220-1201 Practice Questions 1 — 50 Questions

Question 1

After replacing a motherboard, a technician installs Windows but the system will not boot from the SSD. The drive is detected in UEFI. The technician recalls the previous motherboard used Legacy BIOS. What is the most likely issue?

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

Accepted Answer

The UEFI is set to UEFI mode but the drive uses MBR. If the new motherboard defaults to UEFI mode but the SSD was formatted with an MBR partition table (for Legacy), the system cannot boot. Changing to Legacy/CSM mode or reinstalling with GPT is needed. This tests understanding of partition table and boot mode compatibility.

Answer

The SSD is not getting power

Answer

Secure Boot is blocking the Windows bootloader

Answer

The CMOS battery is dead

Question 2

A company uses a Type 1 hypervisor for production servers. A technician needs to migrate a running VM from one host to another without any downtime. Which feature should be used?

Accepted Answer

Perform a live migration using the hypervisor's built-in feature. Live migration (vMotion in VMware) moves a running VM between hosts with zero downtime. This is a key feature of enterprise hypervisors for maintenance and load balancing.

Answer

Snapshot the VM and restore on the new host

Answer

Use virtual machine cloning

Answer

Export the VM as an OVF and import on the new host

Question 3

A client in a dense urban apartment building wants internet service but cannot install a satellite dish due to HOA rules. They have a phone line but no cable TV outlet. Which connection type is most practical and cost-effective?

Accepted Answer

DSL. DSL uses existing phone lines and is widely available in urban areas, making it a practical choice. Cable requires a coaxial outlet, satellite is prohibited, and fiber may not be available in all apartment buildings. DSL offers a balance of availability and cost.

Answer

Cable broadband

Answer

Satellite

Answer

Fiber-optic

Question 4

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.. This scenario tests understanding of network segmentation and IP addressing. The laptop can reach the internet (default gateway works) but not local resources, indicating a subnet mask or VLAN mismatch. The most common cause is an incorrect subnet mask, which prevents the laptop from recognizing the file server as local.

Answer

The file server is powered off.

Answer

The Wi-Fi router is overloaded.

Answer

The laptop's firewall is blocking all traffic.

Question 5

A small office has an all-in-one printer that supports scanning to email, but users report that scanned documents are not being delivered. The printer's network settings show a valid IP address, and the SMTP server address is correct. What should the technician check next to resolve this issue?

Accepted Answer

Check the SMTP authentication credentials configured on the printer. This question tests understanding of multifunction device network configuration, specifically scanning to email. The most likely cause is incorrect authentication credentials for the SMTP server, as the printer must log in to send email. Checking network connectivity or DNS would be secondary if the IP is valid and the server address is correct.

Answer

Verify the printer's DNS settings

Answer

Replace the printer's toner cartridge

Answer

Reboot the network switch

Question 6

A user reports that they cannot access a website hosted on a remote server. The technician finds that the firewall allows HTTP and HTTPS traffic, but the website uses a non-standard port. The user's browser shows 'connection refused'. Which tool can the technician use to verify if the remote port is open?

Accepted Answer

Telnet. Telnet can be used to test connectivity to a specific port (e.g., telnet example.com 8080). Ping uses ICMP, not TCP ports. Nslookup tests DNS resolution. Tracert traces the route but does not test port status.

Answer

Ping

Answer

Nslookup

Answer

Tracert

Question 7

A user reports that their laser printer occasionally prints pages with a faint ghost image of the previous page. The ghost image appears about 2 inches below the current content. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The drum cleaning blade is worn. Ghosting in laser printers is often caused by a worn or damaged cleaning blade that fails to remove residual toner from the drum. The leftover toner transfers to the next page, creating a faint duplicate. Replacing the cleaning blade or drum unit usually fixes the problem.

Answer

The toner cartridge is low

Answer

The fuser is overheating

Answer

The paper is damp

Question 8

A technician is tasked with enabling hardware-level virtualization on a desktop to run a virtual machine. Which UEFI setting must be enabled?

Accepted Answer

Enable Intel VT-x or AMD-V. Intel VT-x or AMD-V is the hardware virtualization feature that must be enabled in the CPU configuration section of UEFI. Without it, virtual machines will run slowly or fail to start. This tests knowledge of common UEFI settings for virtualization.

Answer

Enable Secure Boot

Answer

Enable Execute Disable Bit (XD/NX)

Answer

Set SATA mode to AHCI

Question 9

A technician is setting up a new Android tablet for a field sales representative. The tablet needs to connect to the internet via a cellular data plan. The technician inserts a nano-SIM card from the company's carrier, but the tablet shows 'No SIM card' in the status bar. The SIM card works in another tablet. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The SIM card is not fully inserted or is inserted incorrectly.. If the SIM card works in another device, the issue is with the tablet itself. The most common cause is that the SIM card is not fully seated or is inserted incorrectly. Some tablets use a tray that requires the SIM to be oriented a specific way. A less common cause is a faulty SIM slot, but that should be checked after verifying correct insertion.

Answer

The tablet's cellular radio is disabled in the settings.

Answer

The SIM card is not compatible with the tablet's LTE bands.

Answer

The tablet requires a software update to enable cellular functionality.

Question 10

A technician is tasked with upgrading a desktop computer that has a 500GB SATA SSD and a 2TB SATA HDD. The motherboard has one M.2 slot (PCIe 3.0 x4) and four SATA III ports. The user wants faster boot times and application loading. Which upgrade will provide the most noticeable performance improvement?

Accepted Answer

Install an M.2 NVMe SSD and migrate the OS and applications to it.. This question tests understanding of storage performance hierarchy. The existing SATA SSD is already fast for boot and applications, but an M.2 NVMe SSD is significantly faster (3-5x). Replacing the HDD with another SSD would not improve boot times as much, and adding RAM does not directly affect storage speed.

Answer

Replace the 2TB HDD with a 2TB SATA SSD.

Answer

Add more RAM to the system.

Answer

Replace the 500GB SATA SSD with a larger SATA SSD.

Question 11

A technician is deploying 20 new tablets for a hospital's nursing staff. After configuring Wi-Fi and email, they find that the tablets will not connect to the corporate 5 GHz wireless network, only to the 2.4 GHz network. All tablets are the same model. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The tablets only support 802.11b/g/n on the 2.4 GHz band and lack 5 GHz hardware support.. This is a common deployment issue where the device's wireless radio supports 2.4 GHz but not 5 GHz, or the 5 GHz channel is not supported. Older or budget tablets may lack 5 GHz capability, or the corporate network may use a 5 GHz channel (e.g., DFS channels) that the tablet's radio cannot use. Checking the tablet's Wi-Fi specifications is the correct first step.

Answer

The 5 GHz SSID is hidden and requires manual entry.

Answer

The corporate 5 GHz network requires 802.1X authentication that is not configured on the tablets.

Answer

The tablets have a defective Wi-Fi antenna.

Question 12

A technician is installing a new power supply in a high-end gaming PC. The PSU has two +12V rails rated at 20A each. The GPU requires a single +12V rail with at least 30A. What potential issue could arise?

Accepted Answer

The GPU may cause overcurrent protection to trip on one rail, causing shutdowns.. Multi-rail PSUs split the +12V output across separate rails, each with its own overcurrent protection. If the GPU draws more than 20A from one rail, it can trip the protection, causing shutdowns. Using a single-rail PSU or ensuring the GPU is connected across both rails (if the PSU allows) would avoid this.

Answer

The PSU will automatically combine the rails to provide 40A to the GPU.

Answer

The PSU will deliver stable power as long as the total wattage is sufficient.

Answer

The GPU will automatically draw power from both rails equally.

Question 13

A customer reports that their desktop computer, which is connected to the network via a wall jack, can access the internet but cannot see other computers on the same local network. The network uses a single switch and a router. What is the most likely misconfiguration causing this issue?

Accepted Answer

The computer's network profile is set to 'Public', disabling Network Discovery.. When a Windows computer's network profile is set to 'Public', the Windows Firewall automatically enables the 'Public' profile rules, which block Network Discovery and file sharing. This prevents the computer from seeing other devices on the local subnet even though internet access (which uses the default gateway) remains functional. The symptom—internet works but LAN visibility fails—is a classic indicator of a network profile misconfiguration.

Answer

The switch is a hub, not a switch.

Answer

The router is blocking multicast traffic.

Answer

The Ethernet cable is a crossover cable.

Question 14

A user is building a new gaming PC and wants to install 32 GB of DDR4 RAM in a dual-channel configuration. They have two 16 GB sticks. Which motherboard slots should they use to ensure dual-channel operation?

Accepted Answer

Slots 2 and 4 (alternating slots).. For dual-channel operation, memory modules must be installed in the correct slots, typically alternating colors or labeled as A2 and B2 (or slots 2 and 4) on most modern motherboards. This ensures the memory controller can access both sticks simultaneously, increasing bandwidth. The user manual or motherboard labeling is the definitive guide, but the common practice is to use the second and fourth slots from the CPU.

Answer

Slots 1 and 2 (adjacent to each other).

Answer

Slots 1 and 3 (alternating slots).

Answer

Any two slots will work; dual-channel is automatic.

Question 15

A customer reports that their external monitor connected via HDMI to a laptop shows a 'No Signal' message, even though the laptop screen works fine. The monitor has been tested with another device and works. What should you check first?

Accepted Answer

Press the function key to toggle display output.. This scenario tests basic display troubleshooting. The monitor works with another device, so the issue is likely with the laptop's video output or connection. The first step is to check if the laptop is set to output to the external display, often via a function key like F4 or F8.

Answer

Replace the HDMI cable.

Answer

Update the graphics driver.

Answer

Check the monitor's power cable.

Question 16

During a routine hardware upgrade, you install a new PCIe x16 graphics card into a desktop motherboard. The system powers on, but the display remains blank. The graphics card's fans are spinning. What should you check first on the motherboard?

Accepted Answer

The monitor cable is connected to the graphics card, not the motherboard. When a dedicated graphics card is installed, the motherboard often disables the integrated graphics port. If the monitor is still connected to the motherboard's video output, it will remain blank. The first step is to ensure the monitor cable is connected to the new graphics card's ports.

Answer

The BIOS settings for primary display adapter

Answer

The graphics card power connectors are properly attached

Answer

The PCIe slot is damaged

Question 17

A technician is configuring a network monitoring tool that uses SNMP to query network devices. Which two ports should be allowed for SNMP communication?

Accepted Answer

Port 161 and 162. SNMP uses UDP port 161 for sending queries and receiving responses between the manager and agents, and UDP port 162 for the agent to send unsolicited traps or informs to the manager. These two ports must be allowed through firewalls for proper SNMP communication.

Answer

Port 22 and 23

Answer

Port 80 and 443

Answer

Port 67 and 68

Question 18

A company's network uses a managed switch with VLANs. Users in VLAN 10 can ping the default gateway but cannot communicate with users in VLAN 20. The switch is connected to a router that handles inter-VLAN routing. What is the most likely misconfiguration?

Accepted Answer

The switch port connecting to the router is configured as an access port instead of a trunk.. The most likely misconfiguration is that the switch port connecting to the router is configured as an access port instead of a trunk. For inter-VLAN routing to work, the router must receive traffic from multiple VLANs on the same physical interface. A trunk port (using 802.1Q tagging) allows frames from VLAN 10 and VLAN 20 to be forwarded to the router, which then routes between them. An access port can only carry traffic for a single VLAN, so frames from VLAN 20 would be dropped or misdirected, preventing communication.

Answer

The router's firewall is blocking traffic between VLANs.

Answer

The default gateway for VLAN 20 is misconfigured.

Answer

The switch has Spanning Tree Protocol enabled, blocking the link.

Question 19

A company has a network with the IP range 172.16.0.0/16. They need to create 8 separate subnets for different departments, each with at least 1000 usable hosts. What subnet mask should be used?

Accepted Answer

255.255.224.0. To support 8 subnets with at least 1000 usable hosts each, you need to borrow enough bits from the host portion to create 8 subnets (2^3 = 8) while leaving at least 10 host bits (2^10 - 2 = 1022 usable hosts). Starting from /16, borrowing 3 bits gives a /19 prefix, which translates to subnet mask 255.255.224.0. This mask provides exactly 8 subnets and 8190 total hosts per subnet (2^13 - 2 = 8190), well exceeding the 1000-host requirement.

Answer

255.255.240.0

Answer

255.255.248.0

Answer

255.255.192.0

Question 20

A technician is setting up a small office network with a router, a switch, and a wireless access point. The router has only one LAN port. The technician needs to connect the switch and the WAP to the router, but the switch has no uplink port. Which hardware component should the technician use to connect both devices to the router?

Accepted Answer

Connect the router to the switch, then connect the WAP to the switch.. This question tests knowledge of network topology and the use of additional switches. Since the router has only one LAN port, a switch is needed to expand the number of available ports. The correct answer is to connect the router to the switch, and then connect the WAP to the switch. The switch's ports are typically all the same, so no special uplink port is required (modern switches use Auto-MDIX).

Answer

Use a crossover cable to connect the router directly to the WAP.

Answer

Use a hub between the router and the switch.

Answer

Configure the switch as a router to connect to the WAP.