220-1101 Practice Test 19 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A cloud administrator needs to increase the amount of RAM allocated to a running virtual machine (VM) from 4GB to 8GB to handle a temporary workload spike. The administrator logs into the cloud management console, selects the VM, and changes the instance type to one with 8GB of RAM. The change takes effect immediately without requiring a reboot. Which cloud computing characteristic does this scenario BEST illustrate?

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

Accepted Answer

Rapid elasticity. Rapid elasticity is the cloud characteristic that allows resources to be scaled up or down quickly and automatically, often without requiring a reboot. In this scenario, the administrator changes the instance type to one with 8GB of RAM, and the change takes effect immediately, demonstrating the rapid provisioning and de-provisioning of resources to meet workload demands.

Answer

Measured service

Answer

Resource pooling

Answer

On-demand self-service

Question 2

A technician upgrades a desktop computer by installing a new M.2 NVMe SSD. The computer previously booted from a SATA SSD connected to port 0. After the installation, the computer fails to boot and enters the BIOS setup utility. The BIOS detects both the SATA SSD and the M.2 NVMe drive. Which of the following should the technician do FIRST to resolve the boot issue?

Accepted Answer

Change the boot order in the BIOS to prioritize the SATA SSD. The correct first step is to change the boot order in the BIOS to prioritize the SATA SSD. Installing a new M.2 NVMe SSD often causes the BIOS to reset the boot order or default to the newly detected drive, especially if the M.2 slot shares bandwidth with SATA ports. Since the BIOS detects both drives, the boot failure is due to the system attempting to boot from the empty M.2 drive rather than the existing SATA SSD with the OS.

Answer

Disable the M.2 slot in the BIOS

Answer

Reinstall the operating system on the M.2 NVMe drive

Answer

Remove the SATA SSD from the system

Question 3

A company hosts its customer relationship management (CRM) application on a single virtual machine (VM) in a public cloud. The VM is configured with a static private IP address that is used by a third-party service to send data to the application. During a scheduled hardware maintenance event, the cloud provider automatically migrates the VM to a different physical host. After the migration, the CRM application can no longer receive data from the third-party service. Which of the following cloud computing concepts was MOST likely not properly implemented?

Accepted Answer

High availability. High availability. The VM was migrated to a different physical host during maintenance, which is a normal high-availability operation. However, the static private IP address was not preserved or re-mapped after migration, causing the third-party service to lose connectivity. Proper high-availability implementation requires that the VM's IP address (or a floating IP) remains reachable after failover or migration, typically through mechanisms like virtual IPs, DNS updates, or cloud provider's elastic IP services.

Answer

Elasticity

Answer

Scalability

Answer

Resource pooling

Question 4

A user reports that after a power outage and router restart, their desktop computer can no longer access network shares on other computers. The user can access the internet. The technician runs ipconfig and sees the IP address changed from 192.168.1.50 to 192.168.1.75. The other computers on the network have static IP addresses. Which of the following should the technician configure to resolve the issue permanently?

Accepted Answer

Configure a DHCP reservation on the router for the user's computer.. The user's IP address changed from 192.168.1.50 to 192.168.1.75 after the router restart, indicating the computer received a new DHCP lease. Since other computers use static IPs, the user's computer likely had a static IP before the outage but reverted to DHCP after the restart, or it was always using DHCP and the router assigned a different address. Configuring a DHCP reservation on the router ensures the router always assigns the same IP (192.168.1.50) to the user's MAC address, permanently resolving the connectivity issue to network shares without changing the computer's configuration.

Answer

Configure a static IP address on the user's computer.

Answer

Set a shorter DHCP lease time on the router.

Answer

Change the subnet mask to 255.255.0.0.

Question 5

A user recently purchased a new desktop computer that does not have any USB-C ports. The user wants to add USB-C connectivity to charge devices and transfer data. Which of the following expansion cards should the technician install?

Accepted Answer

PCIe USB 3.0 card with USB-C ports. A PCIe USB 3.0 card with USB-C ports is the correct choice because it directly adds USB-C connectivity to a desktop lacking native ports. USB 3.0 (now USB 3.2 Gen 1) supports up to 5 Gbps data transfer and can provide up to 4.5W (0.9A at 5V) for charging, which meets the user's stated need to charge devices and transfer data. The PCIe interface ensures compatibility with the desktop's expansion slot, making this a straightforward upgrade.

Answer

Thunderbolt 3 PCIe card

Answer

eSATA PCIe card

Answer

FireWire (IEEE 1394) PCIe card

Question 6

A technician is replacing the battery in a smartphone. After reassembly, the phone powers on and the screen works, but the battery icon shows 0% charge and the phone does not recognize the battery. The technician verifies that the battery connector is fully seated. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

The flex cable connecting the battery to the motherboard is damaged. The battery connector being fully seated does not rule out damage to the flex cable itself. A damaged flex cable can cause an open circuit or intermittent connection between the battery and the motherboard, preventing the battery management system from reading the battery's charge level or identification data, even though the phone powers on via residual charge or a direct power path.

Answer

The battery is defective and needs to be replaced

Answer

The charging port is damaged

Answer

The battery management chip is faulty

Question 7

A technician is assembling a new custom workstation. After installing the motherboard, CPU, cooler, RAM, and a dedicated graphics card, the system powers on when the power button is pressed. The case fans spin, the CPU cooler fan spins, and LEDs on the motherboard light up. However, there is no display, and the motherboard's DRAM_LED remains lit. The technician has already tried reseating the RAM in different slots and using a single stick, but the issue persists. The CPU and motherboard are both new and listed as compatible. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

The CPU power connector (EPS12V) is not connected. The DRAM_LED remaining lit indicates the motherboard is not detecting or initializing the RAM. Since reseating and single-stick testing did not resolve the issue, the next most likely cause is insufficient power to the CPU memory controller. The EPS12V (4+4 pin) CPU power connector supplies dedicated 12V power to the CPU and its integrated memory controller; without it, the CPU cannot communicate with the RAM, causing the DRAM LED to stay on even though the system appears to power on.

Answer

The GPU power cables are not connected

Answer

The RAM is not supported by the motherboard

Answer

The CMOS battery is dead

Question 8

A technician is installing additional RAM into a desktop computer. The motherboard supports DDR4-3200 up to 64GB. The technician installs two 16GB DDR4-3200 sticks into the correct slots (A2 and B2) as per the motherboard manual. Upon powering on, the computer powers on with fans spinning but there is no display and no POST beeps. The technician removes the new RAM and reinstalls the original RAM (two 8GB sticks), and the computer boots normally. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The RAM was not fully seated into the slots.. The most likely cause is that the new RAM was not fully seated into the slots. The symptoms—fans spinning, no display, no POST beeps—indicate a hardware initialization failure, often due to poor contact between the RAM module and the slot. Since the original RAM works fine in the same slots, the issue is not with the motherboard or BIOS, but with the installation of the new modules. Proper seating requires applying even pressure until the retention clips click into place.

Answer

The new RAM is incompatible with the motherboard.

Answer

The motherboard needs a BIOS update to support the new RAM capacity.

Answer

The RAM was inserted backwards.

Question 9

A small office network uses an unmanaged switch to connect 20 workstations to a router. After connecting the 11th workstation, all previously connected workstations begin losing internet connectivity intermittently. The switch link lights remain solid green for all connected devices. The technician discovers that the new workstation has two active network interfaces, both plugged into the same switch. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Network loop. The new workstation has two active network interfaces both plugged into the same unmanaged switch, creating a physical network loop. This loop causes broadcast storms and MAC address table instability (the switch repeatedly learns the same MAC address on different ports), which overwhelms the switch and causes intermittent connectivity for all devices. Unmanaged switches lack Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) to detect and block redundant paths, so the loop is not automatically resolved.

Answer

IP address conflict

Answer

Switch is faulty

Answer

Exceeded DHCP scope

Question 10

A technician is building a new desktop computer. After installing an M.2 NVMe SSD, the system powers on, but the drive does not appear in the BIOS/UEFI boot device list. The technician has verified that the SSD is properly seated in the M.2 slot. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Verify that the M.2 slot supports NVMe protocol. The M.2 slot on a motherboard can support either SATA or NVMe (PCIe) protocol, but not all slots support both. Since the technician has verified the SSD is properly seated, the next logical step is to confirm that the specific M.2 slot being used is compatible with NVMe protocol. If the slot only supports SATA, an NVMe drive will not be detected regardless of proper installation.

Answer

Update the motherboard BIOS to the latest version

Answer

Enable the M.2 slot in the BIOS settings

Answer

Reseat the SSD in a different M.2 slot if available

Question 11

A user reports that their desktop computer loses network connection intermittently. The technician notices that the LED on the NIC is off but other computers on the same switch work fine. The cable run is long, passing through a ceiling. Which tool should the technician use FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Cable tester. The intermittent loss of connection and the NIC LED being off strongly suggest a physical layer issue with the cable. Since other computers on the same switch work fine, the problem is isolated to this specific cable run, which is long and passes through a ceiling where it could be damaged or pinched. A cable tester is the correct first tool because it can quickly verify continuity, wiring faults, and signal integrity without requiring the network to be active, allowing the technician to isolate the fault before moving to more complex diagnostics.

Answer

Loopback plug

Answer

Multimeter

Answer

Tone generator

Question 12

A technician builds a new workstation. After installing the CPU, heatsink, RAM, and a discrete video card, the system powers on (fans spin, lights come on) but the monitor shows 'No Signal'. The technician verifies the monitor works with another computer. The motherboard has integrated graphics, and the technician tries connecting the monitor to both the integrated port and the discrete video card port; neither produces a display. The system emits no beep codes. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Clear the CMOS by removing the battery or using the jumper. The system powers on with no display and no beep codes, which strongly indicates a POST failure that prevents the motherboard from initializing video output. Clearing the CMOS resets the BIOS/UEFI settings to factory defaults, which can resolve issues caused by incorrect configuration (e.g., a setting that disables integrated graphics or a corrupted video initialization parameter). This is a standard first step when no display is present and all basic connections are verified.

Answer

Reseat the CPU and reapply thermal paste

Answer

Replace the RAM modules one at a time

Answer

Check the power supply connections to the discrete video card

Question 13

Drag and drop the steps for replacing a power supply unit (PSU) in a desktop computer into the correct order.

Accepted Answer

Step 1: Power off the computer and disconnect all external cables. Step 2: Remove the side panel, disconnect internal cables from the old PSU, and remove it. Step 3: Install the new PSU, connect internal cables, and close the case. Step 4: Reconnect external cables and power on the computer.. Safety first: power off, disconnect, then remove old PSU, install new one, and reconnect.

Answer

Step 1: Remove the side panel, disconnect internal cables from the old PSU, and remove it. Step 2: Power off the computer and disconnect all external cables. Step 3: Install the new PSU, connect internal cables, and close the case. Step 4: Reconnect external cables and power on the computer.

Answer

Step 1: Power off the computer and disconnect all external cables. Step 2: Install the new PSU, connect internal cables, and close the case. Step 3: Remove the side panel, disconnect internal cables from the old PSU, and remove it. Step 4: Reconnect external cables and power on the computer.

Answer

Step 1: Power off the computer and disconnect all external cables. Step 2: Remove the side panel, disconnect internal cables from the old PSU, and remove it. Step 3: Reconnect external cables and power on the computer. Step 4: Install the new PSU, connect internal cables, and close the case.

Question 14

A technician is building a video editing workstation. The motherboard supports PCIe 4.0, and the installed M.2 NVMe SSD is rated for PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds. The system boots and runs, but benchmarking the SSD shows it only achieves about half of its expected sequential read/write speeds. The technician confirms the SSD is correctly installed in the M.2 slot labeled for PCIe 4.0. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The CPU does not support PCIe 4.0. The motherboard supports PCIe 4.0, but the CPU must also support PCIe 4.0 to provide the necessary lanes. If the CPU only supports PCIe 3.0, the M.2 slot will negotiate down to PCIe 3.0 speeds, cutting the bandwidth in half (from ~7.9 GB/s to ~3.9 GB/s), which matches the symptom of achieving about half the expected sequential read/write speeds.

Answer

The SSD is a SATA-based M.2 drive, not NVMe

Answer

The M.2 slot shares bandwidth with a SATA port that is occupied

Answer

The motherboard BIOS has a secure erase setting enabled

Question 15

A technician configures a new workstation on a managed switch port. The workstation successfully obtains an IP address from the DHCP server and can ping its own IP address as well as the default gateway. However, it cannot ping any other workstations on the same subnet. The technician has verified that the Ethernet cable is good and the switch port link is up. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

The VLAN assignment on the switch port. The workstation can obtain an IP address and ping the default gateway, indicating Layer 3 connectivity to the local subnet is functional. The inability to ping other workstations on the same subnet suggests a Layer 2 isolation issue, most commonly caused by the switch port being assigned to a different VLAN than the other workstations. VLANs segment broadcast domains, so devices in different VLANs cannot communicate directly without a router, even if they share the same IP subnet.

Answer

The DNS server settings

Answer

The workstation's subnet mask

Answer

The speed and duplex settings on the switch port