CompTIA A+ 1101 CertMaster Practice
What components are integrated in the motherboard?
CPU socket, CMOS, northbridge, GUI and firmware.
A computer has multiple hard drives installed, but the second hard drive does not show up in Windows Explorer. What is a possible problem?
Cable or connector fault
This protocol provisions secure websites and services and uses port 443.
HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure
What interface is the parallel advanced technology attachment (PATA)?
IDE
What does SMART measure as a performance indicator?
IOPS
A technician researches flat-screen displays to find the perfect model for a conference room. The screen should feature a high viewing angle as the conference room is wide. Which technology does the technician look for when purchasing a flat-screen display?
IPS
A network administrator noticed that latency has been higher than their service-level agreement (SLA) covers for quite some time. What should they do?
Contact the ISP.
A user complains their phone is frozen. They can hard reset it, but nothing works on the screen. What should the technician focus on?
Digitizer
Which internal component does a mobile device use to acquire single or multi-touch input?
Digitizer
A technician decides to update a server's redundant array of independent disks (RAID) array with solid-state hard drives. The plan is to clone the current array and restore it to the newly built array. Which step does the technician use in a migration approach?
Disk imaging
What problem does a screensaver help prevent?
Display burn-in.
A user replaces an older laptop that has a thin film transistor (TFT) display that uses crystals that rotate. Which TFT technology does the display use?
In-plane switching (IPS)
Which redundant array of independent disks (RAID) applies a strategy that is the simplest way of protecting a single disk against failure by using a mirrored drive configuration with two disks?
RAID 1
What storage devices are faster, but require power to store data?
RAM & CPU cache.
An on-premises data center is moving to a cloud model to take advantage of the many benefits cloud computing offers. One of the most important benefits of this specific data center is handling changes to demand in real-time without degrading services. Which of the following is the most important benefit of migrating this data center to the cloud?
Rapid elasticity
No matter what type of cable, the technician must always do what with the cable?
Terminate it.
Sandboxes can be used to analyze viruses, worms, and Trojans. Sandboxes also provide an isolated environment for what other important function?
Testing and development
A user calls to report that they cannot connect to the internet and various other internal resources from their laptop. After a technician asks them what IP address their Windows laptop has, they report it has an address of 169.254.0.115. What problem is the user's laptop having?
The laptop cannot get an address from the DHCP server.
A company plans on upgrading a fleet of mobile phones. Upon inspection, the phones that will be retired do not utilize a SIM card. What does the company learn about the phones that have been in use?
The phones are CDMA.
What information would help diagnose an intermittent shutdown problem?
Circumstance when shutdown occurs.
An electrical wiring vendor is working with a company building a new office building. Regarding copper network cabling, what may be considered common 802.3 Ethernet standards used for this project? (Select all that apply.)
100BASE-T 1000BASE-T 10GBASE-T
An electrical wiring vendor is working with a company building a new office building. Regarding copper network cabling, what may be considered common 802.3 Ethernet standards used for this project?
10GBASE-T, 100BASE-T, 1000BASE-T.
What is the most important output voltage since it is the most heavily used?
12V
What voltage range do appliances such as dryers, heavy-duty power tools, and oven ranges require?
220V
A technician is working with a vendor who sends a list of unclear instructions regarding system changes. What should the technician do?
Ask for clarification.
A technician needs to upgrade components in a laptop. Which component can the technician install without the use of tools?
Battery
A user contacts an IT help desk to report a problem with a laptop computer. The complaint is that the laptop is very hot to the touch when typing. The user also states that the laptop does not sit correctly as the bottom of the laptop has a slight bulge. Which component does the help desk technician determine to be the problem?
Battery
What is a physical indicator of overheating?
Burning smell
How can a technician eliminate overheating as the cause of a sluggish computer?
By checking the temperature sensor
A technician notices that the printer's output was not expected and needs to check the printer's control panel to investigate the problem. What does the technician need to check?
Calibration
A tier one helpdesk technician receives a corporate cellphone with a broken screen. What is the first step?
Check if the phone is under warranty.
A network administrator is looking at a user's box which seems to have intermittent connectivity issues. Which of the following should they do first?
Check the physical cords.
If a computer produces digital art, what special process will it require?
Color calibration.
A cloud service provider (CSP) works with several organizations to establish new cloud deployments that best match their needs. Each organization has similar security needs and is open to sharing resources with other organizations to save money. Which cloud deployment sounds best for the CSP's new customers?
Community cloud
A user complains that their monitor keeps flickering. What is the first thing to check?
Connectors
A RAID array cannot boot, and the technician cannot reach the configuration utility. There have been no recent changes to the array. What is the likely problem?
Controller failure
A technician wants to install a non-standard program on a user's computer to solve a problem. What does the technician need to consult before installing the program?
Corporate policies
A technician wants to install a non-standard program on a user's computer to solve a problem. What does the technician need to consult before installing the program?
Corporate policies.
A support desk technician must make a custom-length Ethernet patch cable for a user's desk setup. What tool do they need to create this cable?
Crimper, cable stripper, snips.
Which type of DDR RAM have non-ECC and ECC types?
DDR5
A network engineer gets a report that a growing number of wireless devices cannot obtain an IP address from the Wi-Fi network. They can see the network name (SSID) and authentication is successful, but devices say that they cannot obtain an address. What is most likely the problem?
DHCP has no more addresses available.
A remote support technician is speaking with a new rural business client who has issues with their internet connection. As the remote technician gathers information for a local technician to visit the site, the user mentions that the local tech referred to their connection as the "local loop" and the "last mile." What device would the remote technician conclude that they use to connect to the internet?
DSL modem
A laptop user at a company asks the IT department for computer equipment. In addition to an external monitor, the user would like to take advantage of an expansion card. What does IT purchase for the user?
Docking station
After a technician has verified resolving a problem, what is the next step?
Document what was done.
This can be used individually or in conjunction with other configurations to effectively verify email services and block the transmission of spoofed and unwanted messages. (Select all that apply.)
DomainKeys Identified Mail Sender Policy Framework Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance
A user finished setting up their new laptop on the latest Windows operating system and is currently setting up print capabilities. They go to pick up the paper from the printer but everything comes out garbled. What should they troubleshoot first?
Drivers
This protocol facilitates requests for an IP address and other network settings and uses ports 67 & 68.
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
A user has a newly issued smartphone that has corporate communication software installed. What can the user expect to sync while using Microsoft Exchange?
A tablet user connects a Bluetooth keyboard. What would be expected in the pairing process?
Enter a PIN.
Which of the following causes the ink in an inkjet printer to break up into small pumps, which give an electrical charge when they leave the print head and can either stick to the paper or fall off?
Epson design
Users at an organization prefer that any mobile devices deployed for company use have location services disabled. IT administrators agree and configure which option?
Global Positioning System
A user noticed that their PC is generating more heat than can be removed, and the one component designed to draw cool air from the low vents in the front of the case over the motherboard is not working. What is the impacted component?
Fan
What causes a mobile device battery to swell?
Faulty charging circuit.
A technician working on a 3-D printer needs to change out a part. The part is either 1.75 mm or 3mm and requires that the extruder be heated to the appropriate temperature to pull as much of the old part out as possible and finally push the new part through. What is this part?
Filament
This protocol makes files available for download across a network and uses ports 20 and 21.
File Transfer Protocol
This part of an IP address configuration allows a host to communicate with a remote network, most notably the internet. Otherwise, the host will only communicate with the local network without this.
Gateway address
What kind of storage media can have grinding and clicking as a diagnostic tool?
HDD
Which mechanism has performance ratings of 5,400 rpm, 7,200 rpm, 10,000 rpm, and 15,000 rpm?
HDD
A system administrator implemented a physical device that expedites cryptographic operations and manages cryptographic keys. What is this device the system administrator implemented?
HSM
To reduce the risk of interference, what is the maximum wire length that should be untwisted when terminating permanent cabling?
Half an inch or 13m.
An online retailer uses the cloud to host its infrastructure because the cloud provider guarantees 99.999% service uptime. What benefit of using the cloud has the online retailer been guaranteed?
High availability.
A user is having trouble with their laser printer and notices that the light from the laser is not shining on this part of the printer. What part of the printer has a photosensitive surface?
Imaging drum.
The software-defined networking (SDN) model consists of multiple layers for networking functions that can be accessed and managed via scripting and automation. Which of the following are layers within the SDN model? (Select all that apply.)
Infrastructure layer Control layer Application layer
The software-defined networking (SDN) model consists of multiple layers for networking functions that can be accessed and managed via scripting and automation. Which of the following are layers within the SDN model?
Infrastructure layer, control layer, application layer.
A customer builds a new facility that they will mainly use to provide services for physically disabled residents. They would like to accommodate as much as possible so that residents can be more independent. What type of technology, if appropriately secured, would be a great solution to accomplish this goal?
IoT
What does the Microsoft Windows "Programs and Features" applet allow the user to manage?
Legacy software/OS
A consumer that is new to iOS devices does not understand what type of cable is required to charge a new iPhone. The consumer would like an extra cable to keep in a home office. What type of proprietary cable does the consumer look to purchase?
Lightning
Each Ethernet network interface card (NIC) port has a unique hardware/physical identifier used for network routing and switching. What is this unique hardware or physical identifier?
Media access control address
What component can be used in a camera to hold digital image storage?
Memory card
A user, who is new to computers, inspects a laptop to become acquainted with all the physical features. The user finds a small hole in the top bezel of the display. What feature is this?
Microphone
IT systems administrators for a company have been busy configuring a fleet of new smartphones for users. Instructions that the administrators follow to configure the devices include using a host address and entering a domain as an optional parameter. Which corporate email service does the company use?
Microsoft Exchange
What would cause a central processing unit (CPU) to make only minor changes to the CPU internals that significantly improve performance and increase speed?
Multicore
A technician installs a type of computer memory into a laptop built using integrated circuits. What is this called?
SODIMM
A small shop uses a new point of sale system that allows for touchless payments. The business owner, who is not so tech-savvy, is amazed at the process. As the owner sets up the system, what technology does the system installer mention the payments use?
NFC
A technician uses an interface that enables storage access and transport to deliver high throughput and fast response time. What is this called?
NVMe
What are the main components of authentication, authorization, and accounting that securely and adequately connect devices to a network? (Select all that apply.)
Network access server/point, AAA server, supplicant
A penetration tester must infiltrate a company's facility to capture all the network traffic from a particular set of PCs over a physical network cable. The tester can only access the intermediate distribution frame (IDF) closets into which all devices are patched. What tool can the tester utilize to accomplish their goal?
Network tap.
A technician installs a mechanism to a 5.25-inch drive bat and it connects to the motherboard by serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) data and power connectors. What is this mechanism?
Optical drive
A user needs to change the direction of the viewing of a page. What tab would the user need to click on to change the page view from portrait to landscape?
Oreintation
A display manufacturer produces a new low-cost flat screen for budget conscious shoppers. The display uses a technology that does not require a backlight as each individual pixel is self-illuminating. Which technology does the display use?
Organic LED
A projector shut down two hours into a presentation. What could be the problem?
Overheating
A technician responds to a computer intermittently shutting down and finds that the tower has a personal heater blowing on it. What is a likely problem?
Overheating
Where do you install a sound card?
PCI expansion card.
Where do you install an add-on RJ-45 network interface card (NIC)?
PCI expansion card.
What uses a method of down-plugging, where a longer card can fit into a short slot, assuming other features do not obstruct the card in the case?
PCIe
Where do you install a Wireless NIC card?
PCIe x1 (v1.x)
Where do you install a video card (or graphics adapter)?
PCIe x16 (v1.x)
Which well-known mailbox access protocols utilize mailbox servers to allow the user's client email software to retrieve messages from the mailbox? (Select all that apply.)
POP3 IMAP
A new IT support technician troubleshoots a user's report of intermittent network connectivity. After inspecting the workstation, they see a label above the station's RJ-45 port wall connection. This label is likely to identify what device?
Patch panel.
What component in a fused deposition model (FDM) 3-D printer is usually heated to prevent the material from warping?
Print bed
A user has a known problem with a system that is solvable by deleting the local user profile. However, what is the next step before moving forward with that solution?
Perform a backup.
A government organization wants to develop their own application to process information, but they do not want to be responsible for maintaining the hardware or the database platform that the application runs on. Additionally, the organization does not want to be burdened with maintaining the integrity and availability of the database platform because they will be very busy with other responsibilities. Which service would be best for the government organization to pursue?
Platform as a service (PaaS)
A company building is under construction and a technician is getting ready to install communication wires. What can a technician use to make the installation simpler?
Plenum
A technician suspects a mobile device to have liquid damage. What should the technician do first?
Power of the device.
A large store chain is eager to reduce the cost of maintaining their servers but is unsure what the best method would be for their use case. The major requirements for the chosen solution are that the store chain needs to own its cloud infrastructure (without sharing with another organization) to maintain maximum privacy and security of the data. Which cloud computing option best meets the store chain's major requirements?
Private cloud
A company has a structured cable system installed by a technician. The technician uses a permanent cable that terminates to wall ports and patch panels. What is this mechanism called?
Punchdown block
What tool is used for copper cables terminating to wall ports using insulation displacement connectors (IDC)?
Punchdown connector.
This protocol makes a secure connection to the graphical interface of another computer and uses TCP port 3389.
Remote Desktop Protocol
What storage devices are slower, but do not require power to store data?
Removable storage, HDDs, & SSDs.
What are generic approaches to solving an IT problem?
Repair, replace, workaround
A user's Bluetooth keyboard is no longer working after a year. What steps will fix this problem?
Replace the keyboard battery & pair the devices.
A systems engineer is building a virtual machine to run a service with 8 dual-core CPUs and 500 GB of random access memory to function properly. Where would these two hardware requirements be listed?
Resource requirements
While planning a new virtual environment, a systems engineer noted that one virtual machine (VM) would run a Windows OS and store two snapshots at all times. The VM will need to have at least 80 GB in its hard disk drive for the VM to function properly. What is the systems engineer considering when planning this aspect of the new virtual environment?
Resource requirements
A company meets with an IT consultant about building a small data center within their facility. The company would house all its servers in this data center, and each server would have local disks set up for all the servers and PCs to share over the network. The consultant would question this method and suggest installing which storage solution into the data center?
SAN
A growing manufacturing company wants to better manage all of its controlled systems in various plants around the city. After speaking with a technology vendor, what type of system would they recommend investing in for this solution?
SCADA
A contractor working for a managed services company works fully remote from their residence. They have multiple desktops, printers, and even some Wi-Fi access points set up. What type of network is this considered?
SOHO
A technician uses a storage device containing non-volatile flash memory to replace the hard drive since the speed is much greater. What is this called?
SSD
A technician needs a cable for 10G Ethernet and higher within a data center network. What type of cable does the technician need?
STP
When a user downloads a Microsoft Store application, where does the application run to prevent the app from making system-wide changes and prevent a faulty store app from "crashing" the entire OS?
Sandbox
A technician receives a ticket on a proprietary internal system. What would be the best place to start researching possible solutions?
Search an internal ticketing system.
A security administrator checks computer components that rely on the unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI) feature that helps prevent malicious software applications from being hijacked. What is this component?
Secure boot
A systems engineer is doing an internal audit of their virtual environment before an annual inspection and is making sure that all the virtual machines are up to date on patches. What could the systems engineer consult to verify which patches need to be on each machine?
Security Requirements
Remote wipe, locator apps, device encryption, remote backup, and antivirus software fall under which category of requirements?
Security requirements.
A network engineer is designing an enterprise network for their firm's new office. This focus on security will require the engineer to consider what fundamental concept when combining wired and wireless devices in an enterprise local area network?
Segmentation
This can be used individually or in conjunction with other configurations to effectively verify email services and block the transmission of spoofed and unwanted messages.
Sender Policy Framework; DomainKeys Identified Mail; Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, & Conformance.
Cloud service providers (CSPs) help organizations save time and money by hosting virtual resources on their hardware. What do CSPs use to ensure efficiency while providing services to customers?
Shared Resources
A startup legal office has specific software needs that are unique to the practice of law. The law firm partner would like to pay software developers to create a custom application but is concerned that the firm does not have the funds. The firm's IT manager has recommended that it use existing applications instead of paying for a new app to be developed. What service is the IT manager suggesting to the firm's partner?
Software as a service (SaaS)
A user has accidentally put too much paper in the feed. What possible issues might this cause? (Select all that apply.)
Staple jams Hole punching issues
A managed service company works with a client to enumerate and gather all the detailed events, errors, and notifications produced from various network devices. What solution would the company suggest in this particular case?
Syslog appliance
What types of components provide input and output functions for a personal computer?
System case & peripheral device.
A computer has no display on the screen, and it makes continuous beeps after booting. What is the likely problem?
System memory problem
What type of printer uses a heating element to create the image on the paper?
Thermal
An artist looks to achieve greater precision when creating digital drawings. Which input device will help achieve this goal?
Touch pen.
A manager needs to electronically sign many documents while using a laptop. Precision is not required and there is very little money in the budget to spend. What does the manager choose to use as a solution?
Touchpad
There are strict requirements for signal strength to minimize interference in the unlicensed long-range fixed wireless spectrum. What are the main components of these requirements? (Select all that apply.)
Transmit power Antenna gain Effective isotropic radiated power
There are strict requirements for signal strength to minimize interference in the unlicensed long-range fixed wireless spectrum. What are the main components of these requirements?
Transmit power, effective isotropic radiated power, antenna gain.
A technician did not install the full complement of modules, which would allow the system to revert to as many channels as are populated. What types of channels would allow this to happen?
Triple-channel/Quad-channel
A user complains that their monitor dims every day at 5:30pm. What could fix this problem?
Turn off the auto-dim feature.
A user had lost several mobile devices in the past. Each device had a basic password which put company data at risk. The user has a new phone and uses which method of increased security to log in?
Two-factor authentication
A technician needs a connector that offers high-speed standards that specify a data rate of 480 Mbps shared between the devices attached to the same host controller. What connector should the technician use?
USB 2.0
What universal serial bus (USB) does a technician use that allows a device to send and receive simultaneously?
USB 3.0
A user complains that their laptop does not hold a charge for more than 30 minutes, even after charging all night. They also mention that there is an error message when they restart their computer that states something about power. What is likely the problem?
Underpowered adapter
A user has a TV connected as a presentation monitor but cannot play audio through the TV. The technician has verified that the cables are good and has chosen the correct output. What might fix the problem?
Unmute the TV.
A remote connection for users to access a company's private network requires access from an external IP. How might a laptop user test this connection if they are currently connected to the company's internal network?
Use a hotspot.
While trying to set up for a presentation, the wall-mounted display will not mirror the laptop display. The technician traces the long HDMI cable to find that it runs on the floor, and it is evident that users have repeatedly run over it. What will likely fix the problem?
Use a new HDMI cable.
A projector made a popping noise during a presentation, and then the display went out. What will fix the problem?
Use a new bulb.
What are the manufacturers' specific recommendations for cleaning and maintaining laser printers? (Select all that apply.)
Use a toner-safe vacuum. Wipe with a soft cloth.
What are the manufacturers' specific recommendations for cleaning and maintaining laser printers? =
Use a toner-safe vacuum; wipe with a soft cloth.
While diagnosing a computer that is not powering on, the technician has established that the wall socket is working correctly since there is a fully plugged power cord. What would be a reasonable next step?
Use another power cable.
A technician uses a connector that carries visual displays from a personal computer to the monitor. It consists of a cable and connector that is usually blue. What is this called?
VGA
Where is the best source of information for installing a vendor-specific piece of technology?
Vendor documentation
According to the CompTIA Troubleshooting methodology, what is the next step after implementing a fix?
Verify that it worked.
A software development company uses a system to allow developers to log into any computer throughout the building and load their unique desktop environment. The IT department decided to manage these servers in the data center located in the basement of the company's office building. What system is the software development company leveraging?
Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) on premises
A user reports that their reporting resource is not working. They mentioned an error message that they did not write down but are certain that a "HTTP request failed" was a part of the error. What specialized support team will the user contact to resolve this issue?
Web server team
A consumer buys the cheapest laptop that they can possibly find. Which component did the consumer choose not to include in the laptop that would help drive down the cost?
Webcam
Users at an organization rely heavily on attending online meetings with clients and customers. The IT department purchases new laptops for these users to support conferencing needs. What component does IT ensure the laptop has when the specification is 1080p?
Webcam
How do you build a loopback connector?
Wires connecting pin 1 to pin 3 and pin 2 to pin 6.
A company is looking for computers with accelerated graphic capabilities and large, high-resolution monitors. Which of the following would meet the company's needs?
Workstation