CompTIA A+ Certification (220-1101) Study Notes
Write down the Port Numbers and protocols for the exam
***there will be at least 5 questions that will ask for the port number, protocol, or reference them in some way.***
Google Docs is an example of what type of cloud service? A.) SaaS (software as a service) B.) IaaS (infrastructure as a service) C.) PaaS (platform as a service) D.) GaaS (games as a service)
A. SaaS (Software as a Service)
On which port does FTP run by default? A.) 21 B.) 25 C.) 53 D.) 80
A.) 21
Which of the following 802.11 technologies can communicate in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies? (choose two.) A.) 802.11ax B.) 802.11ac C.) 802.11n D.) 802.11g
A.) 802.11ax C.) 802.11n 802.11ax and 802.11n (Wi-Fi 6) are designed to communicate at 2.4 GHz and 5GHz
You are installing a new display for a laptop. Which LCD component is responsible for providing brightness? A.) Backlight B.) Inverter C.) Screen D.) Digitizer
A.) Backlight
Which of the following types of connectors would you expect to see on the end of a serial cable? A.) DB-9 (common connector type) B.) RS-232 (recommended standard-232) C.) Molex D.) VGA (video graphics array)
A.) DB-9 (common connector type)
Which of the following is a physical memory format installed directly in today's desktop computer systems? A.) DIMM (dual in-line memory module) B.) HDD (hard disk drive) C.) SSD (solid state drive) D.) eMMC ("embedded Multi-Media Card")
A.) DIMM (dual in-line memory module)
You are buying optical discs and need to ensure they have large capacity. What suffix indicates that the capacity of an optical disc is roughly twice that of its standard counterpart? A.) DL (dual-layer) B.) R (Recordable) C.) RW (Rewritable) D.) RE (Recordable-Eraseable)
A.) DL (dual-layer)
Which of the following are components that can commonly be found on a motherboard? (Choose all that apply) A.) Headers B.) Fan Connectors C.) Gyroscope D.) Scanner E.) HDD (hard disk drive)
A.) Headers B.) Fan Connectors
Which of the following cable types is made with a plastic coating that does not produce toxic fumes when it burns? A.) Plenum B.) Fiber C.) Coaxial D.) UTP
A.) Plenum
Which of the following are standards used by a coaxial cable? (choose two.) A.) RG-6 B.) RG-59 C.) RJ-11 D.) RJ-45
A.) RG-6 B.) RG-59
What is the component called that stores the material that ends up printed to the page in a laser printer? A.) Toner Cartridge B.) Ink Cartridge C.) Laser Module D.) Laser Cartridge
A.) Toner Cartridge
The 6 Steps to Methodology: ***Write down at the beginning of the exam so you remember them and their correct order***
1.) Identify the problem. 2.) Establish a theory of probably cause. 3.) Test probable cause theory to determine actual cause. 4.) Establish an action plan and execute the plan. 5.) Verify full system functionality. 6.) Document the process
Wired headsets are connects using a
3.5mm TRRS (Tip-ring-ring-sleeve) connector
LCD displays need
A backlight like a florescent lamp/LED to LCD display to your eyes.
A standardized specification of a motherboard (including its dimensions, supported power supply types, and layout of components) is known as the motherboard's: A.) Architecture B.) Blueprint C.) Form Factor D.) Diagram ***Get answer by using the grouping technique***
Answer: Grouping would be that B (Blueprint) & D (Diagram) both would be in the same category because Blueprint and Diagram both have similar meanings in that Blueprints lay out the plans for a house and a Diagram would lay out the plans for some like a Network Room. Grouping A (Architecture) & C (Diagram) together could be because you could say they tie into the words dimensions, power supply, and layout of components that are in the question and say that can correlate in their meanings. If doing a process of elimination between those two as which which the answer would be I would chose C.) Form Factor because
A network cable has not been working properly. Another technician suggests testing the cable. Which tool should be used that may be capable of doing this? (Choose two.) A.) Loopback plug B.) Network tap C.) Cable tester D.) Toner probe.
C.) Cable Tester
A user has asked you to install a RAID array. Except in the case of RAID 0, which do all types of RAID OFFER? (Choose two.) A.) Faster read speeds B.) Faster write speeds C.) Fault Tolerance D.) Ability to restore automatically from tape after a drive failure
C.) Fault Tolerance D.) Ability to restore automatically from table after a drive failure.
You have a failed CRT monitor that you must dispose of safely. Which of the following is used to discharge voltage properly from the unplugged computer monitor? A.) Antistatic wrist strap B.) Screwdriver C.) High-Voltage Probe D.) Power Cord
C.) High-Voltage Probe Process of elimination can be done because A.) Antistatic wrist strap (if we tried to hook ourself up we would shock ourself) B.) Screwdriver (if you plugged a screwdriver into a socket again you would be shocked) D.) Power Cord (if you disconnect a power cord from a socket you can't discharge a voltage because there is no electricity running to it.
You are troubleshooting a network issue. What feature do switches most likely have to help troubleshoot connectivity issues? A.) Port toggles B.) Beep codes C.) Indicator lights D.) Log entries
C.) Indicator lights
What is the function of the laser in a laser printer? A.) It heats up the toner so that it adheres to the page. B.) It charges the paper so that it will attract toner. C.) It creates an image of the page on the drum. D.) It cleans the drum before a page is printed.
C.) It creates an image of the page on the drum.
Which of the following is used to remotely manage and delete corporate applications and associated data on mobile devices? A.) Location Services B.) Synchronization C.) MAM (mobile application management) D.) MDM (mobile device management)
C.) MAM (mobile application management)
Which of the following connectors will you not find on the end of a USB Cable? (choose two.) A.) Lightening B.) USB-C C.) Molex D.) DB-9 E.) eSATA
C.) Molex D.) DB-9 (common connector type)
Which of the following is NOT considered a system component that can be found inside a computer? A.) CPU B.) RAM C.) PCIe Graphics Adapter D.) Motherboard
C.) PCIe Graphics Adapter
One of your network users was recently caught at work browsing pornographic websites. Which of the following servers could be installed to prohibit this activity? A.) Web B.) Security C.) Proxy D.) DNS
C.) Proxy
Which network connectivity device stops broadcasts from being sent to computers on a difference network segment? A.) Hub B.) Switch C.) Router D.) Firewall
C.) Router
Which of the following protocols provide secure network transmissions? (Choose two.) A.) SMTP (Simple mail transfer protocol) B.) SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) C.) SSH (Secure Shell Protocol) D.) HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure)
C.) SSH (Secure Shell Protocol) D.) HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure)
When used with network scanning services, what does SMB allow for? A.) Scan to the cloud B.) Scan to email C.) Scan to a network folder D.) Scan to secured print
C.) Scan to a network folder
Your laser printer has recently starting printing vertical white lines on documents it prints. What is the most likely cause of the problem? A.) The print driver is faulty. B.) The fuser is not heating properly. C.) There is toner on the transfer corona wire. D.) There is a scratch on the EP Drum.
C.) There is toner on the transfer corona wire.
You are replacing a power supply with a new one. What is the primary characteristic you should look for to ensure all internal components can be supported? A.) Amperage rating B.) 20-pin to 24-pin motherboard adapter C.) Wattage rating D.) Voltage rating
C.) Wattage rating
On the system board you will find the:
Central Processing Unit (CPU) slot or integrated CPU, underlying circuitry, expansion slots, video components, random access memory (RAM) slots, and a variety of other chips.
You want to send emails from your smartphone using a secure connection. Which port will enable that? A.) 25 B.) 110 C.) 143 D.) 587
D.) 587
A technician is preparing to perform inkjet printer maintenance. Which of the following should they consider? A.) Replace toner, apply maintenance kit, calibrate, clean. B.) Replace paper, clean hearing element, remove debris C.) Replace ribbon, replace print head, replace paper. D.) Clean heads, replace cartridges, calibrate, clear jams.
D.) Clean heads, replace cartridges, calibrate, clear jams.
Which of the following video connectors has an analog variety and a digital variety? A.) VGA (video graphics array) B.) HDMI C.) DisplayPort D.) DVI (digital visual interference)
D.) DVI (digital visual interference)
Which type of software is required to run client-side virtualization on your home network? A.) Terminal emulation B.) Process replication C.) Hyper-threading D.) Hypervisor
D.) Hypervisor
Which of the following protocols can be used by a client to access email on a server? A.) DNS (Domain Name Systems) B.) FTP (File transfer protocol) C.) SMTP (simple mail transfer protocol) D.) IMAP (internet message access protocol)
D.) IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)
What term refers to copying data between a mobile device and a computer system to mirror such things as contacts, programs, pictures, and music? A.) Calibration B.) Remote wipe C.) Pairing D.) Synchronization
D.) Synchronization
On a typical laptop, which of the following components runs through the hinge from the base of the laptop up into the display unit? A.) Webcam connector B.) Speaker wires C.) Microphone connector D.) Wi-Fi antenna
D.) Wi-Fi antenna
A common serial interface is a
DB-9 or also called a DE-9
Some laptops have inverters that allow you to turn
DC into AC
What is the Maximum range for a Bluetooth Class 2 device? A.) 100 meters B.) 10 meters C.) 1 meter D.) 0.5 meters
B.) 10 meters
Your Laptop has 4 GB of installed memory and uses shared video memory. If the video card is using 512 MB, how much is left for the rest of the system? A.) 4 GB B.) 3.5 GB C.) 512 MB D.) Cannot Determine
B.) 3.5 GB
Which of the following is a company that provides direct access to the Internet for home and business computer users? A.) ASP (Active Server Pages) B.) ISP (Internet Service Provider) C.) DNS (Domain Name System) D.) DNP (Distributed Network Protocol)
B.) ISP (Internet Service Provider)
A user calls to report that their laptop is not booting up. What is the first step you should take? A.) Quarantine the system. B.) Identify the problem. C.) Establish a theory of probable cause. D.) Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem.
B.) Identify the problem
A desktop computer has recently started exhibiting slow performance, particularly when opening and saving files to the hard drive. What should you try first? A.) Replace the hard drive. B.) Remove old files and applications to free up disk space. C.) Delete and reinstall the OS. D.) Defragment the hard drive.
B.) Remove old files and applications to free up disk space.
SCSI (Scuzzy) is a small computer system interface and __________, __________ & __________ should be associated it when its mentioned.
Legacy~ Storage ~ ID Numbers ***If you see a question about storage or id numbers the answer is most likely going to be SCSI***
LCD also known as Liquid Crystal Display is when:
Light shines through liquid crystals
Changing a spinning mechanical drive to an SSD can:
Make your laptop like new
Small Outline Dual In-Line Memory Module (SO-DIMM) is the:
Memory used in laptops and mobile devices.
The "Big Three" of computer parts are the:
Motherboard, Processor, & Memory
The spine of the computer is known as the:
Motherboard, or also known as system board or mainboard.
An OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) is a
Organic compound that emits light when receiving an electric current.
ATX and its derivatives such as micro-ATX is the primary:
PC Motherboard form factor used today. Standard ATX motherboards measure 12" x 9.6"
The most important component in the computer is the:
Printed Circuit Board (PCB) which is a series of pathways laminated to a nonconductive substrate that lines the bottom of the computer and is often of a uniform color like green, brown, blue, black, or red.
RAID is the
Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disk, Redundancy.
The separate spaces of a TRRS (Tip-Ring-Ring-Sleeve) connector are used to-
Separate the different signals needed to be able to listen to the audio and speak for the input and output of that audio.
Near Field Communication (NFC) sends
Small amounts of data wireless over a limited area
M.2 is a
Smaller form factor, no SATA data or power cables, easy to install and replace.
Antenna wires are located?
They wrap around the screen of the laptop
Two-Factor Authentication is when-
~it requires specific authentication types ~Biometrics, pseudo-random authentication app
System boards are classified by their form factor (design), such as:
ATX and ITX
Questions are designed to be tricky and many are stated as a negative questions using the word "Not". e.x Which of the following is NOT a type of connector used to charge a smartphone? When you see these type questions turn them into an:
Affirmative question, so go through each option to rule out the ones you know are correct.
Which one of the following is the MOST important security consideration when selecting a new computer facility? A.) Law enforcement response times B.) Adjacent to competitors' facilities C.) Aircraft Flight paths D.) Utility Infrastructure ***Sometime no answers are absolutely correct so you have to choose the best one list. In this one the keyword to look for the correct answer is "Security" so the answer will best match that***
Answer: D.) Utility Infrastructure ***Also, read the answers back into the question by making it a statement***
You are migrating one stand-alone machine from Windows XP to Windows Vista. Which of the following tools should you consider for transferring user state data and application files? A.) Windows State Mover B.) UDMT (Unified Data Mining Theory) C.) Windows Easy Transfer D.) USMT (User State Migration Tool)
Answer~C.) Windows Easy Transfer You would group A&C and B&D together. Now to do the process of elimination. A.) Windows State Mover (would be tossed out because nothing in the question states anything about moving and is not a familiar sounding term. B.) UDMT (not commonly used, and is considered a theory) C.) Windows Easy Transfer ***has the word transfer in it*** D.) USMT (tool that is inside Windows Vista not XP so wouldn't exist)
Where would you first go on a system to configure Wake on LAN (WOL)? A.) Command Prompt B.) Device Manager C.) WOL jumper D.) CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) ***Look for incorrect answers as well in questions***
Answer: D.) CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor)
Which of the cabling types listed below DOES NOT provide protection against an outside signal interference? A.) UTP (Un-Shielded Twisted Pair) B.) Coaxial C.) Fiber Optic D.) STP (Shielded Twisted Pair)
Answer~ A.) UTP (Un-shielded Twisted Pair) has no protection from outside signals The mini grouping of these answer choices would be that A & D would be grouped together because both of them are acronyms of twisted pair cables. The larger grouping option would be that A, B, & D would be all grouped together because they are all cables that use copper as their medium, and the other option C (Fiber Optic) uses glass.
Multi-Touch refers to which feature of a touchscreen device? A.) The ability to touch multiple parts of the screen at once to provide input. B.) The ability to touch the screen multiple times consecutively as part of the same input stream. C.) The ability for multiple people to use the touchscreen device. D.) The ability to use a stylus or a finger as an input device.
Answer~A.) The ability to touch multiple parts of the screen at once to provide input. Process of elimination. You can take out "The ability to" to help narrow down. A.) touch multiple parts of the screen at once to provide input. (Multiple does coincide with Multi that is in the question) B.) touch the screen multiple times consecutively as part of the same input stream. (Question does't refer to multiple screens) C.) for multiple people to use the touchscreen device. (Question doesn't refer to people) D.) use a stylus or a finger as an input device. (Questions has nothing to do with a stylus)
An OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display is
~Thinner and Lighter because its flexible and doesn't need gas. ~No backlight ~Usually found on Tablets, phones, and smartwatches ~Very accurate color representation ~Costs a bit more than a LCD
The Main Antennas on a laptop are the:
~WiFi main and aux ~Bluetooth
Why would you ever use UDP?
~There's no way to stop and resend the data ~Time doesn't stop for your network
SSD (Solid State Drive) is:
~all memory with no moving parts, fast access time and less latency, quiet and is 2.5 inch form factors
Example of the "Divide and Conquer" What is the most important item to consider when examining biometric systems? A.) The crossover acceptance rate- the lower the number, the better the biometric system B.) The crossover error rate- the higher the number, the better the biometric system C.) The crossover acceptance rate- the lower the number, the better the biometric system D.) The crossover error rate- the lower the number, the better the biometric system Which would be Grouping (2 vs 2)? Which would be Super Grouping (1 vs 3)?
Grouping~ A & C would be grouped together because both begging with "The Crossover Acceptance Rate" and B & D would be grouped because they both start with "The Crossover Error Rate" Super Grouping~ B would be the answer that is different than the other 3 because it is the only one that is using the word "higher". (Typically this will be the one that is the incorrect answer)
Bluetooth is:
High speed communication over short distances -PAN (Personal Area Network)
The term bus is also used in any parallel or bit-serial wiring implementation where multiple devices can:
be attached all at the same time in parallel or in series (daisy chained) ex. include small Computer Interface (SCSI) USB, and Ethernet
A redesigned bus could send 8 bits at a time (over synchronized separate lines) which resulted in:
big increase in speed
In a PC, data is sent from one component to another via a
bus, which is a common collection of signal pathways.
The Information Technology eXtended (ITX) was developed as a:
low power, small form factor (SFF) board for specialty uses including Home Theaters, Compact Desktops, Gaming Systems, and Embedded Components.
On some questions to find the correct answer you can do so by "Divide and Conquer" or also known as:
~ Grouping (dividing the 4 answer options into 2 vs 2) or ~Super Grouping (breaking up into a group of 1 vs 3)
VA (Vertical Alignment) LCD is typically the best option because its:
~A good compromise between the TN (Twisted Nematic) and IPS (In Plane Switching) ~Good Color Representation However it has, Slower response times than TN.
Disadvantages of LCD's are:
~Black levels are a challenge ~Requires separate backlight (florescents, LED, etc) ~Lights are difficult to replace
In TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) it is considered a
~Connection oriented that is setup and close ~"Reliable" delivery and able to recover from errors, and manage out of order messages or retransmission.
In UDP (User Datagram Protocol) it is
~Connectionless (no formal open and close to the connection) ~"Unreliable" delivery, No error recovery, No reordering of data or retransmission. ~No flow control, sender determines the amount of data transmitted
Connectionless Protocols of using UDP are:
~DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) ~TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol)
LDC IPS (In Plane Switching) has
~Excellent color representation ~More expensive to produce than TN (Twisted Nematic)
Port 20 TCP (active Mode Data) Port 21 TCP (Control)
~FTP or Fire Transfer Protocol ~Authenticates with a username and a password (some systems use generic/anonymous login)
Connection-oriented protocols using TCP prefer a "return receipt" such as:
~HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) ~SSH (Secure Shell)
Lightning cables is Apples proprietary 8-pin digital signal cord that has the advantages over Micro-USB for having:
~Higher Power output for phones or tablets ~Can be inserted either way ~Simple Design
CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) has
~Higher voltage and power needed ~Added thickness to the display ~No longer a common backlight ~Used in older Laptops
How to remember the 6 steps of Methodology is: "I'm going to pet victors dog"
~I (Identify) ~G (Guess) ~T (Test) ~P (Plan/Implement) ~V (Verify) ~D (Document)
802.11 is
~LAN ~High Speed ~Internet Access
Advantages of LCD's are
~Lightweight ~Low Power ~Inexpensive
The ITX family consists of the following form factors:
~Mini-ITX- 6.7" x 6.7" ~Nano-ITX- 4.7" x 4.7" ~Pico-ITX- 3.9" x 2.8" ~Mobile-ITX- 2.4" x 2.4"
LCD TN (Twisted Nematic) is the
~Original LCD Technology ~Fast Response times (gaming) ~Poor viewing angles-Color Shifts
Near Field Communication (NFC) on phones are generally used for
~Payment Systems, in-person information exchange ~Access token, identity "card"
Bluetooth is
~Personal area network (PAN) ~Short Range ~Connect peripherals and other nearby devices
A DB-9 connector is commonly used for
~RS-232 signals and are Recommended standard 232 and have been an industry standard since 1969 ~Serial Connections Standard for modem connections ~now used as a configuration port for switches, routers, firewalls using a USB to DB-9 converter cable.
Examples of serial communications are:
~Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (Serial ATA, or SATA) ~ Universal Serial Bus (USB) ~IEEE 1394/Firewire ~Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe)
Biometrics is the ability to:
~Sign in or unlock your laptop with a fingerprint reader or using facial recognition (something you are)
Bluetooth is generally connects mobile devices to:
~Smartphones ~Tethering ~Headphones or health monitors ~Automobile phone integration ~Smartwatches ~external speakers
LED-backlit LCD display is
~The backlight is LEDs instead of Florescent ~LED's around the edge of the screen ~An array of LED's behind the screen ~The latest laptops are LED-Backlight
