220-1202 Practice Exam 2 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A user reports that their MacBook Pro running macOS Big Sur will not boot past the Apple logo. You suspect a corrupted system file. You need to boot into a special mode to run Disk Utility's First Aid on the startup volume. Which key combination should you hold during startup?

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

Accepted Answer

Hold Command (⌘) + R.. Holding Command (⌘) + R during startup boots macOS into the built-in macOS Recovery system, which includes Disk Utility. From there, you can run First Aid on the startup volume to repair a corrupted system file. This is the standard recovery mode for Intel-based Macs running macOS Big Sur.

Answer

Hold the Option (⌥) key.

Answer

Hold the Shift key.

Answer

Hold Command (⌘) + Option (⌥) + P + R.

Question 2

During a network upgrade, a technician needs to run new Ethernet cables through a drop ceiling. What is the most important safety precaution to take?

Accepted Answer

Use a non-contact voltage tester to check for live wires.. The most important safety precaution when running cables through a drop ceiling is to use a non-contact voltage tester to check for live wires. Drop ceilings often conceal electrical wiring, and accidentally cutting or damaging a live wire can cause electrocution, fire, or equipment damage. A non-contact voltage tester allows the technician to detect the presence of AC voltage without making physical contact, ensuring the area is safe before handling cables.

Answer

Wear a hard hat to protect against head injuries.

Answer

Ensure the area is well-ventilated.

Answer

Wear anti-static gloves to prevent ESD.

Question 3

A user reports that their Windows 10 PC frequently crashes with a blue screen error. You want to analyze the memory dump files to identify the faulty driver. Which tool should you use to view and analyze these dump files?

Accepted Answer

Event Viewer. Event Viewer is the correct tool because it logs system events, including blue screen errors (BugCheck events), and provides access to memory dump files. You can view the details of a crash under 'Windows Logs > System' and filter by event ID 1001, which includes the path to the dump file and the module that caused the failure. This allows you to identify the faulty driver by analyzing the dump file directly or by using additional tools like WinDbg.

Answer

Windows Memory Diagnostic

Answer

Performance Monitor

Answer

Task Manager

Question 4

A technician is troubleshooting a network issue for a remote employee. The employee's internet connection is unstable, and the technician suspects the home router. The employee is not technical and becomes defensive when the technician asks about their router setup. Which approach is MOST effective?

Accepted Answer

Say, 'Let's work together to check a few things on your router to improve your connection.'. It uses a collaborative, non-confrontational approach that respects the employee's lack of technical knowledge and defuses defensiveness. By saying 'Let's work together,' the technician invites the employee to participate without blame, making it easier to guide them through checking the router's configuration (e.g., verifying Wi-Fi channel congestion, checking for firmware updates, or reviewing DHCP lease times) without requiring the employee to understand technical details. This aligns with CompTIA's emphasis on professionalism and effective communication in remote troubleshooting.

Answer

Tell the employee that their router is probably cheap and needs replacement.

Answer

Ask the employee to run a command prompt command without explanation.

Answer

Escalate the issue to a senior technician without further attempts.

Question 5

A technician is troubleshooting a Windows 10 workstation that displays a fake security alert claiming the system is infected and prompting the user to call a toll-free number. The user cannot close the alert window or open Task Manager. Which type of malware is causing this behavior, and what is the best removal approach?

Accepted Answer

It is a tech support scam; boot into Safe Mode with Networking and run an anti-malware scan.. The fake security alert that cannot be closed and blocks Task Manager is a classic tech support scam, not actual malware that encrypts files or hides deep in the system. Booting into Safe Mode with Networking loads only essential drivers and services, bypassing the scam's persistence mechanism, and allows an anti-malware scan to remove the malicious files and registry entries.

Answer

It is a rootkit; use a rootkit removal tool from within Windows.

Answer

It is ransomware; pay the fee to remove the alert.

Answer

It is a worm; disconnect the network and reinstall the operating system.

Question 6

A small business owner reports that after upgrading their wireless router to a newer model, their older laptops running Windows 7 cannot connect to the Wi-Fi network. The new router is configured with WPA3-Personal. Which of the following is the most likely reason for the connectivity failure?

Accepted Answer

The laptops' wireless adapters do not support WPA3.. WPA3-Personal is a newer wireless security protocol that requires hardware support in the wireless adapter. Older laptops running Windows 7 typically have legacy wireless adapters that only support WPA2 or earlier protocols. Since the router is configured to use WPA3 only, the laptops' adapters cannot negotiate a connection, resulting in failure.

Answer

The router's SSID is hidden.

Answer

The router is broadcasting on a 5 GHz band only.

Answer

The laptops have incorrect DNS settings.

Question 7

A user on an Android tablet reports that the Google Play Store is not downloading any apps, showing an error message about insufficient storage. The device's storage settings show 2GB free. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Clear the cache and data of the Google Play Store app.. Clearing the cache and data of the Google Play Store app is the correct first step because the error message about insufficient storage, despite 2GB free, often indicates a corrupted cache or data within the Play Store itself. This corruption can cause the Play Store to misreport storage availability or fail to initialize downloads. Clearing these app-specific files forces the Play Store to rebuild its state, resolving the false positive without affecting user data or requiring additional free space.

Answer

Factory reset the tablet.

Answer

Uninstall large apps to free up more storage.

Answer

Check for a system update.

Question 8

During a security audit, it is discovered that an old server's hard drives were simply deleted and the server was sold to a recycler. The recycler later reported finding readable files on the drives. Which data disposal standard was violated?

Accepted Answer

NIST SP 800-88. NIST SP 800-88 provides guidelines for media sanitization, including clear, purge, and destroy methods. Simply deleting files only removes directory pointers, leaving data recoverable until overwritten. The recycler's ability to read files indicates that the drives were not sanitized according to NIST SP 800-88 standards, which require overwriting or physical destruction for sensitive data.

Answer

PCI DSS

Answer

HIPAA

Answer

ISO 27001

Question 9

A small business owner wants to ensure that all company laptops have their hard drives encrypted in case of theft. The laptops run Windows 10 Pro. Which technology should the technician enable to meet this requirement?

Accepted Answer

BitLocker Drive Encryption. BitLocker Drive Encryption (option C) is the correct technology because it provides full-disk encryption for Windows 10 Pro, ensuring that all data on the laptop's hard drive is encrypted at rest. This protects against data exposure if the device is stolen, as the drive cannot be accessed without the decryption key (e.g., a PIN, USB key, or TPM-based authentication). BitLocker is built into Windows 10 Pro and is specifically designed for whole-drive encryption, meeting the requirement for all company laptops.

Answer

EFS (Encrypting File System)

Answer

Windows Defender Antivirus

Answer

TPM (Trusted Platform Module)

Question 10

A technician is deploying a new virtual machine on a Type 1 hypervisor. The VM will run a Linux web server and needs to be isolated from the corporate network except for HTTPS traffic. Which networking configuration should the technician implement?

Accepted Answer

Use a virtual switch set to host-only mode and configure port forwarding for HTTPS. A host-only virtual switch creates an isolated network between the host and the VM, preventing direct access from the corporate network. By configuring port forwarding on the host, the technician can selectively allow only HTTPS traffic (TCP/443) to reach the VM while keeping it otherwise isolated. This meets the requirement of isolation except for HTTPS.

Answer

Bridge the VM directly to the physical network adapter

Answer

Attach the VM to a NAT network without any port forwarding

Answer

Assign the VM an IP from the corporate DHCP scope

Question 11

During a network upgrade, a technician finds a box of old NICs, cables, and small electronic components that are no longer needed. The company has no formal e-waste policy. What should the technician do?

Accepted Answer

Research local e-waste recycling facilities and present a disposal plan to the manager for approval.. In the absence of a formal e-waste policy, the technician must act responsibly by researching local e-waste recycling facilities and presenting a disposal plan to the manager for approval. This aligns with environmental best practices and regulatory compliance, as improper disposal of electronic components can violate local laws and harm the environment. The technician should not unilaterally dispose of or sell the items without management authorization.

Answer

Throw the items in the dumpster since they are small and the company has no policy.

Answer

Store the items indefinitely in a closet until a policy is created.

Answer

Sell the items online as a lot to a recycler.

Question 12

During a software deployment, you need to ensure that a legacy application always runs with administrative privileges, even for standard users. How can you configure this using Windows built-in tools?

Accepted Answer

Set the application's shortcut to 'Run as administrator' in the Compatibility tab. The Compatibility tab in a shortcut's properties allows you to set the 'Run as administrator' flag, which embeds a compatibility manifest that prompts for elevation via UAC when the application is launched. This ensures the legacy application always runs with administrative privileges, even for standard users, by triggering a credential prompt for an administrator account.

Answer

Disable User Account Control (UAC) in the Control Panel

Answer

Add the user to the local Administrators group

Answer

Use the 'Run as different user' option from the Shift+right-click menu

Question 13

During a corporate device deployment, a technician configures an iPhone for a new employee. The employee later reports that they cannot receive emails on the native Mail app, but can access the webmail interface in Safari. What is the most likely misconfiguration?

Accepted Answer

The incoming mail server settings are incorrect.. The user can access webmail via Safari but cannot receive emails in the native Mail app. This indicates the email account credentials are valid and the network connection is working, but the incoming mail server (POP3/IMAP) settings are misconfigured. Incorrect incoming server hostname, port, or SSL/TLS settings would prevent the Mail app from downloading new messages while leaving webmail unaffected.

Answer

The email account password was entered incorrectly.

Answer

The outgoing mail server (SMTP) settings are wrong.

Answer

The device's date and time are set incorrectly.

Question 14

A small business owner reports that after upgrading their wireless router to a newer model, several older laptops running Windows 7 can no longer connect to the Wi-Fi network. The new router is configured to use WPA3. What is the most likely reason for the connection failures?

Accepted Answer

The laptops have outdated wireless drivers that do not support WPA3.. WPA3 is a newer security protocol that requires both the router and the client device to support it. Older laptops running Windows 7 typically have wireless network adapters and drivers that were designed before WPA3 was standardized (2018), so they only support WPA2 or earlier protocols. Without updated drivers that include WPA3 support, these laptops cannot authenticate with the router, causing the connection failures.

Answer

The router's firewall is blocking the older laptops' MAC addresses.

Answer

The laptops are using an incompatible encryption cipher like TKIP.

Answer

The router's SSID is hidden, and the laptops cannot discover it.

Question 15

A user's iPhone 13 suddenly shows a black screen with a spinning gear icon after an iOS update. The device does not respond to touch or button presses. What is the most likely cause and the correct first step?

Accepted Answer

Force restart the iPhone by pressing and releasing Volume Up, then Volume Down, then holding the Side button until the Apple logo appears.. The black screen with a spinning gear icon after an iOS update indicates the device is stuck in a boot loop or update process, not a hardware failure. A force restart (Volume Up, Volume Down, hold Side button) is the correct first step because it forces the iPhone to reboot without erasing data, often resolving temporary software hangs. This sequence is specific to iPhone 7 and later models, including the iPhone 13, and bypasses unresponsive touch or button inputs.

Answer

The battery is dead; connect to a charger and wait.

Answer

Place the device in DFU mode and restore via Finder.

Answer

The screen is damaged; replace the display assembly.

Question 16

A technician is troubleshooting a Windows 10 system that fails to boot with a 'Bootmgr is missing' error. They need to repair the boot configuration data (BCD) from the Windows Recovery Environment. Which command should they use?

Accepted Answer

bootrec /rebuildbcd. The 'Bootmgr is missing' error indicates that the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store is corrupted or missing. The `bootrec /rebuildbcd` command scans all disks for Windows installations and allows you to rebuild the BCD store from scratch, which directly resolves this issue. In contrast, `bootrec /fixmbr` and `bootrec /fixboot` repair the master boot record and boot sector, respectively, but do not rebuild the BCD store.

Answer

bootrec /fixmbr

Answer

bootrec /fixboot

Answer

sfc /scannow

Question 17

A user reports that they cannot execute a custom shell script they created in their home directory. The script is owned by the user and has permissions set to 644. Which command should be used to allow the owner to execute the script?

Accepted Answer

chmod u+x script.sh. The script has permissions 644, which means the owner has read/write (6) but not execute. To allow the owner to execute the script, you need to add the execute permission for the owner. The command `chmod u+x script.sh` adds execute permission for the user (owner) only, which is the correct and minimal change to resolve the issue.

Answer

chmod 755 script.sh

Answer

chmod 644 script.sh

Answer

chown user:user script.sh

Question 18

A user's laptop running Windows 10 Pro connects to the corporate Wi-Fi but cannot access internal resources. The network uses WPA2-Enterprise with PEAP-MSCHAPv2. The laptop's wireless profile is configured correctly. Other users in the same office can access resources. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The user's domain account is locked or the password has expired.. The user can connect to Wi-Fi but cannot access internal resources, and other users are unaffected. Since the wireless profile is correct and WPA2-Enterprise uses PEAP-MSCHAPv2 for authentication, the most likely cause is that the user's domain account is locked or the password has expired. This would prevent successful authentication against the RADIUS server, blocking access to internal resources even though the client associates with the access point.

Answer

The laptop's wireless adapter is faulty.

Answer

The access point is broadcasting on a congested channel.

Answer

The laptop has an incorrect IP address from DHCP.

Question 19

A technician is decommissioning a server that contained encrypted patient health records. The organization's policy requires data to be destroyed beyond recovery, but the server must be returned to the leasing company. Which method should the technician use?

Accepted Answer

Remove the hard drives and physically shred them, then return the server without drives.. Physically shredding the hard drives ensures the encrypted patient health records are destroyed beyond any possible recovery, which satisfies the organization's policy. Returning the server without drives complies with the leasing company's requirement to return the server chassis, as the drives are typically owned by the organization or can be removed per lease terms. This method is the only one that guarantees data destruction at the physical media level, bypassing any residual data on the encrypted drives.

Answer

Perform a full format of all drives.

Answer

Use a degausser on the entire server chassis.

Answer

Run a disk cleanup and delete all files.

Question 20

A technician is replacing the thermal paste on a CPU. After cleaning the old paste, the technician accidentally touches the CPU contacts with bare fingers. What is the primary concern?

Accepted Answer

The CPU contacts may become contaminated with oils from the skin.. Touching the CPU contacts with bare fingers transfers natural oils and contaminants from the skin onto the gold-plated contact pads. These oils can cause corrosion over time or create an insulating layer that impedes proper electrical connectivity, leading to intermittent failures or permanent damage. The primary concern is contamination, not ESD, overheating, or physical pressure.

Answer

The CPU may be damaged by electrostatic discharge (ESD).

Answer

The CPU may overheat due to improper thermal paste application.

Answer

The CPU may be physically damaged by the pressure of the touch.