220-1201 Practice Exam 56 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A technician is troubleshooting a workstation that randomly reboots under heavy load, such as when running a benchmark or rendering video. The system passes a memory test with no errors, and the CPU temperatures are normal. The power supply is a 500W unit that is three years old. What is the most likely cause of the reboots?

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

Accepted Answer

The power supply is unable to deliver consistent power under peak load.. The power supply is three years old and the reboots occur only under heavy load, which increases power draw. A failing PSU may not deliver stable voltage under peak demand, causing the system to reset. Memory and CPU temperatures are ruled out by the memory test and normal temps.

Answer

The RAM is overheating under load.

Answer

The motherboard capacitors are failing.

Answer

The CPU is throttling due to a failing fan.

Question 2

A technician is troubleshooting a DHCP issue where clients are not receiving IP addresses. Which port must be open on the firewall for DHCP server communication?

Accepted Answer

67. DHCP servers listen on UDP port 67 for incoming client requests (DHCPDISCOVER, DHCPREQUEST). For the server to receive these messages, the firewall must allow inbound traffic to port 67. Without this port open, the server cannot process client requests, and no IP addresses are assigned.

Answer

68

Answer

53

Answer

123

Question 3

A user complains that their laser printer is printing blank pages. The printer has toner, and the paper feeds correctly. Which component should the technician inspect first?

Accepted Answer

The toner cartridge.. Blank pages from a laser printer that has toner and feeds paper correctly typically indicate a problem with the toner cartridge — either the toner is not being released onto the drum (e.g., a stuck shutter, empty toner despite the indicator, or a defective cartridge). The toner cartridge is the first component to inspect because it is the most common cause of blank output and is easily replaceable. If the cartridge is fine, then the fuser or transfer roller would be next.

Answer

The fuser assembly.

Answer

The pickup rollers.

Answer

The network cable.

Question 4

A customer brings in a tablet that will not turn on. The technician presses the power button and sees no response. The tablet was working earlier in the day. What is the first step the technician should take to troubleshoot this issue?

Accepted Answer

Connect the tablet to a charger and wait a few minutes. The first step in troubleshooting a tablet that won't power on is to ensure it has power by connecting it to a charger and waiting a few minutes, as the battery may be completely depleted. This is a non-invasive, logical first step before attempting resets or hardware repairs.

Answer

Replace the battery immediately

Answer

Perform a hard reset by holding the power and volume buttons

Answer

Open the tablet and inspect the motherboard for damage

Question 5

A technician is troubleshooting a legacy application that uses FTP for file transfers. The transfers work but are extremely slow. The network team mentions that the firewall is configured to inspect traffic on certain ports. Which port should be opened for FTP data transfer to improve performance?

Accepted Answer

Port 20. FTP uses two channels: a control channel on port 21 and a data channel on port 20 (in active mode). When a firewall inspects traffic, it may interfere with the dynamic negotiation of the data port, causing performance degradation. Opening port 20 allows the data channel to pass through without inspection, improving transfer speed.

Answer

Port 22

Answer

Port 23

Answer

Port 69

Question 6

During a network upgrade, a new switch is installed. After connecting all devices, one workstation cannot obtain an IP address via DHCP, while all other workstations on the same switch work fine. What is the first step to troubleshoot this issue?

Accepted Answer

Check if the network cable is securely connected and the link lights are on.. The first step in troubleshooting a single workstation that cannot obtain a DHCP address is to verify physical connectivity — checking that the network cable is securely connected and the link lights are on. This quickly rules out the most common cause (loose or faulty cabling) before moving to more complex diagnostics. Only after confirming physical connectivity should you investigate DHCP services or IP configuration.

Answer

Replace the network cable.

Answer

Restart the DHCP service on the router.

Answer

Assign a static IP address to the workstation.

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. Many laser printers latch a fuser error in non-volatile memory and require an explicit reset through the printer's control panel menu or a service-mode procedure before the error clears. Simply swapping the hardware does not clear the stored fault code, so the message persists even with a functional fuser. The correct action is to clear the error via the menu or software after replacement.

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 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.. The most likely cause is a faulty SATA cable. Even if the drive is properly connected, a damaged or defective cable can prevent the BIOS from detecting the drive. This is a common hardware issue that should be checked first before assuming more complex problems.

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 9

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.. QoS is the most likely cause because VoIP traffic is highly sensitive to latency, jitter, and packet loss, and when voice and data share a switch port without QoS, data bursts can delay or drop voice packets. Configuring QoS (e.g., LLQ or priority queuing) ensures voice RTP packets are marked EF (DSCP 46) and serviced ahead of best-effort data. This directly addresses the intermittent call drops and poor audio quality described.

Answer

The switch port is set to half-duplex.

Answer

The network cable is too long.

Answer

The phone’s firmware is outdated.

Question 10

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. Intermittent power-on failures that are more common on humid days point to moisture-related issues inside the power supply unit. Humidity can cause condensation, leading to corrosion or short circuits within the PSU, which intermittently prevents the system from powering on. Since the outlets are properly grounded, the issue is likely internal to the PSUs.

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 11

A user wants to boot their laptop from a USB flash drive to run a diagnostic tool. They have already inserted the USB drive and restarted the system. What is the most efficient way to temporarily change the boot order to boot from the USB drive?

Accepted Answer

Press the appropriate key to open the one-time boot menu and select the USB drive.. The one-time boot menu (often accessed via F12, F9, Esc, or a vendor-specific key) allows the user to select a boot device for the current boot only, without permanently altering the UEFI boot order. This is the most efficient method because it is temporary, fast, and does not require navigating full UEFI setup.

Answer

Enter the UEFI setup and change the boot order permanently.

Answer

Disable Secure Boot in the UEFI settings.

Answer

Remove all other bootable drives from the system.

Question 12

A customer complains that their wireless network is slow and frequently drops connections. They live in a densely populated apartment building. The technician checks the wireless router and sees it is using channel 1. What is the most likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

There is interference from other wireless networks on the same channel. In a densely populated apartment building, many 2.4 GHz networks compete for the same limited channels. Channel 1 overlaps with channels 2–5, and if neighboring routers also use channel 1 or nearby channels, co-channel and adjacent-channel interference cause slow speeds and dropped connections.

Answer

The router is too far from the devices

Answer

The router's firmware is outdated

Answer

The router is using 5 GHz instead of 2.4 GHz

Question 13

A client wants to upgrade their workstation with a high-end GPU that requires two 8-pin PCIe power connectors. Their current power supply has only one 6+2 pin PCIe cable. What is the best solution to safely power the new GPU?

Accepted Answer

Install a new power supply that has two 8-pin PCIe cables. The best solution is to install a new power supply that has two 8-pin PCIe cables. This ensures the GPU receives adequate and stable power directly from the PSU, avoiding the risks associated with adapters or splitters. A high-end GPU requires two separate 8-pin connectors to meet its power draw, and using adapters can lead to insufficient power delivery, overheating, or damage.

Answer

Use a Molex-to-PCIe adapter to create a second 8-pin connector

Answer

Connect the GPU using only the 6+2 pin cable and leave the second connector empty

Answer

Use a Y-splitter on the existing 6+2 pin cable to create two 8-pin connectors

Question 14

A user complains that their external monitor flickers intermittently when connected via a VGA cable to their laptop. The laptop has a VGA port, and the monitor works fine with another computer. Which connector-related issue is most likely?

Accepted Answer

A bent pin inside the VGA connector is causing poor contact.. A bent pin inside the VGA connector creates an intermittent electrical contact, which manifests as flickering or loss of color channels on the display. Since the monitor works fine with another computer, the fault is isolated to the laptop's VGA connector or cable end, not the monitor. VGA uses 15 pins carrying analog RGB, HSYNC, VSYNC, and ground signals, so a single damaged pin can disrupt sync and cause flicker.

Answer

The monitor's resolution is set too high for the VGA cable.

Answer

The laptop's VGA port is not providing enough power.

Answer

The VGA cable is not compatible with the laptop's graphics card.

Question 15

A technician is configuring a new file server and wants to ensure that when users type \fileserver in File Explorer, it resolves to the correct IP address. The network uses a Windows domain with Active Directory. Which network service should the technician configure to allow hostname resolution for this server?

Accepted Answer

DNS. DNS (Domain Name System) is the correct service because it resolves hostnames (like \fileserver) to IP addresses in a Windows domain environment. When a user types \fileserver in File Explorer, the client queries DNS to obtain the server's IP address, enabling SMB file sharing. Active Directory relies on DNS for service location and name resolution, making it the mandatory service for this task.

Answer

DHCP

Answer

WINS

Answer

NAT

Question 16

A small office uses an inkjet printer that has started leaving horizontal white lines across printed documents. The printhead cleaning cycle has been run twice without improvement. Which step should be taken next?

Accepted Answer

Perform a manual printhead cleaning using distilled water or a cleaning solution. When automated printhead cleaning cycles fail to clear horizontal white lines, the nozzles are likely clogged with dried ink that the built-in cycle cannot dislodge. A manual cleaning using distilled water or a dedicated printhead cleaning solution directly dissolves the blockage. This is the standard next step before considering hardware replacement.

Answer

Replace the ink cartridges

Answer

Adjust the print quality settings to 'Best'

Answer

Replace the printer

Question 17

A user reports that their laptop can connect to the internet via Ethernet but cannot connect to any Wi-Fi networks. The wireless adapter is enabled and shows available networks, but connecting always fails. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The wireless security settings are incorrect.. When a wireless adapter is enabled and can see available networks but every connection attempt fails, the most likely cause is a mismatch in wireless security settings — such as an incorrect WPA2/WPA3 passphrase, wrong encryption type (TKIP vs AES), or mismatched authentication method. The adapter and driver are functioning (networks are visible), and Ethernet works, ruling out broader network issues.

Answer

The DHCP server is out of IP addresses.

Answer

The wireless adapter driver is corrupted.

Answer

The router’s SSID is hidden.

Question 18

A company's file server uses a RAID 5 array with five 4 TB hard drives. One drive fails and is replaced. During the rebuild, the server crashes and the RAID controller reports that the array is 'Failed'. What is the most likely reason for this catastrophic failure?

Accepted Answer

A second drive failed during the rebuild process.. The most likely reason is that a second drive failed during the rebuild process. RAID 5 can tolerate only one drive failure; if another drive fails while the array is rebuilding (which is a high-stress operation), the array becomes failed and data is lost. This is a common catastrophic failure scenario in RAID 5.

Answer

The new drive was not properly formatted before installation.

Answer

The RAID controller cache battery is dead.

Answer

The rebuild was attempted while the server was under heavy load.

Question 19

A technician is troubleshooting a network where one workstation intermittently loses connectivity. The cable run is 85 meters and passes through a conduit with several sharp bends. The cable tester shows intermittent shorts. Which cabling issue is most likely?

Accepted Answer

The cable is being pinched or crushed in the conduit.. The cable tester indicates intermittent shorts, which are classic symptoms of physical damage to the cable. The 85-meter run with sharp bends in the conduit creates a high risk of the cable being pinched or crushed, leading to conductor contact or insulation breakdown. This physical stress causes intermittent connectivity issues, not a length or interference problem.

Answer

The cable is too long for the network standard.

Answer

The cable is unshielded and picking up EMI.

Answer

The cable is a flat patch cable used for a permanent run.

Question 20

A user reports that they cannot access a website hosted on a remote server. The technician finds that the firewall allows HTTP and HTTPS traffic, but the website uses a non-standard port. The user's browser shows 'connection refused'. Which tool can the technician use to verify if the remote port is open?

Accepted Answer

Telnet. Telnet can open a TCP connection to a specific host and port (e.g., 'telnet host 8080'), so it directly verifies whether the remote port is listening and reachable. A successful connection confirms the port is open; 'connection refused' or a timeout confirms it is closed or filtered. This makes Telnet the correct tool for port-level reachability testing.

Answer

Ping

Answer

Nslookup

Answer

Tracert