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 user is experiencing frequent system crashes and suspect it might be related to RAM issues. Which tool can help diagno. Follow @CertPunch and visit certpunch.com for more certification practice exams and study content.
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What you will practice
- A user is experiencing frequent system crashes and suspect it might be related to RAM issues. Which tool can…
- A user reports that their desktop computer is not turning on. When the power button is pressed, there is no r…
- After installing a new WiFi adapter in a laptop, the device is not connecting to wireless networks. What is t…
- You are starting a job as a computer repair technician. Which set of tools is essential for performing a vari…
- A desktop computer needs to be connected to a wired network that does not have Wi-Fi. Which type of network c…
- You are setting up a conference room for remote video conferences and need to ensure clear audio for all part…
Answers and explanations
Tap a question to expand the answer and the exam reasoning. Try to commit to your own pick first.
Q1. A user is experiencing frequent system crashes and suspect it might be related to RAM issues. Which tool can help diagnose problems with the RAM?
Answer: D. Memory diagnostic tool
A memory diagnostic tool directly stresses the RAM modules to identify hardware faults that cause system crashes. Disk Management handles partitions, Device Manager manages drivers, and BIOS provides basic hardware configuration instead of thorough testing.
Q2. A user reports that their desktop computer is not turning on. When the power button is pressed, there is no response and no lights turn on. What is the first component that should be checked?
Answer: C. The power supply
The power supply is checked first because a complete lack of power indicates no electricity is reaching the motherboard. If the system has no lights or fans, you must verify power delivery before troubleshooting internal components like RAM or the hard drive.
Q3. After installing a new WiFi adapter in a laptop, the device is not connecting to wireless networks. What is the most likely solution to this problem?
Answer: A. Install the latest WiFi driver for the adapter
Installing the latest WiFi driver ensures the operating system can properly communicate with the newly installed hardware. Updating the BIOS or adding memory does not resolve missing software interfaces, which are required for network connectivity.
Q4. You are starting a job as a computer repair technician. Which set of tools is essential for performing a variety of common repair and maintenance tasks?
Answer: B. Standard technician toolkit
A standard technician toolkit provides the necessary hand tools like screwdrivers and pliers for basic computer repair and maintenance. While options like cable toners and Wi-Fi analyzers are useful, they are specialized tools meant for specific troubleshooting scenarios rather than general repairs.
Q5. A desktop computer needs to be connected to a wired network that does not have Wi-Fi. Which type of network card is most suitable?
Answer: B. Ethernet NIC
An Ethernet network interface card provides the physical port needed for a wired connection to a local network. Wireless adapters and Bluetooth devices are strictly for cable-free connections, making them incorrect choices for a wired-only scenario.
Q6. You are setting up a conference room for remote video conferences and need to ensure clear audio for all participants. What type of equipment should you install to capture and transmit audio during the video conferences?
Answer: C. Microphones
Microphones are required to capture and transmit clear audio during video conferences. Monitors and projectors are output devices for video, while printers produce physical documents, so none of those options can handle audio input.
Q7. You are setting up a presentation for a large audience and need a device to display your slides on a big screen. What type of device should you use to project the presentation slides onto a screen?
Answer: C. Projectors
A projector takes a video signal and displays it onto a large screen, making it perfect for presentations to a big audience. Monitors lack the necessary brightness and screen size for large crowds, while printers and webcams serve completely different purposes.
Q8. You need to securely access a remote server and execute commands on it. What protocol should you use to establish a secure remote connection?
Answer: C. SSH
Secure Shell, or SSH, creates an encrypted tunnel for executing remote commands safely on a server across a network. FTP transmits data in plain text, SMTP handles email routing, and UDP is a connectionless protocol lacking built-in security.
Q9. A user wants to connect their new wireless headphones to their laptop. They have never used Bluetooth on their laptop before. What is the first step they should take?
Answer: C. Enable Bluetooth on their laptop
You must enable the Bluetooth radio on the laptop first before it can scan for or communicate with any external devices. Pairing mode and searching for the device will fail if the host adapter is not powered on and active.
Q10. A network technician needs to connect two networks to ensure they can communicate with each other. Which network device should be used?
Answer: B. Router
A router operates at the network layer to connect two distinct networks and route traffic between them using IP addresses. Switches only connect devices within the same local network, while modems and firewalls serve different specialized roles.
Q11. An e-commerce company experiences variable website traffic, with significant spikes during holiday seasons. Which cloud characteristic is most beneficial for scaling resources to meet these fluctuating demands?
Answer: C. Rapid elasticity
Rapid elasticity allows cloud environments to automatically scale computing resources up or down in response to fluctuating workloads. Metered utilization only handles billing, whereas rapid elasticity actively provisions and de-provisions those resources during traffic spikes.
Q12. What is the function of the ink cartridge and print head in an inkjet printer?
Answer: C. The ink cartridge holds ink; the print head sprays the ink onto the paper
In an inkjet printer, the cartridge stores the liquid ink while the print head uses microscopic nozzles to spray that ink onto the paper. Remember that thermal paper and ribbons belong to thermal and impact printers, respectively.
Q13. A technician is performing regular maintenance on a laser printer. What tasks are typically included in this maintenance?
Answer: B. Replace toner, apply maintenance kit, calibrate, clean
Laser printer maintenance involves replacing the toner, applying a maintenance kit containing a new fuser and rollers, calibrating the device, and cleaning internal components. Ink cartridges and print heads are components of inkjet printers, not laser printers.
Q14. A company's critical server must remain operational at all times. Which type of power supply should be used to ensure continuous power in case one power supply fails?
Answer: C. Redundant power supply
A redundant power supply contains multiple power units so that if one fails, the other immediately takes over to prevent downtime. Modular power supplies only improve cable management and airflow, offering no fault tolerance for critical servers.
Q15. A technician is installing an operating system on a new computer. Which CPU architecture should they consider to ensure compatibility with modern 64-bit operating systems?
Answer: A. x64
The x64 architecture is required for compatibility with modern 64-bit operating systems and applications. The older x86 architecture is limited to 32-bit processing and cannot efficiently address large amounts of RAM needed for modern workloads.
Q16. A technician has confirmed that a faulty network card is the reason for a computer's lack of internet connectivity. What is the next appropriate step?
Answer: B. Establish a plan of action which could include replacing the network card
After confirming a faulty network card, the technician must establish a plan of action to resolve the issue, such as scheduling a replacement. Avoid documenting or closing the ticket until after implementing the repair and successfully verifying full system functionality.
Q17. A technician is tasked with tracing and identifying specific cables in a bundle without disrupting the network. Which tool should they use?
Answer: B. Toner probe
A toner probe allows technicians to safely trace and identify specific cables within a large bundle without taking the network offline. The toner applies an audible signal to the wire, which the probe detects audibly through the insulation.
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