Practice for the CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) exam with 15 exam-style practice questions, instant answer reveals, and concise explanations of every correct answer. Topics include: An IT professional is troubleshooting a client's computer that is not obtaining an IP address automatically. What ports . Follow @CertPunch and visit certpunch.com for more certification practice exams and study content.
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What you will practice
- An IT professional is troubleshooting a client's computer that is not obtaining an IP address automatically…
- A technician is installing a cable modem in a home. Which type of connector is typically used to connect the…
- A security team wants to analyze a potentially malicious software without risking their main network. What vi…
- A company seeks to leverage both on-premises infrastructure and public cloud services to optimize its IT envi…
- A user frequently needs to scan multiple-page documents. Which scanner feature should they look for to simpli…
- A graphic design company needs to print detailed graphics and has a choice between PCL and PostScript drivers…
Answers and explanations
Tap a question to expand the answer and the exam reasoning. Try to commit to your own pick first.
Q1. An IT professional is troubleshooting a client's computer that is not obtaining an IP address automatically. What ports are used by the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server to assign IP addresses?
Answer: A. 67/68
The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol uses ports 67 and 68 to automatically assign IP addresses and network settings to clients. Specifically, the server listens on port 67, while the client communicates through port 68.
Q2. A technician is installing a cable modem in a home. Which type of connector is typically used to connect the coaxial cable from the wall outlet to the modem?
Answer: C. F type
An F-type connector screws or pushes onto the coaxial cable used for broadband internet and cable television. Remember RJ11 for phone, RJ45 for ethernet, and ST or SC for fiber optic connections.
Q3. A security team wants to analyze a potentially malicious software without risking their main network. What virtual machine purpose would best suit this requirement?
Answer: D. Sandbox
A sandbox provides an isolated virtual environment where potentially malicious software can be executed and observed safely. This isolation prevents malware from escaping and infecting the primary host or the main corporate network.
Q4. A company seeks to leverage both on-premises infrastructure and public cloud services to optimize its IT environment. Which cloud model would best fit this requirement?
Answer: C. Hybrid cloud
A hybrid cloud specifically integrates local on-premises infrastructure with public cloud resources. For the exam, associate private clouds with internal data centers and public clouds with shared providers like AWS or Azure.
Q5. A user frequently needs to scan multiple-page documents. Which scanner feature should they look for to simplify this task?
Answer: B. Automatic Document Feeder (ADF)
An automatic document feeder pulls multiple pages into the scanner sequentially without user intervention. While duplex scanning prints on both sides, it does not eliminate the need to manually feed a stack of loose papers.
Q6. A graphic design company needs to print detailed graphics and has a choice between PCL and PostScript drivers. Which driver type should they choose for the best graphic output?
Answer: B. PostScript
PostScript is a page description language designed to render complex graphics and typography with high fidelity. PCL is faster for basic office text documents, but PostScript remains the standard for professional graphic design.
Q7. An organization requires a server to handle the sending, receiving, and storing of emails for all its employees. Which server role fits this requirement?
Answer: A. Mail server
A mail server is dedicated to handling the sending, receiving, and storage of email messages across a corporate network. For the exam, remember that DNS translates domain names, while DHCP automates IP address assignment to client devices.
Q8. A library is implementing a new system to manage book checkouts and returns more efficiently. Which technology would be most appropriate for this purpose?
Answer: B. RFID
Radio frequency identification, or RFID, is the best choice because it allows quick scanning of multiple tagged items simultaneously. While near field communication is related technology, its extremely short range makes it highly impractical for batch scanning.
Q9. A gamer wants to upgrade their graphics card for better performance in the latest games. What is the most crucial factor to consider before purchasing a new graphics card?
Answer: B. The size and power requirements of the graphics card
Verifying physical dimensions and power requirements is critical because the new card must physically fit inside the case and draw adequate wattage from the power supply. A common exam mistake is overlooking the power supply limits and focusing on secondary features like port count.
Q10. A user wants to upgrade their laptop's storage to improve performance. Which of the following would be the best upgrade option?
Answer: B. Replacing the HDD with an SSD
Replacing a mechanical hard drive with a solid state drive is the best storage upgrade because it provides drastically faster read and write speeds. While adding memory helps with multitasking, it does not directly improve storage access times.
Q11. A user is inquiring about the technology used in the display of their smartphone, which produces vibrant colors and deep blacks. Which display technology is most likely used in their smartphone?
Answer: A. OLED
Organic light emitting diode displays produce vibrant colors and deep blacks because each individual pixel generates its own light. Liquid crystal displays rely on a constant backlight, which prevents them from achieving true black levels.
Q12. A network printer is not printing documents sent from office computers. What should be the technician's initial approach to troubleshoot this issue?
Answer: B. Check the network connection between the printer and computers
Checking the basic network connection is the proper initial step because a lost IP address or unplugged cable prevents all network printing. Jumping straight to reinstalling drivers skips basic connectivity troubleshooting and creates unnecessary work.
Q13. In DNS, what type of record is used to associate an email server with a domain name?
Answer: D. MX
The mail exchanger record is used to associate an email server with a domain name by directing messages to the correct destination. For the exam, remember that mail exchange records specifically route incoming emails.
Q14. A user experiences intermittent wireless connectivity on their laptop while working in different areas of their office. What is the most likely cause of this issue?
Answer: B. Inadequate wireless coverage in certain areas
Intermittent connectivity that changes based on physical location points directly to dead zones or inadequate wireless coverage. A failing network adapter would generally follow the laptop everywhere rather than fluctuating by office area.
Q15. A technician observes that the LED indicator on a desktop computer's power supply is flashing red. What does this commonly indicate?
Answer: B. There is a power supply issue
A flashing red LED on a power supply unit generally indicates a hardware failure or a power distribution issue within the system. For the exam, remember that red lights on internal components usually denote a fault or failure status, whereas green indicates normal operation.
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