CompTIA A+ Certification Core 1 (220-1101)

Which is a standard command and connection standard for mass storage devices? a. ATA b. LBA c. 2.5" form factor d. 3.5" form factor

Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) is a command and connection standard for mass storage devices. Form factors are not command or connection standards. LBA is an organization structure for mass storage devices.

Which does NOT describe a mass storage device? a. Optical drive b. M.1 drive c. Magnetic disk d. SSD

An M.1 drive is not a mass storage device; it is a made-up term that closely resembles the M.2 form factor. Optical drives, magnetic drives, and SSDs are all mass storage.

Which type of RAM sticks have 240 pins?

DDR3 RAM sticks have 240 pins. SDRAM has 168 pins, and DDR4 has 288 pins. DDR6 is not yet a type of RAM.

DDR4 RAM modules have how many pins?

DDR4 RAM sticks have 288 pins. SDRAM has 168 pins, DDR has 184 pins, DDR2 and DDR3 have 240 pins.

The job of the southbridge is to act as the interface between the CPU and what? a. Slow hardware b. Fast hardware c. RAM d. Video card

The southbridge interfaces slow hardware such as hard drives and keyboards to the CPU. The CPU interacts directly with fast hardware including RAM and video cards.

Which chip is typically found on modern motherboards? a. CMOS battery b. Second bridge c. Northbridge d. Southbridge

The southbridge is typically found on modern motherboards. The functions of the old northbridge chip have been moved onto modern CPUs. The CMOS battery is mounted on the motherboard, but it is not a chip, it is a battery. Second bridge is a made-up term.

In the following example, which part of the CPU information corresponds to the generation? Intel Core i9 12900K a. Intel b. Core i9 c. 12 d. 900

12 corresponds to the generation. Intel is the brand, Core i9 is the tier, 900 is the model, and K is the suffix.

A power supply with optional cable plug-ins is known as a what? a. Soldered power supply b. Option power supply c. Flex power supply d. Modular power supplu

A modular power supply simplifies cable management by enabling you to add and remove optional plug-in cables as needed to power components. Option power supply is a made-up term. A Flex power supply is a small-form-factor power supply. A soldered power supply has all of its power cables soldered to the power supply unit (PSU).

Which primary PC component is an output device? a. Microphone b. Printer c. Web Camera d. Keyboard

A printer is an output device. Microphones, keyboards, and web cameras input information to the computer, so they are input devices.

A tech might use this tool to check power supplied by a wall socket: a. RFI meter b. ESD meter c. Voltmeter d. Tweezers

A voltmeter can test wall power. Radio frequency interference (RFI) and electrostatic discharge (ESD) meters don't test wall power. Using tweezers to test for power can cause equipment damage, injury, or death.

Which is more likely to cause a computer's reported time to fall behind? a. Earth is spinning more slowly b. The computer was not programmed to recognize leap year c. The CMOS battery is weak or failing d. The wall voltage is too low

A weak or failed CMOS battery will slow the system clock and may cause other problems. Missing a leap year won't affect the computer's clock rate. Low wall voltage is adjusted in the power supply; if it is too low, the computer won't boot.

Before installing a CPU, what's the best way to protect it? a. ESD mat b. OEM fan c. Thermal Paste d. Orientation Notch

An electrostatic discharge (ESD) mat protects chips and electronics from electrostatic discharges while you're installing the equipment. A fan keeps the chip cool after it has been installed. Thermal paste helps transfer heat from the CPU to the heat sink/fan after it has been installed. The orientation notch identifies which direction the CPU should face so that it seats correctly in the socket.

How can you protect your system from ESD while installing the motherboard? a. I/O shields b. Antistatic wrist strap c. Drinking hot coffee over your system d. Use fans to blow cool air throughout the room

Antistatic (or ESD) wrist straps protect from ESD by dispersing the electricy generated by your body so it doesn't get dispersed into the components instead. I/O shields protect the motherboard from dust and debris. Drinking hot coffee over a system you're building is NEVER a good idea, as liquids can ruin electronic equipment. Using fans to blow cool air throughout the room isn't necessary at this point of your PC build, since none of the heat-producing componenets are installed and turned on yet.

For which failures would you expect POST to issue beep codes? a. Video Card b. Missing Keyboard c. No CPU installed d. No printer found

Beep codes are issued when error messages can't be displayed on the screen, thus a bad video card would cause beep codes. Missing keyboard, printers, and network connection failures can all be shown on a screen. The POST program will not run at all without a CPU installed (and thus would not generate a beep code).

Which battery provides power to the RTC and CMOS chip? a. CR3022 b. CR2032 c. AA battery d. 9 Volt Battery

CR2032 is the standard CMOS battery. The other choices are not normally used for CMOS in a computer.

You are using the CompTIA Troubleshooting Methodology to determine the cause of some faulty RAM. You theorize that one or more RAM modules might not be properly seated. You test the theory, and it seems like a probable assumption. What is your next step?

CompTIA's Troubleshooting Methodology offers a simplified list of steps that can help you troubleshoot and resolve almost any issue that you will run in to. After establishing and testing a theory, the next step would be to establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and implement the solution. Since we surmised that our RAM sticks weren't seated properly, the solution to the would be to reseat the RAM.

Which is a primary characteristic to be considered when choosing a power supply? a. Cable lengths b. Efficiency c. UPS compatibility d. Power sag rating

Efficiency is a major consideration. Cable length is important, but most power cables are of sufficient length and don't typically need to be measured or checked. Power supplies do not have a sag rating. UPS compatibility is not a real specification.

Which item is NOT likely to be found in a technician's toolkit? a. Thumbdrive b. Nut driver c. Voltage tester d. EMP

Electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is not a tool, it is a cause of problems. All of the other choices are common tools used by technicians.

Which types of RAM can function even if one of its memory chips fails?

Error correction code (ECC) RAM and parity RAM can function with a failed memory chip. SO-DIMMs are small outline (form factor) memory modules. Dual-channel is technology that supports simultaneous access to multiple RAM modules. Double-sided RAM are RAM modules that are organized into 4 bits.

How would a technician start the system setup program? a. Touch the system setup button on the front panel of the computer b. Press a certain key before the computer boots the operating system c. Turn off the power switch and unplug the computer, then plug in the computer and press the power switch to automatically start the setup program d. Enter the administrator password during bootup

Every computer has a certain key on the keyboard that must be pressed before the OS boots to launch the setup program. There is no automatic procedure or button to start the setup program. The administrator password is not entered until after the setup program has started.

Which is true of an I/O shield? a. the I/O shield must be customized to fit the case b. The I/O shield is customized to fit the motherboard I/O area c. The dimensions of the I/O shield for a Micro-ATX motherboard are 9.6 inches by 9.6 inches d. All I/O shields are standardized to fit all motherboard I/O areas

I/O shields are customized to fit the motherboard I/O area. I/O shields have standard dimensions to fit standard form factor cases. Micro-ATX motherboards are 9.6 x 9.6, not their I/O shields. Different motherboards have different I/O ports so it is impossible to create a one-size-fits-all I/O shield for different motherboards.

The largest motherboard form factor is? a. ATX b. Micro-ATX c. ITX d. Mini-ITX

In order of largest to smallest, the form factors are ATX, Micro-ATX, ITX, and Mini-ITX.

What should a tech do when solving a problem is beyond their ability? a. Ask the customer for advice b. Disassemble the system and rebuild it from scratch c. Tell the customer that the problem can't be fixed d. Escalate the issue

In order to solve the problem quickly, escalating the issue is often good for the customer and is an opportunity for the technician to learn. The other options are poor choices for a technician.

What does the on/off switch on a power supply do? a. Provides wall power to the power supply b. Turns on the computer c. Applies power to the "power good" wire d. Nothing; power supplies autodetect power and turn on or off accordingly

It allows power to flow from the plug into the power supply. The computer has its own on/off switch. The power supply powers the "power good" wire (if the power is good) but the power supply switch does not do this directly. Power supplies (mostly) do not autodetect power and then react.

Which RAM would typically be installed into a laptop computer?

Laptops and other small form factor motherboards typically use SO-DIMM memory modules. ECC RAM is usually found in server-grade computers. SDRAM is an early generation of RAM technology but it is not specific to laptops. There is no such thing as SPD RAM.

Many cities have a makerspace where you can get hands-on with hardware at little to no cost. a. True b. False

Makerspaces are facilities for making, learning, and exploring technology that use both high tech and no tech tools. Many cities have makerspaces located within colleges and public libraries.

Which interface is the fastest? a. SATA b. SCSI c. NVMe d. PATA

NVMe uses PCIe lanes and is the fastest of these interface choices. PATA is the slowest; SATA and SCSI speeds fall between NVMe and PATA.

What is the primary purpose of POST? a. It is an add-on card to test the computer b. It applies power to the CPU c. It enables hardware to function before the OS boots d. It enables hardware to function before the OS boots d. It performs diagnostic tests before booting the operating system

POST is a program in the computer's BIOS chip that performs diagnostics prior to the computer booting an operating system. POST can send messages to a POST card but the card does not contain the POST program. A power supply provides power to the CPU. POST does not enable hardware, it tests hardware.

Which is typically not found on a motherboard? a. PCIe slots b. SATA cables c. Voltage regulators d. Power connectors

SATA cables attach to connectors on the motherboard, but they are not part of the motherboard. PCIe slots, voltage regulators, and power connectors are all found on motherboards. This was discussed in Lecture 31: Installing and Troubleshooting a Motherboard

SATA drives use how many wires to transfer data to and from the computer? a. 8 b. 4 c. 2 d. 1

SATA is a serial interface; all data moves in sequence (serial) over a single wire. SATA does not use 2, 4, or 8 wires to transfer data.

SSDs are organized into logical blocks, but their memory storage cells are called what? a. Sectors b. Slots c. Pages d. Sockets

SSD memory cells are called pages. Magnetic drive storage units are called sectors. Slots and sockets are not terms to describe storage units.

Combine SCSI with SATA to get ____________? a. SSCSI b. SAS c. M.2 d. SASI

Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) uses the SATA connector with the SCSI command language. M.2 is a connector interface and form factor. SSCSI and SASI are made up terms.

BIOS programs that enable hardware to function are called what? a. POST b. Services c. CMOS d. Device Drivers

Services are BIOS programs that make hardware functional. POST is a testing program in BIOS. CMOS is a type of memory chip. Device drivers make hardware function in an operating system.

The small, metal items that screw into a case and keep the motherboard from touching the case are called: a. Dongles b. Standoffs c. Slots d. I/O shields

Standoffs are the screws used to keep the motherboard from touching the case so that there isn't an electric short, which could damage the components. Slots are for plugging in RAM and expansion cards. I/O shields protect the motherboard from dust and debris.

Mass storage is organized into __________? a. Gibibytes b. LBAs c. Pages d. Gigabytes

Storage is organized into Logical Blocks (LBAs). Gigabytes and Gibibytes describe capacity, not organizational structure. Pages are the organizational structure of SSDs but not of all mass storage devices.

Which of the following is NOT a part of a PC? a. GPU b. RAM c. CPU d. TPU

TPU is a made-up term. Graphics processing units (GPUs) send the display signal to the monitor, random access memory (RAM) sticks are where short-term memory is stored, and the central processing unit (CPU) is the "brain" of the computer.

When an instruction is sent to the CPU in a binary pattern, how does the CPU know what instruction the pattern means? a. External data bus b. Register c. Translator d. Code Book

The CPU has an internal code book that identifies each instruction pattern. A register is a memory location inside a CPU. The external data bus is the set of wires that carry data and instructions between the CPU and RAM. In this context, translator is a made-up term.

Which must be done before installing a motherboard into a case? a. Install case fans b. Install the I/O shield c. Install the SATA cables d. Install a video card into a PCIe slot

The I/O shield must be installed before the motherboard is installed; it won't fit after the board is in place. Case fans and SATA cables can be installed at any time. Installing a video card into the motherboard may make it challenging or impossible to install the motherboard into the case.

What should a technician do to improve performance if the virtual memory file is constantly full?

The best answer for performance is to add RAM. It is generally recommended to let the operating system manage the size of the virtual memory file. Closing applications is a short-term solution but eventually, the user will reopen them. Because virtual memory is slower than physical memory, using large amounts of virtual memory will slow the system down significantly.

In what order should memory slots be filled?

The best practice is to follow whatever the motherboard manual specifies. Every motherboard is slightly different, so what works in one may not work in another.

Normal vacuums are dangerous to use inside of a PC due to their ability to: a. Generate loud noises which interferes with productivity b. Build up static electricity c. Scrub off thermal paste with the brush nozzle d. Accidentally suck up capacitors and other components

Vacuums generate a lot of static electricity, specifically on the plastic areas of the device, including the nozzle. While niche anti-static PC vacuums exist, it is always best to use canned air to blow dust out of your PC.

A client's PC will no longer boot up. You suspect the PSU is the cause. Which of these actions would be appropriate to take to resolve the issue? a. Practice proper power handling and then double check all connectors and cables b. verify functionality with a power supply tester c. Swap the PSU for a known working one d. All of the above

We always want to practice proper power handling, especially when dealing with the source of the power, our PSU. Power supply testers can be used to test a PSU and verify that it is functioning as intended. Many technicians keep spares of common components such as PSUs, so that they can swap a known working one into the system and test their theory of probable causation.

Running SCSI commands over Ethernet is called __________? a. iSCSI b. SCSIi c. eSCSI d. SCSIe

iSCSI uses SCSI commands sent over Ethernet. SCSIi, eSCSI, and SCSIe are made up terms.

Which of the following is NOT an example of an Instruction Set Architecture (ISA)? a. x64 b. x86 c. x84 d. x86-64

x84 is not an ISA standard. x64, x86, and x86-64 are all ISA standards.