Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science

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Enhance your readiness for the AP Computer Science exam with insightful quizzes. Deepen your understanding and master key concepts as you prepare for a successful test experience!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

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What is the primary function of TCP?

To encrypt data packets
To guarantee reliable transmission of messages
To manage cloud storage
To track user browsing habits

The correct answer is: To guarantee reliable transmission of messages

The primary function of TCP, or Transmission Control Protocol, is to guarantee reliable transmission of messages across a network. TCP achieves this by implementing a connection-oriented communication approach, ensuring that data sent from one endpoint to another arrives accurately and in the correct order. When data is transmitted using TCP, it breaks down the information into smaller packets, adds sequence numbers to each packet, and sends them to the destination. The receiving device acknowledges the receipt of these packets, allowing the sender to know which packets have been successfully received and which, if any, need to be retransmitted. This process helps prevent the loss of data and ensures that messages are not only transmitted but are also complete and intact. In contrast, the other options focus on different functionalities that are not related to the primary role of TCP. Encryption of data packets is typically managed by protocols such as SSL/TLS, while cloud storage management involves different technologies and protocols that deal with data storage rather than transmission. Tracking user browsing habits is often the role of analytics services or tracking cookies, which do not pertain to the transmission control functions provided by TCP.