220-1201 Practice Test 38 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A customer reports that their external USB 3.0 hard drive is not recognized when plugged into a specific port on their desktop, but works on other ports. The drive is powered by the USB bus. What should be checked first?

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

Accepted Answer

Inspect the USB port for debris or physical damage.. This scenario tests basic USB troubleshooting. Since the drive works on other ports, the issue is likely with the specific port, not the drive or drivers. Checking the USB port for debris or damage is the quickest and simplest first step.

Answer

Replace the external hard drive.

Answer

Update the USB controller drivers.

Answer

Enable the USB port in the BIOS.

Question 2

A cloud architect is designing a solution where a company's web application automatically scales out to handle increased traffic and scales in during low demand. The application runs on multiple virtual machines. Which cloud characteristic is being utilized?

Accepted Answer

Rapid elasticity. Rapid elasticity is the ability to automatically scale resources up or down based on demand. This is a key characteristic of cloud computing. Other options like measured service or resource pooling are related but do not directly describe auto-scaling.

Answer

Resource pooling

Answer

Measured service

Answer

On-demand self-service

Question 3

A user has a 27-inch 1440p monitor connected via DisplayPort. They report that text appears slightly blurry and images look less sharp than expected. The monitor's native resolution is set correctly in Windows. What should you check first?

Accepted Answer

Enable and recalibrate ClearType in Windows.. Blurry text at the correct native resolution often means ClearType (Windows font smoothing) is disabled or misconfigured. ClearType improves text clarity on LCD monitors by sub-pixel rendering. Enabling or recalibrating ClearType in Control Panel typically resolves the issue.

Answer

Replace the DisplayPort cable with an HDMI cable.

Answer

Adjust the monitor's sharpness setting from the on-screen display (OSD) menu.

Answer

Set the monitor to a lower resolution to see if text improves.

Question 4

A technician is deploying an MFP that supports both USB and network connectivity. The office wants all users on the network to be able to print and scan from the device. Which connection method should the technician use?

Accepted Answer

Ethernet connection to the network switch. Network connectivity (Ethernet or Wi-Fi) allows multiple users to access the MFP simultaneously, while USB is limited to a single directly connected computer. For shared access in an office, network is required.

Answer

USB connection to a single workstation

Answer

Bluetooth connection to each user's device

Answer

Parallel port connection to a print server

Question 5

A user reports that their laptop can connect to the corporate Wi-Fi but cannot access the internet. Other devices on the same network work fine. What is the most likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

The laptop's DNS server settings are incorrect.. This scenario points to a client-specific configuration problem. Since other devices work, the issue is isolated to the user's laptop, and a misconfigured DNS setting is a common cause for internet access failure while local network connectivity remains intact.

Answer

The wireless router has failed.

Answer

The network cable is unplugged.

Answer

The ISP is down.

Question 6

A small office has a multifunction printer that supports duplex printing. Users complain that when they select 'Print on Both Sides' from their application, the printer still prints single-sided. The printer driver is installed correctly. What should you check first?

Accepted Answer

Check the printer driver's default duplex setting and change it to 'Print on Both Sides'.. This scenario tests understanding of printer driver settings vs. application settings. Duplex printing must be enabled in both the printer driver properties and the application's print dialog. The driver default setting often overrides application choices if not set properly.

Answer

Ensure the printer has enough paper in the tray.

Answer

Replace the network cable.

Answer

Update the printer firmware to the latest version.

Question 7

A company's internal website is accessible by IP address but not by its hostname. The website is hosted on a server with a static IP. Which service is most likely misconfigured?

Accepted Answer

DNS. This question tests DNS resolution for internal resources. Access by IP works, so the server is reachable. The problem is name resolution, which points to a missing or incorrect DNS record for that hostname.

Answer

DHCP

Answer

NAT

Answer

RADIUS

Question 8

A technician is setting up a new office network with 50 devices. The network must support growth up to 100 devices. The technician chooses a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. How many usable host addresses does this subnet provide?

Accepted Answer

254. A subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 (or /24) provides 256 total addresses, with 254 usable for hosts (the first address is the network ID and the last is the broadcast address). This is sufficient for the current 50 devices and allows for growth up to 100, but not beyond 254.

Answer

255

Answer

256

Answer

128

Question 9

A small business uses a router with DHCP enabled, issuing addresses in the 192.168.1.0/24 range. A technician installs a new server with a static IP of 192.168.1.50, but users cannot connect to it. The technician pings 192.168.1.50 from the server itself successfully. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Another device on the network has the same IP address.. If the DHCP server assigned 192.168.1.50 to another device, there is an IP address conflict. The server can ping itself because it uses its own IP, but other devices may have the same IP or the server's address is already in use. This tests understanding of IP conflicts and static vs. DHCP assignments.

Answer

The server's subnet mask is set to 255.255.255.0.

Answer

The server's default gateway is missing.

Answer

The server's network cable is faulty.

Question 10

A user reports that their computer cannot access any network resources, but the link light on the NIC is solid. The technician suspects a faulty cable. Which tool can quickly test the cable's continuity and detect a broken wire?

Accepted Answer

Cable tester. A cable tester sends a small electrical signal through each conductor in the cable and checks for a return signal on the correct pin. If a wire is broken, the tester will indicate an open circuit, confirming the fault. This is the fastest and most direct way to verify continuity in a copper Ethernet cable.

Answer

Multimeter

Answer

Toner and probe

Answer

Crimper

Question 11

A company wants to consolidate five physical servers into one host to reduce power and cooling costs. Each server runs a different operating system. Which virtualization technology should be used to achieve this?

Accepted Answer

Use a Type 1 hypervisor like VMware ESXi on a single host. Server consolidation uses a Type 1 hypervisor (bare-metal) to run multiple VMs directly on hardware, maximizing resource utilization. This is the standard approach for data center virtualization.

Answer

Install a Type 2 hypervisor on each physical server

Answer

Migrate all applications to a single OS using compatibility layers

Answer

Use containerization instead of virtualization

Question 12

A technician is replacing a power supply in an office desktop. The new PSU has a 24-pin main connector, but the motherboard has a 20-pin socket. What should the technician do?

Accepted Answer

Separate the detachable 4-pin section from the 24-pin connector and use the remaining 20-pin part.. Modern ATX power supplies often have a 24-pin connector that is backward compatible with 20-pin motherboards; the extra 4 pins can be slid or snapped off. This allows the PSU to work without modification. Forcing the 24-pin into a 20-pin socket could damage the board.

Answer

Use a 24-pin to 20-pin adapter.

Answer

Force the 24-pin connector into the 20-pin socket.

Answer

Return the PSU and buy one with a 20-pin connector.

Question 13

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 common phenomenon in power supplies and graphics cards when current flow causes inductor coils to vibrate at a frequency within human hearing. It is not a sign of failure unless accompanied by other symptoms.

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 14

A user complains that when they scan a double-sided document using the automatic document feeder (ADF) on their multifunction printer, the back sides of the pages are blank. The printer supports duplex scanning. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The scan mode is set to simplex instead of duplex. This scenario tests knowledge of duplex scanning settings on a multifunction device. The ADF is feeding pages correctly, but the printer is set to simplex scanning, which only scans one side. Changing the scan mode to duplex will resolve the issue.

Answer

The ADF rollers are worn out

Answer

The scan resolution is set too low

Answer

The document is too thick for the ADF

Question 15

A user complains that their computer randomly shuts down after about 30 minutes of gaming. The case feels warm to the touch, and all fans are spinning. Which component is most likely causing the shutdowns?

Accepted Answer

Overheating CPU or GPU. Random shutdowns under load, especially with a warm case, strongly suggest overheating. The CPU or GPU thermal protection is triggering to prevent damage. Cleaning dust from heatsinks and fans, and ensuring proper airflow, is the first step.

Answer

Failing hard drive

Answer

Insufficient RAM

Answer

Loose power cable