IPA FE Subject A 2026 Question 9
A question IPA Japan published in 令和８年度 基本情報技術者試験 科目A 公開問題 問9, translated into English. ITPEC is based on the same exams.
Which of the following combinations corresponds to two-factor authentication?
Explanation
Password authentication and vein authentication — two-factor authentication combines two different kinds of authentication factor.
Authentication factors fall into three kinds:
- •Knowledge (something you know): a password, a PIN, the answer to a secret question
- •Possession (something you have): a client certificate stored on a device, a hardware token, an IC card
- •Inherence (something you are): biometrics such as vein patterns, fingerprints, the face
A password (knowledge) and a vein pattern (inherence) are two different kinds, so together they are two-factor authentication. Two checks of the same kind are still single-factor.
Answer (c)
Why not others:
- •(a) — a client certificate and a hardware token are both possession factors
- •(b) — vein and fingerprint authentication are both biometric (inherence) factors
- •(d) — a password and the answer to a secret question are both knowledge factors
Key rule: Count the kinds of factor, not the number of checks: two-factor means two different ones of knowledge, possession and inherence.
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This question comes from the past questions IPA Japan publishes, translated into English by ITPEC Practice. ITPEC Practice is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with IPA or ITPEC. See the original paper (PDF) or Report an issue.