Practice for the CompTIA A+ Core 2 exam with 16 exam-style practice questions, instant answer reveals, and concise explanations of every correct answer. Topics include: Your boss from work just sent you an important email, but you are not in the office. You tried to open the email from yo. Follow @CertPunch and visit certpunch.com for more certification practice exams and study content.
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What you will practice
- Your boss from work just sent you an important email, but you are not in the office. You tried to open the em…
- Regardless of what website Michelle types into her browser, she is being redirected to "malwarescammers.com."…
- A user reports their smartphone battery drains quickly and runs warm. You ask them for the status of several…
- Which of the following data types would be used to store the number 3.14?
- Which of the following file types are commonly used by scripts in a web page?
- You are working as a mobile device technician for a large corporation's enterprise service desk. A user compl…
Answers and explanations
Tap a question to expand the answer and the exam reasoning. Try to commit to your own pick first.
Q1. Your boss from work just sent you an important email, but you are not in the office. You tried to open the email from your smartphone, but it is encrypted and won't open. What should you do?
Answer: D. Verify the digital certificate is installed on the device
Encrypted emails require the correct digital certificate to be installed locally on the device to decrypt and read the message content securely. Asking the sender to forward the email unencrypted directly violates standard corporate security and privacy policies.
Q2. Regardless of what website Michelle types into her browser, she is being redirected to "malwarescammers.com." What should Michelle do to fix this problem?
Answer: B. Reset the web browser's proxy setting
Universal browser redirection often stems from a malicious proxy server configured in the network settings. Resetting the web browser's proxy configuration fixes this hijack. Antivirus scans catch malware but rarely clear proxy configurations.
Q3. A user reports their smartphone battery drains quickly and runs warm. You ask them for the status of several settings: Email (never), Maps (always), Calendar (while using), Messages (while using), Photos (never), App Store (while using), B…
Answer: A. Change the Maps setting to while using
Setting Maps to use location only while the app is actively running stops continuous background GPS polling. Background location tracking heavily utilizes the GPS receiver and cellular modem, rapidly draining the battery and generating heat.
Q4. Which of the following data types would be used to store the number 3.14?
Answer: D. Floating-point
A floating-point data type is used to store fractional or decimal numbers like 3.14. Integers only store whole numbers, so they cannot be used for values requiring decimal precision.
Q5. Which of the following file types are commonly used by scripts in a web page?
Answer: A. .js
The correct answer works because JavaScript files use the .js extension to create interactive web content alongside HTML. For the exam, associate Linux administration with .sh, Windows administration with .vbs and .ps1, and interactive web pages exclusively with .js.
Q6. You are working as a mobile device technician for a large corporation's enterprise service desk. A user complains that every time they attempt to launch the company's mobile email application, it crashes and displays an error message of Co…
Answer: C. Clear the app's cache
The correct answer works because clearing the application cache removes corrupted temporary files that frequently cause mobile app crashes. Always start with simple, non-destructive steps like clearing the cache before moving to time-consuming, disruptive actions like reinstalling the software or updating the OS.
Q7. Tom, a system administrator, has installed and configured a new domain server for a corporate network. What is the next step that he should perform to allow the company's employees to access the server on the corporate domain?
Answer: A. Configure the user's account
The correct answer works because users must have properly configured active directory accounts before they can authenticate and access domain resources. Configuring file server access or installing applications happens later, as users need valid credentials and appropriate permissions before utilizing network services.
Q8. Which command-line tool is used on a Linux system to display a list of the files and directories within the current path?
Answer: B. ls
The correct answer works because typing ls at a Linux terminal lists all files and directories within the current working path. Remember that pwd simply prints your current location, while sfc and chkdsk are Windows utilities used to repair corrupted file systems.
Q9. A company experienced issues when multiple employees installed unauthorized software, causing system instability and security risks. The IT manager wants to track all hardware and software configurations and document changes for review. Wh…
Answer: B. Implement a CMDB
A configuration management database tracks all hardware and software configurations while documenting changes for review. Group Policy restrictions can prevent unauthorized software installations, but they do not provide the requested historical tracking and asset management capabilities.
Q10. Your son just attempted to start up three programs at once on his Windows 10 Home laptop. The system appears to be unresponsive, and a spinning circle has replaced his mouse cursor on the screen. What is the BEST solution to this problem?
Answer: B. Force the unresponsive task to quit
Forcing the unresponsive task to quit directly resolves the immediate issue without requiring a full system reboot. You can use Task Manager to identify the hanging process and end it, restoring system responsiveness quickly and efficiently.
Q11. Jason wants to configure his Windows 10 workstation to automatically block pop-ups when searching for websites online. Which of the following Control Panel sections should he use to achieve this?
Answer: C. Internet Options
Internet Options within the Windows Control Panel contains the necessary configuration settings to manage browser add-ons, security zones, and pop-up blockers. While modern browsers handle their own settings now, this applet remains the correct tested utility.
Q12. A user reports that their smartphone is warm to the touch and their battery only lasts 4 hours a day, instead of the usual 10 hours. You ask them for the status of their settings, which are summarized below: Storage (49 GB Used, 15 GB Free…
Answer: C. Display settings
A screen locking after 30 minutes forces the display to stay on too long, draining the battery and generating excess heat. Reducing this timeout resolves the overheating issue. Push email drains batteries, but not as severely as an active display.
Q13. You are troubleshooting a network printer when a document is printed with sensitive employee data on it. Which of the following actions should you take?
Answer: A. Take the document to the office manager
Handling sensitive data requires proper chain of custody or secure delivery to authorized personnel. Handing it to the office manager is a safe step. Shredding it is also secure, but standard policy prefers alerting management first.
Q14. A user contacts the service desk after they just finished attempting to upgrade their laptop to Windows 10. The upgrade failed, and the user asks you to explain why. Which of the following log files should you review to determine the cause…
Answer: D. Setup log
The correct answer works because Windows installation and upgrade events are specifically recorded in the Setup log within Event Viewer. Remember that the System log tracks driver failures and hardware conflicts, while the Application log monitors software-specific errors and crashes.
Q15. The email client on a desktop workstation is acting strangely. Every time the user opens an email with an image embedded within it, the image is not displayed on their screen. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?
Answer: D. Incorrect security settings in the email client
The correct answer works because email clients block automatic image downloads by default to prevent malicious tracking pixels and potential malware infections. While proxy servers or firewalls could theoretically block traffic, the red X or missing image placeholder is a classic client-side security feature.
Q16. Which of the following features is UNIQUE to the NTFS file system when compared to FAT32?
Answer: D. Support for files larger than 4GB
FAT32 has a strict architectural limit that prevents storing individual files larger than four gigabytes. While NTFS also provides file permissions, the exam frequently tests FAT32 file size limits as a primary distinction.
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