Practice for the CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) exam with 22 exam-style practice questions, instant answer reveals, and concise explanations of every correct answer. Topics include: Tim's laptop was recently upgraded to Windows 11 but is now running more slowly due to the increased memory requirements. Follow @CertPunch and visit certpunch.com for more certification practice exams and study content.
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What you will practice
- Tim's laptop was recently upgraded to Windows 11 but is now running more slowly due to the increased memory r…
- Which of the following ports is used by the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol to share files and printers o…
- Which of the following statements about the 5.0 GHz wireless frequency used by Wi-Fi is correct?
- Your printer is connected directly to your computer using a USB cable. Your coworker's printer is broken, and…
- What is the purpose of utilizing secure boot?
- A server administrator receives an alert that one drive in the company's RAID 5 array is reporting S.M.A.R.T…
Answers and explanations
Tap a question to expand the answer and the exam reasoning. Try to commit to your own pick first.
Q1. Tim's laptop was recently upgraded to Windows 11 but is now running more slowly due to the increased memory requirements. He has decided to install some additional RAM to speed up the laptop. Which of the following should he install?
Answer: C. SODIMM
Laptops use small outline dual inline memory modules, known as SODIMMs, due to their compact footprint. DIMMs are used in desktops, while GDDR5 and VRAM are dedicated to graphics processing units.
Q2. Which of the following ports is used by the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol to share files and printers on a Windows network?
Answer: B. 445
The Server Message Block protocol uses port 445 to share files and printers directly over a modern IP network. FTP uses port 21, HTTPS uses port 443, and IMAP uses port 143 for their respective services.
Q3. Which of the following statements about the 5.0 GHz wireless frequency used by Wi-Fi is correct?
Answer: A. The 5.0 GHz frequency supports higher data rates than 2.4 GHz
The 5.0 gigahertz frequency supports higher data rates and offers more non overlapping channels than 2.4 gigahertz. Conversely, 2.4 gigahertz has a longer wavelength, making it travel farther and penetrate solid surfaces much better.
Q4. Your printer is connected directly to your computer using a USB cable. Your coworker's printer is broken, and they asked you to share your printer to allow them to print. Which of the following should you do as a temporary solution to allo…
Answer: D. Enable Printer Sharing on your Windows system
Enabling printer sharing in Windows allows network users to send documents to a locally attached USB printer for free. Purchasing hardware or creating guest accounts violates the zero cost and temporary requirements of the scenario.
Q5. What is the purpose of utilizing secure boot?
Answer: A. Provide security for the OS
Secure Boot verifies the digital signatures of boot software to prevent unauthorized operating systems and malware from loading during startup. The distractors describing speed or memory improvements fail because Secure Boot provides integrity validation, not hardware performance enhancements.
Q6. A server administrator receives an alert that one drive in the company's RAID 5 array is reporting S.M.A.R.T. errors. The RAID array is still functioning normally and shows no signs of degradation. What should the administrator do FIRST?
Answer: B. Schedule a backup of the RAID array before taking any action
A RAID array is extremely vulnerable to data loss during a rebuild, so a verified backup must exist before replacing a failing drive. Disk repair utilities cannot fix hardware S.M.A.R.T. errors, and reconfiguring the array requires destroying it first.
Q7. A technician is troubleshooting an issue with a workstation. The workstation can ping 8.8.8.8 successfully, but it is unable to access Facebook.com. Which internal network server is MOST likely causing these issues?
Answer: D. DNS server
The inability to resolve a domain name while successfully pinging a public IP address indicates a DNS resolution failure. DHCP is eliminated because the workstation already has a valid IP address, and SMTP or FTP servers do not handle name resolution.
Q8. An instructor connects his laptop to his iPhone using a USB cable to access the Internet using the smartphone's cellular data. Which term best describes this configuration?
Answer: B. Tethering
Tethering shares a mobile device's cellular data connection with another device, often using a USB cable or Bluetooth. A hotspot is eliminated because it specifically refers to broadcasting a wireless Wi-Fi network for multiple devices to connect to.
Q9. What is the smallest and fastest cache level that is located closest to the processor?
Answer: D. L1
Level 1 cache is built directly into the processor core, making it the smallest and fastest cache memory available. The higher levels like L2 and L3 are progressively larger and slower, sitting further away from the core to balance speed and capacity.
Q10. A user brings you a phone that is acting erratically. The screen is flickering and the battery is not charging consistently. What question should you ask the user first?
Answer: C. Have you gotten the phone wet recently?
Liquid damage strongly correlates with the combined symptoms of screen flickering and inconsistent charging, making questions about water exposure the best initial diagnostic step. A dropped phone might crack a screen, but it rarely causes simultaneous charging port failures without obvious physical damage.
Q11. Your company is experiencing slow network speeds of about 54Mbps on their wireless network. You have been asked to perform an assessment of the existing wireless network and recommend a solution. You have recommended that the company upgra…
Answer: B. MIMO
Multiple-input multiple-output, or MIMO, uses multiple antennas to achieve higher throughput speeds in modern wireless networks. The other options are network or security features that do not directly increase data transfer rates.
Q12. Sarah's iPhone is not connecting to a known Wi-Fi network. She has confirmed the Wi-Fi is working on other devices. What should she do next?
Answer: A. Forget the Wi-Fi network and reconnect
Forgetting and reconnecting to a Wi-Fi network clears corrupted authentication data. Factory resets are too disruptive for an initial troubleshooting step, and a simple restart will not fix a corrupted network profile.
Q13. Which of the following ports is used by the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol for secure remote access to network devices?
Answer: B. 22
Secure Shell uses TCP port 22 to establish encrypted remote management sessions. Port 23 is unencrypted Telnet, port 25 is SMTP for email transfer, and port 443 is secure web traffic.
Q14. After replacing an old access point with 802.11ac, most devices connect automatically but a 7-year-old wireless printer won't connect. What is MOST likely the reason?
Answer: B. The access point and the wireless printer have a frequency mismatch
Older wireless printers often only support 2.4 GHz networks, while 802.11ac operates strictly on the 5 GHz band. This frequency mismatch prevents the legacy printer from detecting or connecting to the new access point.
Q15. Which of the following types of USB connections can support up to 4.5 watts of power per connected device?
Answer: A. USB 3.0
USB 3.0 provides higher power delivery, supporting up to 4.5 watts per connected device. Older USB versions deliver significantly less power, making them unsuitable for powering demanding peripherals without an external adapter.
Q16. Which type of wireless network utilizes the 2.4 GHz frequency band and reaches speeds of up to 54 Mbps?
Answer: E. 802.11g
The 802.11g standard operates specifically in the 2.4 GHz band and reaches maximum speeds of 54 Mbps. While 802.11a also reaches 54 Mbps, it operates in the 5 GHz band.
Q17. Which of the following devices could be used to extend transmissions of a signal over longer distances by receiving and retransmitting a given signal at the lowest cost?
Answer: C. Repeater
A repeater receives and retransmits network signals to extend transmission distances at the lowest cost. Routers and switches are more complex and expensive devices used for directing traffic, not simply extending it.
Q18. Which of the following is a page description language that produces higher quality outputs at the expense of speed?
Answer: D. PostScript
PostScript is a page description language that produces high-quality outputs for desktop publishing at the cost of processing speed. Printer Control Language is faster but offers lower print fidelity.
Q19. Which of the following ports should you unblock at the firewall if your workstation cannot access diontraining.com but can access the website by its IP address?
Answer: D. 53
DNS operates over port 53 to translate domain names into IP addresses. If you can reach a website by IP but not by name, the firewall is blocking DNS resolution, not web traffic ports.
Q20. John is setting up 100 Windows 10 computers for a new corporate office. He wants to ensure that unauthorized applications are prevented from being installed during the bootup process. What feature should he ensure is enabled?
Answer: C. Secure Boot
Secure Boot prevents malicious and unauthorized applications from loading during the startup process. Full disk encryption only protects data at rest, while a BIOS password merely blocks system access without validating boot software signatures.
Q21. A user reports that their mobile phone cannot connect to Wi-Fi at home, but other devices are working fine. What should the technician check next to resolve the issue?
Answer: A. Ensure the correct SSID and password are entered
Verifying the correct network name and password is the first step because incorrect credentials commonly cause isolated connection failures. Factory resets and hardware replacements are premature steps that ignore basic network settings.
Q22. A replacement laptop screen arrived without instructions, and the manufacturer's website has no repair manual. What is the BEST course of action?
Answer: D. Replace the laptop's cracked screen
Technicians should proceed with the hardware replacement by carefully disassembling the laptop and documenting screw and cable locations. Updating drivers is for software issues, and waiting or returning the screen causes unnecessary delays for a routine repair.
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