Certified Internet Web (CIW) Professional Practice Exam

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What is the primary use of the HTTP protocol?

File transfer
Sending email
View web pages
Remote file access

The correct answer is: View web pages

The primary use of the HTTP protocol is to enable the transfer of hypertext documents on the World Wide Web, allowing users to view web pages. HTTP, which stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, is the foundation of data communication on the Internet and is specifically designed for transferring multimedia content such as text, images, and videos. When a user enters a URL in a web browser, the browser sends an HTTP request to the server hosting that resource, which then responds with the requested content. This interaction is fundamental to surfing the web and accessing information online. Other options like file transfer, sending email, and remote file access utilize different protocols designed for their specific purposes. For instance, File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is optimized for transferring files, while Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is used for sending emails. Remote file access usually relies on protocols like SSH or SMB. These distinctions underscore why HTTP is uniquely suited to web page viewing and is the correct focus in this context.