220-1201 Practice Test 29 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A customer reports that their desktop PC will not power on at all. The power supply fan does not spin, and no LEDs are lit. You have verified the power cord is good and the outlet has power. Which motherboard component should you check first?

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

Accepted Answer

The 24-pin ATX power connector. When a PC shows no signs of power at all — no fan spin, no LEDs — the first thing to verify is that the motherboard is actually receiving power from the PSU. The 24-pin ATX connector is the primary power feed to the motherboard, and if it is loose, unseated, or the PSU is not delivering voltage on the correct rails, the system will appear completely dead. Checking it (reseating, testing with a PSU tester or multimeter) is the logical first step.

Answer

The CMOS battery

Answer

The front panel power switch header

Answer

The CPU fan header

Question 2

A customer reports that their laptop can connect to the internet via Wi-Fi but cannot access any network shares on the local file server. Other devices on the same network can access the shares. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The laptop has a misconfigured subnet mask.. The laptop can reach the internet (routed traffic) but cannot reach local file shares (same-subnet traffic), while other devices on the same network can. This pattern points to a subnet mask error: with a wrong mask, the laptop believes the file server is on a remote network and sends its traffic to the default gateway instead of ARPing for it directly on the LAN, so SMB/CIFS connections to the share fail even though internet access still works.

Answer

The file server is powered off.

Answer

The Wi-Fi router is overloaded.

Answer

The laptop's firewall is blocking all traffic.

Question 3

A user complains that their laptop's built-in webcam is not working in video conferencing apps. The device manager shows the camera as 'disabled'. The technician enables it, but the camera still shows a black screen in apps. What should the technician do next?

Accepted Answer

Check for a physical privacy shutter on the webcam and verify Windows camera privacy settings. Once Device Manager shows the camera as enabled but apps still render a black screen, the most common causes are a physical privacy shutter covering the lens or Windows camera privacy settings (Settings > Privacy > Camera) blocking app access. Both are non-destructive checks that should be performed before any driver or hardware work.

Answer

Uninstall and reinstall the camera driver

Answer

Replace the webcam module

Answer

Update the laptop's BIOS

Question 4

A user reports that their computer emits a loud, high-pitched whine when under load, but is silent at idle. The system is stable. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The power supply or GPU is experiencing coil whine due to electrical resonance.. Coil whine is a high-pitched noise caused by electrical resonance in inductors or capacitors, typically from the power supply or GPU, and it occurs only under load when current draw increases. The system remaining stable and the noise being load-dependent are classic indicators of coil whine rather than a failing fan or hard drive.

Answer

The power supply fan bearing is failing, causing noise only when spinning faster.

Answer

The CPU cooler fan is unbalanced and vibrating against the case.

Answer

The hard drive is making noise as it reads data during gaming.

Question 5

A small office has a single switch connecting all workstations. Several users report that they cannot access the internet, but they can still communicate with each other on the local network. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The router is not properly routing traffic to the internet.. The router is the device that connects the local network to the internet, performing NAT and routing between the LAN and WAN. Since workstations can communicate with each other, the switch and local network are functioning. The inability to reach the internet points to a failure in the router's routing, WAN link, or NAT configuration.

Answer

The switch has a bad port.

Answer

The DNS server is unreachable.

Answer

The workstations have incorrect subnet masks.

Question 6

A user complains that their laser printer is picking up multiple sheets of paper at once, causing jams. The paper tray is full of standard 20 lb bond paper. Which component is most likely causing this issue?

Accepted Answer

The separation pad is worn. The separation pad applies friction to the bottom sheet of paper to prevent multiple sheets from being fed simultaneously. When it wears out, it loses friction, allowing the pickup roller to pull multiple sheets into the paper path, causing jams. This is a classic symptom of a worn separation pad.

Answer

The pickup roller is worn

Answer

The paper is too thin

Answer

The fuser is overheating

Question 7

A technician is troubleshooting a server that randomly resets the time and date to 2000 after being powered off for a few hours. The system otherwise boots and runs normally. Which component is most likely failing?

Accepted Answer

The CMOS battery needs replacement. The CMOS battery (typically a CR2032 coin cell) powers the real-time clock and stores BIOS/UEFI settings when the system is unplugged. When it fails, the system loses time and date after being powered off, often resetting to a default like January 1, 2000. The system still boots and runs normally because the battery is only needed to retain settings and time across power loss.

Answer

The power supply unit is failing

Answer

The motherboard clock crystal is defective

Answer

The UEFI firmware has a bug

Question 8

A user reports that their cloud storage files are not syncing to their laptop. The internet connection is working, and other cloud services are accessible. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The cloud sync client application is not running. If the internet works and other cloud services are accessible, the most likely cause is that the cloud sync client application is not running, so files are not being uploaded or downloaded. Starting or restarting the sync client is the first logical check.

Answer

The cloud storage server is down for maintenance

Answer

The user's account has been suspended

Answer

A firewall is blocking the sync port

Question 9

A user reports that after a recent iOS update, their banking app crashes every time they try to log in. Other apps work fine. The app was working before the update. What is the most likely cause and solution?

Accepted Answer

The banking app is not compatible with the new iOS version and needs an update from the developer.. The most likely cause is that the banking app is not yet compatible with the new iOS version. After a major iOS update, apps that rely on specific APIs or frameworks (e.g., Keychain, WebKit, or Secure Enclave) may break if the developer has not updated the app to support the new OS. The solution is for the developer to release an update that targets the new iOS SDK, and for the user to install that update from the App Store.

Answer

The iOS update corrupted the app's data; reinstalling the app will fix it.

Answer

The user's account has been locked due to multiple failed login attempts.

Answer

The iOS update changed the device's security settings, blocking the app.

Question 10

A technician is setting up a mobile point-of-sale (POS) system using a tablet and a Bluetooth receipt printer. The printer pairs but prints garbled text. The tablet is running a custom POS app. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The tablet is using the wrong Bluetooth profile or driver for the printer.. The most likely cause is that the tablet is using the wrong Bluetooth profile or driver for the printer. Bluetooth printers typically use the Serial Port Profile (SPP) or Hardcopy Cable Replacement Profile (HCRP) to receive print data. If the tablet's POS app or Bluetooth stack is sending data using a different profile (e.g., A2DP for audio or HID for input), the printer will receive garbled or uninterpretable data, even though the devices are paired.

Answer

The printer is out of paper.

Answer

The Bluetooth signal is weak.

Answer

The printer's battery is low.

Question 11

A technician is installing a new network printer in a corporate environment. The printer supports both USB and Ethernet connectivity. The office requires that all users on the same subnet be able to print without needing a dedicated print server. What configuration method should the technician use?

Accepted Answer

Configure the printer with a static IP address and connect it to the network switch via Ethernet.. To allow all users on a subnet to print without a dedicated server, the printer should be configured with a static IP address and connected via Ethernet. This makes it a network printer accessible by IP. USB connection would only allow local printing from one computer.

Answer

Connect the printer via USB to a user's computer and share it from that computer.

Answer

Use a crossover cable to connect the printer directly to a user's computer.

Answer

Set up a Bluetooth connection for the printer.

Question 12

A customer complains that their laptop battery no longer holds a charge and the laptop only works when plugged in. The technician confirms the battery is removable. What is the most appropriate first step in servicing this issue?

Accepted Answer

Power off the laptop and remove the battery.. The correct first step is to power off the laptop and remove the battery. This ensures safety and prevents electrical shorts or damage during replacement. After removal, the technician can install a new battery.

Answer

Update the battery driver in Device Manager.

Answer

Run a battery calibration utility from the manufacturer.

Answer

Replace the AC adapter to see if the charging circuit is faulty.

Question 13

A company's IT department is deploying new VoIP phones. After connecting a phone to a PoE switch, the phone does not power on. The switch port is configured for PoE and shows no errors. Which tool should be used to verify that the Ethernet cable delivers power correctly?

Accepted Answer

Multimeter. A multimeter is the correct tool because it can measure DC voltage directly on the Ethernet cable's power-carrying pairs (typically pins 4,5 and 7,8 for Mode A or pins 1,2 and 3,6 for Mode B in 802.3af/at PoE). By probing the switch-side pins while the phone is connected, you can verify whether the switch is actually delivering the expected 48V DC, isolating a cable or power issue. This is the only tool among the options that can confirm the presence of voltage.

Answer

Cable tester

Answer

Tone generator

Answer

Wi-Fi analyzer

Question 14

A company uses a custom Android app that stores data locally. After a recent OS update, the app fails to write data to the internal storage, but it can read existing data. The app has all necessary permissions. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The OS update introduced scoped storage restrictions that the app does not support.. This question tests advanced knowledge of Android storage changes. Starting with Android 11, scoped storage restrictions limit how apps access shared storage. Even with permissions, apps may need to use specific APIs (like MediaStore or SAF) to write files. The app likely needs an update to comply with the new storage model.

Answer

The internal storage is full and cannot accept new data.

Answer

The app's cache needs to be cleared to free up space.

Answer

The device's SD card has been removed.

Question 15

A user connects a USB-C docking station to their laptop and finds that the external monitor works, but the Ethernet port on the dock does not provide network connectivity. The laptop's built-in Wi-Fi works fine. Which is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The docking station's Ethernet driver is not installed. USB-C docking stations often require specific drivers for their integrated Ethernet adapters to function. Since the external monitor works, the USB-C connection itself is functional, isolating the issue to the Ethernet component. The missing driver prevents the OS from recognizing the network interface, even though the dock's other features operate normally.

Answer

The Ethernet cable is faulty

Answer

The USB-C port on the laptop is damaged

Answer

The laptop's Wi-Fi is interfering with Ethernet