220-1201 Practice Exam 53 — 20 Questions

Question 1

During a deployment, you install a new graphics card into a desktop PC. After powering on, the system boots but the display is blank. The monitor is known to work, and the card's fans spin. What should you check next?

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

Accepted Answer

Check that the monitor cable is connected to the graphics card, not the motherboard. Fans spinning indicates the card is receiving power, but a blank display often means the monitor is not receiving a signal. The most common oversight is connecting the display cable to the motherboard's video port instead of the new graphics card's ports.

Answer

Replace the graphics card

Answer

Update the BIOS

Answer

Reseat the RAM

Question 2

A customer reports that their desktop PC emits a series of long, continuous beeps and the screen remains blank. They recently installed a new graphics card. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The RAM module is loose or faulty.. A series of long, continuous beeps typically indicates a memory (RAM) issue, not a graphics card problem. This is a common POST code that helps isolate hardware faults before the system can boot.

Answer

The graphics card is not seated properly.

Answer

The power supply unit is failing.

Answer

The monitor is not connected to the graphics card.

Question 3

A technician is deploying a new workstation in a retail store. After connecting all peripherals and power, the system powers on but the monitor shows 'No Signal'. The monitor is connected via VGA to the motherboard. What should the technician check first?

Accepted Answer

Connect the monitor to the discrete graphics card's video port.. When a system has a dedicated GPU, the motherboard video ports are often disabled. The most common oversight is connecting the monitor to the wrong port. This scenario tests basic hardware installation knowledge.

Answer

Replace the VGA cable.

Answer

Reseat the RAM modules.

Answer

Update the motherboard BIOS.

Question 4

A user's PC randomly restarts during heavy workloads, such as video rendering. The CPU temperature reads 95°C under load. The heatsink fan is spinning, but the thermal paste appears dry and cracked. What is the most effective first step?

Accepted Answer

Apply new thermal paste between the CPU and heatsink.. High CPU temperatures under load with dry thermal paste indicate poor heat transfer. Replacing the thermal paste is the most direct and effective solution, as it restores proper thermal conductivity between the CPU and heatsink.

Answer

Replace the CPU fan with a higher RPM model.

Answer

Underclock the CPU in BIOS.

Answer

Add an additional case fan.

Question 5

A user reports that their computer is connected to the network but cannot access any websites. The technician checks the IP configuration and sees an IP address of 169.254.1.5. What does this indicate?

Accepted Answer

The DHCP server is unavailable or the computer cannot reach it.. An IP address in the 169.254.x.x range is an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address, assigned when a DHCP server is unreachable. This means the computer failed to get a valid IP from DHCP, so it cannot communicate beyond the local link.

Answer

The computer has a valid static IP address.

Answer

The DNS server is not responding.

Answer

The network cable is unplugged.

Question 6

A network administrator is troubleshooting intermittent connectivity issues on a fiber optic link between two buildings. The link works but has occasional errors. The technician inspects the fiber and finds that the connectors are dirty. After cleaning them, the issue persists. What should the technician check next?

Accepted Answer

Check the light level with a power meter.. Dirty connectors are a common cause of fiber issues, but if cleaning doesn't resolve it, the next step is to verify the light level using a power meter. This will determine if the signal is strong enough or if there is attenuation from other causes like bends or damaged cables.

Answer

Replace the entire fiber cable.

Answer

Swap the SFP modules on both ends.

Answer

Run a loopback test on the switch ports.

Question 7

A technician is setting up a new wireless network in a crowded office building. Users report that their laptops frequently disconnect from the Wi-Fi and have slow speeds, even when close to the access point. The technician scans the area and sees many overlapping Wi-Fi networks. What is the best solution to improve performance?

Accepted Answer

Change the access point to a less congested channel.. In a dense environment with many overlapping networks, channel congestion is a major cause of interference and disconnections. Changing the access point to a less congested channel reduces co-channel interference and improves stability and throughput.

Answer

Increase the transmit power of the access point.

Answer

Disable SSID broadcast to hide the network.

Answer

Replace the access point with a higher-gain antenna model.

Question 8

A user reports that their computer can access the internet but cannot connect to a network printer that is on the same subnet. The technician pings the printer’s IP address from the computer and gets a reply. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The printer’s print queue is paused or the printer is offline.. Since the ping succeeds, the printer is reachable at the network level. The issue is likely with the printer configuration or the print spooler on the computer. Common causes include the printer being offline, paused, or having a driver issue.

Answer

The printer’s IP address has changed.

Answer

The printer is not set as the default printer.

Answer

The network switch port for the printer is disabled.

Question 9

A user complains that their PC sometimes fails to boot and displays a 'CMOS Checksum Error' message. After replacing the CMOS battery, the error persists. What motherboard component should you inspect next?

Accepted Answer

The BIOS/UEFI chip. A CMOS checksum error indicates the BIOS settings are corrupted or not being saved. If a new battery doesn't fix it, the CMOS (RTC) chip itself may be failing, or the BIOS/UEFI firmware may need to be reset or updated. This points to a hardware issue on the motherboard beyond the battery.

Answer

The CPU socket pins

Answer

The RAM modules

Answer

The power supply unit

Question 10

You are building a workstation for video editing and need to install a dedicated GPU in the primary PCIe x16 slot. After installation, the system boots but the GPU is not detected in Device Manager. The GPU works fine in another PC. What should you check on the motherboard?

Accepted Answer

The motherboard's BIOS setting for the PCIe slot. If the GPU is not detected, the most likely motherboard-related cause is that the PCIe slot is disabled in BIOS or the slot itself is faulty. Another possibility is that the slot is configured for a different device (e.g., an M.2 drive sharing lanes). Verifying BIOS settings is the first step.

Answer

The PCIe slot's power delivery from the PSU

Answer

The CMOS battery voltage

Answer

The CPU fan header

Question 11

You are upgrading a customer's gaming PC to support faster memory. The motherboard supports DDR4-3200, but after installing two 8GB DDR4-3200 modules, the system only runs at 2133 MHz. What is the most likely reason?

Accepted Answer

XMP is not enabled in the BIOS. By default, most motherboards run RAM at a standard JEDEC speed (often 2133 MHz) for stability. To achieve the rated speed of 3200 MHz, you must enable XMP (Extreme Memory Profile) in the BIOS. This is a common step that new builders overlook.

Answer

The RAM modules are defective

Answer

The motherboard does not support dual-channel memory

Answer

The CPU does not support DDR4-3200

Question 12

You are deploying 20 identical office PCs. After imaging one system, you clone the drive to the other 19. However, all cloned systems fail to boot with a 'Boot Device Not Found' error. The original system boots fine. What motherboard setting is most likely causing this?

Accepted Answer

The boot mode is set to Legacy BIOS instead of UEFI. When cloning a system, the boot mode (UEFI vs. Legacy BIOS) must match the motherboard configuration. If the original was set to UEFI but the clones have Legacy mode enabled (or vice versa), the system won't find the bootloader. This is a common deployment pitfall.

Answer

Secure Boot is enabled on the clones

Answer

The SATA mode is set to AHCI on the clones

Answer

The CMOS battery is dead on the clones

Question 13

A small office has a desktop PC that will not display any video. The motherboard has an integrated VGA port and a PCIe x16 slot that is empty. The system powers on, fans spin, but the monitor connected to the VGA port shows 'No Signal'. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The RAM is not properly seated. If no dedicated GPU is installed and the integrated graphics are not working, the issue could be that the CPU does not have integrated graphics, or the integrated graphics are disabled in BIOS. However, the most common cause when the system powers on but no video is that the RAM is not properly seated or is faulty, as the system cannot complete POST without working memory.

Answer

The monitor is faulty

Answer

The CPU lacks integrated graphics

Answer

The motherboard's CMOS battery is dead

Question 14

A user complains that their computer sometimes fails to boot and emits a series of long beeps. After several attempts, it boots normally. Which motherboard component is most likely failing?

Accepted Answer

The RAM modules. A series of long beeps during POST typically indicates a memory (RAM) issue. Intermittent boot failures with beep codes point to a failing RAM module, a dirty contact, or a loose connection. The beep code is a diagnostic tool from the motherboard's BIOS.

Answer

The CPU

Answer

The power supply

Answer

The hard drive

Question 15

A technician is building a new gaming PC. The motherboard has two PCIe x16 slots, but the graphics card only works in the second slot. When installed in the first slot (closest to the CPU), the system powers on but no display. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The first PCIe slot is disabled in BIOS. This scenario often occurs when the first PCIe x16 slot shares bandwidth with other components or is configured differently in BIOS. However, a common issue is that the first slot may require a specific BIOS setting, or the slot itself is damaged. The most likely cause is that the motherboard's BIOS is set to use the second slot as the primary display, or the first slot is faulty. Since the card works in the second slot, the first slot is likely the problem.

Answer

The graphics card is not fully seated in the first slot

Answer

The power supply is insufficient for the first slot

Answer

The CPU has bent pins affecting the first slot

Question 16

During a desktop build, you install a new M.2 NVMe SSD into the M.2 slot. When you power on the system, the BIOS does not detect the drive. The SSD is known to be working. What is the most likely motherboard-related cause?

Accepted Answer

The M.2 slot is SATA-only and the drive is NVMe. Many motherboards share PCIe lanes between M.2 slots and SATA ports. Installing an M.2 NVMe drive often disables certain SATA ports, but the drive itself should still be detected if properly seated. The most common oversight is not checking the motherboard manual for M.2 slot compatibility or lane sharing.

Answer

The CMOS battery needs replacement

Answer

The motherboard BIOS is corrupted

Answer

The CPU is not seated properly

Question 17

A technician is troubleshooting a network where a user's PC has an IP address of 169.254.12.34. The PC is connected to a switch that is uplinked to a router with DHCP enabled. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The Ethernet cable between the PC and the switch is faulty.. An APIPA address (169.254.x.x) indicates the PC failed to get a DHCP lease. Since the router has DHCP enabled, the issue is likely a bad Ethernet cable or a port problem preventing communication with the DHCP server.

Answer

The DHCP server is out of IP addresses.

Answer

The PC's DNS settings are incorrect.

Answer

The router's firewall is blocking DHCP requests.

Question 18

A company deploys a new VoIP phone system. Users report that calls are choppy and sometimes drop. The network uses a single flat subnet with no QoS. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

There is no Quality of Service (QoS) configured.. VoIP traffic is sensitive to latency, jitter, and packet loss. Without QoS, data traffic can congest the network, causing choppy audio and dropped calls. Implementing QoS prioritizes voice traffic.

Answer

The VoIP phones have incorrect DNS settings.

Answer

The switch ports are set to half-duplex.

Answer

The Ethernet cables are Cat5 instead of Cat6.

Question 19

A user's laser printer is displaying a 'Replace Fuser' error message, but the pages are printing correctly. The printer has a maintenance kit that includes a fuser, transfer roller, and pickup rollers. What should be done?

Accepted Answer

Replace the fuser using the maintenance kit. The 'Replace Fuser' error is a proactive maintenance indicator, not necessarily a sign of failure. If print quality is fine, the fuser may still be functional, but the printer's page count has reached the recommended replacement interval. Replacing the fuser as part of the maintenance kit prevents future issues and clears the error.

Answer

Ignore the error and continue printing

Answer

Reset the printer's maintenance counter without replacing anything

Answer

Replace only the toner cartridge

Question 20

A technician is troubleshooting a network where a single workstation cannot access any network resources. The link light on the NIC is solid, and the IP configuration shows an address of 192.168.1.100 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. The workstation can ping its own IP but not the default gateway (192.168.1.1). What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The switch port is configured with the wrong VLAN.. The workstation has a valid IP and can ping itself, indicating the NIC and stack are working. However, it cannot reach the gateway, which suggests a Layer 2 issue—likely an incorrect or missing default gateway configuration, or a VLAN mismatch on the switch port.

Answer

The DNS server is unreachable.

Answer

The Ethernet cable is a crossover cable.

Answer

The workstation's subnet mask is wrong.