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: After replacing a defective hard drive and reinstalling the operating system, what is the final step a technician should. Follow @CertPunch and visit certpunch.com for more certification practice exams and study content.
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What you will practice
- After replacing a defective hard drive and reinstalling the operating system, what is the final step a techni…
- You are responsible for organizing and managing network cables in your organization's data center. Which devi…
- A user needs to connect their laptop to a wired network but the laptop does not have an Ethernet port. What d…
- A company wants to store and access data over the internet to increase collaboration among remote employees…
- A user is trying to print a document, but the printer is producing pages with poor quality and uneven tones…
- You are configuring a server to transfer sensitive data securely between two locations over a network. Which…
Answers and explanations
Tap a question to expand the answer and the exam reasoning. Try to commit to your own pick first.
Q1. After replacing a defective hard drive and reinstalling the operating system, what is the final step a technician should take before considering the problem resolved?
Answer: C. Verify full system functionality and, if applicable, implement preventive measures
Verifying full system functionality is a mandatory final step in standard troubleshooting procedures before closing a ticket. Documenting the repair is necessary, but doing so without testing the new drive and OS leaves the system vulnerable to immediate failures.
Q2. You are responsible for organizing and managing network cables in your organization's data center. Which device should you use to terminate and organize the network cables, allowing for easy connectivity and management?
Answer: B. Patch Panel
A patch panel provides a central location to terminate long network cable runs, organizing them neatly for easy management. You then use shorter patch cables to connect these ports to network switches, whereas access points and suppressors serve completely different purposes.
Q3. A user needs to connect their laptop to a wired network but the laptop does not have an Ethernet port. What device can they use to facilitate this connection?
Answer: A. USB to Ethernet adapter
A USB to Ethernet adapter physically converts a standard USB port into a wired network interface, allowing a direct cable connection. Wireless options like Bluetooth dongles or Wi-Fi extenders completely defeat the specific requirement for a wired network connection.
Q4. A company wants to store and access data over the internet to increase collaboration among remote employees. Which technology would best suit this purpose?
Answer: B. Cloud storage
Cloud storage provides remote employees with internet-based access to shared company files, enabling seamless collaboration from any location. Local servers require virtual private network configurations for remote access, making them less immediate than cloud infrastructure for internet collaboration.
Q5. A user is trying to print a document, but the printer is producing pages with poor quality and uneven tones. What is a likely cause of this issue?
Answer: B. Low toner or ink levels
Low toner or ink levels directly cause faded output and uneven print quality because the printer physically lacks enough marking material. Outdated drivers or network errors usually prevent print jobs from processing entirely, rather than degrading the physical image on the page.
Q6. You are configuring a server to transfer sensitive data securely between two locations over a network. Which protocol should you use for secure file transfers?
Answer: B. SCP
Secure Copy Protocol provides encrypted file transfers over a network, making it the correct choice. On the exam, remember that protocols like SMTP and SNMP handle email and network management, respectively, not file transfers.
Q7. An organization wants to centralize its user authentication and directory services for its network. Which protocol should they implement to achieve this?
Answer: B. LDAP
LDAP is used to centralize user authentication and directory services across a network. While HTTP is a web protocol, it cannot query or manage directory objects, making LDAP the definitive choice.
Q8. An older network device only supports non-encrypted remote command-line interface access. Which port does Telnet, the protocol used for this purpose, traditionally use?
Answer: C. 23
Telnet traditionally operates on port twenty three for unencrypted remote command line access. Port twenty two is the secure alternative, used by SSH, which should always be favored over Telnet.
Q9. A small business is using an old wireless network that operates in the 2.4GHz frequency band and offers a maximum theoretical speed of 11 Mbps. Which IEEE 802.11 standard are they likely using?
Answer: B. 802.11b
The 802.11b standard operates at two point four gigahertz with a maximum speed of eleven megabits per second. For the exam, associate eleven Mbps with 802.11b, while modern standards like ax offer multi gigabit speeds.
Q10. In a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) internet setup, which device is installed at the customer's premises to convert optical signals into electrical Ethernet signals?
Answer: C. ONT
An Optical Network Terminal converts the fiber optical signals into standard electrical Ethernet signals used inside the home. Remember that cable and DSL modems handle coaxial and phone lines, not fiber optic lines.
Q11. An IT technician needs to install a security camera in a location without a nearby power outlet. The camera supports PoE. What device can the technician use to provide both power and data to the camera using a single Ethernet cable?
Answer: A. PoE injector
A Power over Ethernet injector adds electrical power to the data cable, allowing a device to receive both simultaneously. You can also use a PoE switch, but standard hubs and modems do not inject power.
Q12. An IT administrator needs a network switch that allows for configuring, managing, and monitoring the LAN, providing greater control over how data is transmitted and who has access to the network. Which type of switch should they use?
Answer: B. Managed switch
A managed switch provides an interface to configure, monitor, and segment network traffic using features like VLANs. An unmanaged switch operates as a simple plug-and-play device with no configuration options.
Q13. An IT support technician needs to remotely access a user's computer to provide technical assistance. Which port does Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), used for this purpose, typically use?
Answer: A. 3389
Remote Desktop Protocol uses port 3389 to establish remote graphical sessions with another computer. Keep port 22 associated with SSH, and ports 80 and 443 associated with unencrypted and secure web traffic.
Q14. A user needs to connect a printer directly to their computer for immediate use without network configuration. Which connectivity option should they use?
Answer: C. USB
A USB connection provides a direct, plug-and-play link between a computer and a printer without requiring network configuration. Ethernet and wireless options require connecting to a local network first.
Q15. A user is setting up their Microsoft 365 account on a new smartphone. Which information is essential for completing the setup?
Answer: B. Their Microsoft 365 username and password
Setting up a Microsoft 365 account on a smartphone requires the user's specific username and password for server authentication. Hardware identifiers like the IMEI or serial number are not used for account login.
Q16. A user is trying to pair their smartphone with a Bluetooth speaker, but the speaker is not appearing in the list of available devices on the smartphone. What should the user ensure about the speaker?
Answer: B. It is in pairing mode
A Bluetooth device must be actively placed into pairing mode so it broadcasts its presence and becomes discoverable. Even if fully charged and in range, it will not appear in the list until discovery mode is activated.
Q17. A user wants to transfer photos from their digital camera to their smartphone. The camera uses a standard SD card. What accessory would the user need for their smartphone to facilitate this transfer?
Answer: B. SD card reader with a compatible connection
An SD card reader provides the necessary hardware bridge to read the camera's storage. A USB OTG cable enables host connections, but you still need the specific SD reader hardware to interface with the card itself.
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