220-1201 Practice Exam 57 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop that will not boot. The power LED is on, fans spin, but there is no display and no beep codes. The CPU and RAM have been reseated, and the motherboard appears to have power. What should the technician check next?

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

Accepted Answer

Inspect the CPU socket for bent pins. With power, fans, and no beep codes, the system is likely not completing POST. The most common cause after reseating CPU and RAM is a bent CPU socket pin or a misaligned CPU, which can prevent the system from initializing the processor. This is a common issue on LGA sockets.

Answer

Test the power supply with a multimeter

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Replace the CMOS battery

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Flash the BIOS

Question 2

A network printer in a school is shared by multiple users. They report that print jobs are frequently stuck in the queue and never print, but the printer itself is powered on and shows no errors. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The printer has a faulty network cable or incorrect IP configuration. Print jobs stuck in the queue often indicate a communication issue between the printer and the network. A bad network cable or incorrect IP configuration can cause the printer to appear online but not receive data. Checking the network connection and printer IP settings is the first step.

Answer

The printer driver is outdated

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The print spooler service is stopped on the print server

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The printer's fuser is worn out

Question 3

A technician is deploying 50 company-owned Android tablets for field workers. The tablets must only run a single custom business app and prevent users from accessing any other apps or settings. Which configuration method should the technician use?

Accepted Answer

Use a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution to configure kiosk mode.. A Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution with kiosk mode is the correct approach because it locks the device to a single app, disables access to system settings, and prevents users from launching other applications. MDM enforces this via device policy controllers (DPC) and Android's lock task mode, which cannot be bypassed by the user. This meets the requirement of deploying 50 tablets with a single custom business app and no access to other apps or settings.

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Enable 'Developer options' and set the app as the default launcher.

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Perform a factory reset and install only the custom app.

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Remove the Google Play Store app from the device.

Question 4

A technician is troubleshooting a user's computer that cannot access a web server at 10.10.10.50. The user's IP is 10.10.20.15 with subnet mask 255.255.0.0. The technician can ping 10.10.10.50 from the user's computer. What should the technician check next?

Accepted Answer

The web server's firewall settings.. Since the technician can successfully ping the web server (10.10.10.50) from the user's computer, Layer 3 connectivity is verified. This rules out issues with the user's IP configuration, subnet mask, and default gateway. The problem is therefore specific to the web server's firewall blocking HTTP/HTTPS traffic (port 80/443) while allowing ICMP (ping). Checking the web server's firewall settings is the logical next step.

Answer

The default gateway setting on the user's computer.

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The user's IP address for a conflict.

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The subnet mask on the user's computer.

Question 5

A large corporation needs to connect its headquarters in New York to a regional office in Los Angeles, as well as to a data center in Chicago, using dedicated leased lines. The network must support high bandwidth for video conferencing and data transfers. Which network topology best describes this setup?

Accepted Answer

Wide Area Network (WAN). A Wide Area Network (WAN) is the correct topology because it connects geographically dispersed locations—New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago—over a large geographical area using dedicated leased lines (e.g., T1/E1, T3, or MPLS circuits). WANs are specifically designed to provide high-bandwidth, reliable connectivity for applications like video conferencing and data transfers across cities or countries, which matches the requirement for dedicated leased lines spanning multiple states.

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Local Area Network (LAN)

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Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

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Personal Area Network (PAN)

Question 6

A customer reports that their desktop computer intermittently freezes and emits a high-pitched whine. The issue occurs more frequently under heavy load, such as when rendering video. Which CPU-related feature is most likely causing this symptom?

Accepted Answer

Coil whine from the voltage regulator modules. The high-pitched whine from a computer under heavy load is typically coil whine, caused by electrical vibrations in the voltage regulator modules (VRMs) or inductors as they work harder to deliver power. While coil whine can sometimes be an annoying but harmless artifact, when accompanied by system freezes, it indicates that the VRMs are struggling to provide stable power under heavy load, leading to instability and crashes. This points to an issue with the power delivery system, which is critical for CPU operation.

Answer

CPU throttling due to overheating

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A failing CPU fan bearing

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Incorrect CPU multiplier setting in BIOS

Question 7

A user is trying to connect their smartphone to a car's infotainment system using Bluetooth for hands-free calling. The phone pairs successfully, but audio only plays through the phone's speaker, not the car's speakers. Which of the following is the most likely reason for this issue?

Accepted Answer

The phone's audio output is set to 'Speaker' in the call app.. Even if a smartphone is successfully paired and connected to a car's infotainment system via Bluetooth (including the Hands-Free Profile for calls), the phone's audio output for calls might still be directed to its internal speaker. This often requires a manual selection within the phone's call interface or settings to route the audio to the connected Bluetooth device. Option D directly addresses this common user configuration issue, which is a more likely cause than a profile mismatch if the primary concern is call audio not routing to the car.

Answer

The car's Bluetooth system does not support the phone's Bluetooth version.

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The phone is only connected for phone calls (HFP) and not for media audio (A2DP).

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The car's speakers are defective.

Question 8

A technician is replacing the display assembly on a laptop. After installing the new display, the laptop powers on but the screen remains black. The technician has verified the display cable is fully seated at both ends. What should the technician check next to diagnose the issue?

Accepted Answer

Check the backlight voltage or inverter board (if applicable).. A black screen with power but no display often indicates a backlight failure, not a complete display failure. The technician should check the backlight voltage or inverter board (if the display uses CCFL backlighting) to ensure the backlight is receiving power. Since the display cable is verified as seated, the next logical step is to isolate whether the issue is with the backlight circuit or the LCD panel itself.

Answer

Replace the LCD panel again, assuming the new one is defective.

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Update the graphics driver from the Windows Recovery Environment.

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Reseat the RAM modules to ensure proper boot.

Question 9

A technician is deploying a new SSD in a desktop PC. After installing the drive and connecting the SATA data and power cables, the system does not recognize the drive in the BIOS. All other drives are detected. What should the technician check first?

Accepted Answer

Reseat the SATA data and power cables. When a new drive is not detected, the most common cause is a loose or improper connection. The technician should reseat both the SATA data cable at the drive and motherboard, and the power cable from the PSU. If that fails, testing the drive in another port or with another cable is the next step.

Answer

Update the motherboard BIOS

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Check if the drive needs to be initialized in Disk Management

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Replace the SATA controller

Question 10

A technician is configuring a network for a municipal government that needs to connect public Wi-Fi hotspots across a city, covering an area of about 50 square kilometers. The network must be secure and provide internet access to citizens. Which network type should be deployed?

Accepted Answer

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN). A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is designed to cover a geographic area larger than a LAN but smaller than a WAN, typically spanning a city or a large campus. For a municipal government connecting public Wi-Fi hotspots across 50 square kilometers, a MAN provides the necessary range and can utilize technologies like Metro Ethernet or fiber-optic rings to deliver secure, high-speed internet access to citizens.

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Local Area Network (LAN)

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Wide Area Network (WAN)

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Personal Area Network (PAN)

Question 11

A customer reports that their laptop connects to the office Wi-Fi but cannot access the internet. Other devices on the same network work fine. The technician checks the laptop's IP configuration and sees an IP address of 169.254.15.22. What is the most likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

The laptop's DHCP client is failing to obtain an IP address.. The IP address 169.254.15.22 falls within the Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) range (169.254.0.0/16), which Windows assigns when the DHCP client fails to receive a valid IP from a DHCP server. Since other devices on the same network work fine, the DHCP server is not exhausted; rather, this specific laptop's DHCP client could not complete the DORA process, likely due to a misconfiguration, firewall blocking DHCP traffic, or a driver issue. Option D correctly identifies that the DHCP client is failing to obtain an IP address, as evidenced by the APIPA address.

Answer

The DNS server is misconfigured.

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The laptop's network adapter is faulty.

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The DHCP server is out of available IP addresses.

Question 12

A customer reports that their new Bluetooth headphones pair with their smartphone but produce no audio during calls. The headphones work fine with other devices. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The smartphone does not support the required Bluetooth profile for call audio.. The most likely cause is that the smartphone does not support the Hands-Free Profile (HFP) or Headset Profile (HSP) required for bidirectional call audio over Bluetooth. While the headphones may pair and work for media audio using A2DP, these profiles are distinct and must be supported by both devices for voice calls. Since the headphones work with other devices, the issue is specific to the smartphone's Bluetooth profile support.

Answer

The headphones are out of battery.

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The smartphone's Bluetooth antenna is damaged.

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The headphones are paired to too many devices simultaneously.

Question 13

A customer complains that their LCD monitor shows a persistent dark shadow in the upper-left corner that does not change with different input sources. The monitor is three years old. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The monitor's backlight has failed partially.. A dark shadow that stays in the same spot regardless of input indicates a hardware defect, typically backlight failure or a damaged LCD panel. Backlight LEDs can fail over time, creating uneven illumination. Replacing the monitor is the standard fix because panel repair is often cost-prohibitive.

Answer

The monitor's resolution is set incorrectly.

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The video cable is loose or damaged.

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The graphics card is overheating and throttling.

Question 14

A technician is setting up a kiosk mode on an Android tablet for a retail display. The tablet will run a single app that customers use to browse products. After enabling kiosk mode via a third-party app, the tablet reboots and the kiosk app does not start automatically. What should the technician verify?

Accepted Answer

The kiosk app is set as the default home screen app.. When kiosk mode is enabled on Android, the device must designate the kiosk app as the default home screen app. This ensures that after a reboot, the Android launcher automatically starts the designated app instead of the system launcher. Without this setting, the tablet will boot to the default home screen, not the kiosk app.

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The tablet is connected to Wi-Fi for app updates.

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The tablet's battery is fully charged.

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The kiosk app is installed on the SD card.

Question 15

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?

Accepted Answer

The power supply is unable to deliver consistent power under peak load.. Under heavy load, the system draws more power. An aging or insufficient power supply may not be able to deliver stable voltage, causing the system to reboot. This is a common issue that can mimic RAM problems but is actually power-related.

Answer

The RAM is overheating under load.

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The motherboard capacitors are failing.

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The CPU is throttling due to a failing fan.

Question 16

A customer reports that their laptop screen flickers intermittently, especially when they adjust the lid angle. The image is clear when the screen is at a specific angle but flickers or goes black at others. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The display cable is loose or damaged. The intermittent flickering that correlates with lid angle changes is a classic symptom of a loose or damaged display cable (e.g., LVDS or eDP ribbon cable). As the lid moves, the cable flexes, causing intermittent contact and signal loss, which results in flickering or a black screen at certain angles.

Answer

The LCD panel has a dead pixel

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The video card driver is outdated

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The inverter is failing

Question 17

A customer reports that their new Cat6a installation passes a cable certifier test but the link only negotiates at 100 Mbps. The cable run is 90 meters and uses standard T568B terminations. What is the most likely cause of the speed limitation?

Accepted Answer

The patch cables are Cat5e instead of Cat6a.. The cable certifier passes because the physical layer (Cat6a cabling) meets specifications for signal integrity and crosstalk. However, if the patch cables connecting the equipment to the structured cabling are Cat5e, they may not support the higher frequencies required for 1000BASE-T (up to 100 MHz for Cat5e vs. 500 MHz for Cat6a). This can cause the link to fall back to 100BASE-TX, which operates at lower frequencies and is more tolerant of the reduced performance of Cat5e patch cables.

Answer

The cable run exceeds the maximum length for Cat6a.

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The switch port is configured for 100 Mbps only.

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The cable is terminated in T568A instead of T568B.

Question 18

A server administrator needs to upgrade a critical database server from 64 GB to 128 GB of RAM. The server uses registered ECC DDR4 memory. They have purchased 8 x 16 GB registered ECC modules. When they install them, the server fails to POST with a memory error. The original 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) modules work fine. What is the most likely reason?

Accepted Answer

The new modules have a different number of ranks (e.g., dual-rank vs. single-rank) than the original modules, causing a rank mismatch that the memory controller cannot handle.. Registered (buffered) ECC memory is designed for servers and has specific compatibility requirements, especially regarding the number of ranks per channel and the memory controller's capabilities. The most likely issue is that the new modules are of a different rank (e.g., dual-rank vs. single-rank) or the server's memory controller cannot handle the total number of ranks when all slots are populated. Mixing ranks or exceeding the rank limit per channel can cause POST failures.

Answer

The new RAM modules are not compatible because they are not ECC, while the server requires ECC.

Answer

The server's BIOS needs to be updated to support 128 GB.

Answer

The new modules are not seated properly in the slots.

Question 19

A technician is configuring a company-issued Android tablet for a field worker who needs to use a VPN to access internal resources. The tablet connects to the internet via cellular data. After setting up the VPN, the user cannot access any internal websites. What should the technician check first?

Accepted Answer

Check the VPN server address and authentication credentials.. The most common cause of VPN connectivity failure after initial setup is incorrect server address or authentication credentials. Since the tablet connects via cellular data (not Wi-Fi), the VPN must be reachable over the internet; a typo in the server hostname/IP or wrong username/password/PSK will prevent the tunnel from establishing, blocking access to internal resources.

Answer

Verify that the tablet's Wi-Fi is enabled.

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Ensure the tablet's date and time are set automatically.

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Disable the firewall on the tablet.

Question 20

A customer complains that their PC randomly shuts down after about 30 minutes of use, especially when playing games. The case feels warm to the touch. What should you check first?

Accepted Answer

Check CPU and GPU temperatures. Random shutdowns under load are classic symptoms of overheating. The warm case reinforces this, so checking CPU and GPU temperatures should be the first step to confirm thermal throttling or thermal protection.

Answer

Replace the power supply

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Update the graphics driver

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Run a memory diagnostic