick Look.
Describe the methods and mechanisms by which files can be locked

and unlocked.
28
State the location of Quick Look plug-ins.
State which applications included with OS X use Quick Look.
Describe the process for signing in and out of the App Store using a
valid Apple ID.
Verify the currently active Apple ID thats being used with the App
Store.
Describe the features, purpose, and operation of the Auto Save

function.
Describe the features, purpose, and operation of the Versions function.
Describe the purpose and benefit of application sandboxing as

implemented in OS X.
Compare and contrast 32- and 64-bit modes of operations for OS X

applications.
Compare and contrast the traditional installation of applications on

OS X via drag and drop and installation packages.
Describe the tools and methods for updating applications that have
been installed using traditional drag-and-drop or installation packages.
Compare and contrast the tools and methods for removing

applications in OS X via Launchpad, Trash, and uninstallers.
Describe the tools and methods used for managing documents

between iCloud and a compatible application.
Describe the dictation feature of OS X.
Define protected memory.
Use Activity Monitor.
State the file types supported by Quick Look in a default installation of

OS X.
Describe the key features of the App Store application.

Describe the key requirements for using the App Store application to
purchase and install applications.
Describe the requirements and process for running Java applications

on OS X.
Identify the languages and commands supported by the dictation

feature.
Describe the application environments supported by OS X.

Define 64-bit memory addressing.
Given a Mac with OS X installed, identify processes and applications
that are using a significant percentage of RAM or processor time.
Given a Mac with OS X installed, list installed applications.

Use System Information.
Identify three ways to force quit an application.
29
Describe how the Finder in OS X identifies which application should be

used to open a file.
Describe where application preferences are stored.
Describe the tools and methods for using the VoiceOver feature.
Describe the tools and methods that are used to control the Resume
feature in OS X.
Describe the diagnostic reporting and log features supported in the

Console application included with OS X.
Describe the function, purpose, and benefits of the Gatekeeper feature

as it relates to installing applications.
Compare and contrast the three security options supported by

Gatekeeper.
Describe how Dashboard widgets work.
Describe the format of preference files.

Identify the preference pane that enables Accessibility features in the
Finder and other applications.
Describe the Accessibility features and functions in OS X.

Describe how to troubleshoot application environment issues in OS X.
Given a Mac with OS X installed, install and remove applications.
Describe the function, purpose, and benefits of the Resume feature in
OS X as it relates to Auto Save and Versions.
Describe the security implications of installing Dashboard widgets.
Lesson Seventeen review questions

questions.
1. What are the requirements for purchasing applications via the
Mac App Store?
2. In the Mac App Store, how can you verify which Apple ID is
being used for purchases?
3. What are the four primary application environments
supported by OS X? Which ones require an additional
download and installation?
4. What are the advantages of application sandboxing?
5. What are the advantages of code signing?
6. Which items fall under the file quarantine system?
7. Which three security options does the Gatekeeper system
allow? Which Gatekeeper option is the OS X default?
8. What are the two primary traditional installation methods in
OS X?
9. Which three methods can be used to uninstall applications?
30
Answers
1. The requirements to purchase items from the Mac App Store
are Mac OS X v10.6.6 or later, an Apple ID, and an Internet
connection.
2. In the Mac App Store, you can view the current Apple ID by
selecting Store from the menu bar. You can get more details
about this Apple ID by choosing View My Account in the
same menu.
3. The four primary application environments supported by
OS X are:
Native OS X applications, which are created using Cocoa
UNIX applications, which are primarily accessed via
Terminal
Java applications, which work as cross-platform
applications
X Window System applications, which run inside the
popular UNIX windowing environment
OS X doesnt include the Java application or X Window
System runtime, so they must be downloaded and installed
after the initial OS X installation.
4. Sandboxed applications are allowed access only to specific
items. Theyre otherwise completely cut o from the rest of
the system so they cant cause harm. All Mac App Store
applications are required to be sandboxed.
5. Code-signed items include a digital signature that the system
can use to verify the authenticity and integrity of the
application or process and its resources.
6. Any item downloaded using one of the built-in OS X
applications will be marked for quarantine. Third-party
applications may not mark downloaded items for quarantine.
7. Gatekeeper can restrict software to Mac App Store
applications only, or Mac App Store and identified developer
applications only (this is the default option), or any
application regardless of origin.
8. Traditional installation methods are generally categorized as
either a drag-and-drop installation, where the user simply
copies the application to the local system, or as an installation
package, where an installer process places the items on the
local system.
9. Three methods for uninstalling applications include:
Open Launchpad, hold down the Option key, and click the
X button
In the Finder, drag the primary application to the Trash and
then empty the Trash
31
Use a custom-built uninstaller package
Lesson Eighteen review questions

questions.
1. In OS X, whats used to identify the type of application that
should open when you double-click a document?
2. How do you engage Quick Look? Which applications support
it?
3. What technology enables Quick Look to preview so many file
types?
4. Whats Auto Save? How can you identify an application that
supports Auto Save?
5. How deep is the version history of a file when shared via
email?
6. Which applications can manage document locking?
7. Which ability is lost when you upgrade an older iCloud
account to use iCloud Drive?
8. Where can you access items saved in iCloud Drive?
9. Where do you save documents in iCloud Drive if you want to
access them from an iOS device?
10. Where can you adjust application Auto Save and Resume
options?
Answers
1. OS X uses a documents filename extension to determine the
documents type. The Launch Services process maintains a
database of installed applications and which document types
theyre capable of opening.
2. Quick Look is engaged by simply pressing the Space bar
when a document is selected. Applications that support
Quick Look include the Finder, Time Machine, Mail, and most
open and save browser dialogs.
3. Quick Look uses a number of plug-ins that give it the
capability to preview documents. These plug-ins live in Quick
Look folders in any Library folder on OS X.
4. Auto Save allows compatible OS X applications to
automatically save changes to users documents. A user just
saves a document once, then never has to think about saving
changes again. Applications that support Auto Save feature a
Duplicate function in the File menu as opposed to a default
Save As function.
5. Documents sent via email or otherwise copied to a shared
location dont retain any version history.
32
6. Any application that supports Auto Save and the Finder can
manage document locking.
7. When an older iCloud account is upgraded to use iCloud
Drive, you lose the ability to directly access documents from
versions of OS X earlier than Yosemite and versions of iOS
before iOS 8. Older systems can still access items in iCloud
Drive from the iCloud website: www.icloud.com.
8. iCloud Drive items are available in the Finder or in any
application that uses the standard OS X Open or Save dialogs.
9. iOS 8 devices can access documents in iCloud Drive only if
theyre saved in specific application folders. For example,
Pages for iOS can access Pages documents only if theyre
stored in the Pages folder in iCloud Drive.
10. You can deselect the option to Reopen windows when
logging back in from the logout verification dialog. You can
deselect the option to Close windows when quitting an
application from General preferences. Also from General
preferences, you can select the option to Ask to keep
changes when closing documents, which turns o the Auto
Save feature.
Lesson Nineteen review questions

questions.
1. Whats protected memory? Whats 64-bit memory
addressing?
2. Why would you want to open an application in 32-bit mode?
3. App Extensions in OS X Yosemite can add which four types of
capabilities?
4. How do you install new app extensions? Once theyre
installed, how do you manage app extension visibility?
5. How can you identify which applications are installed on your
Mac?
6. Which application is used to examine open applications on
OS X?
7. Which steps should you take when troubleshooting
application issues?
8. Which three ways can you forcibly quit an application from
the graphical interface?
9. What does the diagnostic reporting feature do?
10. Where are application preferences stored?
11. Which file format is often used for preference files? How can
you view the content of this type of file?
33
Answers
1. The system keeps applications from interfering with one
another by segregating their memory usage using protected
memory. Mac computers with 64-bit-capable processors
allow processes to run in 64-bit mode, which allows them to
individually access more than 4GB of memory.
2. Using the Finder Info window, you can force an application to
open in 32-bit mode. This step is necessary for a 64-bit
application to support older 32-bit plug-ins or application
resources.
3. In OS X Yosemite, app extensions allow features from an
application to extend into the Finder, the Sharing menu, the
Action menu, and the Today view in Notification Center.
4. App extensions are installed automatically because theyre
bundled inside the application thats providing the extension.
You can enable or disable installed app extensions from the
Extensions preferences.
5. You can use the System Information application to easily scan
all the appropriate application locations and return a list of
installed applications.
6. The Activity Monitor application is used to monitor open
processes and applications.
7. General application troubleshooting steps include restarting
the application, trying another known working document,
trying another user account, checking log files, deleting cache
files, replacing preference files, and replacing application
resources.
8. The three ways to forcibly quit an application from the
graphical interface are from the Force Quit Application dialog
accessed from the Apple menu, from the Dock application
shortcut menu accessed by Control-clicking or right-clicking
the applications icon, or from the /Applications/Utilities/
Activity Monitor application.
9. The diagnostic reporting feature automatically creates a
diagnostic report log any time an application crashes or
hangs. The diagnostic report log can be viewed immediately,
reported to Apple via the Internet, or viewed later in the /
Applications/Utilities/Console application.
10. Application preferences are almost always stored in the users
Library folder in the ~/Library/Preferences folder. Newer
sandboxed applications must always store their preferences
in a ~/Library/Containers/<Bundle ID>/Data/Library/
Preferences folder, where <Bundle ID> is the unique bundle
identifier for the application.
11. Most application preferences are property lists, which are
XML-formatted files that use the .plist filename extension.
The content of these files can be viewed using Quick Look,
34
and edited using the Xcode development application found

on the Mac App Store.
Part Six: Network Configuration

After completing Part Six, Network Configuration, in OSX Support
Discuss TCP/IP networking concepts.
Describe how the Internet Protocol uses a MAC address to send

messages between computers over a local area network (LAN).
Describe how the IP transfers messages between computers over a

wide area network (WAN), including how IP addresses, subnet masks,
and routers work.
Describe how domain name service (DNS) is used to associate

computer host names with IP addresses on a network.
Define the terms service, interface, and protocol.
Describe how computers are assigned IP addresses from a DHCP

server.
Describe how OS X connects to Wi-Fi networks upon startup or wake.
Describe the types of secure Wi-Fi networks that a Mac with OS X

installed and functional Wi-Fi hardware can connect to.
Describe how OS X stores and manages credentials for accessing

secure Wi-Fi networks.
Define SSID as it relates to Wi-Fi networks.
Describe the tools, options, and methods for configuring Wi-Fi.
Describe how OS X computers acquire and use self-assigned (linklocal) TCP/IP addresses on a network.
Discuss the purpose and format of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and
subnet masks.
Given an IPv4 address, IPv6 address, and MAC address, identify each.
Given a Mac with OS X installed, configure and manage a network
interface.
Describe the criteria by which a Mac with OS X installed and functional

Wi-Fi hardware auto-connects to a Wi-Fi network.
Describe the purpose of SSIDs as it relates to Wi-Fi networks.

Describe the features and purpose of ad-hoc networking as they relate
to Wi-Fi networks on OS X computers.
Describe the tools and methods for managing network locations.

Describe the tools and methods for managing VPN connections.
List the interfaces and interface protocols supported in a default
installation of OS X.
35
Describe the ways to configure a network interface for 802.1X.
Use the Network Status pane of the Network preference.
Use Network Utility.
Use Ping in the Network Utility.
Describe how network port priority aects network connectivity.
Given a Mac with OS X installed, identify whether a network interface

has received an IP address from a DHCP server or is using a link-local
address.
Given a Mac with OS X installed, identify the Ethernet or Airport MAC

address.
Given a Mac with OS X installed, identify a connection issue for a

network interface.
List four common issues that can interrupt network services.

Given a Mac with OS X installed, configure and manage multiple
networks.
Given a list of network interface priorities and active interfaces, identify

the interface used for network access.
Lesson Twenty review questions

questions.
1. What do the terms interface, protocol, and service mean
in relation to computer networks?
2. Whats the purpose of Internet Protocol v4 (IPv4) addresses
and subnet masks?
3. How does IPv4 addressing dier from IPv6 addressing?
4. How does the IP use the MAC address to send messages
between computers on a local area network (LAN)?
5. How does the IP transfer messages between computers over
a wide area network (WAN)?
6. How is the Domain Name Service (DNS) used to facilitate
network naming?
7. Whats used to identify a Wi-Fi network?
8. Which Wi-Fi authentication protocols are supported by OS X?
9. How can an OS X system automatically connect to a Wi-Fi
network?
10. Through which mechanism can a standard user configure WiFi settings?
Answers
1. An interface is any channel through which network data can
flow. Hardware network interfaces are defined by physical
36
network connections, and virtual network interfaces are

logical network connections that ride on top of hardware
network connections. A protocol is a set of rules used to
describe a specific type of network communication. Protocols
are necessary for separate network devices to communicate
properly. Finally, a network service (as it pertains to Network
preferences) is the collection of settings that define a network
connection.
2. The Internet Protocol (IP) address identifies the location of a
specific network device. IP addresses are the primary
identification used by the Internet protocol suite TCP/IP for
both local area and wide area networks. Subnet masks are
used by network devices to identify their local network range
and to determine whether outgoing data is destined for a
network device on the LAN.
3. Most common IP addresses and subnet masks share the same
IPv4 formatting. An IPv4 address is a 32-bit number
represented in four groups of three-digit numbers, known as
octets, separated by periods. Each octet has a value between
0 and 255. An IPv6 address is a 128-bit number thats
presented in eight groups of four-digit hexadecimal numbers
separated by colons. This allows for a huge range of
addresses, and as a result IPv6 addressing essentially includes
subnet information.
4. If a network device needs to send data to another network
device on the same LAN, it addresses the outgoing packets
based on the destination devices MAC address.
5. A network client uses the subnet mask to determine whether
the destination IP address is on the LAN. If the destination IP
address isnt on the LAN, its assumed that the destination
address is on another network, and the client sends the data
to the IP address of the local network router. The network
router then sends the data, via a WAN connection, to another
router that it thinks is closer to the destination. This continues
across WAN connections from router to router until the data
reaches its destination.
6. The DNS is used to translate host names to IP addresses via
forward lookups and translate IP addresses to host names via
reverse lookups. DNS is architected as a hierarchy of
worldwide domain servers. Local DNS servers provide name
resolution and possibly host names for local clients. These
local DNS servers connect to DNS servers higher in the DNS
hierarchy to resolve both unknown host names and host local
domain names.
7. A Service Set Identifier, or SSID, is used to identify a Wi-Fi
network name and associated configuration.
8. OS X supports authenticated Wi-Fi via the following
authentication protocols: WEP, WPA/WPA2 Personal, and WPA/
WPA2 Enterprise, which includes support for 802.1X
authentication.
37
9. A new OS X system can automatically connect only to Wi-Fi

networks that have no standard authentication mechanism,
known as an open network. However, a configured OS X
system can automatically reconnect to authenticated Wi-Fi
networks, provided that the appropriate information was
saved to the Keychain system.
10. A standard user can connect to any non-WPA Enterprise Wi-Fi
network via the Wi-Fi status menu. Because the system
Keychain must be modified for WPA Enterprise connections,
only an administrative user can establish these types of
connections.
Lesson Twenty-one review questions

questions.
1. Whats a network location? Who can access network
locations?
2. Which interfaces and protocols are supported by default in
OS X?
3. What functionality does OS X support with the AppleTalk
protocol?
4. How does network service order aect network connectivity?
5. In Network preferences, how can you tell which interface is
currently being used for network activities?
6. Whats the easiest method in OS X to configure VPN settings?
7. How is 802.1X configured on OS X systems?
Answers
1. A network location is a saved state of Network preferences
that contains all network interface settings. Only
administrators can define network locations, but if more than
one location exists, all users can switch between the various
network locations via the Apple menu.
2. OS X supports the following network interfaces and protocols:
Ethernet IEEE 802.3 family of hardware network interface
standards
Wireless (Wi-Fi) IEEE 802.11 family of hardware network
interface standards
FireWire IEEE 1394 bridged network interface
Thunderbolt bridged network interface
Bluetooth wireless hardware network interface
USB connectivity via cellular network adapters or iOS
devices with cellular network service
38
Virtual private network (VPN) virtual network interface via

the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP)
VPN virtual network interface via the Layer 2 Tunneling
Protocol (L2TP) over Internet Protocol Security (IPSec)
VPN virtual network interface via Cisco IPSec
Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) virtual
network interface
6 to 4 virtual network interface
Virtual local area network (VLAN) virtual network interface
via the IEEE 802.1Q standard
Link Aggregation virtual network interface via the IEEE
802.3ad standard
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP),
also known as the Internet protocol suite
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
Domain Name Service (DNS) protocol
Network Basic Input/Output System (NetBIOS) and
Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS) protocols
Authenticated Ethernet via the 802.1X protocol
3. AppleTalk works only with Mac OS X v10.5 or earlier.
4. The network service order list is used to determine the
primary network service interface if there is more than one
active service. All network trac that isnt better handled via
local connection to an active network service interface is sent
to the primary network service interface. So in most cases all
WAN trac, Internet trac, and DNS resolution is sent
through the primary network service interface.
5. In Network preferences, all network service interfaces with a
green status indicator are being used for network activities.
However, again, all network trac that isnt better handled via
a local connection is sent to the primary network service
interface. The primary network service interface is the
topmost active interface in the listing.
6. The easiest method to configure VPN settings is to use a
configuration profile containing all the relevant VPN setup
information.
7. In OS X there are two configuration methods for 802.1X. The
first method is automatic configuration via the selection of a
Wi-Fi network that requires WPA/WPA2 Enterprise
authentication. The second method is semiautomatic
configuration via an 802.1X configuration profile provided by
an administrator.
39
Lesson Twenty-two review questions

questions.
1. What are four common issues that can interrupt network
services on a Mac computer?
2. How do network devices acquire and use self-assigned TCP/IP
addresses?
3. How can you identify the MAC addresses for all the Mac
computers network interfaces?
4. How can you verify basic connectivity to another network
host?
5. How can you verify that DNS host name resolution is
working?
6. How can you verify that the system can establish a
connection to a remote network host?
Answers
1. Four common issues that can interrupt network services on a
Mac are:
Ethernet connectivity issues, which can cause the hardware
network interface to become inactive or introduce
excessive packet errors
Wi-Fi connectivity issues caused by the selection of an
improper Wi-Fi network or excessive wireless interference
DHCP service issues, which prevent proper TCP/IP
configuration
DNS service issues, which prevent host name resolution
2. If DHCP is specified as the configuration for a TCP/IP
connection and no DHCP service is available, the device
automatically selects a random IP address in the
169.254.xxx.xxx range. It checks the local network to ensure
that no other network device is using the randomly
generated IP address before it applies the IP address. In most
cases, though, this addressing isnt normal, and its often
indicative of a problem with DHCP services.
3. You can identify all the MAC addresses for the Mac
computers network interfaces from the Info pane of Network
Utility.
4. The Ping tab of Network Utility allows you to test basic
connectivity to another network host by sending and then
waiting for the return of a ping packet.
5. The Lookup tab of Network Utility allows you to test name
resolution against the currently configured DNS server.
40
6. The Traceroute tab of Network Utility allows you to verify the

connection hops between your Mac and a remote host.
Part Seven: Network Services

After completing Part Seven, Network Services, in OSX Support Essentials
10.10, you should be able to complete the following tasks.. Questions are
drawn randomly from the following objectives:
Given a Mac with OS X installed, access network services.
Describe the tools and methods used to configure network services for
applications such as Safari, Mail, Messages, Contacts, Calendar, and
Finder.
Describe the tools and methods for configuring sharing services.
Describe the tools and methods used to mount and unmount network
share points.
Use /Network to discover file services available on the network.
Describe the relationship between client software, client

configurations, server software, and server configurations relative to
network service access.
Describe the relationship between a network service and a network

port.
List three troubleshooting techniques for issues involving failure to

connect to various network services.
List the five types of file servers accessible via the Connect to Server
menu option.
List service discovery protocols supported by OS X.
Describe how items inside /Network in OS X are populated and

organized.
Describe common issues when connecting to file sharing services

using OS X.
List issues with metadata/file forks, and issues with connecting to file
servers that dont support AFP 3.1.
Given a Mac with OS X installed, configure a firewall.
Identify the network services provided by iCloud on a Mac running

OS X.
Compare and contrast the tools and methods used for screen sharing.
Given a Mac with OS X installed, sharing services configured, a network
connection, and a scenario where sharing services arent working as
expected, troubleshoot the configuration and connections to restore
the service connection.
Use the Connect to Server menu option in the Finder to access files
from each of the five types of accessible file servers.
Describe how OS X uses dynamic service discovery protocols to access

network services.
41
Describe how firewalls work in OS X.

Describe the advanced firewall settings in OS X.
Lesson Twenty-three review questions

questions.
1. Whats the relationship between clients and servers as it
relates to network service access?
2. Whats the relationship between a network service and a
network port?
3. Whats the primary interface for configuring network service
applications?
4. How does OS X use dynamic network service discovery
protocols to access network services?
5. Which two dynamic network service discovery protocols are
supported by OS X?
6. Which five network file services can you connect to from the
Connect to Server dialog in the Finder?
7. How are items populated inside the Network folder in the
Finder?
8. Which two methods can be used to automatically connect a
network share?
9. What are three common troubleshooting techniques for
issues involving failure to connect to network services?
10. How can you verify that a specific network service is available
from a service provider?
11. What are some known issues that arise when connecting to
network file services?
Answers
1. Client software is used to access network services provided
by server software. The connection is established using a
common network protocol known by both the client and
server software. Thus, the client and server software can be
from dierent sources.
2. Network services are established using a common network
protocol. The protocol specifies which TCP or UDP port
number is used for communications.
3. Internet Accounts preference is the primary interface in OS X
for configuring built-in network applications.
4. Devices providing a network service advertise their
availability via a dynamic network service discovery protocol.
Clients looking for services request and receive this
42
information to provide the user with a list of available

network service choices.
5. OS X supports Bonjour and Server Message Block (SMB),
including support for legacy Network Basic Input/Output and
Windows Internet Naming Service (NetBIOS and WINS)
dynamic network service discovery protocols.
6. From the Connect to Server dialog in the Finder, you can
connect to:
Server Message Blocks/Common Internet File System (SMB/
CIFS)
SMB2/SMB3
Apple File Protocol (AFP)
Network File System (NFS)
Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning
(WebDAV)
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) network file services
7. The Finder populates the Network folder using information
provided by the dynamic network services discovery
protocols. Computers providing services appear as resources
inside the Network folder, and service discovery zones or
workgroups appear as folders. Any currently connected
servers also appear in the Network folder.
8. To automatically connect a file share when the user logs in to
the system, drag the share from the Finder to the users login
items in Users & Groups preferences. Or you can drag the
share to the right side of the users Dock, and it will
automatically connect when the user clicks the shares icon in
the Dock.
9. Review Network preferences, review the Network Utility
statistics, and attempt to connect to dierent network
services.
10. To verify whether a specific service is available from a service
provider, first use the Network Utility Ping tab to verify basic
connectivity. Then use the Network Utility Port Scan tab to
verify that the specific service port(s) are open. You should
always limit the port scan to the specific ports required for
the network service youre testing.
11. Files with metadata may cause problems for NFS or WebDAV
network file systems. Also, avoid AFP 2 services provided by
Windows file servers.
Lesson Twenty-four review questions

questions.
1. Which sharing services can OS X provide?
43
2. Whats the security risk of enabling client sharing services?

3. Which application can provide on-demand screen sharing
even when the Screen Sharing service isnt enabled?
4. Whats AirDrop, and how do you know if a specific Mac
supports it?
5. Assuming you have a brand-new Mac with OS X Yosemite
installed, what other devices will appear in the AirDrop
browser with the default settings?
6. If other devices with AirDrop enabled arent appearing in the
AirDrop browser, which two settings on a Mac can you
change to potentially make more devices appear?
7. In what primary way does the OS X built-in firewall dier from
a traditional network firewall?
8. Which optional firewall settings are available?
Answers
1. The OS X sharing services include DVD or CD sharing, Screen
Sharing, File Sharing, Printer Sharing, Scanner Sharing, Remote
Login, Remote Management (ARD), Apple Events, Internet
Sharing, and Bluetooth Sharing.
2. If a client sharing service is compromised, an unauthorized
user can control your Mac and execute unwanted
applications or processes.
3. The Messages application allows for on-demand screen
sharing that can be used even when the system screen
sharing service isnt enabled.
4. AirDrop provides a quick and easy method to share files
locally via Wi-Fi. AirDrop creates a secure peer-to-peer
network between local devices. You can verify that a Mac
supports AirDrop from the Finder Go menu.
5. When you open the AirDrop browser on a late-model Mac
computer with OS X Yosemite, the browser shows only other
late-model Mac computers with OS X Yosemite and latemodel iOS devices with iOS 7 or later.
6. On a late model-Mac computer with OS X Yosemite youll find
two settings at the bottom of the AirDrop browser that
control AirDrop discovery. The first setting expands AirDrop
discovery from only users in your Contacts to everyone within
AirDrop range. The second setting makes AirDrop revert to
the previous discovery method, which allows your Mac to
discover older Mac computers and/or Mac computers
running previous versions of OS X.
7. With the firewall built into OS X, connections are allowed or
denied on a per-application basis. This is unlike traditional
network firewalls, where access rules are based on network
service port numbers.
44
8. The optional firewall settings enable you to control whether

signed applications are automatically allowed through the
firewall, control the list of allowed (or denied) applications,
and enable stealth mode (which means your Mac wont
respond to any unsolicited connections).
Part Eight: System Management

After completing Part Eight, System Management, in OSX Support
Essentials 10.10, you should be able to complete the following tasks..
Given a Mac with OS X installed, manage peripheral devices connected

to a Mac.
Given the System Information utility, identify 64- and 32-bit kernel
extensions.
Describe the tools and methods used to connect Bluetooth devices to

a Mac running OS X.
Identify the buses supported by OS X to connect to and communicate

with peripheral devices.
Compare and contrast uses of the buses and their characteristics such
as speed, power requirements, and connector typesincluding these
buses: Bluetooth, SCSI, ATA, Serial ATA, FireWire, USB PC Card bus,
Thunderbolt.
Given the System Information utility, identify connected peripherals

and the buses that theyre using.
Use System Information.
Describe the tools and methods used to configure printing on a Mac

running OS X.
Describe the role of PPD files in OS X printing.
Map visual and audible cues to the stages of the OS X startup

sequence.
Describe the role of BootROM and the Power On Self Test (POST) in
OS X startup.
Describe the role of the launchd processes during OS X system

initialization.
Describe the role of startup scripts in the startup sequence of OS X.
Define the term device driver as it applies to OS X.

List three ways a device driver can be implemented in OS X.
Given a Mac with OS X installed, configure the computer for printing
and printer sharing.
Discuss the steps that occur during the startup and sleep modes.
Identify each of the processes that start up in OS X at system startup, in
the order in which they launch.
45
Describe the role of the login window process in user environment

setup in OS X.
Compare and contrast startup items with login items in OS X.
Identify the startup keyboard shortcuts and their functions in OS X.
Describe methods for shutting down an unresponsive OS X computer.
Compare and contrast Safe Boot and Safe Mode.
Identify the keyboard combination to start a computer in Safe Mode.
Identify the stages of shutdown in OS X.

Identify the stages of logout in OS X.
Describe which types of computers and data are supported by the
Power Nap feature in OS X.
Describe the purpose and features of Verbose mode in OS X.

Describe the purpose and features of Single-User mode in OS X.
Given a Mac with OS X installed, troubleshoot and resolve issues
related to OS X startup and shutdown.
Describe how to identify and resolve kernel loading issues in OS X.

Identify the location of files and scripts essential to the OS X startup
process.
Identify the items that load when powering up in Safe Mode in the
order in which they load.
Describe how to further isolate and then resolve an issue that

disappears when the computer is started up in Safe Mode.
Lesson Twenty-five review questions

questions.
1. What are the four primary peripheral bus technologies
supported by Mac computers running OS X?
2. Which action must take place for a Mac to communicate with
a Bluetooth peripheral? Where can this be configured?
3. Whats a device driver? Which three primary types of device
drivers are there?
4. How does OS X support third-party devices without needing
third-party device drivers?
5. What can you infer about a connected peripheral if it doesnt
appear in the System Information application?
Answers
1. The four primary peripheral bus technologies supported by
OS X are:
Universal Serial Bus (USB)
46
FireWire
Thunderbolt
Bluetooth wireless
2. Bluetooth devices must be paired to each other for
communication to occur. Bluetooth preferences in the System
Preference application is responsible for pairing your Mac
with Bluetooth peripherals. You can quickly open Bluetooth
preferences from the Bluetooth status menu.
3. A device driver is software specially designed to facilitate the
communication between OS X and a peripheral. Device
drivers can be kernel extensions, framework plug-ins, or
standalone applications.
4. OS X uses built-in generic drivers based on each device class.
For example, there are generic drivers for scanners and
printers that can be used instead of ocial third-party drivers.
5. If a connected peripheral doesnt appear in System
Information, the issue is likely to be hardware related.
Troubleshoot accordingly.
Lesson Twenty-six review questions

questions.
1. What does CUPS do?
2. What are PPD files responsible for?
3. Whats the best source for acquiring printer drivers for OS X?
4. Under what circumstances can a standard
(nonadministrative) user configure a printer?
5. How do you share printers with other users?
6. How can you select a new printer driver for a configured
printer?
7. If it appears that all configured printers are having problems,
whats a potential quick fix?
Answers
1. Common UNIX Printing System (CUPS) manages all printing
for OS X, including both local and shared printing.
2. PostScript Printer Description (PPD) files are printer driver files
that instruct the CUPS system on how to communicate with
specific printer models.
3. The Apple print drivers are the best source for configuring
OS X printers. One method is to let the software update
system automatically download and install the appropriate
printer drivers. Or you can manually download and install
printer drivers from the Apple support website.
47
4. Assuming the default settings for OS X, a standard user can

only configure directly attached or local network printers
from the Print dialog. Also, the appropriate drivers must be
installed before the standard user configures the printer.
5. You can enable printer sharing from Print & Scan or Sharing
preferences. Note that Windows clients may need additional
drivers to access the Mac computers shared printers via the
IPP protocol.
6. It depends on the printer. From Printing & Scanning
preferences, sometimes you can simply select a new printer
driver from the Options & Supplies dialog. In many cases
though, to select a new printer driver for a configured printer
you must delete and then add the printer again.
7. If all printers appear to be having problems, a quick fix is to
reset the entire printing system by using secondary (or
Control-) click in the printer list and then choosing Reset
printing system.
Lesson Twenty-seven review questions

questions.
1. What are the primary system initialization stages in OS X?
What are the visual and audible cues of these items?
2. What does the firmware do? Whats the POST?
3. What role does the system launchd process serve during
system startup?
4. Which items are automatically started by the system
launchd during the system initialization process?
5. What are the primary user session stages in OS X? What are
the visual and audible cues of these items?
6. Whats the dierence between launch daemons, startup
items, launch agents, and login items?
7. What are Safe Sleep and Power Nap?
8. What happens during user logout?
9. What happens during system shutdown?
10. Which keyboard shortcut is used to Safe Boot OS X?
11. Which keyboard shortcut can be used to temporarily choose
another startup disk?
12. Which changes are made when OS X Safe Boots?
13. Which items arent loaded when OS X Safe Boots?
14. How do you further resolve an issue that disappears when
the Mac successfully safe-boots?
48
Answers
1. Each primary stage of system initialization can be indicated
by the following: firmware, startup chime or bright flash of
the power-on light, followed by a light-gray screen on the
primary display; booter, a dark-gray Apple logo on the
primary display; kernel, a small dark-gray spinning gear or
spinning Earth icon below the Apple logo; and system
launchd, a white screen on all displays followed by the
login screen.
2. The firmware initializes the Mac computers hardware and
locates the booter file on a system volume. The Power-On
Self-Test (POST) checks for basic hardware functionality when
the Mac powers on.
3. The system launchd process is ultimately responsible for
starting every system process. It also manages system
initialization and starts the loginwindow process.
4. During system initialization, the system launchd process
automatically starts /System/ Library/LaunchDaemons, /
Library/LaunchDaemons, /Library/StartupItems (via
SystemStarter), and the /etc/rc.local UNIX script if it
exists.
5. Each primary stage of the user session can be indicated by
the following: The loginwindow process displays the login
screen, the user launchd process loads applications like the
Finder after user authentication, and the user environment is
active any time the user is logged in to the system.
6. Launch daemons and startup items open during system
initialization by the system launchd process on behalf of
the root user. Launch agents and login items open during the
initialization of the user environment by the users specific
launchd process.
7. Safe Sleep is a feature of all OS Xcompatible portable Mac
computers that saves the systems state to permanent storage
in cases where the computers battery drains completely.
Power Nap is a feature of Mac systems introduced after
mid-2011 that use all-flash storage. Power Nap allows the Mac
to automatically wake in a low-power mode so the system
can perform a variety of application and system updates.
8. During user logout, the users loginwindow process does
the following: requests that all user applications quit,
automatically quits any user background processes, runs any
logout scripts,records the logout to the main system.log file,
resets device permissions and preferences to their defaults,
and quits the users loginwindow and launchd
processes.
49
9. At system shutdown, the loginwindow process logs all

users out and then tells the kernel to quit all remaining
system processes. Once the kernel quits all system processes,
the Mac shuts down.
10. A Safe Boot is initiated by holding down the Shift key during
system startup.
11. Holding down the Option key at startup opens Startup
Manager, which allows you to temporarily choose another
startup disk.
12. A Safe Boot performs the following permanent actions:
attempting to repair the system volume structure, deleting
system KEXT caches, and deleting font caches.
13. When performing a Safe Boot, OS X doesnt load third-party
KEXTs, third-party launch agents, third-party launch daemons,
third-party startup items, third-party fonts, any user login
items, or any user-specific launch agents.
14. If an issue disappears when a Safe Boot is successful, you
must find and remove the third-party startup resource that
caused the issue. The best way to isolate the problem is to
start up the Mac in Verbose mode and then observe where
the startup process fails. Verbose mode is initiated by holding
down Command-V during system startup.
50

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OS X Support Essentials 10.

10 Exam Preparation Guide

OSX Support Essentials 10.10

Updated January 2015

OS X Support Essentials 10.10 Exam Preparation Guide

OS X Support Essentials 10.10 Exam Preparation Guide

About This Guide

Becoming an Apple Certified Support Professional

Apple Certified Associate - Mac Integration

Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) certification verifies an

What are the benefits of ACSP Certification?

Update your profile information and opt in to display your Apple

Review your certification progress

Provide access to employers to verify your certifications

Download your certification logo to use on business cards, rsums,

OS X Support Essentials 10.10 Exam Preparation Guide

Approximately 80 technical questions

Passing score is 73 percent (scores are NOT rounded).

Five unscored demographic questions.

Details on exam scoring are at training.apple.com/certification/faq.

Recommended Exam Preparation

Gain experience with OS X

Review the objectives and questions in this guide

Complete the Yosemite 101: OS X Support Essentials 10.10 course

Gain experience with OS X

OS X Support Essentials 10.10 Exam Preparation Guide

Learn from experts

Study the Apple Pro Training Series book

Review the objectives and questions

OS X Support Essentials 10.10 Exam Preparation Guide

Part One: Installation and Configuration

Describe the process for creating an external Yosemite Recovery

State the methods by which the Yosemite installer may be obtained.

State the current minimum hardware and software requirements.

List four critical steps that should be taken before installing OS X.

Navigate to the Support or Downloads pages on the Apple website to

Describe the process for reinstalling OS X using the Yosemite Recovery

Describe how formatting a Mac computers hard disk into a single

Describe how formatting a Mac computers hard disk into multiple

Describe how maintenance of multiple operating systems can be

Describe the OS X installation process, including decisions made in

Configure a Mac with OS X for use on a local area network with

State where in the GUI interface you configure a Mac computers

Describe how configuration profiles are used to manage settings on an

Describe how Setup Assistant is used to configure settings on an OS X

State the minimum hardware and software requirements for installing

OS X Support Essentials 10.10 Exam Preparation Guide

Compare and contrast the five categories of preferences in System

Describe how software and security updates are made available to

Given a Mac with OS X installed, identify the system version number,

Lesson One review questions

OS X Support Essentials 10.10 Exam Preparation Guide

Back up important files and folders

Lesson Two review questions

OS X Support Essentials 10.10 Exam Preparation Guide

Keychain, Photos and any other applications that support

Lesson Three review questions

OS X Support Essentials 10.10 Exam Preparation Guide

3. The OS X Recovery Disk Assistant can create a small OS X

Lesson Four review questions