220-1201 Practice Exam 3 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A technician needs to boot a laptop from a USB drive to run a diagnostic tool. The USB is plugged in but the system skips it and boots from the internal SSD. Which UEFI setting is most likely preventing the USB boot?

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

Accepted Answer

Disable Secure Boot. If Secure Boot is enabled and the USB is not signed or UEFI-bootable, the system may ignore it. Alternatively, the boot order may not include USB. This tests understanding of boot security and order settings.

Answer

Enable Fast Boot

Answer

Set SATA mode to RAID

Answer

Disable the TPM

Question 2

A user complains that their LCD monitor has a persistent dark spot in the center of the screen that does not change with different images. What is the most likely issue?

Accepted Answer

There is a stuck pixel.. This scenario describes a stuck or dead pixel, a common LCD defect. A dark spot that remains constant indicates a pixel that is not receiving power or is stuck in the off state. This is a hardware defect, not a software or connection issue.

Answer

The monitor's backlight is failing.

Answer

The graphics card is overheating.

Answer

The video cable is loose.

Question 3

A user reports that they can access internal resources using IP addresses but cannot access them using hostnames. Other users on the same network have no issues. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The user's DNS settings are incorrect. The ability to use IP addresses but not hostnames points to a DNS resolution problem on the user's device. This could be due to a misconfigured DNS server address in the network settings or a local hosts file issue. Other users working normally suggests the problem is client-specific.

Answer

The DHCP server is out of addresses

Answer

The DNS server is down

Answer

The router's NAT is misconfigured

Question 4

A technician is troubleshooting a laptop that shuts down randomly after a few minutes of use. The fan is spinning, and the vents are clear. The CPU temperature reaches 95°C quickly. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The thermal paste between the CPU and heatsink has dried out.. High CPU temperature despite a spinning fan indicates poor thermal transfer, often due to dried-out thermal paste or a heatsink that is not making proper contact. Reapplying thermal paste and reseating the heatsink is the solution. The fan working rules out a fan failure.

Answer

The fan is running at low speed due to a faulty fan controller.

Answer

The CPU is faulty and needs replacement.

Answer

The BIOS is set to an aggressive power-saving mode.

Question 5

A user reports that their laptop screen suddenly went black, but the laptop is still powered on (fans running, power light on). Connecting an external monitor shows the desktop correctly. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The laptop's LCD inverter or backlight has failed.. The external display working normally indicates the GPU and OS are functional. The black built-in display points to a failure in the LCD panel, backlight, or the display cable (e.g., LVDS/eDP ribbon cable) connecting the motherboard to the screen. A loose or damaged internal cable is a common cause, especially in laptops that have been moved frequently.

Answer

The graphics driver has crashed and needs to be reinstalled.

Answer

The Windows display settings are set to 'Show only on external display'.

Answer

The laptop's RAM is faulty and causing video output issues.

Question 6

A user reports that they cannot send emails from their Outlook client, but they can receive emails. The email server is using standard ports. Which port is most likely blocked on the firewall?

Accepted Answer

25. Port 25 is the default SMTP port used for outgoing email transmission. If a firewall blocks port 25, the Outlook client cannot connect to the SMTP server to send emails, but receiving via POP3 (port 110) or IMAP (port 143) remains unaffected. This matches the user's symptom of being able to receive but not send emails.

Answer

110

Answer

143

Answer

443

Question 7

A technician is troubleshooting a laptop that has a blinking battery light and will not power on, even when plugged into AC power. The technician has already verified the AC adapter is working on another laptop. Which component is most likely faulty?

Accepted Answer

The battery. A blinking battery light often indicates a battery or charging circuit error. Since the AC adapter is known to be good, the issue is likely with the laptop's internal battery, the DC jack, or the charging circuit on the motherboard. The battery is the most common failure point.

Answer

The CPU

Answer

The RAM

Answer

The hard drive

Question 8

A company's multifunction printer supports faxing over VoIP. Users report that faxes are frequently incomplete or fail to send. The fax line is connected to an analog telephone adapter (ATA). What should you check first?

Accepted Answer

Check the ATA's configuration to ensure T.38 fax relay is enabled.. Fax over VoIP is sensitive to jitter and latency. The ATA's settings for fax passthrough (T.38) must be enabled and properly configured. Without T.38, fax data may be corrupted by voice codecs.

Answer

Replace the fax modem card in the printer.

Answer

Increase the printer's print resolution.

Answer

Disable the printer's firewall.

Question 9

A user reports that their Android tablet's screen flickers when using a specific video streaming app, but the screen is stable in other apps and on the home screen. What hardware component is most likely at fault?

Accepted Answer

The video streaming app has a software bug or codec issue.. The screen flickers only within a specific video streaming app, while the home screen and other apps remain stable. This strongly indicates the issue is isolated to software, specifically a bug or codec incompatibility within that app, rather than a hardware failure affecting the entire display or GPU.

Answer

The tablet's display panel is failing.

Answer

The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is overheating.

Answer

The tablet's battery is swollen and pressing on the display.

Question 10

A user reports that their VoIP phone works but the PC connected to the phone's passthrough port has no network access. What should the technician check first?

Accepted Answer

The Ethernet cable between the phone and the PC.. This question tests understanding of VoIP passthrough ports. The PC's lack of connectivity is often due to a faulty or unseated Ethernet cable between the phone and PC. The phone itself is working, so the upstream connection is fine.

Answer

The PC's IP configuration.

Answer

The VoIP phone's firmware version.

Answer

The switch port the phone is connected to.

Question 11

A client reports that their new 802.11ac laptop cannot connect to the office Wi-Fi, while older 802.11n devices work fine. The access point is a dual-band model. Which of the following is the MOST likely reason?

Accepted Answer

The 5 GHz radio on the access point is disabled.. The 802.11ac standard operates exclusively on the 5 GHz band. While most 802.11ac devices are dual-band and support 2.4 GHz (802.11n/g/b) for backward compatibility, a new 802.11ac laptop might be configured to prioritize or exclusively attempt to connect to the 5 GHz network, or the user might be specifically trying to connect to a 5 GHz SSID. If the access point's 5 GHz radio is disabled, the 802.11ac laptop would be unable to connect to its preferred 5 GHz network. Older 802.11n clients, which can operate on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, would still be able to connect using the 2.4 GHz radio (which must be active since they are working). This scenario makes the disabled 5 GHz radio the most likely cause for the 802.11ac laptop's inability to connect to the expected Wi-Fi service.

Answer

The laptop's Wi-Fi antenna is damaged.

Answer

The laptop's drivers are not compatible with 802.11n.

Answer

The access point is set to 802.11b-only mode.

Question 12

A user complains that their smartphone's battery drains quickly even when idle. You run diagnostics and find the battery health is at 82%. The device is two years old. Which hardware servicing action is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Replace the battery with a new OEM battery.. This question tests battery replacement thresholds. A battery health below 80-85% often indicates significant degradation, causing poor runtime. Replacing the battery restores normal battery life. Software optimization may help but is secondary to hardware replacement.

Answer

Calibrate the battery by fully draining and recharging.

Answer

Update the operating system to the latest version.

Answer

Disable all background apps and notifications.

Question 13

A customer complains that their smartphone's mobile hotspot stops working after a few minutes. They are using a prepaid data plan. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The carrier's prepaid plan restricts hotspot usage or throttles data.. This scenario highlights carrier restrictions on tethering. Many prepaid plans limit hotspot usage or throttle data after a certain amount, causing the hotspot to disconnect or slow down.

Answer

The smartphone's battery saver mode is turning off the hotspot.

Answer

The connected device is out of Bluetooth range.

Answer

The smartphone's Wi-Fi antenna is overheating.

Question 14

A technician is setting up a small office with 15 devices and needs to assign private IP addresses. The router's LAN interface is 10.0.0.1/24. Which of the following is a valid IP address for a workstation on this network?

Accepted Answer

10.0.0.50. (10.0.0.50) is correct because the router's LAN interface is configured with the IP address 10.0.0.1 and a subnet mask of /24 (255.255.255.0). This defines the network as 10.0.0.0/24, which includes usable host addresses from 10.0.0.1 to 10.0.0.254. 10.0.0.50 falls within this valid host range.

Answer

10.0.1.50

Answer

10.0.0.0

Answer

10.0.0.255

Question 15

A technician is configuring a new router for a client who has a fiber-optic internet connection. Which type of interface is most likely used to connect the router to the ISP's ONT (Optical Network Terminal)?

Accepted Answer

Ethernet (RJ45). The correct interface is Ethernet (RJ45) because the ONT typically converts the fiber-optic signal from the ISP into a standard electrical Ethernet signal, which is then delivered to the customer's router via a copper Ethernet cable. Most residential and small business fiber installations use an RJ45 port on the ONT to connect to the router's WAN interface, supporting speeds up to 1 Gbps or higher using 1000BASE-T.

Answer

Coaxial (F-type)

Answer

RJ11 (phone jack)

Answer

Fiber patch cable (LC connector)

Question 16

A user complains that their laptop frequently disconnects from the Wi-Fi when they move from their desk to a conference room 30 meters away. The office uses a single wireless access point (AP). Which network type is being used, and what is the most likely cause of the disconnection?

Accepted Answer

Infrastructure mode WLAN; the AP's signal strength is insufficient at that distance.. The scenario describes an infrastructure mode WLAN, where devices connect through a single access point. The disconnection at 30 meters is most likely due to insufficient signal strength from that AP, as typical consumer-grade Wi-Fi (e.g., 2.4 GHz) has an effective indoor range of about 30–40 meters, and obstacles or interference can further reduce it.

Answer

Ad hoc network; the laptop is trying to connect directly to other devices.

Answer

Mesh network; the laptop is roaming between mesh nodes.

Answer

PAN network; the laptop is using Bluetooth, which has limited range.

Question 17

A technician is troubleshooting a laptop that connects to a Wi-Fi network but gets a 'No Internet, Secured' message. The laptop has a static IP address configured. What is the most likely issue?

Accepted Answer

The laptop's static IP address is not in the same subnet as the router.. A static IP address that is not in the same subnet as the router prevents the laptop from communicating with the default gateway. Even though the Wi-Fi association succeeds (hence 'Secured'), the laptop cannot route traffic to the internet because it cannot reach the router's IP address. This mismatch causes the 'No Internet' message while the link-layer connection remains intact.

Answer

The Wi-Fi network's SSID is hidden.

Answer

The laptop's Wi-Fi driver is corrupted.

Answer

The router's DHCP server is disabled.

Question 18

A network administrator needs to connect two switches that are 200 meters apart. The connection must support 1 Gbps speed. The administrator has Cat5e cable available. However, Cat5e is only rated for 100 meters at 1 Gbps. Which device can be used to extend the distance without replacing the cable?

Accepted Answer

Network extender (repeater). A network extender (repeater) regenerates the electrical signal, allowing a Cat5e segment to exceed the 100-meter distance limitation while maintaining 1 Gbps speed. Since the administrator already has Cat5e cable and only needs to extend the reach, a repeater operates at Layer 1 to boost the signal without replacing the cable.

Answer

Media converter

Answer

PoE injector

Answer

Load balancer

Question 19

A user reports that their smartphone can connect to Wi-Fi at home but not at the office. Other devices connect fine to the office Wi-Fi. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The smartphone has the wrong Wi-Fi password or security type saved.. The smartphone can connect at home but not at the office, while other devices connect fine to the office Wi-Fi. This points to a client-side configuration mismatch, most likely an incorrect password or security type (e.g., WPA2 vs. WPA3) saved on the phone. A damaged antenna or out-of-range router would affect all connections, and a static IP conflict would typically cause intermittent issues, not a complete failure to associate.

Answer

The smartphone's Wi-Fi antenna is damaged.

Answer

The office Wi-Fi router is out of range.

Answer

The smartphone's IP address is static and conflicting.

Question 20

A user complains that text on their new 27-inch 4K monitor appears very small and hard to read. The display is set to its native resolution. What is the most effective way to make text readable without sacrificing image quality?

Accepted Answer

Increase the display scaling percentage in OS settings. At the native 4K resolution (3840x2160), pixels are densely packed, making UI elements physically tiny. Increasing the display scaling percentage (e.g., to 150% or 200%) instructs the OS to render text and icons at a larger logical size while keeping the monitor at its native resolution, preserving full sharpness and detail. This is the standard solution for high-DPI displays.

Answer

Reduce the screen resolution to 1920x1080

Answer

Replace the monitor with a lower-resolution model

Answer

Adjust the monitor's physical sharpness setting