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Networking · FRQ Trainer

Free-response 1 of 8 · Network Foundations

6 pts our rubric

This is our practice prompt and our rubric, written to the skills the exam assesses. The point total above is ours — we have not published a verified breakdown of the real Networking Section II, so don’t read it as a College Board value.

Prompt

A workstation on a local network sends a file to a server on the same network.

aName the seven layers of the OSI model in order from layer 1 to layer 7.1 pt

bExplain what encapsulation means as the file travels down the sending host stack, naming the unit of data at the transport, network, and data link layers.1 pt

cExplain the difference between a MAC address and an IP address, including the scope over which each is meaningful.1 pt

dExplain what ARP does and why it is necessary.1 pt

eExplain the difference between a collision domain and a broadcast domain.1 pt

fExplain why a switch is described as a layer 2 device and a router as a layer 3 device.1 pt

Keep writing to unlock scoring (0/120)

Write your response first — then grade it with AI or self-score against the rubric.