220-1201 Practice Test 24 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A client wants to upgrade their desktop PC with a new, faster processor. They have purchased a CPU that is listed as compatible with the motherboard's socket type. After installation, the system powers on but displays a blank screen. What is the most likely issue?

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

Accepted Answer

The motherboard BIOS needs an update. Even if the CPU fits the socket, the motherboard's BIOS/UEFI may require an update to support a newer CPU model. This is a common scenario where the hardware is physically compatible but the firmware is outdated. The system powers on but fails to post because the BIOS does not recognize the CPU.

Answer

The CPU is not seated properly

Answer

The RAM is incompatible with the new CPU

Answer

The power supply is insufficient

Question 2

A technician is troubleshooting a Samsung Galaxy tablet that will not rotate the screen when the device is turned sideways. Auto-rotate is enabled in the settings, and the screen rotates correctly in safe mode. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

A third-party app is preventing rotation.. Since auto-rotate works in safe mode, the hardware (accelerometer) is functional. The issue is caused by a third-party app or a system setting that is interfering with rotation. Safe mode disables third-party apps, so the problem is likely a recently installed app that is locking the orientation or a setting within an app that overrides system rotation.

Answer

The accelerometer is faulty.

Answer

The auto-rotate setting is only enabled for certain apps.

Answer

The tablet's gyroscope needs calibration.

Question 3

A user reports that their laptop's built-in display shows a dim image that is barely visible even at maximum brightness. An external monitor works perfectly. The laptop uses an LED-backlit screen. What component is most likely failing?

Accepted Answer

The backlight LED driver is failing.. A dim display on a laptop with a working external monitor points to a backlight issue. In LED-backlit screens, the backlight is driven by an LED driver circuit on the display or motherboard. A failing backlight or its driver causes dimness while the LCD panel itself may still function.

Answer

The LCD panel is defective.

Answer

The inverter board is failing.

Answer

The graphics card is outputting a low signal.

Question 4

A technician is tasked with securing a workstation that will be used in a public kiosk. The requirement is that the system must only boot from the internal SSD and must prevent booting from USB drives or optical media. Which UEFI security feature should be configured?

Accepted Answer

Disable all external boot devices in the UEFI boot order and set a supervisor password.. To prevent unauthorized booting from external media, the technician must set a boot order that prioritizes the internal SSD and disable other boot devices. Additionally, setting a UEFI administrator password prevents unauthorized users from changing these settings.

Answer

Enable Secure Boot and set a UEFI administrator password.

Answer

Set the boot mode to Legacy BIOS and disable USB support.

Answer

Enable the TPM and set a power-on password.

Question 5

A technician is servicing a tablet that will not power on. The technician has confirmed the battery is charged by testing it with a multimeter (voltage within spec). The power button feels normal when pressed. What is the most likely hardware component that has failed, and how should it be addressed?

Accepted Answer

Reseat or replace the power button flex cable.. The power button flex cable is the most likely failed component because the battery is confirmed good (voltage within spec) and the power button itself feels normal, indicating the button mechanism is intact but the electrical connection to the motherboard is broken. Reseating or replacing the flex cable restores the circuit that signals the power management IC to initiate boot, which is a common failure point in tablets due to flex cable wear or loose connection.

Answer

Replace the LCD screen assembly.

Answer

Replace the motherboard.

Answer

Perform a hard reset by holding the power and volume buttons for 30 seconds.

Question 6

A technician is troubleshooting a connectivity issue where a user's computer can ping the default gateway but cannot access a web server at 203.0.113.50. The technician runs a tracert and sees that the first hop responds, but subsequent hops time out. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

A router along the path is misconfigured or dropping packets.. The tracert output shows the first hop (the default gateway) responds, confirming the user's computer can reach the local network. The subsequent timeouts indicate that packets are being dropped or discarded beyond the gateway, which points to a misconfigured router or a router along the path that is dropping packets (e.g., due to an ACL, routing loop, or MTU issue). This explains why the user can ping the gateway but cannot reach the web server at 203.0.113.50.

Answer

The default gateway is down.

Answer

The web server is offline.

Answer

The user's computer has a duplicate IP address.

Question 7

During a routine hardware upgrade, a technician installs a new CPU into a workstation. After powering on, the system emits a series of long beeps and the screen remains blank. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The RAM is not seated properly. POST beep codes are used to indicate hardware errors. A series of long beeps typically points to a memory issue, not a CPU problem. The technician should reseat the RAM modules to resolve this.

Answer

The CPU is not compatible with the motherboard socket

Answer

The CPU is installed backwards

Answer

The CPU fan is not connected to the motherboard

Question 8

A company uses a public cloud IaaS provider. The security team discovers that a virtual machine's data disk was accidentally deleted by an administrator. They need to recover the data from a snapshot taken 24 hours ago. The snapshot is stored in the same cloud region. What is the most efficient recovery method?

Accepted Answer

Create a new data disk from the snapshot and attach it to the VM. Most cloud IaaS providers allow creating a new volume from a snapshot, which can then be attached to the existing VM. This is faster than restoring the entire VM from a full image. The technician should create a new disk from the snapshot and attach it, then copy the data to the original disk if needed.

Answer

Restore the entire VM from the snapshot

Answer

Download the snapshot to an on-premises server and then upload it

Answer

Use the snapshot to create a new VM and then copy files via network

Question 9

A customer reports that after a recent fall, their smartphone's screen is completely black, but the device still vibrates when calls come in. The technician suspects the display cable is loose. What is the correct sequence of steps to access and reseat the display cable?

Accepted Answer

Remove the back cover, disconnect the battery, then reseat the display cable.. To access the display cable, the technician must first remove the back cover, then the battery (if not integrated), and disconnect the display cable from the motherboard. This sequence ensures safe access without risking a short circuit from a live battery. The display cable is typically a thin ribbon cable near the motherboard.

Answer

Remove the battery first, then the back cover, and reseat the display cable.

Answer

Reseat the display cable by inserting a spudger through the charging port.

Answer

Perform a factory reset to rule out software issues.

Question 10

A company’s web server is accessible from the internal network but not from the internet. The server has a static IP of 192.168.1.10, and the router’s public IP is 203.0.113.50. What configuration is most likely missing?

Accepted Answer

Port forwarding is not configured on the router.. For a server on a private IP to be accessible from the internet, the router must have port forwarding configured to direct incoming traffic to the server’s private IP. Without it, requests to the public IP are dropped.

Answer

The server’s default gateway is incorrect.

Answer

A firewall rule on the server is blocking inbound traffic.

Answer

The DNS A record for the server points to the wrong IP.

Question 11

During a hardware installation, you connect a new 4K monitor to a desktop PC using DisplayPort, but the display is stuck at 1080p resolution. The graphics card supports 4K. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The DisplayPort cable is not rated for 4K.. This question tests knowledge of display cable capabilities. DisplayPort cables come in different versions, and older cables may not support 4K at higher refresh rates. The most likely cause is using a DisplayPort cable that does not meet the required bandwidth for 4K.

Answer

The graphics card driver is outdated.

Answer

The monitor's refresh rate is set too high.

Answer

The monitor's input is set to HDMI.

Question 12

A network printer in a busy law office is shared by 15 users. Several users report that their print jobs are not being output, but the printer shows no error lights and the print queue appears empty. The printer is connected via Ethernet. Which step should be taken first?

Accepted Answer

Restart the print spooler service on the print server. When a network printer appears idle but jobs disappear, the issue is often with the print spooler on the server or client. The spooler may be stalled or corrupted, causing jobs to be lost without error. Checking the print queue on the server and restarting the spooler service is the appropriate first step.

Answer

Replace the network cable

Answer

Power cycle the printer

Answer

Reinstall the printer driver on all workstations

Question 13

A technician is configuring a workstation for a video editing application that requires 64 GB of RAM. The motherboard has four slots and supports up to 128 GB. The technician has four 16 GB DDR4-3200 modules. What is the most important consideration when installing these modules?

Accepted Answer

Ensure all modules are from the same manufacturer and have the same speed and timings.. When installing four identical RAM modules, the key consideration is ensuring they are all from the same matched set or have identical specifications (speed, timings, voltage) to maintain stability and performance. Mixing modules from different manufacturers or batches can cause instability even if they have the same rated speed. Additionally, the technician should install them in the correct slots for dual-channel operation, but the primary concern is compatibility.

Answer

Install the modules in slots 1, 2, 3, and 4 in any order.

Answer

Install the modules only in the first two slots to leave room for future upgrades.

Answer

Set the RAM voltage to the maximum supported by the motherboard.

Question 14

A technician is configuring a new Android tablet for a field worker. The worker will use a Bluetooth barcode scanner and a rugged case with a built-in keyboard. After pairing both devices, the keyboard types slowly and misses keystrokes, while the scanner works fine. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Interference from the rugged case or other wireless signals is degrading the keyboard's connection. Bluetooth interference from other devices or physical obstructions (like a rugged case) can cause signal degradation, leading to missed keystrokes. The scanner may use a different Bluetooth profile or be less sensitive to interference. The correct answer identifies interference as the likely cause.

Answer

The keyboard's battery is low

Answer

The tablet's Bluetooth driver is outdated

Answer

The keyboard is not compatible with Android

Question 15

A technician is replacing a CPU in a server that uses a LGA 1151 socket. After installing the new CPU and applying thermal paste, the system fails to post. The technician notices the CPU cooler is not making full contact with the CPU. What is the most likely consequence of this poor contact?

Accepted Answer

The CPU will overheat and the system will shut down to prevent damage. Poor contact between the CPU and cooler prevents effective heat dissipation. The CPU will quickly overheat, triggering thermal protection that shuts down the system to prevent damage. This is a common issue after improper cooler installation.

Answer

The CPU will operate at a lower clock speed but still function

Answer

The system will boot but display a warning about high CPU temperature

Answer

The CPU will be permanently damaged immediately