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CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) practice questions

222 free questions with answers and explanations.

Practice test
  1. 101.A technician is evaluating whether to deploy a new microservices application using virtual machines or containers. Which statement correctly differentiates containers from traditional virtual machines?Virtualization and Cloud Computing
  2. 102.Several hospitals in a regional healthcare network want to share a single cloud infrastructure that is built specifically to meet common regulatory and compliance requirements shared by all the organizations, but they do not want it open to the general public. Which cloud deployment model best fits this need?Virtualization and Cloud Computing
  3. 103.A technician is troubleshooting a client's desktop that intermittently loses network connectivity. The client reports that the network icon in the system tray shows a 'limited connectivity' or 'no internet access' warning, but sometimes resolves itself after a few minutes. Other devices on the same network operate without issue. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
  4. 104.A technician is troubleshooting a network issue on a desktop computer. The integrated NIC is not detected by the operating system, and there is no link light when an Ethernet cable is connected. The technician has already verified cable integrity and tried updating drivers. What is the most likely next step to diagnose the problem?Hardware
  5. 105.A user reports that their laptop keyboard is unresponsive to several keys, but the rest of the keyboard functions normally. The laptop has not suffered any liquid damage or physical trauma. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
  6. 106.A client's inkjet printer produces documents with thin white horizontal lines running through printed text and images. The print heads have not been cleaned in over a year. Which action should the technician take FIRST?Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
  7. 107.A small architecture firm wants to reduce IT overhead by purchasing computing resources from a provider that also serves many other unrelated companies over the internet. The firm has no visibility into or control over the physical hardware, and it can quickly scale services up or down. Which cloud deployment model is this firm using?Virtualization and Cloud Computing
  8. 108.A user reports that their laptop's battery drains very quickly, even when the laptop is not in use or is in sleep mode. The battery health diagnostic shows 'Good' and the charging indicator works correctly. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
  9. 109.A desktop computer displays the message 'Operating system not found' during boot. The technician verifies in BIOS/UEFI that the correct drive is set as the first boot device. Which of the following is the MOST likely next troubleshooting step?Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
  10. 110.A technician is building a high-performance workstation for video editing. The client specifically requests a motherboard that can support two CPUs for maximum processing power. Which of the following motherboard form factors is MOST likely to support dual-CPU configurations?Hardware
  11. 111.A technician is building a custom-length Ethernet patch cable for a server rack. After stripping the jacket and arranging the wires in the correct order, which tool does the technician use to attach the RJ45 connector to the cable?Networking
  12. 112.A user wants to share their smartphone's cellular data connection with a laptop using a physical USB cable instead of Wi-Fi. Which term describes this method of connection sharing?Mobile Devices
  13. 113.A user reports that their mobile phone's battery percentage drops suddenly from 30% to 5% and then shuts down, even though it was recently charged. This happens intermittently and without warning. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
  14. 114.A technician is troubleshooting a client's desktop computer that randomly reboots and occasionally displays a 'blue screen of death' (BSOD) with varying error codes. The system has been running fine for over a year without any hardware changes. Which component is the MOST likely cause of these symptoms?Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
  15. 115.A home user has multiple devices streaming video and making VoIP calls simultaneously, causing choppy call quality. Which SOHO router feature should the technician enable to prioritize voice traffic over streaming traffic?Networking
  16. 116.A network administrator is troubleshooting connectivity and notices a workstation has been assigned the IP address 169.254.34.12. What does this address indicate?Networking
  17. 117.A client reports that their desktop computer occasionally fails to power on completely. When it does, the power LED on the front of the case flickers, and the system emits a series of short, repeated beeps. What is the MOST likely cause of this issue?Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
  18. 118.A company deploying VDI wants endpoint devices that have no local operating system, no local storage, and rely entirely on the VDI server to render and process the desktop session. Which type of endpoint should be selected?Virtualization and Cloud Computing
  19. 119.A user reports that their laptop's touchscreen no longer responds to touch, but images and video display normally. Which internal component most likely needs to be replaced?Mobile Devices
  20. 120.A client reports that their new gaming PC, which uses a high-end graphics card and a powerful CPU, occasionally shuts down unexpectedly during intense gaming sessions. The client suspects overheating, but temperature monitoring shows normal levels. Which of the following components is most likely causing the issue?Hardware
  21. 121.A company's MDM administrator configures a policy so that corporate tablets automatically lock and alert IT staff whenever they leave a designated hospital campus. Which MDM feature is being used?Mobile Devices
  22. 122.A user reports that their laptop's screen flickers intermittently, especially when the lid is opened or closed, or when the laptop is moved. The flickering is random and sometimes the screen goes completely black for a moment before returning. What is the MOST likely cause?Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
  23. 123.A technician wants a network printer to always receive the same IP address from the DHCP server without manually configuring a static IP on the printer itself. Which DHCP feature should the technician configure?Networking
  24. 124.A technician is configuring a custom PC build for a video editor. The motherboard has four RAM slots. To maximize memory bandwidth and performance, the technician should recommend installing RAM modules in which configuration?Hardware
  25. 125.A new laptop joins a SOHO network and automatically receives an IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS server settings without any manual configuration. Which protocol is responsible for this?Networking
  26. 126.A pilot warehouse program requires printing multi-part carbonless shipping forms in a dusty environment where receipts must survive rough handling. Which type of printer is BEST suited for this task?Hardware
  27. 127.A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that experiences intermittent video loss. The monitor occasionally goes black for a few seconds, then returns to normal. This occurs randomly, not specifically under heavy load or during specific applications. The technician has already checked the monitor cable and confirmed it is secure. What is the MOST likely cause?Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
  28. 128.A technician is installing a new CPU cooler that uses a liquid-based cooling system. Which of the following components is responsible for dissipating heat from the liquid to the surrounding air?Hardware
  29. 129.A user reports that after configuring port forwarding on a SOHO router to allow external access to an internal web server, remote connections still fail while local connections work fine. The router shows the forwarding rule is correctly pointing to the server's internal IP and port 80. What should the technician check next?Networking
  30. 130.A company's cloud provider issues an invoice each month based on the exact number of compute hours consumed and the exact amount of storage used. Which cloud computing characteristic is being applied?Virtualization and Cloud Computing
  31. 131.A technician is running a new cable connection from a cable modem to a coaxial wall outlet installed by the ISP. Which connector type is used to terminate this type of cable?Networking
  32. 132.A network engineer notices that several servers in a data center have slightly inconsistent system clocks, causing authentication failures with time-sensitive security certificates. Which port should be verified as open to allow the servers to synchronize their clocks with a time server?Networking
  33. 133.A network administrator wants to allow internal client workstations to resolve external domain names to IP addresses. Which TCP/UDP port must be open on the firewall for this traffic to succeed?Networking
  34. 134.A technician is configuring a RAID 5 array using four 2TB hard drives. Approximately how much usable storage capacity will the array provide?Hardware
  35. 135.A technician is upgrading a laptop by installing a WWAN card to add cellular data connectivity. After seating the card into its motherboard slot and connecting the antenna cables, what additional step is required for the laptop to establish a cellular connection?Mobile Devices
  36. 136.A cloud customer wants to provision additional virtual servers instantly through a web portal without contacting the provider's support staff or waiting for a technician to intervene. Which cloud computing characteristic does this describe?Virtualization and Cloud Computing
  37. 137.A technician is troubleshooting a receipt printer that feeds paper and cycles normally but produces completely blank output. The printer's self-test page also prints blank. What is the MOST likely cause?Hardware
  38. 138.An organization's virtualization host inventory has grown to include dozens of unused, forgotten test VMs that continue to consume storage, licensing, and CPU cycles even though no one actively uses them. Which term describes this situation?Virtualization and Cloud Computing
  39. 139.A company enrolls all corporate smartphones in an MDM platform. An employee's phone is later reported stolen. Which MDM feature should the administrator use FIRST to protect corporate data on the device?Mobile Devices
  40. 140.A technician is setting up a new Wi-Fi access point (AP) in a dense office environment. After installation, users report slow speeds and frequent disconnections, despite being close to the AP. The technician suspects interference. Which of the following channels would be the BEST choice for the 2.4 GHz band to minimize interference in a crowded environment?Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
  41. 141.A company is installing new network cabling to support future 10GBASE-T connections up to 100 meters with reduced crosstalk. Which cable type BEST meets this requirement?Networking
  42. 142.A developer wants to run a Linux virtual machine for testing on a laptop that is already running Windows 11 as the primary OS for daily work. Which hypervisor type is most appropriate for this scenario?Virtualization and Cloud Computing
  43. 143.A server uses a RAID 5 array of four disks. One disk fails and is hot-swapped with a new drive. Which statement best describes what happens during recovery?Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
  44. 144.A technician is installing a new motherboard into a computer case. Which of the following components must be properly aligned and secured to the chassis to prevent the motherboard from short-circuiting against the metal case?Hardware
  45. 145.A client wants to purchase a power supply unit with the highest possible energy efficiency rating for a green data center build. Which 80 PLUS certification level should the technician recommend?Hardware
  46. 146.A hospital IT department wants to centralize desktop management, ensure clinicians see an identical desktop environment from any workstation, and prevent patient data from being stored on local endpoint devices. Which solution best satisfies all of these requirements?Virtualization and Cloud Computing
  47. 147.A technician runs diagnostic software on a workstation and sees a S.M.A.R.T. warning indicating the hard drive's reallocated sector count has increased dramatically over the past week. What should the technician recommend to the user?Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
  48. 148.A technician is installing a new CPU in a workstation. After carefully placing the CPU into the socket, the technician attempts to close the retention lever, but it requires excessive force and seems to bend the CPU slightly. What is the MOST likely cause of this issue?Hardware
  49. 149.A technician is configuring a home media server that requires high-capacity, redundant storage. The client wants to be able to recover data if any single drive fails without losing any data. They have four 8TB hard drives available. Which RAID level would meet these requirements while maximizing usable storage capacity?Hardware
  50. 150.A user reports that a desktop will not boot to the operating system. A technician confirms the issue is real by attempting to reproduce it, then gathers information from the user about recent changes. What should the technician do NEXT according to the CompTIA troubleshooting methodology?Hardware and Network Troubleshooting