220-1201 Practice Exam 59 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A user complains that their external hard drive is not showing up in File Explorer, but it appears in Device Manager as a connected device. What is the most likely issue?

Accepted Answer

The drive does not have a drive letter assigned.. This question tests troubleshooting storage recognition issues. When a device appears in Device Manager but not File Explorer, it often means the drive lacks a drive letter or has a partition issue.

Answer

The USB port is faulty.

Answer

The drive needs a new driver.

Answer

The file system is corrupted.

Question 2

A company is deploying 10 Gigabit Ethernet in a data center and needs cabling that supports this speed over a distance of 50 meters. Which cable type should be selected?

Accepted Answer

Cat6a. Cat6a (Augmented Category 6) cabling is the correct choice because it supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GBASE-T) over distances up to 100 meters, easily covering the required 50 meters. Cat6a uses thicker insulation and tighter twists to reduce alien crosstalk, which is critical for maintaining signal integrity at 10 Gbps over longer runs.

Answer

Cat5e

Answer

Cat6

Answer

Cat3

Question 3

A small office is installing new network drops in a drop ceiling for employee workstations. The IT manager wants to minimize future troubleshooting. Which cabling practice should be followed during installation?

Accepted Answer

Label both ends of each cable with a unique identifier.. Labeling both ends of each cable with a unique identifier is a best practice for cable management that directly reduces troubleshooting time. When a cable fault occurs or a move/add/change is needed, technicians can quickly trace the cable from the patch panel to the workstation jack without tone-and-probe testing, minimizing downtime. This practice aligns with TIA/EIA-606-A labeling standards for administration of telecommunications infrastructure.

Answer

Use crossover cables for all workstation connections.

Answer

Run cables parallel to electrical wiring to save space.

Answer

Use flat ribbon cables for all long runs.

Question 4

A customer reports that their new Gigabit Ethernet connection is only achieving 100 Mbps speeds. The cable run is 75 meters through a drop ceiling and uses a Cat5e cable. What is the most likely cause of the speed limitation?

Accepted Answer

The cable is actually Cat5, not Cat5e.. Cat5e is rated for Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE-T) up to 100 meters. However, if the cable is actually Cat5 (not Cat5e), it is only certified for 100 Mbps (100BASE-TX) at that distance. The 75-meter run is within spec for Cat5e, so the most likely cause is that the installed cable is Cat5, which cannot reliably support 1000BASE-T.

Answer

The cable is too long for Cat5e.

Answer

The cable is shielded and causing interference.

Answer

The network switch port is faulty.

Question 5

A technician is troubleshooting a laptop that will not charge via its USB-C port. The laptop uses a USB-C power adapter that works with other devices. The technician tests the port with a known-good USB-C flash drive, and it is not detected. What is the most likely issue?

Accepted Answer

The USB-C port is damaged or has bent pins.. Since the known-good USB-C flash drive is also not detected, the issue is not with the power adapter or its wattage. The port's inability to communicate with any USB-C device indicates a physical hardware fault, such as bent or broken pins inside the port, which prevents both power delivery and data transfer.

Answer

The laptop's battery is completely dead and needs replacement.

Answer

The power adapter is not outputting enough wattage.

Answer

The laptop's BIOS settings have disabled the USB-C port.

Question 6

A sales representative reports that their tablet's screen becomes unresponsive when they try to use it with a capacitive stylus. They need to annotate documents during client meetings. Which accessory should you recommend to resolve this issue?

Accepted Answer

A fine-point capacitive stylus. The issue is that the tablet's screen is unresponsive to the capacitive stylus. A capacitive stylus works by conducting the electrical charge from your finger to the screen. A fine-point capacitive stylus (Option B) provides a more precise tip while still maintaining the necessary conductivity for the touchscreen to register input, allowing the sales representative to annotate documents effectively.

Answer

A Bluetooth keyboard

Answer

A screen protector

Answer

A passive stylus with a rubber tip

Question 7

A network administrator wants to ensure that all devices on a subnet automatically receive IP addresses from a specific range, and that the lease time is set to 8 hours. Which configuration file or service should be modified?

Accepted Answer

DHCP scope. The DHCP scope defines the range of IP addresses that a DHCP server can assign to clients on a subnet, along with lease duration and other options. By modifying the DHCP scope, the administrator can set the specific IP address range and configure the lease time to 8 hours, ensuring all devices on that subnet automatically receive addresses from that pool.

Answer

DNS zone file

Answer

NAT rules

Answer

QoS policy

Question 8

A company's web server is hosted internally and must be accessible from the internet using the domain name www.company.com. The public IP address of the router is 203.0.113.5. Which two network services must be correctly configured to make this work?

Accepted Answer

DNS and NAT. DNS is required to resolve the domain name www.company.com to the public IP address 203.0.113.5, so external users can reach the router. NAT (specifically destination NAT or port forwarding) is needed to translate the public IP and port to the internal private IP address of the web server, allowing inbound traffic to reach the internal host.

Answer

DNS and DHCP

Answer

NAT and ARP

Answer

DHCP and NAT

Question 9

A company's web server is accessible from the internet, but users report that the website loads slowly. The server's public IP is 203.0.113.10, and the internal IP is 192.168.1.10. The network administrator notices that the router's port forwarding rule is set to forward port 80 to 192.168.1.10:8080. What is the likely cause of the slow performance?

Accepted Answer

The port forwarding rule uses the wrong internal port. Port forwarding should map external port 80 to the server's internal port 80, not 8080 unless the server listens on 8080. If the server listens on port 80, the mismatch causes connection delays or errors as the router forwards to a closed port. Correcting the internal port resolves the issue.

Answer

The DNS server is misconfigured

Answer

The NAT table is full

Answer

The DHCP scope is exhausted

Question 10

A laptop's built-in webcam is not recognized by any application. You have checked Device Manager and the camera is not listed. The webcam ribbon cable appears intact. Which component should you suspect next?

Accepted Answer

The webcam module or motherboard USB controller has failed.. Since the webcam is not listed in Device Manager at all, the issue is at the hardware detection level, not the driver or software level. An intact ribbon cable suggests the webcam module itself or the motherboard's USB controller (which typically handles the internal webcam as a USB device) has failed, preventing enumeration. Option C correctly identifies this hardware failure as the next logical suspect.

Answer

The webcam driver is outdated.

Answer

The laptop's BIOS has the webcam disabled.

Answer

The operating system needs to be reinstalled.

Question 11

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 12

A laptop's touchpad is not working correctly; the cursor jumps erratically. You have already updated the driver and checked for debris. What hardware component should you inspect or replace next?

Accepted Answer

Reseat the touchpad ribbon cable on the motherboard.. This question tests systematic troubleshooting of input devices. After ruling out software and debris, the next step is to check the touchpad's ribbon cable connection to the motherboard. A loose or damaged cable can cause erratic behavior. Replacing the touchpad itself is a later step.

Answer

Replace the entire keyboard assembly.

Answer

Replace the laptop's LCD screen.

Answer

Reinstall the operating system.

Question 13

A technician is upgrading the RAM in a laptop. After installing two new 8GB sticks, the laptop fails to boot and emits a series of beeps. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The RAM modules are not fully seated in the slots.. The most likely cause is that the RAM modules are not fully seated in the slots. When RAM is not properly inserted, the laptop's POST (Power-On Self-Test) fails, and the system emits a series of beeps to indicate a memory error. This is a common issue after installation, as RAM requires firm, even pressure to click into place and make full contact with the slot's pins.

Answer

The RAM is not compatible with the motherboard.

Answer

The laptop's BIOS needs to be updated.

Answer

The RAM was installed in the wrong orientation.

Question 14

A user reports that their laser printer is producing pages with a faint, ghost-like image of the previous page printed on the back of the current page. The printer has been in use for three years and has never had its maintenance kit replaced. What is the most likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

The fuser unit is worn out and needs replacement.. This describes a ghosting issue where a previous image appears on the next page, often caused by a worn-out fuser that fails to fully bond toner to the paper. The fuser is part of the maintenance kit, which should be replaced periodically. Other components like the toner cartridge or drum would cause different symptoms.

Answer

The toner cartridge is low on toner.

Answer

The paper is too moist and causing toner to smear.

Answer

The printer driver is outdated and needs updating.

Question 15

A customer reports that their laptop's touchpad is unresponsive after they spilled a small amount of liquid on the keyboard. The laptop still powers on and the keyboard works. What is the most likely issue?

Accepted Answer

The touchpad ribbon cable is damaged or disconnected.. The most likely issue is that the liquid spill has physically damaged or disconnected the touchpad's ribbon cable, which connects the touchpad to the motherboard. Since the keyboard still works, the spill likely affected only the touchpad's dedicated connection path, not the main keyboard controller or system board. A damaged ribbon cable is a common consequence of liquid ingress, even if the laptop powers on normally.

Answer

The touchpad driver is corrupted.

Answer

The battery is swollen and pressing on the touchpad.

Answer

The touchpad is disabled in the BIOS.

Question 16

A technician is troubleshooting a tablet that has a dim display that flickers intermittently. The device responds to touch and the OS loads normally. Which component is most likely failing?

Accepted Answer

The backlight LED or inverter is failing.. The backlight LED or inverter is the most likely failing component because the display is dim but still functional (the LCD panel itself works, as the OS loads and touch responds). A failing backlight reduces brightness and can cause flickering due to inconsistent power delivery to the LEDs, while the digitizer and GPU remain operational.

Answer

The digitizer is malfunctioning.

Answer

The LCD panel has dead pixels.

Answer

The motherboard GPU is damaged.

Question 17

A technician is repairing a tablet that has a cracked digitizer. The LCD panel is intact and displays correctly. After replacing the digitizer, the touch input is unresponsive. What is the most likely oversight?

Accepted Answer

The digitizer flex cable is not fully seated in the connector.. The digitizer flex cable must be fully seated and locked into its connector on the tablet's mainboard to establish electrical continuity for touch signals. If the cable is loose or not properly inserted, the touch controller cannot communicate with the digitizer, resulting in a completely unresponsive touch input despite the LCD display functioning correctly.

Answer

The digitizer is not compatible with the tablet model.

Answer

The LCD panel was damaged during the repair.

Answer

The tablet's touch controller needs to be calibrated.

Question 18

A technician is troubleshooting a laptop that cannot connect to a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network, but it connects to 2.4 GHz networks without issue. The laptop's Wi-Fi adapter supports both bands. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The laptop is too far from the access point, or there are obstructions blocking the 5 GHz signal.. The most likely cause is distance or obstructions because 5 GHz signals have higher attenuation and shorter range compared to 2.4 GHz. Since the laptop connects to 2.4 GHz but not 5 GHz, and the adapter supports both bands, the physical environment is the primary suspect — 5 GHz is more easily blocked by walls, furniture, or simply being too far from the access point.

Answer

The 5 GHz network is using a channel not supported by the laptop's Wi-Fi adapter.

Answer

The laptop's Bluetooth is interfering with the 5 GHz Wi-Fi.

Answer

The 5 GHz network requires WPA3, which the laptop does not support.

Question 19

A user complains that their laser printer is printing pages with a vertical black line down the left side of every page. The line appears consistently in the same position regardless of the document printed. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The toner cartridge's drum is scratched or has debris.. A vertical black line in a fixed position on laser printer output is often caused by a scratch or debris on the photosensitive drum, which picks up toner and transfers it to the paper. The drum is part of the toner cartridge in many printers. Other components like the fuser or transfer roller would cause different patterns.

Answer

The fuser roller has a scratch.

Answer

The paper feed rollers are dirty.

Answer

The printer driver is set to 'economy mode'.

Question 20

A user's Android phone will not charge when plugged into a car's USB port, but charges fine with a wall adapter. The car's USB port powers other devices. What is the most likely issue?

Accepted Answer

The car USB port does not supply enough current.. The car's USB port likely follows the USB Battery Charging Specification (BCS) 1.2, which defines a Dedicated Charging Port (DCP) as capable of supplying up to 1.5 A. However, many car USB ports are designed only for data transfer and provide a standard downstream port (SDP) limited to 500 mA (USB 2.0) or 900 mA (USB 3.0). The phone's charging circuit detects the available current via USB data line handshaking; if the port cannot supply enough current, the phone may refuse to charge or charge very slowly. Since the wall adapter provides adequate current (typically 1–2 A), the phone charges normally, isolating the issue to insufficient current from the car's port.

Answer

The car's USB port is faulty.

Answer

The phone's USB port is damaged.

Answer

The USB cable is incompatible.