HTML and CSS Certification 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The correct answer is the pseudo-class that specifically targets links when they are in a hover state. The `a: hover` CSS pseudo-class is designed to apply styles to a hyperlink when the user hovers their cursor over it. This allows for dynamic feedback, enhancing the user experience by indicating that the link is interactive and ready to be clicked.

When a user hovers over a link, styles defined under this pseudo-class can change characteristics such as color, background, text-decoration, or any other CSS properties, providing visual cues that help users navigate web pages effectively.

The other options represent different states of a link:

- The active state (`a: active`) applies styles when the link is being clicked but does not affect the appearance during a hover.

- The visited state (`a: visited`) applies styles to links that the user has already clicked but does not provide any hover effects.

- The link state (`a: link`) applies styles to links that haven't yet been visited, also not affecting the hover state.

Understanding the purpose of each pseudo-class is crucial for effectively managing link behavior and appearance in web design.