Practice for the CompTIA A+ Core 2 exam with 17 exam-style practice questions, instant answer reveals, and concise explanations of every correct answer. Topics include: A user reports that their Windows 10 desktop computer shuts down unexpectedly several times throughout the day, sometime. Follow @CertPunch and visit certpunch.com for more certification practice exams and study content.
Prefer hands-on? Take this round as an interactive practice test — answer every question, get instant feedback, and see your score: Start the CompTIA A+ Core 2 practice test →
What you will practice
- A user reports that their Windows 10 desktop computer shuts down unexpectedly several times throughout the da…
- You are trying to increase your network's security by implementing a system of two-factor authentication (2FA…
- Which of the following types of attacks occurs when an attacker attempts to gain confidential information or…
- Which of the following techniques would be the most appropriate solution to implementing a multi-factor authe…
- Jason is building an inexpensive workstation for one of the employees at Dion Training. The workstation will…
- You are troubleshooting a user's laptop that is unable to print a document. You have verified the printer is…
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 reports that their Windows 10 desktop computer shuts down unexpectedly several times throughout the day, sometimes within minutes of booting up. The shutdowns occur regardless of which applications are running, and the system does n…
Answer: C. The system is overheating due to a failing cooling fan or blocked ventilation
The correct answer works because sudden shutdowns without error messages typically trigger the system's built-in thermal protection to prevent hardware damage. Expect application crashes or system freezing with insufficient memory, whereas a failing fan or blocked ventilation causes an immediate power loss to prevent overheating.
Q2. You are trying to increase your network's security by implementing a system of two-factor authentication (2FA). Which of the following authentication factors should you choose to meet this requirement?
Answer: A. Smartcard and PIN
The correct answer works because multi-factor authentication requires combining two distinct validation types, such as a smartcard and a PIN. Choosing a username and password fails because both fall under the same knowledge category, meaning it remains single-factor authentication.
Q3. Which of the following types of attacks occurs when an attacker attempts to gain confidential information or login credentials by sending targeted emails to a specific set of recipients within an organization?
Answer: C. Spear phishing
The correct answer works because spear phishing targets a specific group of individuals within an organization to steal confidential information or credentials. Standard phishing involves sending massive, untargeted emails to random users, whereas whaling specifically targets high-level executives or wealthy individuals.
Q4. Which of the following techniques would be the most appropriate solution to implementing a multi-factor authentication system?
Answer: B. Smartcard and PIN
The correct answer works because multi-factor authentication requires combining two distinct validation types, such as a smartcard and a PIN. Choosing a fingerprint and retinal scan fails because both fall under the same biometric category, meaning it remains single-factor authentication.
Q5. Jason is building an inexpensive workstation for one of the employees at Dion Training. The workstation will utilize an Intel x86 processor. Which of the following editions of Windows will support installation on this workstation?
Answer: C,D. Windows 10 Enterprise || Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 is the correct choice because it is the latest Microsoft operating system that still offers a 32-bit edition for older x86 processors. Windows 11 exclusively requires a 64-bit architecture, so it cannot be installed on an x86 system.
Q6. You are troubleshooting a user's laptop that is unable to print a document. You have verified the printer is working and properly connected to the workstation by USB. Which log in Windows 10 would you review to determine if the print spool…
Answer: B. System log
The System log records events generated by Windows components, including background service failures like the print spooler. The Application log is for software-specific errors, while the Security log tracks audited events like logon attempts.
Q7. Maria is trying to log in to her company's webmail and is asked to enter her username and password. Which type of authentication method is Maria using?
Answer: A. Single-factor
Single-factor authentication is correct because it relies on only one category of credentials, specifically something you know. Multifactor authentication would require an additional factor from a different category, such as a token or biometric scan.
Q8. Which of the following MacOS features allows the user to search all of the hard drives, network shares, and files for a keyword or phrase?
Answer: B. Spotlight
Spotlight is the built-in macOS search utility that indexes files and applications across the system to find keywords. Finder is the default file manager used to navigate folders, while the Dock is used to launch applications.
Q9. A school district plans to repurpose several classroom computers for general public use. To quickly prepare the drives without using specialized software, which method would they most likely perform?
Answer: A. Performing standard formatting on the hard drives.
Standard formatting prepares the drive for reuse by clearing the file system table. However, because standard formatting leaves data recoverable, a test-taker could argue it fails basic data sanitation requirements for repurposed equipment.
Q10. Dion Training is concerned with the possibility of employees accessing another user's workstation in secured areas without their permission. Which of the following would BEST be able to prevent this from happening?
Answer: A. Require biometric identification for user logins
Biometric identification is the strongest preventive control because it requires a unique physical trait to log in. Passwords can be shared or stolen, and security cameras only record the unauthorized access after it has already occurred.
Q11. Your smartphone just displayed a notification stating that a new pair of headphones has connected to your device. Which of the following threats is this an example of?
Answer: B. Unintended Bluetooth pairing
Unintended Bluetooth pairing occurs when an unknown device connects to a mobile device without the owner's explicit intent. This allows potential unauthorized access to the device, whereas location tracking or microphone activation represents subsequent privacy violations.
Q12. Which of the following best describes how cloud-based spreadsheets enhance team collaboration?
Answer: A. Changes made by one user appear in real time for all users with access.
Cloud-based spreadsheets enable simultaneous editing with real-time updates for all users with access. Downloading and re-uploading creates version control issues, while locking or restricting access prevents effective collaboration.
Q13. Which of the following remote access protocols should you use to connect to a Linux server securely over the internet?
Answer: C. SSH
SSH provides encrypted remote command-line access to Linux servers. Telnet transmits data in plain text and should never be used, while RDP is used for graphical Windows connections, not Linux command-line administration.
Q14. Jennifer downloaded a keygen to generate a license key for expensive software. After running it, her system became sluggish and her antimalware suite displayed numerous alerts. Which malware type infected her computer?
Answer: C. Trojan
A trojan disguises malicious code inside a seemingly harmless program, such as a key generator. Worms replicate and spread on their own without user interaction, whereas trojans rely on the user executing the disguised file.
Q15. You need to connect to a Linux server located 50 miles away to conduct some maintenance, and you want to ensure you do this securely. The server has VNC installed, but it isn't configured to provide an encrypted connection. Which of the fo…
Answer: B. SSH in tunnel mode
Tunneling unencrypted VNC traffic through an SSH connection secures the remote desktop session. Switching to RDP ignores the requirement to use the installed VNC server, while WPA2 only secures local wireless networks.
Q16. A user has asked you for a recommendation on which word processing software they should install. There are four different software packages they are considering, and each uses a different licensing type. The user states they do not want to…
Answer: B. Open-source
Open-source software provides its source code freely, allowing users to install and run the software without paying licensing fees. Personal, enterprise, and corporate licenses all require purchased agreements, making them poor choices for a strict zero-cost requirement.
Q17. Dion Training configured Windows Defender Firewall to only allow inbound connections matching existing rules and to allow all outbound connections unless blocked by a rule. What security posture is this?
Answer: C. Explicit allow for inbound, implicit allow for outbound
The Windows Defender Firewall defaults to an explicit allow posture for inbound traffic, meaning it blocks connections unless a specific rule permits them. Conversely, it uses an implicit allow posture for outbound traffic, allowing all outgoing connections by default.
More CompTIA A+ Core 2 drills and other practice exams are on @CertPunch. New rounds drop every few days at certpunch.com.