Practice for the CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) exam with 17 exam-style practice questions, instant answer reveals, and concise explanations of every correct answer. Topics include: A rural homeowner without access to traditional broadband services needs internet connectivity. Which type of internet c. Follow @CertPunch and visit certpunch.com for more certification practice exams and study content.
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What you will practice
- A rural homeowner without access to traditional broadband services needs internet connectivity. Which type of…
- A technician is repairing a computer that requires the installation of software from a DVD. However, the comp…
- A user is upgrading a laptop and wants to install a new SSD. The laptop has a small space for the drive. Whic…
- A builder is assembling a high-performance gaming PC with multiple GPUs and expansion cards. Which motherboar…
- A company wants to protect its internal network from unauthorized external access and control the flow of net…
- You are upgrading a client's computer from an HDD to an SSD to improve performance. The client wants to retai…
Answers and explanations
Tap a question to expand the answer and the exam reasoning. Try to commit to your own pick first.
Q1. A rural homeowner without access to traditional broadband services needs internet connectivity. Which type of internet connection is most suitable for remote areas where other forms of connectivity are not available?
Answer: D. Satellite
Satellite internet provides broad coverage in remote areas by communicating directly with orbiting satellites. Cable, fiber, and DSL rely on physical terrestrial infrastructure that is often unavailable in extremely rural locations.
Q2. A technician is repairing a computer that requires the installation of software from a DVD. However, the computer does not currently have an optical drive. The technician decides to install an internal optical drive. What type of interface…
Answer: B. SATA
Internal optical drives use the SATA interface for power and data connections inside modern computer cases. USB and Thunderbolt are typically reserved for external peripherals, while IDE represents outdated legacy technology.
Q3. A user is upgrading a laptop and wants to install a new SSD. The laptop has a small space for the drive. Which SSD form factor is most appropriate for use in slim or compact laptops?
Answer: B. M.2
The M.2 form factor is a small, bare-board design that fits perfectly into slim laptops with limited internal space. Traditional drives like 2.5-inch models require larger physical enclosures that conflict with compact chassis constraints.
Q4. A builder is assembling a high-performance gaming PC with multiple GPUs and expansion cards. Which motherboard form factor should they choose for this build?
Answer: A. ATX
ATX motherboards offer the largest footprint and the most expansion slots for adding multiple graphics cards. ITX boards are too small for extensive expansion, while PCIe and M.2 represent interface types rather than board dimensions.
Q5. A company wants to protect its internal network from unauthorized external access and control the flow of network traffic based on security rules. Which device should they implement at the network perimeter?
Answer: D. Firewall
A firewall filters network traffic based on configured security rules to block unauthorized access. While routers route packets and switches connect devices, only a firewall enforces security policies at the network perimeter.
Q6. You are upgrading a client's computer from an HDD to an SSD to improve performance. The client wants to retain all their data and settings from the HDD. Which of the following methods would be the most appropriate for transferring the data…
Answer: B. Use disk imaging software to clone the HDD onto the SSD
Cloning the drive creates an exact sector-by-sector copy of the original drive, preserving the operating system and user data. A clean installation requires manual data migration and application reinstallation, resulting in unnecessary downtime.
Q7. A digital artist finds their laptop's trackpad insufficient for detailed drawing work in their graphic design software. What device would most improve their drawing experience?
Answer: C. A pressure-sensitive drawing pad
A pressure-sensitive drawing pad captures the artist's pressure and stroke precision for detailed work. An ergonomic mouse lacks the necessary pressure sensitivity and fine stylus control required for digital design.
Q8. A user's smartphone often loses internet connectivity while using navigation apps. What could be the cause?
Answer: D. Unstable mobile data connection
An unstable mobile data connection is likely the cause of internet connectivity issues while using navigation apps, especially if the issue occurs in areas with poor cellular reception.
Q9. A user frequently travels for work and has noticed that their phone often has trouble connecting to local networks. What should they ensure is updated to improve connectivity?
Answer: B. The Preferred Roaming List (PRL)
Updating the Preferred Roaming List provides the phone with the latest available roaming networks, directly improving connectivity for traveling users. The operating system handles general security and features, but it does not specifically update cellular roaming partnerships.
Q10. A user is looking for software to protect their Windows PC from viruses and other malicious software. Which of the following is a dedicated antivirus program?
Answer: A. Windows Defender
Windows Defender is the built-in antivirus solution designed specifically to protect the system from malicious software. VirtualBox and Docker are virtualization tools, while BitLocker handles full-disk encryption rather than malware detection.
Q11. You are setting up a computer lab in a school, and you want to provide students with a variety of operating systems to learn from. What types of desktop computers should you consider installing in the lab to achieve this diversity?
Answer: B. Windows Desktop/Mac Desktop/Linux Desktop
Installing Windows, Mac, and Linux desktops provides students with hands-on experience across the three major desktop operating systems. Chromebooks and mobile devices use specialized mobile operating systems, which limits traditional desktop learning.
Q12. You need to provide secure remote access to your organization's internal network for employees working from home. What technology should you implement to achieve this?
Answer: A. VPN
A Virtual Private Network provides secure remote access to an internal network by creating an encrypted tunnel over the internet. VNC is remote screen-sharing, while UPnP and VoIP serve networking and voice roles rather than secure access.
Q13. A user is setting up a new smartphone and is asked to create a secure access code for device unlocking. Which type of access code should the user create?
Answer: B. PIN
A PIN is a standard authentication method used to unlock mobile devices securely. MAC, HTTP, and IP are network protocols or identifiers, meaning they cannot act as a user-entered access code for device security.
Q14. A user wants to connect their computer to a wired Ethernet network. Which hardware component should they install in their computer to enable this connection?
Answer: B. NIC
A Network Interface Card provides the necessary physical port to connect a computer to a wired Ethernet network. LCD and OLED are display technologies, while MAM refers to mobile application management and provides no physical connectivity.
Q15. A user wants to keep their Windows 10 system up-to-date with security patches and new features. Which Windows feature should they utilize?
Answer: C. Windows Update
Windows Update is the built-in utility that downloads and installs security patches and new features for the operating system. Device Manager manages hardware, Disk Cleanup clears drive space, and Task Manager monitors running applications.
Q16. A user is choosing a new computer for 3D modeling and wants to ensure it has sufficient processing power. Which specification should they primarily consider?
Answer: C. Processor speed and core count
Processor speed and core count determine how fast the system calculates complex mathematical operations required for 3D modeling. However, because modern rendering heavily relies on the graphics card, choosing GPU memory is also highly defensible.
Q17. An IT administrator is managing a network of computers that are all running an older version of their operating system, which is no longer receiving security updates from the manufacturer. Considering the security risks and the need to ens…
Answer: C. Upgrade the operating systems to the latest version supported by the hardware
Upgrading to a supported operating system ensures the computers receive necessary security patches from the manufacturer. While running antivirus software is helpful, it cannot fully secure an unsupported operating system.
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