220-1201 Practice Test 4 — 25 Questions

Question 1

A help desk ticket reports that a user's PC fails to boot and emits a series of long beeps. The system has two 8 GB DDR4 modules installed. What is the most likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

One of the RAM modules is faulty or not seated properly.. Long beeps during POST typically indicate a memory failure, such as a faulty or improperly seated RAM module. This is a common hardware troubleshooting scenario where the beep code points directly to RAM issues. The technician should reseat or replace the RAM modules first.

Answer

The power supply is failing.

Answer

The CPU is overheating.

Answer

The hard drive has failed.

Question 2

A technician is building a new gaming PC and installs two 16 GB DDR5-5600 modules in the correct slots. The system boots and shows 32 GB in the BIOS, but the memory speed is reported as 4800 MHz instead of 5600 MHz. What is the most likely reason for this?

Accepted Answer

XMP or EXPO has not been enabled in the BIOS.. DDR5 modules default to a standard JEDEC speed (often 4800 MHz) for stability. To achieve the rated 5600 MHz, the user must enable XMP (Intel) or EXPO (AMD) in the BIOS, which applies the manufacturer's overclocking profile. This tests knowledge of memory speed configuration beyond plug-and-play.

Answer

The RAM modules are defective and cannot run at their rated speed.

Answer

The motherboard does not support DDR5-5600.

Answer

The RAM is installed in the wrong slots.

Question 3

A user complains that their laptop, which has 8 GB of RAM soldered on the motherboard, is running slowly when multitasking. They ask if they can add more RAM. The laptop has one empty SO-DIMM slot. What is the best recommendation?

Accepted Answer

Recommend adding a SO-DIMM module of the same type and speed as the soldered RAM.. The laptop has a single empty slot, so adding a SO-DIMM module will increase total RAM. However, mixing a soldered module with a SO-DIMM may force single-channel operation, but the capacity gain outweighs this. The technician should recommend adding a compatible DDR4 or DDR5 SO-DIMM (depending on laptop) to improve performance.

Answer

Advise the user to replace the laptop because soldered RAM cannot be upgraded.

Answer

Suggest removing the soldered RAM and replacing it with a larger module.

Answer

Tell the user to install two SO-DIMM modules for dual-channel.

Question 4

A small office manager wants to upgrade the RAM in several identical workstations from 8 GB to 16 GB. The current modules are DDR3-1600. The company has a box of unused DDR3-1333 modules from an older system. Can they use these modules to upgrade the workstations?

Accepted Answer

Yes, they can add the DDR3-1333 modules, but all RAM will run at 1333 MHz.. DDR3-1333 and DDR3-1600 are both DDR3, so they are physically compatible. However, mixing speeds forces all modules to run at the slower 1333 MHz, which may slightly reduce performance. The upgrade is possible but not optimal.

Answer

No, because the speeds are different and will cause system instability.

Answer

Yes, but only if they replace the existing modules entirely with the DDR3-1333 modules.

Answer

No, because DDR3-1333 is not compatible with DDR3-1600 slots.

Question 5

A technician is troubleshooting a workstation that randomly crashes and shows memory errors in Windows. The system has four 4 GB DDR4 modules. The technician runs Memtest86 and finds errors in one module. What should the technician do to resolve the issue while maximizing performance?

Accepted Answer

Replace the faulty module with a new module of the same specifications.. The faulty module should be removed, but to maintain dual-channel performance, the remaining modules should be installed in matched pairs. Removing one module leaves three, which may force single-channel operation. The best solution is to replace the faulty module with a matching one, but if not available, removing two modules to keep a matched pair is optimal.

Answer

Remove the faulty module and leave the other three installed.

Answer

Remove all modules and install a single 16 GB module.

Answer

Remove the faulty module and the module in the same channel to keep dual-channel.

Question 6

A user reports that their PC, which has 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, suddenly shows only 8 GB in Windows. The system boots normally. The technician checks the BIOS and sees 16 GB detected. What is the most likely cause of this discrepancy?

Accepted Answer

Integrated graphics is reserving 8 GB of system RAM for video memory.. When the BIOS detects full RAM but Windows shows less, it often indicates that a portion of RAM is reserved for hardware or is being used by the integrated GPU. This is common if the system uses integrated graphics and the BIOS allocates a fixed amount of system RAM for video memory. Another possibility is a 32-bit OS limitation, but that is rare with modern systems.

Answer

One of the RAM modules is faulty and not being recognized by Windows.

Answer

The system is using a 32-bit version of Windows, which has a 4 GB limit.

Answer

Windows has a memory leak that is using 8 GB of RAM.

Question 7

A technician is configuring a high-performance workstation with 128 GB of RAM using eight 16 GB DDR5 modules. The system boots but only shows 64 GB in the BIOS. The technician has reseated all modules and verified they are in the correct slots. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The CPU does not support 128 GB of RAM.. With high-capacity RAM configurations, the CPU's memory controller may have limitations. Some CPUs, especially mainstream models, may not support 128 GB (e.g., 64 GB max per channel). The technician should check the CPU specifications for maximum supported RAM. Another possibility is a BIOS limitation or incorrect slot population, but the CPU limit is a common oversight.

Answer

The RAM modules are not all the same speed.

Answer

The motherboard only supports up to 64 GB of RAM.

Answer

The RAM is not properly seated in the slots.

Question 8

A technician is tasked with upgrading a workstation that uses DDR3 RAM. The technician purchases DDR3L modules (low voltage) and installs them. The system fails to boot. What is the most likely reason?

Accepted Answer

The motherboard does not support the lower voltage of DDR3L.. DDR3L modules operate at 1.35V, while standard DDR3 operates at 1.5V. Many older motherboards do not support DDR3L, or they require specific BIOS settings to handle the lower voltage. The technician should verify motherboard compatibility before installation.

Answer

The DDR3L modules are physically incompatible with DDR3 slots.

Answer

The technician installed the modules in the wrong slots.

Answer

The DDR3L modules are defective.

Question 9

A customer reports their desktop PC is running extremely slow, especially when multiple applications are open. They mention they recently upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11. The system has 4 GB of RAM. What should you recommend as the most effective first step to improve performance?

Accepted Answer

Upgrade the RAM to at least 8 GB.. Windows 11 has a minimum requirement of 4 GB of RAM, but 8 GB is recommended for typical multitasking. Upgrading the RAM directly addresses the bottleneck caused by insufficient memory, which is the most likely cause of the slowdown with multiple applications.

Answer

Disable visual effects in Windows to reduce memory usage.

Answer

Increase the size of the page file on the hard drive.

Answer

Reinstall Windows 10 to reduce system resource requirements.

Question 10

A technician is building a new workstation for a video editor who needs to run memory-intensive applications. The motherboard supports DDR4 RAM and has four DIMM slots. The editor wants 32 GB of RAM. Which configuration should the technician choose for optimal performance?

Accepted Answer

Two 16 GB sticks of RAM.. Using dual-channel memory (two matched sticks) provides a performance boost over a single stick because it allows the memory controller to access both modules simultaneously. For 32 GB, two 16 GB sticks are the best balance of performance and capacity.

Answer

One 32 GB stick of RAM.

Answer

Four 8 GB sticks of RAM.

Answer

One 16 GB stick and two 8 GB sticks.

Question 11

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop that fails to boot and emits three long beeps from the motherboard speaker. The power supply fan spins, and the CPU fan spins, but there is no display output. What is the most likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

The RAM is not detected or is faulty.. Three long beeps from a motherboard typically indicate a memory error, often that no RAM is detected or the RAM is faulty. The fact that other components power on suggests the issue is isolated to the memory subsystem.

Answer

The CPU has failed.

Answer

The video card is not seated correctly.

Answer

The power supply is not providing enough power.

Question 12

A technician is configuring a new server and needs to install ECC (Error-Correcting Code) RAM. The motherboard supports both ECC and non-ECC DDR4 memory. The technician installs ECC RAM, but the system boots and reports that ECC functionality is disabled. What is the most likely reason for this?

Accepted Answer

The CPU does not support ECC memory.. ECC RAM requires a compatible CPU and motherboard chipset to function. If the CPU does not support ECC, the system may still boot with the RAM installed but will run it in non-ECC mode, disabling the error correction feature.

Answer

The ECC RAM is not seated properly.

Answer

The BIOS needs to be updated to enable ECC support.

Answer

ECC RAM requires a registered (buffered) type to function.

Question 13

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.

Answer

The motherboard capacitors are failing.

Answer

The CPU is throttling due to a failing fan.

Question 14

A technician is tasked with upgrading the RAM in a laptop that uses SO-DIMM modules. The laptop currently has 4 GB of RAM soldered on the motherboard and one empty SO-DIMM slot. The technician installs an 8 GB SO-DIMM, but the system only reports 8 GB total. What is the most likely reason?

Accepted Answer

The laptop's BIOS is configured to use only the SO-DIMM slot when populated.. Some laptops with soldered RAM have a limitation where the SO-DIMM slot cannot be used simultaneously with the onboard memory, or the system may disable the onboard RAM when a module is installed. This is a design constraint, not a hardware failure.

Answer

The SO-DIMM module is incompatible with the laptop's chipset.

Answer

The soldered RAM is faulty and has been disabled.

Answer

The SO-DIMM is not seated properly in the slot.

Question 15

A customer reports that their desktop PC with a 1 TB HDD is running very slowly, especially when opening large files. They mention that the drive light is constantly active even when the system is idle. What is the most likely cause of this performance issue?

Accepted Answer

The hard disk drive is failing and has developed bad sectors.. A failing HDD often causes constant drive activity and slow file access due to bad sectors or mechanical wear. This is a common symptom that technicians should recognize before data loss occurs. SSDs or other components do not typically exhibit this behavior.

Answer

The CPU is overheating and throttling performance.

Answer

The system has a virus that is encrypting files in the background.

Answer

The RAM is insufficient and the system is using the hard drive as virtual memory.

Question 16

A user wants to upgrade their laptop from a traditional HDD to an SSD for faster boot times. They have a SATA III interface available. Which type of SSD should you recommend for the best performance without requiring an adapter?

Accepted Answer

2.5-inch SATA SSD. A 2.5-inch SATA SSD is the direct replacement for a laptop HDD, using the same interface and form factor. NVMe M.2 drives require an M.2 slot, which this laptop may not have. mSATA is less common and not standard in most laptops.

Answer

NVMe M.2 SSD

Answer

mSATA SSD

Answer

External USB SSD

Question 17

A customer complains that their external USB 3.0 hard drive is only transferring files at USB 2.0 speeds (about 30-40 MB/s). They have confirmed the drive supports USB 3.0. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The USB cable is only rated for USB 2.0.. If a USB 3.0 device is plugged into a USB 2.0 port or a cable that only supports USB 2.0, it will fall back to slower speeds. The cable or port is the most common bottleneck. Driver issues are less likely, and the drive itself is not faulty.

Answer

The external drive is failing and needs to be replaced.

Answer

The drive is formatted with FAT32, which limits transfer speeds.

Answer

The computer's USB drivers are outdated.

Question 18

A user complains that their computer with a 256 GB NVMe SSD is running out of storage space. They want to add more internal storage but only have one M.2 slot. What is the best solution to expand capacity without sacrificing performance?

Accepted Answer

Replace the NVMe SSD with a larger capacity NVMe SSD.. Replacing the existing NVMe SSD with a larger capacity model is the most direct way to increase internal storage while maintaining NVMe performance. Adding a SATA SSD via a 2.5-inch bay is also viable but slower. External drives are not internal.

Answer

Install a SATA SSD in an available 2.5-inch drive bay.

Answer

Use an external USB SSD for additional storage.

Answer

Add a second M.2 drive using a PCIe adapter card.

Question 19

A technician is setting up a new RAID 0 array with two 500 GB SSDs for a gaming PC. After installation, the system shows only 500 GB of usable space. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The RAID controller is set to RAID 1 instead of RAID 0.. RAID 0 stripes data across both drives, providing combined capacity (1 TB). If only 500 GB is shown, the array may be configured as RAID 1 (mirroring) or not properly set up. The drives themselves are unlikely to be faulty.

Answer

One of the SSDs is not detected by the system.

Answer

The SSDs are different brands and incompatible.

Answer

The operating system does not support RAID 0.

Question 20

A customer complains that their external USB hard drive is not recognized when plugged into any port on their laptop. The drive spins up and its LED lights up. The drive works fine on another computer. What is the most likely issue?

Accepted Answer

The laptop is missing or has corrupted USB mass storage drivers.. This question tests basic USB troubleshooting. The drive spins up and lights up, indicating power is reaching it, but it is not recognized. This often points to a driver issue on the laptop. The other options are less likely because the drive works on another computer and the LED is on.

Answer

The USB port is physically damaged.

Answer

The external drive's enclosure has a faulty controller board.

Answer

The USB cable is defective.