220-1201 Practice Test 5 — 25 Questions

Question 1

A user reports that their monitor displays a 'No Signal' message when they turn on their computer. The monitor is connected via DisplayPort. The technician checks that the monitor is powered on and the cable is secure. What should the technician check next?

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

Accepted Answer

Try a different DisplayPort cable or port on the GPU.. The 'No Signal' message with a DisplayPort connection typically indicates a loss of link training between the GPU and monitor. Since the cable is secure and the monitor is powered on, the next logical step is to isolate whether the issue is with the cable or the GPU port by trying an alternative DisplayPort cable or a different port on the GPU. This is a standard hardware troubleshooting step before moving to driver or replacement actions.

Answer

Replace the monitor.

Answer

Check the input source setting on the monitor.

Answer

Update the graphics driver.

Question 2

A user wants to wirelessly stream music from their smartphone to a Bluetooth speaker in the same room. Which network type is being used for this connection?

Accepted Answer

Personal Area Network (PAN). C is correct because a Bluetooth connection between a smartphone and a speaker operates within a Personal Area Network (PAN). PANs are defined by IEEE 802.15 and cover a short-range, ad-hoc wireless link (typically up to 10 meters) designed for personal device interconnectivity, which matches the Bluetooth streaming scenario exactly.

Answer

Local Area Network (LAN)

Answer

Wide Area Network (WAN)

Answer

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

Question 3

A technician is troubleshooting a satellite internet connection that has high latency and frequent disconnections. The dish is installed on a roof with a clear view of the sky. What is the most likely cause of the high latency?

Accepted Answer

The signal has to travel a long distance to the satellite and back.. Satellite internet inherently suffers from high latency because the signal must travel to a geostationary satellite approximately 35,786 km above the equator and back. This round-trip distance of roughly 70,000 km, even at the speed of light, results in a minimum latency of about 240 ms, which is far higher than terrestrial connections. Frequent disconnections can also occur due to atmospheric conditions, but the high latency is a direct consequence of the physical distance the signal must traverse.

Answer

The satellite dish is not grounded properly.

Answer

The modem is outdated.

Answer

There is interference from nearby cellular towers.

Question 4

A user complains that their external monitor connected via VGA shows a slightly blurry image with faint horizontal lines. The monitor works perfectly with another computer using the same VGA cable. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

There is a ground loop between the computer and monitor. The faint horizontal lines and blurry image are classic symptoms of a ground loop, where a difference in electrical potential between the computer and monitor causes interference on the analog VGA signal. Since the monitor works perfectly with another computer using the same cable, the cable and monitor are exonerated, isolating the issue to the computer's grounding or power supply.

Answer

The monitor's resolution is set too high for VGA

Answer

The VGA port on the computer has bent pins

Answer

The graphics driver is corrupt

Question 5

A technician is troubleshooting a wireless network where users report intermittent connectivity and slow speeds. A spectrum analyzer shows high noise levels on the 2.4 GHz band from non-Wi-Fi sources. Which of the following is the MOST effective long-term solution?

Accepted Answer

Move all critical devices to the 5 GHz band.. The 5 GHz band has significantly more non-overlapping channels and is far less congested by non-Wi-Fi interference (e.g., microwaves, Bluetooth, cordless phones) than the 2.4 GHz band. Moving critical devices to 5 GHz avoids the interference source entirely, providing a stable long-term solution without compromising throughput or reliability.

Answer

Reduce the 2.4 GHz channel width to 20 MHz.

Answer

Implement DFS channels on the 5 GHz band.

Answer

Increase the transmit power on the 2.4 GHz radio.

Question 6

A technician is troubleshooting why a new employee cannot log into the company's VPN. The VPN uses RADIUS for authentication. Other employees can connect successfully. Which is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The new employee's account is not configured in the RADIUS database.. Since other employees can connect successfully, the VPN server, RADIUS server, and network connectivity between them are functional. The issue is isolated to the new employee, making it most likely that their account has not been added to the RADIUS database. RADIUS authenticates users against a local or directory-based user store; if the account is missing, authentication will fail for that user alone.

Answer

The VPN server's IP address has changed.

Answer

The RADIUS server is not reachable from the VPN server.

Answer

The DNS server is not resolving the VPN server's hostname.

Question 7

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop that will not boot from a brand new M.2 NVMe SSD. The drive is detected in the BIOS/UEFI, but the system skips it and tries to boot from other devices. The technician has already verified that the drive is properly seated and the BIOS is up to date. What should the technician check next?

Accepted Answer

Check if the boot mode is set to UEFI and the drive is partitioned with GPT.. This question tests advanced knowledge of UEFI boot settings. When an NVMe drive is detected but not bootable, the issue is often that the drive is not partitioned with a GUID Partition Table (GPT) or that the system is in legacy BIOS (CSM) mode. NVMe drives require UEFI boot mode and a GPT partition table to boot.

Answer

Check if the SATA controller is set to AHCI mode.

Answer

Check if the M.2 slot is configured to use SATA or PCIe lanes in the BIOS.

Answer

Check if the drive has been initialized with a Master Boot Record (MBR).

Question 8

A user has an iPhone that will not install a new app from the App Store, displaying a message that the app is 'unable to be installed'. The device has plenty of free storage. What should a technician check first?

Accepted Answer

Verify that the Apple ID is not locked or restricted.. When an iPhone has sufficient storage but fails to install an app with an 'unable to be installed' message, the most common cause is an issue with the Apple ID account, such as being locked, restricted, or having payment problems. Apple's App Store installation process requires a valid, unlocked Apple ID to authenticate the download and verify entitlements. Checking the Apple ID status is the first logical step before exploring other potential causes.

Answer

Check if the app is compatible with the iOS version.

Answer

Reset the phone's network settings.

Answer

Perform a factory reset of the device.

Question 9

A technician is setting up a new file server and needs to ensure that users can access shared folders using a friendly name like \fileserver\share instead of an IP address. Which protocol must be configured correctly on the network?

Accepted Answer

DNS. DNS (Domain Name System) resolves the friendly hostname 'fileserver' to the server's IP address, allowing users to use \fileserver\share instead of an IP address. Without DNS, the SMB client cannot translate the name, and the connection fails. This makes DNS the correct protocol for name resolution in this scenario.

Answer

DHCP

Answer

SMB

Answer

HTTP

Question 10

A technician is troubleshooting a tablet that has a dim display that flickers intermittently. The device responds to touch and the OS loads normally. Which component is most likely failing?

Accepted Answer

The backlight LED or inverter is failing.. The backlight LED or inverter is the most likely failing component because the display is dim but still functional (the LCD panel itself works, as the OS loads and touch responds). A failing backlight reduces brightness and can cause flickering due to inconsistent power delivery to the LEDs, while the digitizer and GPU remain operational.

Answer

The digitizer is malfunctioning.

Answer

The LCD panel has dead pixels.

Answer

The motherboard GPU is damaged.

Question 11

A user complains that they cannot access any websites, but they can ping other devices on the local network by IP address. The network uses DHCP and DNS servers. Which protocol is most likely failing?

Accepted Answer

DNS. This scenario isolates a DNS failure: local IP communication works, but name resolution fails. DNS translates domain names to IP addresses, so if it fails, web browsing by name will not work while local IP pings succeed.

Answer

DHCP

Answer

HTTP

Answer

ICMP

Question 12

A user reports that their laptop's external monitor connected via USB-C to HDMI adapter flickers intermittently. The adapter works fine with other devices. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The USB-C port on the laptop has a loose connection.. The adapter works fine with other devices, which isolates the problem to the laptop's USB-C port. A loose connection in the port can cause intermittent signal loss, leading to flickering. This is a common hardware issue with USB-C ports that support DisplayPort Alt Mode for video output.

Answer

The HDMI cable is defective.

Answer

The monitor's refresh rate is set too high for the adapter.

Answer

The laptop's graphics driver is outdated.

Question 13

A technician is setting up a new file server and wants to ensure that clients can automatically obtain the server's IP address via a friendly name without manual configuration. Which network service should be configured on the server?

Accepted Answer

DNS. DNS (Domain Name System) resolves friendly hostnames (e.g., fileserver.company.local) to IP addresses, allowing clients to automatically discover the server without manual IP entry. DHCP assigns IP addresses dynamically, but does not provide name resolution; DNS is the correct service for mapping names to IPs.

Answer

DHCP

Answer

RADIUS

Answer

NTP

Question 14

A technician is troubleshooting a laptop that emits a series of beeps (one long, two short) on startup and displays nothing on the screen. The laptop was working fine until the user installed a new RAM module. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The new RAM module is incompatible with the laptop's chipset. One long and two short beeps is a common BIOS POST code indicating a video or display adapter issue. However, since the problem started after installing RAM, it is likely that the RAM module is incompatible or not seated properly, causing a memory-related POST failure that manifests as a video error code on some systems.

Answer

The laptop's display cable has become disconnected

Answer

The laptop's CMOS battery is dead

Answer

The user accidentally damaged the motherboard when installing the RAM

Question 15

A technician is configuring a network for a new branch office. The branch has 50 users and needs to access resources at the main office via a secure tunnel over the internet. Which service is required to establish this connection?

Accepted Answer

VPN. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is required to create a secure, encrypted tunnel over the internet between the branch office and the main office. This allows the 50 users to access internal resources at the main office as if they were on the same local network, using protocols such as IPsec or SSL/TLS to ensure confidentiality and integrity of data in transit.

Answer

DHCP

Answer

DNS

Answer

NAT

Question 16

A technician is deploying a new server that requires RAID 10 for data redundancy and performance. The motherboard has an onboard RAID controller. After configuring the RAID array in the UEFI RAID utility, the technician installs the OS, but the RAID volume is not visible in the OS installer. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The RAID driver is missing from the OS installation media.. After configuring the RAID array in the UEFI RAID utility, the most likely reason the volume is not visible in the OS installer is that the RAID driver is missing. Operating system installers often do not include third-party RAID drivers, and loading the driver is required for the installer to recognize the logical volume.

Answer

The RAID array was not properly initialized in the UEFI RAID utility.

Answer

The SATA mode is set to AHCI instead of RAID in the UEFI.

Answer

The UEFI boot mode is set to Legacy, which does not support RAID.

Question 17

A user reports that their laser printer prints pages with a repeating horizontal band of missing text about every 3 inches. The printer has a new toner cartridge and the drum is separate. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The drum unit has a scratch or defect. Repeating horizontal defects at regular intervals are classic symptoms of a damaged roller or drum. The distance between defects matches the circumference of the drum or a roller. Since the toner cartridge is new, the issue likely lies with the separate drum unit or a roller (like the transfer roller) that has a defect.

Answer

The fuser is not reaching the correct temperature

Answer

The toner cartridge is defective

Answer

The paper is damp or of poor quality

Question 18

A server motherboard in a data center fails to boot after a power outage. The system has dual power supplies and ECC RAM. When power is restored, the motherboard's POST beeps continuously in a pattern that does not match any known code for that manufacturer. Which component is most likely causing this issue?

Accepted Answer

The motherboard's VRM has been damaged by a power surge. Continuous beeps that do not match standard codes often indicate a power-related issue, such as a failed voltage regulator module (VRM) on the motherboard. Power surges can damage the VRM circuitry, leading to erratic POST behavior. The dual PSUs may be fine, but the motherboard's power regulation has failed.

Answer

One of the power supplies is faulty

Answer

The ECC RAM has detected an uncorrectable error

Answer

The CMOS battery has been depleted

Question 19

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 20

A customer complains that their computer takes a long time to switch between open applications and frequently shows the 'low memory' warning. The system has 8 GB of DDR3 RAM. Task Manager shows that 7.5 GB is in use when only a few applications are open. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The system has a memory leak in one of the running applications.. A memory leak occurs when an application does not release memory after it is done using it, causing RAM usage to steadily increase. This is a common software issue that can be identified by checking which process is consuming memory in Task Manager.

Answer

The hard drive is failing and causing the system to use excessive virtual memory.

Answer

The RAM modules are not installed in the correct slots for dual-channel mode.

Answer

The page file is set too small.