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: An organization wants to enhance its network security by implementing a server role that manages user access and provide. Follow @CertPunch and visit certpunch.com for more certification practice exams and study content.
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What you will practice
- An organization wants to enhance its network security by implementing a server role that manages user access…
- An organization wants to reduce paper usage. Which configuration setting should they enable on their office p…
- A PC builder wants a customizable and tidy setup with only the necessary cables. Which type of power supply s…
- A graphic designer needs to upgrade their PC for 3D modeling and rendering. What type of expansion card shoul…
- An organization needs a server role that automatically assigns IP addresses to devices on its network to simp…
- A technician is installing a new internal hard drive in a desktop computer. Which cable is needed to connect…
Answers and explanations
Tap a question to expand the answer and the exam reasoning. Try to commit to your own pick first.
Q1. An organization wants to enhance its network security by implementing a server role that manages user access and provides authentication, authorization, and accounting services. What type of server should they use?
Answer: C. AAA server
An AAA server explicitly handles authentication, authorization, and accounting. DHCP and DNS handle IP addressing and name resolution, while Syslog manages log aggregation, none of which provide centralized access control.
Q2. An organization wants to reduce paper usage. Which configuration setting should they enable on their office printers to support this initiative?
Answer: D. Duplex printing
Duplex printing automatically prints on both sides of the paper. This directly cuts paper consumption in half. The other options affect print speed, paper sourcing, or layout, but do not inherently reduce the physical volume of paper used.
Q3. A PC builder wants a customizable and tidy setup with only the necessary cables. Which type of power supply should they choose?
Answer: B. Modular power supply
Modular power supplies allow builders to attach only the cables needed for their components. This eliminates leftover unused cables, drastically improving airflow and cable management compared to fixed cable units.
Q4. A graphic designer needs to upgrade their PC for 3D modeling and rendering. What type of expansion card should they install to significantly improve graphics performance?
Answer: C. Video card
A dedicated video card handles the intense graphical processing required for 3D modeling. Sound cards process audio, network interface cards handle connectivity, and capture cards record external video signals, so none boost rendering performance.
Q5. An organization needs a server role that automatically assigns IP addresses to devices on its network to simplify network management. Which server role should they implement?
Answer: B. DHCP server
A DHCP server automatically assigns IP addresses to devices on a network. DNS resolves hostnames to IPs, while print and syslog servers handle different tasks entirely.
Q6. A technician is installing a new internal hard drive in a desktop computer. Which cable is needed to connect the hard drive to the motherboard?
Answer: C. SATA
SATA is the standard interface used to connect modern internal hard drives to a motherboard. SCSI and IDE are legacy technologies, while eSATA is designed specifically for external drives.
Q7. A laptop user notices that their battery life has diminished over time and the battery no longer holds a charge as long as it used to. What is the most likely cause?
Answer: B. The battery has undergone normal wear and tear
Normal wear and tear is the most likely cause because lithium-ion batteries degrade chemically over time and charge cycles. High screen brightness only drains power temporarily without reducing total capacity.
Q8. A user's computer is running slowly, and they want to check which applications are using the most system resources. Which built-in tool should they use to view this information?
Answer: C. Task Manager
Task Manager lets users view active processes and identify applications consuming excessive CPU or memory. Device Manager handles hardware drivers, while Disk Cleanup clears temporary files.
Q9. A user needs to set up a printer in a location without an Ethernet or USB connection. Which feature should the printer have to facilitate this?
Answer: A. Wireless connectivity
Wireless connectivity like Wi-Fi allows printers to function without physical Ethernet or USB cables. Parallel, serial, and infrared ports are obsolete technologies that require line-of-sight or wired connections.
Q10. A user needs to connect multiple external devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, and printer, to their laptop, which has a limited number of USB ports. What device can help expand their connectivity options?
Answer: A. USB hub
A USB hub expands a single USB port into multiple ports, allowing you to connect several peripherals simultaneously. A network switch is strictly for Ethernet connections, while an HDMI splitter only handles video output.
Q11. During video conferences, users experience inconsistent video quality and occasional voice delays. What network issue is most likely responsible for this?
Answer: B. Jitter in the network
Jitter causes packets to arrive at varying intervals, directly resulting in choppy video and delayed audio during real-time calls. Low signal strength would generally cause total buffering or disconnections, while DNS errors affect name resolution, not stream quality.
Q12. During printing, multiple pages are being pulled through the printer at the same time. What should be checked first to fix this issue?
Answer: B. The quality of paper being used
When multiple sheets feed simultaneously, the paper itself is usually the culprit due to static cling or poor manufacturing. Environmental humidity does affect paper, but physically fanning the stack or using higher-quality paper is the standard troubleshooting step.
Q13. A user reports that their computer screen is flashing intermittently. The monitor and cable have been replaced, but the issue persists. What should be checked next?
Answer: C. The video card or onboard graphics of the computer
Since the display and cables have been ruled out, the graphics hardware is the next logical point of failure to investigate. Checking the video card ensures you catch hardware faults or driver conflicts, whereas lighting and power supplies rarely cause intermittent flashes.
Q14. A user's monitor intermittently loses signal and goes black before coming back on. What is a likely cause of this issue?
Answer: C. There are loose or damaged cables
Intermittent black screens often stem from damaged or loose display cables that briefly sever the video connection. While a failing graphics card is possible, physically securing the cable connections is always the fastest and easiest first step.
Q15. A technician is troubleshooting a computer with a RAID 5 array and finds that one of the drives is not recognized by the operating system. What should they check first?
Answer: B. The data cables and power connections of the drive
Checking the physical data and power cables is the best first step because loose connections frequently cause drives to drop from a RAID array. Always inspect physical hardware connections before diving into BIOS configurations, motherboard compatibility, or reinstalling RAID controller drivers.
Q16. A technician powers on a desktop computer and hears a series of long beeps instead of the usual single beep. What does this symptom typically indicate?
Answer: B. There is an issue with the memory (RAM)
BEEP codes during the Power-On Self-Test indicate hardware failures before the display loads. Although codes vary by motherboard manufacturer, continuous long beeps classically point to a memory installation error or defective RAM module, rather than a failing hard drive.
Q17. You are building a PC that will be used for intensive tasks like gaming and video editing. What type of cooling solution would be most effective?
Answer: B. Liquid cooling system
A liquid cooling system provides superior heat dissipation, making it highly effective for intensive tasks like gaming and video editing. While standard fans work for basic needs, liquid cooling handles heavy thermal loads much better.
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