220-1101 Practice Test 22 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop PC that randomly restarts during intensive tasks, such as rendering video. The technician has replaced the power supply, updated drivers, run memory diagnostics, and verified CPU temperatures. The problem persists. The technician examines the motherboard and notices that several capacitors near the CPU socket appear slightly domed on top. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the random restarts?

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

Accepted Answer

The motherboard has failing capacitors causing voltage instability.. Domed capacitors indicate that the electrolytic fluid inside has leaked or the capacitor has failed, leading to an inability to maintain stable voltage regulation. Under the high current draw of intensive tasks like video rendering, this voltage instability causes the motherboard to trigger a reset or shutdown to protect components. Since the technician has already replaced the power supply and verified CPU temperatures, the failing capacitors are the most likely remaining cause.

Answer

The CPU is failing under load.

Answer

The hard drive is failing.

Answer

The operating system is corrupt.

Question 2

An administrator manages a virtualized environment running on a Type 1 hypervisor (VMware ESXi). The physical host has 64 GB of RAM. The sum of allocated memory to all running VMs is 80 GB, and the hypervisor is using memory ballooning to reclaim memory from VMs. A critical database VM is experiencing significant performance degradation. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the performance issue?

Accepted Answer

The database VM is experiencing memory starvation due to the hypervisor reclaiming memory via ballooning.. The physical host has only 64 GB of RAM, but the sum of allocated memory to all running VMs is 80 GB, which is a 25% overcommitment. VMware ESXi uses memory ballooning to reclaim memory from VMs by forcing the VM's balloon driver to allocate guest memory, which the hypervisor then reclaims for other VMs. The critical database VM is experiencing significant performance degradation because the hypervisor is reclaiming memory from it via ballooning, causing the VM to swap to disk (memory starvation), which severely impacts database performance.

Answer

The hypervisor is overcommitting CPU resources, causing contention.

Answer

The VM's virtual disk is on a slow network storage link.

Answer

The hypervisor has insufficient network bandwidth for inter-VM communication.

Question 3

A technician is building a workstation and installs an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU (which does not have an integrated GPU) onto an ASUS B550 motherboard that has an HDMI port. The technician connects a monitor to the motherboard's HDMI port, but the monitor displays 'No Signal'. The system powers on, fans spin, and RAM is installed. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The CPU does not have an integrated GPU.. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU does not include an integrated GPU (iGPU). Therefore, the motherboard's HDMI port, which relies on the CPU's integrated graphics to output video, will not receive any signal. The monitor displays 'No Signal' because there is no graphics source being sent through that port. To get video output, a discrete GPU must be installed and the monitor connected to it.

Answer

The power supply is not connected to the CPU power header.

Answer

The RAM is not installed in the correct slots for dual-channel mode.

Answer

The motherboard's CMOS battery is dead.

Question 4

A company hosts a critical database on a virtual machine (VM) in a public cloud IaaS environment. The database requires high IOPS and low latency. The data must persist even if the VM is stopped or terminated. Additionally, the administrator needs to take frequent snapshots for backup. Which of the following storage types should be used for the database VM?

Accepted Answer

Block storage. Block storage (e.g., AWS EBS, Azure Managed Disks) provides raw, low-latency volumes that can be attached to a VM, supporting high IOPS for database workloads. Data persists independently of the VM lifecycle—even if the VM is stopped or terminated—and snapshots can be taken for backup. This makes block storage the correct choice for a critical database requiring persistence and frequent snapshots.

Answer

Object storage

Answer

File storage

Answer

Ephemeral storage

Question 5

A user reports that their Android smartphone can see the corporate Wi-Fi network (SSID: CorpNet) but fails to connect, displaying 'Authentication error'. Other devices on the same network connect successfully. The technician has confirmed the Wi-Fi password is correct and the device is not using a static IP. Which of the following is the BEST first troubleshooting step?

Accepted Answer

'Forget' the network and reconnect by entering the password again.. The 'Authentication error' indicates a mismatch in stored credentials or security context, not a hardware or firmware issue. The most efficient first step is to 'Forget' the network (option C), which clears the cached password and any stale security parameters, then re-enter the known-correct password. This isolates the problem to the saved profile without resetting all network settings or guessing at security types.

Answer

Reset the network settings on the phone.

Answer

Modify the Wi-Fi security type on the phone to match the router.

Answer

Update the smartphone's firmware.

Question 6

A small office network uses a managed switch with port security enabled. A new employee connects their laptop to a configured port, but the laptop cannot obtain an IP address or communicate on the network. The link light on the switch port is on. Other ports in the same VLAN work correctly. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The switch port has MAC address filtering enabled that does not include the laptop's MAC. Port security with MAC address filtering restricts which devices can communicate through a switch port based on their MAC address. Since the link light is on (Layer 1 is up) but the laptop cannot obtain an IP address or communicate, the switch is likely dropping frames from the laptop's MAC because it is not in the allowed MAC list. This prevents DHCP discovery and all other traffic, even though the physical connection is established.

Answer

The switch port is administratively shut down

Answer

The laptop has a static IP address that conflicts with another device

Answer

The switch port is not in the correct VLAN

Question 7

A user reports that their iPhone 13 does not charge when plugged into the wall outlet using the original charging cable and adapter. The technician tries a different known-good Lightning cable and wall adapter, but the phone still does not charge. The technician inspects the Lightning port on the phone and sees that the port opening appears clean with no visible debris. Which of the following is the BEST next step to troubleshoot this issue?

Accepted Answer

Use a non-conductive tool (e.g., a plastic toothpick) to carefully probe the Lightning port and remove any hidden debris.. The technician's visual inspection may miss compacted debris deep inside the Lightning port. Using a non-conductive tool to gently probe can dislodge hidden lint or dirt that prevents proper contact between the Lightning connector and the port's pins, restoring charging capability without risking a short circuit.

Answer

Reset the network settings to rule out a software conflict affecting charging.

Answer

Connect the phone to a computer and perform a full restore via iTunes.

Answer

Replace the iPhone's battery immediately, as a dead battery is the most likely cause.

Question 8

A small business wants to develop and deploy a custom web application. They do not want to manage any underlying infrastructure, including servers, operating systems, or runtime environments. They want to simply upload their code and let the cloud provider handle scaling and maintenance. Which cloud service model BEST fits this requirement?

Accepted Answer

Platform as a Service (PaaS). Platform as a Service (PaaS) is the correct choice because it provides a complete development and deployment environment in the cloud, abstracting away the underlying infrastructure. The business can upload custom code without managing servers, OS, or runtime, and the cloud provider automatically handles scaling, patching, and maintenance. This directly matches the requirement to avoid infrastructure management while deploying a custom web application.

Answer

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Answer

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Answer

Anything as a Service (XaaS)

Question 9

A technician is upgrading a desktop PC with a new graphics card that requires two 6-pin PCIe power connectors. The existing power supply unit (PSU) has two 6+2 pin PCIe cables. The technician connects both 6-pin connectors from the cables to the card. The system powers on, but the graphics card is not detected, and its fans spin briefly then stop. The technician has verified that the card is properly seated in the PCIe slot and that the PSU is rated for 500W, which should be sufficient for the system. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The PSU's +12V rail cannot provide enough current for the graphics card under load.. The 6+2 pin PCIe cables are electrically identical to 6-pin connectors when the extra 2 pins are detached, so they are fully compatible. The brief fan spin followed by stop indicates the graphics card is detecting insufficient power delivery, likely because the PSU's +12V rail cannot sustain the required current under load, causing the card's protection circuitry to shut down.

Answer

The 6+2 pin PCIe cables are not designed for the new card's power requirements.

Answer

The graphics card requires a single 12-pin connector, not two 6-pin connectors.

Answer

The motherboard does not have a PCIe x16 slot that supports the card.

Question 10

A network printer is set to a static IP address. Users report that print jobs spool on their workstations but never print. The technician confirms the printer is powered on, the network cable is connected, and the printer's self-test page prints successfully. The technician can ping the printer's IP address from a workstation. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The printer's print queue is paused or the printer is in an 'Offline' state on the print server. The printer is reachable (ping succeeds) and its self-test page prints, confirming basic network connectivity and hardware functionality. The fact that print jobs spool locally but never print indicates the print server is not forwarding jobs to the printer, which is classic behavior when the printer queue is paused or the printer is marked offline on the print server. This prevents the spooler from sending data to the printer even though the network path is intact.

Answer

The printer driver on the workstations is incorrect

Answer

The printer's static IP address conflicts with another device on the network

Answer

The network cable is faulty

Question 11

A user accidentally spills coffee over their smartphone. They immediately pick it up and wipe the exterior. The phone is still powered on and functioning, but the touchscreen is not responding correctly in the area where the liquid was spilled. Which of the following should the user do FIRST to prevent further damage?

Accepted Answer

Power off the phone and remove the battery if possible.. Powering off the phone and removing the battery (if possible) immediately stops electrical current from flowing through the device, which prevents short circuits and electrochemical corrosion caused by the conductive and corrosive nature of coffee. This is the first and most critical step to mitigate damage to the motherboard and other internal components.

Answer

Place the phone in a bag of uncooked rice for 24 hours.

Answer

Use a hairdryer on high heat to dry the phone.

Answer

Continue using the phone and hope it dries out naturally.

Question 12

A systems administrator is planning to deploy a critical application to the cloud. The application requires dedicated physical hardware to meet compliance standards. The administrator also needs full control over the operating system, including kernel configurations. Which cloud service model BEST meets these requirements?

Accepted Answer

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) with dedicated hosts. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) with dedicated hosts is the correct choice because it provides the administrator with dedicated physical hardware, ensuring compliance with standards that require no multi-tenancy, and full control over the operating system, including kernel configurations. Unlike shared IaaS, dedicated hosts guarantee that the underlying physical server is not shared with other tenants, meeting strict compliance and performance requirements.

Answer

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Answer

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Answer

Function as a Service (FaaS)

Question 13

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop PC that randomly restarts during intensive tasks, such as rendering video. The technician has replaced the power supply, updated drivers, run memory diagnostics, and verified CPU temperatures. The problem persists. The technician examines the motherboard and notices that several capacitors near the CPU socket appear slightly domed on top. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the random restarts?

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

Accepted Answer

A firewall on the computer is blocking outbound traffic. The computer can ping the default gateway (10.0.0.1) successfully, which confirms that Layer 2 and Layer 3 connectivity to the local network is working, and the static IP configuration is correct. Since other devices on the same network can access the internet normally, the issue is isolated to this specific computer. A local firewall (e.g., Windows Defender Firewall) blocking outbound ICMP or TCP traffic to public IPs like 8.8.8.8 would prevent internet access while still allowing local subnet communication, making option C the most likely cause.

Answer

The DHCP server is not functioning

Answer

The default gateway is not configured correctly on the computer

Answer

The network cable is faulty

Question 14

A company wants to deploy a custom web application that includes a custom database and a web server with specific modules. The development team needs full control over the operating system, including the ability to apply security patches and install third-party software. The company does not want to manage the physical servers, hypervisors, or network infrastructure. The cloud provider will be responsible for the underlying hardware and virtualization layer. Which cloud service model BEST meets these requirements?

Accepted Answer

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provides virtualized computing resources over the internet, giving the customer full control over the operating system, including the ability to apply security patches and install third-party software. The cloud provider manages the physical servers, hypervisors, and network infrastructure, while the customer retains administrative access to the OS, which is essential for deploying a custom web application with a custom database and specific modules.

Answer

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Answer

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Answer

Desktop as a Service (DaaS)

Question 15

A user reports that their smartphone will not charge when connected to a known-good charger and cable. The technician examines the charging port and sees debris inside. Which of the following tools should the technician use to safely remove the debris?

Accepted Answer

A wooden toothpick. A wooden toothpick is non-conductive and non-abrasive, making it safe to dislodge debris from a smartphone charging port without risking short circuits or damaging the delicate pins inside the USB-C or Lightning connector. Metal tools can cause electrical shorts or scratch the port's contacts, while compressed air may push debris deeper, and alcohol with a cotton swab can leave fibers or moisture that interfere with charging.

Answer

A metal paperclip

Answer

A can of compressed air

Answer

Isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab