220-1201 Practice Test 13 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A user reports intermittent network drops. You suspect the issue might be with the network interface card (NIC) itself. You need to test the NIC's ability to send and receive data without connecting it to the network. Which tool should you use?

Choose an answer to begin — your selection is scored in the full session.

Accepted Answer

Loopback plug. A loopback plug (or loopback adapter) is the correct tool because it connects the transmit (TX) and receive (RX) pins of the NIC, allowing it to send data to itself. This tests the NIC's ability to transmit and receive frames without requiring a network connection, isolating the NIC as the potential fault point.

Answer

Cable tester

Answer

Toner probe

Answer

Multimeter

Question 2

A customer reports that their new SSD is not detected by the BIOS. The drive is properly connected to the SATA port and power supply. What is the most likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

The SATA cable is faulty.. For a new SSD not detected by the BIOS despite proper connections, the most likely cause is a faulty SATA cable. The BIOS must detect the drive before the OS can see it; initialization in Disk Management is an OS-level step that requires the drive to already be recognized by the BIOS.

Answer

The SSD needs to be initialized in Disk Management.

Answer

The power supply unit is insufficient.

Answer

The SSD is incompatible with the motherboard.

Question 3

A customer reports that their desktop computer randomly shuts down after a few minutes of gaming, but it runs fine during light tasks. You suspect the power supply is failing. Which tool should you use to confirm the power supply's output voltages are within ATX specification?

Accepted Answer

A multimeter. A multimeter is the correct tool for measuring DC voltages from a power supply. The ATX specification defines acceptable voltage ranges (e.g., +12V ±5%), and a multimeter can verify these under load. Other tools like a PSU tester or loopback plug may indicate basic function but don't measure actual voltage levels accurately.

Answer

A power supply tester

Answer

A loopback plug

Answer

An ESD strap

Question 4

A customer complains that their VoIP phone intermittently drops calls and has poor audio quality. The phone is connected to a switch port that also carries data traffic for a nearby workstation. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Quality of Service (QoS) is not configured on the switch port.. VoIP is sensitive to latency and packet loss. When a switch port carries both voice and data without proper QoS, data traffic can congest the link, causing dropped packets and poor audio. QoS prioritizes voice traffic to prevent this.

Answer

The switch port is set to half-duplex.

Answer

The network cable is too long.

Answer

The phone’s firmware is outdated.

Question 5

A technician upgrades a PC from a traditional HDD to an NVMe SSD. After installation, the BIOS detects the SSD, but Windows does not appear in the boot menu. What should the technician do to resolve this?

Accepted Answer

Set the BIOS to UEFI boot mode and ensure the SSD is GPT partitioned. When migrating from an HDD to an NVMe SSD, the BIOS may detect the drive but the boot configuration may be missing or incorrect. The solution is to ensure the boot mode is set to UEFI (not Legacy) and that the drive is formatted with GPT, as NVMe drives require UEFI to boot.

Answer

Change the SATA mode from AHCI to IDE

Answer

Enable Legacy boot mode in BIOS

Answer

Update the chipset drivers

Question 6

A user reports that their iPhone 13 will not charge when plugged into the charging port. The user has tried different cables and power adapters, but the phone still does not charge. The phone's screen and buttons work normally. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The Lightning port is clogged with debris. Since the user has already ruled out the cable and adapter, the issue is likely with the phone itself. A common problem is debris or lint compacted in the Lightning port, preventing a proper connection. Cleaning the port carefully can often resolve this.

Answer

The battery is completely dead and needs replacement

Answer

The operating system is corrupted

Answer

The phone's wireless charging coil is damaged

Question 7

A user's multifunction printer is displaying a 'Replace Fuser' error message, but the technician has a replacement fuser available. After installing the new fuser, the error persists. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The fuser error must be cleared via the printer's menu or software. This question tests understanding of printer maintenance procedures and error reset mechanisms. Many printers require a manual reset or calibration after replacing a consumable like the fuser. Simply installing the part without resetting the error code will not clear the message.

Answer

The new fuser is defective

Answer

The printer was not turned off during replacement

Answer

The toner cartridge is also low

Question 8

A technician is troubleshooting a smartphone that cannot establish an NFC connection with a payment terminal. The phone's NFC is enabled, and the screen is unlocked. The payment terminal shows 'No card detected'. Which of the following should the technician check first?

Accepted Answer

The phone's NFC antenna location and alignment with the terminal. NFC requires close proximity and correct orientation; many phones have the NFC antenna located near the top or back. This tests practical knowledge of NFC hardware placement and the need for precise alignment.

Answer

The phone's battery level

Answer

The payment terminal's internet connection

Answer

The phone's default payment app settings

Question 9

A technician is configuring a new Android tablet for a warehouse employee. The employee will use the tablet to scan barcodes and access a web-based inventory system. The tablet needs to stay connected to the Wi-Fi network even when the screen is off to receive updates. Which setting should the technician configure?

Accepted Answer

Enable 'Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep' and set it to 'Always'. Android devices have a power-saving feature that disconnects Wi-Fi when the screen is off to save battery. To ensure the tablet stays connected, the technician must change the 'Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep' setting to 'Always'.

Answer

Set the screen timeout to 30 minutes

Answer

Disable Bluetooth

Answer

Install a third-party app to keep the screen on

Question 10

A technician is troubleshooting a network where users on one floor cannot communicate with users on another floor. Both floors are connected to the same switch via separate VLANs configured for security. What additional device is needed to allow communication between the VLANs?

Accepted Answer

A router or Layer 3 switch. VLANs segment a network into separate broadcast domains, and by default, they cannot communicate with each other. A Layer 3 device, such as a router or a Layer 3 switch, is required to route traffic between VLANs. A Layer 2 switch cannot perform routing. The correct answer is a router or a Layer 3 switch.

Answer

A hub

Answer

A Layer 2 switch

Answer

A bridge

Question 11

During a hardware installation, you are tasked with setting up a RAID 1 array in a server using two identical 4 TB HDDs. After configuration, the total usable capacity is only 4 TB. Is this expected behavior?

Accepted Answer

Yes, RAID 1 provides fault tolerance by mirroring data, so usable capacity is 4 TB.. RAID 1 mirrors data across two drives, so usable capacity equals the size of one drive (4 TB). This provides redundancy, not increased storage. RAID 0 would combine capacity, and RAID 5 requires at least three drives.

Answer

No, the array should show 8 TB because the drives are identical.

Answer

No, the array should be configured as RAID 0 to get 8 TB.

Answer

Yes, but only if the drives are set as JBOD.

Question 12

A small office has several desktop PCs that intermittently fail to power on in the morning. The issue is more common on humid days. After checking the wall outlets, you find they are properly grounded. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The power supply units are failing due to moisture-related internal corrosion. A failing power supply can be sensitive to humidity, causing internal shorts or capacitor leakage. Inrush current from multiple PCs on the same circuit could also be a factor, but the humidity correlation points to PSU degradation. Proper grounding eliminates outlet issues.

Answer

The building's circuit breaker is tripping due to overload

Answer

The CMOS battery is dead on each PC

Answer

The power button is stuck on each case

Question 13

A technician is troubleshooting a VM that fails to boot with an error 'Operating system not found'. The VM was just created from an ISO file. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The VM's boot order is set to hard disk first, and the hard disk is empty. The boot order in the VM's BIOS must be set to boot from the CD/DVD drive (ISO) before the hard disk. If the ISO is not mounted or boot order is wrong, the VM cannot find an OS.

Answer

The ISO file is corrupted

Answer

The VM has insufficient RAM

Answer

The virtual hard disk is not attached

Question 14

A technician is replacing a power supply in a server that has been experiencing random lockups. The old PSU is an 80+ Bronze rated 650W unit. The technician selects an 80+ Gold rated 650W unit from the same brand. What is the primary benefit of this upgrade?

Accepted Answer

The Gold-rated PSU produces less heat and is more efficient.. 80+ Gold certification indicates higher efficiency (87-90% at typical loads) compared to Bronze (82-85%). This means less power is wasted as heat, which can improve reliability in a server environment and reduce cooling costs.

Answer

The Gold-rated PSU provides more wattage to the components.

Answer

The Gold-rated PSU has better voltage regulation and ripple suppression.

Answer

The Gold-rated PSU will automatically fix the random lockups.

Question 15

A client brings in a desktop that will not power on. The technician verifies the power cord is connected and the PSU fan does not spin when the power button is pressed. What is the most appropriate next step?

Accepted Answer

Test the power supply using a PSU tester. When the PSU fan does not spin, the power supply may be dead. The quickest and safest test is to use a power supply tester or perform the paperclip test to see if the PSU turns on. If it does not, replacement is needed. Always eliminate the PSU as the cause before checking other components.

Answer

Replace the motherboard

Answer

Reseat the CPU

Answer

Check the front panel power switch