220-1202 Practice Test 16 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A company is implementing a remote access solution for employees using personal smartphones. They need to ensure that corporate email and documents are accessible but that no corporate data remains on the device if it is lost or wiped. Which technology should they use?

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

Accepted Answer

Mobile Device Management (MDM) with a containerized work profile.. Mobile Device Management (MDM) with a containerized work profile creates a separate, encrypted sandbox on the smartphone that stores corporate email and documents. This container can be remotely wiped by the administrator without affecting the user's personal data, ensuring no corporate data remains on a lost or wiped device.

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Virtual Private Network (VPN) with split tunneling.

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Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to a virtual desktop.

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Third-party remote access software like LogMeIn.

Question 2

An employee's company-issued Android phone is suddenly displaying pop-up ads even when no browser is open. The employee claims they only downloaded apps from the official Google Play Store. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

A recently installed app has been granted 'Draw over other apps' permission.. The 'Draw over other apps' permission allows an app to display content on top of other applications, including the home screen and lock screen. This is a common technique used by adware and malicious apps to serve persistent pop-up ads even when no browser is open, as the app can draw its own window outside of the normal app lifecycle. Since the employee only downloaded from Google Play, this permission abuse is the most likely cause, as even Play Store apps can be granted this permission by the user during installation or runtime.

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The phone's firmware is outdated.

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The phone's Wi-Fi network is infected with malware.

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The phone's screen has a hardware defect causing ghost touches.

Question 3

A technician needs to deploy a custom security policy to all Windows 10 workstations in a small office. The policy must restrict access to the Control Panel and prevent users from changing system settings. Which administrative tool should be used to create and apply this policy locally on each machine?

Accepted Answer

Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc). The Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) is the correct tool because it provides the administrative templates and policy nodes (e.g., User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel) needed to restrict access to Control Panel and prevent system setting changes. These settings are written to the local Group Policy Objects (GPOs) stored in %SystemRoot%\System32\GroupPolicy, which Windows applies at user logon. This tool is available on Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions, but not on Windows 10 Home.

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Local Security Policy (secpol.msc)

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User Accounts (netplwiz)

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System Configuration (msconfig)

Question 4

A user reports that their application crashes with an 'Access Denied' error when trying to write to a specific folder. You have verified the user has Full Control NTFS permissions. Which administrative tool should you use to check for any file encryption or compression that might be blocking the write?

Accepted Answer

File Explorer > right-click folder > Properties > Advanced to view encryption and compression attributes.. The 'Access Denied' error despite Full Control NTFS permissions indicates a file-level attribute conflict. File encryption (EFS) or compression attributes are stored in the folder's Advanced Attributes dialog, accessible via File Explorer > Properties > Advanced. These attributes can block write access even when NTFS permissions are permissive, as encryption requires the user's EFS certificate and compression changes the file's physical layout.

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Computer Management > Shared Folders to view open files.

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Local Security Policy to check user rights assignments.

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Registry Editor to modify the folder's security descriptor.

Question 5

A technician is helping a user who is upset because their important presentation file was accidentally deleted. The user is very emotional and raising their voice. What is the best way for the technician to handle this situation?

Accepted Answer

Listen calmly, apologize for the inconvenience, and explain steps to recover the file from the recycle bin or backup.. It demonstrates the professional communication and empathy required in a support role. The technician remains calm, acknowledges the user's frustration, and immediately provides a technical solution—recovering the file from the Recycle Bin or a backup. This aligns with CompTIA's emphasis on active listening, de-escalation, and problem-solving without dismissing the user's concerns.

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Tell the user to calm down and that losing data is not a big deal.

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Raise your voice to match the user's tone to show you are taking it seriously.

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Transfer the call to a manager immediately.

Question 6

A technician is tasked with securely connecting a remote office to the main office over the internet. The remote office has 10 users who need access to the same resources as local users. Which of the following remote access methods provides the most secure and scalable solution?

Accepted Answer

Set up a site-to-site VPN between the two offices. A site-to-site VPN (often using IPsec or a secure tunnel protocol) creates an encrypted, always-on connection between the two office routers, allowing all 10 users transparent access to the main office resources as if they were on the same LAN. This method is both secure (encrypting all traffic) and scalable (handling multiple users without per-client configuration), making it the best fit for connecting entire networks over the internet.

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Configure port forwarding on the main office router for each required service

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Use Remote Desktop for each user to connect to a workstation at the main office

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Implement a client-to-site VPN for each user

Question 7

A user reports that their Windows 11 laptop suddenly shows a blue screen with an error message every time they try to boot. You need to access advanced troubleshooting options to repair the system. Which key should you press during startup to access the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)?

Accepted Answer

F11. Pressing F11 during the Windows 11 boot process is the standard key to access the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) on most modern systems. WinRE provides advanced troubleshooting tools such as System Restore, Startup Repair, Command Prompt, and Safe Mode, which are essential for repairing a system that fails to boot due to a blue screen error.

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F8

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F2

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F12

Question 8

A customer reports that their computer is running slowly and they see pop-up ads even when no browser is open. They suspect malware. Which of the following should you perform first to remediate this issue?

Accepted Answer

Disconnect the computer from the network. Disconnecting the computer from the network is the first step because it immediately stops the malware from communicating with its command-and-control (C2) server, preventing further data exfiltration, additional payload downloads, or remote control. This containment step is critical before any remediation (like scanning or rebooting) to avoid the malware spreading or causing more damage.

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Run a full antivirus scan

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Reboot the computer in Safe Mode

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Restore from a recent backup

Question 9

A customer reports that their Windows 10 PC is slow and displays pop-up ads even when no browser is open. They suspect malware. After running a full antivirus scan, the symptoms persist. Which step should you take next to remediate the issue?

Accepted Answer

Run a scan with a dedicated anti-malware tool like Malwarebytes.. Standard antivirus software often misses potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) and adware that inject pop-ups into the system. A dedicated anti-malware tool like Malwarebytes uses heuristic analysis and signature databases specifically tuned to detect and remove adware, browser hijackers, and other low-level threats that traditional AV engines may overlook.

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Reinstall the operating system.

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Disable Windows Defender permanently.

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Clear the browser cache and cookies.

Question 10

A user calls the help desk, frustrated because their computer is running slowly after installing a new antivirus program. The technician suspects the antivirus is causing high CPU usage. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate initial response?

Accepted Answer

Apologize for the frustration and ask the user to describe when the slowness started.. It follows the CompTIA A+ troubleshooting methodology by first gathering information and showing empathy. The technician needs to confirm the timeline of the slowness relative to the antivirus installation, as other factors (e.g., a Windows update, disk I/O bottleneck, or malware) could be the root cause. Jumping to conclusions without verifying the symptom onset violates the 'identify the problem' step and risks misdiagnosis.

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Tell the user to uninstall the antivirus immediately.

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Explain that antivirus programs always slow down computers and there's nothing to be done.

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Immediately remote into the computer to check CPU usage.

Question 11

A technician is setting up a new workstation in a cubicle. The cubicle has multiple power strips daisy-chained together to provide enough outlets. What is the correct safety action the technician should take?

Accepted Answer

Remove the daisy chain and plug each device directly into a wall outlet using a single power strip with surge protection.. Daisy-chaining power strips is a fire hazard because it can exceed the ampacity of the circuit, leading to overheating and potential electrical fires. The correct safety action is to remove the daisy chain and plug each device directly into a wall outlet, using a single power strip with surge protection to safely distribute power without overloading the circuit.

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Continue using the daisy-chained setup since it is convenient and all strips are rated for 15 amps.

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Replace all power strips with heavy-duty extension cords rated for the total load.

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Install a UPS at the end of the daisy chain to regulate power.

Question 12

A company is migrating from Windows 7 to Windows 10 and needs to automate the installation of 200 workstations with identical software and settings. They have a reference computer already configured. Which Windows tool should they use to capture and deploy a custom system image?

Accepted Answer

System Preparation Tool (Sysprep). Sysprep is the correct tool because it generalizes a Windows installation by removing unique system identifiers (such as the computer SID, computer name, and driver caches) so that the reference computer’s image can be safely captured and deployed to multiple workstations. After Sysprep runs with the /generalize option, the image is captured using a tool like DISM or ImageX, then deployed to 200 identical workstations, ensuring each machine generates its own unique SID and settings on first boot.

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Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM)

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Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE)

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Windows Backup and Restore

Question 13

A technician is configuring a new virtual machine for a developer. The developer needs to run multiple isolated environments for testing, but the host machine has limited storage space. Which type of virtual disk configuration should the technician use to minimize storage usage while still allowing the VM to grow as needed?

Accepted Answer

Thin provisioning. Thin provisioning (Option B) allocates storage on demand, writing only the data blocks that are actually used, which minimizes initial storage consumption while allowing the virtual disk to grow dynamically up to its maximum configured size. This is ideal for the developer's scenario of multiple isolated test environments on a host with limited storage space.

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Thick provisioning

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Fixed-size disk

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Dynamic disk

Question 14

During a routine security audit, you discover that several user accounts on a Windows 10 workstation have local administrator privileges when they should only be standard users. You need to quickly review and modify user account types from the command line. Which built-in tool should you use?

Accepted Answer

net localgroup. The `net localgroup` command is the correct built-in tool for this task because it allows you to both view and modify group memberships from the command line. Specifically, `net localgroup Administrators` lists current members, and `net localgroup Administrators <username> /delete` removes a user from the local Administrators group, effectively demoting them to a standard user. This directly addresses the need to quickly review and change user account types without a GUI.

Answer

lusrmgr.msc (Local Users and Groups MMC)

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net user

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diskpart

Question 15

A user calls the help desk, frantic because their banking app shows an unauthorized transfer of $500. They say they received a call earlier from 'bank security' asking them to install a remote access tool to 'verify their account'. What type of social engineering attack did the user fall victim to?

Accepted Answer

Vishing. The user received a phone call (voice channel) and was tricked into installing remote access software, which is the hallmark of vishing (voice phishing). Unlike phishing, which uses email or malicious links, vishing exploits telephone systems and social engineering to gain unauthorized access or sensitive information.

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Phishing

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Smishing

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Shoulder surfing