220-1201 Practice Exam 57 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A customer reports that their external hard drive, which uses a USB-C connection, is not being recognized by their laptop. The drive works fine on another computer. The laptop has only USB-A ports. Which adapter should be used to connect the drive?

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

Accepted Answer

USB-C male to USB-A female adapter. USB-C to USB-A adapters are common for connecting newer devices to older ports. The correct answer is a USB-C male to USB-A female adapter, which allows the drive's USB-C cable to plug into a USB-A port.

Answer

USB-A male to USB-C male cable

Answer

USB-C female to USB-A female adapter

Answer

USB-A female to USB-C female adapter

Question 2

A user wants to connect a new monitor to their desktop PC. The monitor has a DisplayPort input, and the PC has an HDMI output. Which cable type will work without additional adapters?

Accepted Answer

HDMI to DisplayPort cable. HDMI and DisplayPort are different standards, but many cables are available with HDMI on one end and DisplayPort on the other. A bidirectional cable can connect an HDMI source to a DisplayPort monitor.

Answer

HDMI to HDMI cable

Answer

DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable

Answer

VGA to HDMI cable

Question 3

A small office has several desktop PCs that intermittently fail to power on in the morning. The issue is more common on humid days. After checking the wall outlets, you find they are properly grounded. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The power supply units are failing due to moisture-related internal corrosion. A failing power supply can be sensitive to humidity, causing internal shorts or capacitor leakage. Inrush current from multiple PCs on the same circuit could also be a factor, but the humidity correlation points to PSU degradation. Proper grounding eliminates outlet issues.

Answer

The building's circuit breaker is tripping due to overload

Answer

The CMOS battery is dead on each PC

Answer

The power button is stuck on each case

Question 4

You are building a new gaming PC and have installed a 750W 80+ Gold power supply. After connecting all components, the system powers on for a second then immediately shuts down. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

A motherboard standoff is shorting the board to the case. A short circuit triggers the PSU's overcurrent protection, causing immediate shutdown. This is common if a motherboard standoff is missing or a screw is lodged under the board. Other causes like insufficient wattage or loose cables typically cause instability, not instant shutdown.

Answer

The power supply is underpowered for the components

Answer

The CPU fan is not connected

Answer

The power supply's voltage selector is set to 230V instead of 115V

Question 5

A technician is deploying a 3D printer that uses fused deposition modeling (FDM) in a school lab. After several test prints, the prints are warping at the edges and not adhering to the build plate. The filament is PLA, and the build plate is heated. Which adjustment should be made first?

Accepted Answer

Adjust the bed leveling or Z-offset to ensure proper first layer height. Warping and poor adhesion in FDM printing are often caused by an incorrect first layer height or bed leveling. If the nozzle is too far from the bed, the filament does not squish enough to stick. Adjusting the bed leveling or Z-offset ensures proper first layer adhesion.

Answer

Increase the nozzle temperature by 10°C

Answer

Apply a layer of glue stick to the build plate

Answer

Reduce the print speed

Question 6

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 7

A customer reports that their desktop computer, used for video editing, frequently runs out of memory and slows down. They want to upgrade the RAM but are not sure which type is compatible. The motherboard manual lists support for DDR4-3200 and DDR4-2666. The system currently has two 8 GB DDR4-2666 modules installed. What is the best upgrade to maximize performance and capacity?

Accepted Answer

Replace the two 8 GB modules with two 16 GB DDR4-3200 modules.. Mixing RAM speeds forces all modules to run at the slowest speed, so adding DDR4-3200 modules would cause them to downclock to 2666 MHz, wasting potential performance. The best upgrade is to replace the existing modules with a matched kit of DDR4-3200 modules, ensuring full speed and capacity. This scenario tests understanding of RAM speed compatibility and the importance of matched modules for optimal performance.

Answer

Add two 8 GB DDR4-3200 modules to the existing RAM.

Answer

Replace the two 8 GB modules with two 16 GB DDR4-2666 modules.

Answer

Add two 16 GB DDR4-2666 modules to the existing RAM.

Question 8

A technician is deploying a new network in a warehouse and needs to measure the length of a spool of Cat6a cable before installation to ensure it does not exceed the 100-meter segment limit. Which tool should be used?

Accepted Answer

TDR (Time-Domain Reflectometer). A Time-Domain Reflectometer (TDR) sends a pulse down the cable and measures the time it takes for the reflection to return from the far end or from a fault. By calculating the propagation velocity of the signal, the TDR can accurately determine the cable length, making it the correct tool to verify that a spool of Cat6a cable does not exceed the 100-meter segment limit before installation.

Answer

Multimeter

Answer

Cable tester

Answer

Tone generator

Question 9

You are troubleshooting a network issue where a user cannot access a specific server. You need to verify the path that packets take from the user's computer to the server and identify where delays occur. Which command-line tool should you use?

Accepted Answer

tracert. The tracert (traceroute) command is specifically designed to map the path packets take from a source to a destination by sending ICMP Echo Requests with incrementing Time-To-Live (TTL) values. Each router along the path decrements the TTL and, when it reaches zero, sends back an ICMP Time Exceeded message, allowing tracert to display each hop and the round-trip time (RTT) for that hop. This makes it the correct tool for verifying the packet path and identifying where delays occur.

Answer

ping

Answer

ipconfig

Answer

nslookup

Question 10

During a network upgrade, a technician needs to document the physical path a cable takes from a workstation to the patch panel in the server room. Which tool is specifically designed to trace the exact cable route through walls and ceilings?

Accepted Answer

Toner and probe. A toner and probe (often called a fox and hound) is specifically designed to trace the physical path of a cable through walls, ceilings, and conduits. The toner injects an analog audio signal onto the cable, and the inductive probe detects that signal without needing a direct electrical connection, allowing the technician to follow the cable's route even when it is hidden behind building materials.

Answer

Cable tester

Answer

Crimper

Answer

Punch-down tool

Question 11

A network administrator is troubleshooting a slow connection between two buildings connected by a fiber optic link. The link is up but throughput is lower than expected. Which tool should be used to measure the exact signal loss in the fiber?

Accepted Answer

OTDR. An Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) is the correct tool because it sends a series of optical pulses into the fiber and measures the backscattered and reflected light to calculate the exact signal loss (attenuation) at specific points along the link. This allows the administrator to identify splices, bends, or connectors causing excessive loss, which directly explains the low throughput despite the link being up.

Answer

Multimeter

Answer

Tone generator

Answer

Wi-Fi analyzer

Question 12

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.

Question 13

A technician is troubleshooting intermittent packet loss on a critical link between two buildings. The link uses single-mode fiber optic cable. Which tool is specifically designed to measure the length of the fiber and locate breaks or splices that could cause signal loss?

Accepted Answer

OTDR. An Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) is the correct tool because it sends a series of light pulses into the fiber and measures the backscattered and reflected light to calculate fiber length, locate breaks, splices, and connectors, and quantify loss at each event. This makes it ideal for troubleshooting intermittent packet loss caused by physical impairments in a single-mode fiber link between buildings.

Answer

Light meter

Answer

Multimeter

Answer

Cable tester

Question 14

A user complains that their PC emits a high-pitched whining noise when under load, and the noise stops when the system is idle. The noise is not coming from the case fans or CPU cooler. What component is most likely failing?

Accepted Answer

The power supply's coils are vibrating due to electrical load. Coil whine from the power supply's inductors or transformers is common under load and can be audible. It is not typically a sign of immediate failure but can indicate a low-quality PSU. Fans and coolers produce different sounds.

Answer

The power supply's internal fan bearing

Answer

The GPU fan is hitting a wire

Answer

The hard drive is failing mechanically

Question 15

A user reports that their wired workstation cannot connect to the internet, but other devices on the same switch work fine. You need to verify the link status and speed of the workstation's network adapter. Which tool should you use?

Accepted Answer

Cable tester. None of the listed tools can directly verify the link status and speed of a network adapter. Link status and speed are typically indicated by LEDs on the NIC or reported by the operating system (e.g., Windows Network Status or Linux ethtool). A cable tester only checks cable continuity and wiring; a multimeter measures voltage; a toner probe traces cables; a loopback plug tests the NIC's ability to send and receive data but does not indicate link speed or status with a switch. Therefore, the correct approach would be to check the NIC's LEDs or software configuration, which are not represented in the given options.

Answer

Multimeter

Answer

Toner probe

Answer

Loopback plug

Question 16

A user's workstation has intermittent connectivity issues. You suspect the Ethernet cable might be damaged or improperly terminated. You need to test the cable for continuity, shorts, and correct pinout. Which tool should you use, and what is a key feature of this tool?

Accepted Answer

Cable tester; it can detect split pairs. A cable tester is the correct tool because it verifies continuity, detects shorts, and confirms the correct pinout (e.g., T568A/B) of an Ethernet cable. A key feature is its ability to detect split pairs, which can cause crosstalk and intermittent connectivity even if continuity appears fine, as the pairs are not properly twisted.

Answer

Toner probe; it can measure signal strength

Answer

Multimeter; it can measure resistance

Answer

Loopback plug; it can simulate network traffic

Question 17

A technician is configuring a high-performance workstation for scientific simulations that require large amounts of RAM. The motherboard has eight DDR4 slots and supports quad-channel memory. The technician installs four 16 GB sticks in the correct slots for quad-channel mode. After booting, the system reports 64 GB of RAM but only runs in dual-channel mode. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The installed CPU only supports dual-channel memory.. Quad-channel memory requires a compatible CPU that supports quad-channel architecture. Most consumer CPUs (like Intel Core i7/i9) only support dual-channel, even if the motherboard has four slots. Server or HEDT (High-End Desktop) CPUs are needed for quad-channel.

Answer

The RAM sticks are not identical in speed and timings.

Answer

The motherboard BIOS needs to be configured to enable quad-channel mode.

Answer

The RAM is installed in the wrong slots for quad-channel operation.

Question 18

A user's all-in-one PC has a touchscreen that is not responding correctly. The technician calibrates the touchscreen, but the issue persists. The technician then notices that the screen is slightly misaligned with the bezel. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The LCD panel has shifted inside the chassis.. The physical misalignment between the screen and the bezel indicates that the LCD panel has physically shifted inside the chassis, which is a common issue in all-in-one PCs where the panel is mounted directly to the frame. This shift causes the touch input coordinates to be offset from the display output, and recalibration cannot compensate for a hardware displacement. The digitizer (touch sensor) is likely still functional, but its alignment relative to the LCD is now incorrect.

Answer

The touchscreen driver is corrupted.

Answer

The digitizer is failing.

Answer

The operating system needs a touchscreen firmware update.

Question 19

A technician is configuring a new all-in-one PC for a graphic designer. The designer needs to calibrate the display for accurate color reproduction. Which technology should the technician ensure the monitor supports?

Accepted Answer

IPS panel with high color gamut. An IPS (In-Plane Switching) panel with a high color gamut (e.g., sRGB, Adobe RGB, or DCI-P3 coverage) is essential for accurate color reproduction. IPS technology provides consistent color and brightness across wide viewing angles, which is critical for graphic design work where color fidelity is paramount. High color gamut ensures the display can reproduce a broader range of colors, meeting professional calibration standards.

Answer

TN panel with 144Hz refresh rate

Answer

VA panel with high contrast ratio

Answer

OLED panel with burn-in protection

Question 20

A customer wants to use a 34-inch ultrawide monitor (3440x1440) with their desktop PC. The PC has an older GPU with a DVI-D dual-link port and an HDMI 1.4 port. Which connection should the technician recommend for the best image quality?

Accepted Answer

HDMI 1.4. HDMI 1.4 supports 3440x1440 at up to 75 Hz, which is sufficient for the monitor's typical 60 Hz refresh rate. DVI-D dual-link is limited to 2560x1600 at 60 Hz and cannot deliver the full 3440x1440 resolution. Therefore, HDMI 1.4 provides the best image quality among the available ports.

Answer

DVI-D dual-link

Answer

VGA

Answer

DisplayPort