220-1101 Practice Test 4 — 25 Questions

Question 1

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that will not power on. The motherboard's standby power LED is lit, indicating that the power supply is receiving AC power. When the technician presses the front panel power button, nothing happens. The technician has already tested the power supply by jumping the green wire to a black wire on the 24-pin connector, and the power supply fan spins. Which of the following is the MOST likely faulty component?

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

Accepted Answer

Power button on the front panel. The standby power LED on the motherboard indicates that the power supply is receiving AC power and is providing +5VSB (standby voltage) to the motherboard. Since jumping the green wire (PS_ON#) to ground (black wire) causes the power supply fan to spin, the power supply itself is functional. The most likely fault is the front panel power button, as it completes the circuit between the motherboard's power switch header pins when pressed; if the button is defective (e.g., stuck open or broken), it will not send the low-voltage signal to the PWR_SW header, preventing the system from powering on.

Answer

Front panel header cable

Answer

Motherboard

Answer

CPU

Question 2

A company runs a web application on a public cloud platform. The application often experiences variable traffic, with usage spikes lasting only a few hours. The company wants to automatically increase the number of virtual machine instances when CPU utilization exceeds 70% and decrease them when utilization drops below 30%. Which characteristic of cloud computing does this capability BEST represent?

Accepted Answer

Rapid elasticity. The ability to automatically scale virtual machine instances up and down in response to CPU utilization thresholds (70% up, 30% down) is a direct example of rapid elasticity. This cloud characteristic allows resources to be provisioned and released elastically, often automatically, to match demand at any given time. The scenario describes a dynamic, automated scaling action, which is the core definition of rapid elasticity in cloud computing.

Answer

On-demand self-service

Answer

Resource pooling

Answer

Measured service

Question 3

A user reports that their laptop is connected to the office Wi-Fi and can browse the internet, but cannot access any shared folders on the network. Other laptops on the same Wi-Fi can access the shares without issue. The laptop received a valid IP address from DHCP. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

The network profile is set to Public. The network profile being set to Public applies Windows Firewall rules that block file and printer sharing (SMB traffic on ports 445, 139) by default. Since the user can browse the internet but cannot access shared folders, and other laptops work fine, the most likely cause is that the laptop's network profile is Public, which disables network discovery and file sharing. Changing it to Private or Domain profile resolves the issue without affecting internet connectivity.

Answer

The DNS server configuration

Answer

A faulty wireless network adapter

Answer

Duplicate IP address on the network

Question 4

A user reports that their desktop computer can connect to the local network and access shared folders, but cannot browse the internet. Other computers on the same network work fine. The technician checks the IP configuration and sees the computer has a valid IP address of 192.168.1.100 with a default gateway of 192.168.1.1. The computer can successfully ping 192.168.1.1 and 8.8.8.8, but cannot ping 'google.com'. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Verify that the DNS server address is configured correctly on the workstation.. The computer can ping 8.8.8.8 (a public IP address) but cannot ping 'google.com' (a domain name). This indicates that IP connectivity to the internet is working, but name resolution is failing. The most likely cause is a misconfigured or unreachable DNS server. The technician should first verify the DNS server address in the workstation's IP configuration, as this is the quickest and most direct step to resolve the symptom.

Answer

Check the proxy settings in the web browser.

Answer

Replace the network cable connecting the computer to the wall jack.

Answer

Disable the Windows Firewall on the computer.

Question 5

A user reports that their desktop computer can ping other workstations on the local network and can connect to the internet by IP address (e.g., pinging 8.8.8.8 works), but cannot browse any websites using domain names. The network settings show the workstation obtains an IP address automatically via DHCP. The technician checks the DHCP server and confirms it is providing a valid DNS server address. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The DNS server address is not being applied correctly. The user can ping by IP address (e.g., 8.8.8.8) and reach local hosts, confirming Layer 3 connectivity and a correct default gateway. The inability to resolve domain names while the DHCP server is configured to provide a valid DNS server address points to the client not receiving or applying that DNS server address correctly. This is a classic symptom of a DNS resolution failure where the workstation's DNS client configuration is missing or incorrect, often due to a stale DHCP lease, a misconfigured DHCP scope option, or a local DNS cache issue.

Answer

The default gateway address is incorrect

Answer

The network cable is faulty

Answer

The web browser is corrupted

Question 6

A technician is adding a wireless access point (AP) in an outbuilding connected via Ethernet to the main office network (192.168.1.0/24). After configuring the AP with a static IP of 192.168.1.250, clients can connect to Wi-Fi but cannot access the internet. The main office devices have no issues. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The new AP has its DHCP server enabled. The most likely cause is that the new AP has its DHCP server enabled. When the AP assigns IP addresses to clients via its own DHCP, those clients receive an IP address from a different subnet or scope than the main office network (192.168.1.0/24). This prevents them from reaching the default gateway (e.g., 192.168.1.1) and thus the internet, while the AP itself remains reachable on its static IP. Disabling the AP's DHCP server and allowing clients to obtain addresses from the main network's DHCP server resolves the issue.

Answer

The SSID on the new AP differs from the main network's SSID

Answer

The Ethernet cable connecting the AP is a crossover cable

Answer

The switch feeding the AP is not configured for VLAN 1

Question 7

A technician is troubleshooting a server with a RAID 5 array consisting of three hard drives. The server logs show a failed drive, and the array status is 'Degraded'. The technician replaces the failed drive with a new drive of the same model and capacity. After the rebuild process completes, the array status remains 'Degraded'. The server's OS does not show any new disk errors. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Check the RAID controller's cache battery status. After a RAID 5 rebuild completes but the array remains 'Degraded', the most likely cause is that the RAID controller's write-back cache could not be flushed to the new drive. A failed or missing cache battery forces the controller to operate in write-through mode, which can prevent the array from returning to a healthy state even after a successful rebuild. Checking the cache battery status is the correct next step because it directly affects the controller's ability to commit cached writes and finalize the array status.

Answer

Check the S.M.A.R.T. status of the remaining original drives

Answer

Check the firmware version of the new hard drive

Answer

Check the SAS cable connecting the drives

Question 8

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that will not power on. The motherboard's standby power LED is lit, indicating that the power supply is receiving AC power. When the technician presses the front panel power button, nothing happens. The technician has already tested the power supply by jumping the green wire to a black wire on the 24-pin connector, and the power supply fan spins. Which of the following is the MOST likely faulty component?

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

Accepted Answer

The power supply unit is faulty.. The +5VSB (purple wire) reading of 5.1V confirms the standby power rail is working, and the PS_ON (green wire) dropping to 0V when the power button is pressed indicates the motherboard is correctly asserting the power-on signal. However, all other pins showing 0V means the power supply is not turning on its main outputs (+12V, +5V, +3.3V). This is a classic symptom of a faulty power supply unit (PSU) that fails to energize the main rails despite receiving a valid PS_ON signal.

Answer

The motherboard is faulty.

Answer

The power button is defective.

Answer

The CPU is not seated properly.

Question 9

A network technician is troubleshooting inter-VLAN routing. Clients on VLAN 10 (192.168.10.0/24) cannot communicate with servers on VLAN 20 (192.168.20.0/24). The router has subinterfaces for both VLANs and is connected to a layer 2 switch. The switch port connecting to the router is configured as an access port in VLAN 10. An ACL on the router is configured to permit all traffic between the VLANs. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The switch port is not configured as a trunk. The switch port connecting to the router is configured as an access port in VLAN 10, which means it can only carry traffic for VLAN 10. For inter-VLAN routing, the router's subinterfaces need to receive frames tagged with their respective VLAN IDs. A trunk port (802.1Q) must be used on the switch side to allow both VLAN 10 and VLAN 20 traffic to reach the router. Without a trunk, frames from VLAN 20 are dropped at the switch port, preventing communication.

Answer

The ACL on the router is misconfigured

Answer

The default gateway on the servers is set incorrectly

Answer

VLAN 20 is not defined on the switch

Question 10

A technician is upgrading a desktop computer with a new graphics card that requires a 6-pin PCIe power connector. The existing power supply has sufficient wattage but does not have any PCIe power cables. Which of the following should the technician do to BEST resolve this issue?

Accepted Answer

Replace the power supply with one that has PCIe power cables. The existing power supply lacks PCIe power cables, and using adapters (Molex or SATA) can overload the power supply's 12V rail or cause instability due to inadequate current delivery. Replacing the power supply with one that has native PCIe connectors ensures proper power delivery and safety, as PCIe connectors are rated for up to 75W per 6-pin cable, while adapters may not handle sustained loads reliably.

Answer

Use a Molex-to-PCIe power adapter

Answer

Use a SATA-to-PCIe power adapter

Answer

Leave the PCIe power connector unplugged and install the card

Question 11

A user reports that after moving their desktop computer to a new desk, the network connection no longer works. The technician notices that the Ethernet cable is plugged into the computer and the wall jack, but the link lights on the computer's NIC and the wall jack are off. The cable is a flat-style Cat5e cable that came with the computer. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The cable is damaged from bending. Flat-style Ethernet cables are more susceptible to damage from bending or kinking than round cables because their conductors are arranged in a parallel plane, which can cause conductor fractures or impedance mismatches when flexed. Since the cable was moved and the link lights are off on both the NIC and the wall jack, the most likely cause is physical damage to the cable from bending during the move, breaking the electrical continuity.

Answer

The cable is not Cat6

Answer

The wall jack is not terminated properly

Answer

The NIC is disabled in the OS

Question 12

A company runs a web application on a virtual machine in a public cloud. During a marketing campaign, the application experiences a sudden spike in traffic. The cloud platform automatically adds more virtual server instances to handle the load and then removes them when traffic subsides. Which cloud computing characteristic does this represent?

Accepted Answer

Rapid elasticity. Rapid elasticity is the cloud characteristic that enables resources to scale out (add instances) and scale in (remove instances) automatically in response to demand spikes, such as during a marketing campaign. This is distinct from resource pooling, which refers to multi-tenant sharing of physical infrastructure, not dynamic scaling.

Answer

Resource pooling

Answer

Measured service

Answer

On-demand self-service

Question 13

A company runs a private cloud with multiple virtualization hosts. To meet an SLA requirement, the IT administrator needs to ensure that if a physical host fails, the virtual machines running on that host are automatically restarted on another healthy host with minimal manual intervention. Which virtualization feature should the administrator implement?

Accepted Answer

High availability. High availability (HA) is the correct feature because it automatically detects a physical host failure and restarts the affected virtual machines on another healthy host within the cluster, meeting the SLA requirement for minimal manual intervention. HA relies on a heartbeat mechanism between hosts and a management platform (e.g., vSphere HA) to trigger the restart process without requiring user action.

Answer

Load balancing

Answer

Live migration

Answer

Resource pooling

Question 14

A technician is upgrading a desktop computer by installing a new high-end graphics card that requires two 8-pin PCIe power connectors. The existing power supply unit (PSU) is a 500W unit with only one 8-pin connector. The technician uses a Y-splitter adapter to power both connectors on the GPU from the single 8-pin rail. After powering on, the computer boots but the display remains blank, and the GPU's fans do not spin. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The power supply does not provide enough wattage for the GPU. The most likely cause is that the 500W power supply does not provide enough wattage for the new high-end graphics card. Even though the Y-splitter adapter allows two physical connections, it draws power from a single 8-pin rail, which is limited to 150W (plus 75W from the PCIe slot). A high-end GPU typically requires 250W or more, and the total system load may exceed the PSU's capacity, causing the GPU to fail to initialize and its fans not to spin.

Answer

The GPU is not properly seated in the PCIe slot

Answer

The Y-splitter adapter is defective

Answer

The monitor cable is not correctly connected

Question 15

A technician is replacing the storage drive in a desktop computer. The motherboard has an M.2 slot that supports both SATA and NVMe interfaces. The technician installs an NVMe M.2 SSD into this slot. Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

The SSD will operate at NVMe speeds as long as the slot is configured for PCIe connectivity.. The M.2 slot on the motherboard supports both SATA and NVMe interfaces, but the NVMe protocol operates over PCIe lanes. When an NVMe M.2 SSD is installed, it will communicate using the PCIe bus, achieving NVMe speeds, provided the slot is electrically configured for PCIe connectivity (which is standard for NVMe support). The slot's compatibility with SATA does not force the NVMe drive to use SATA protocol; the drive negotiates the highest supported interface.

Answer

The SSD will operate at SATA speeds because the slot supports both.

Answer

The SSD will require a separate SATA power cable from the power supply.

Answer

The SSD must be a SATA M.2 type to work in this slot.

Question 16

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that will not power on. The motherboard's standby power LED is lit, indicating that the power supply is receiving AC power. When the technician presses the front panel power button, nothing happens. The technician has already tested the power supply by jumping the green wire to a black wire on the 24-pin connector, and the power supply fan spins. Which of the following is the MOST likely faulty component?

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

Accepted Answer

Clear the CMOS by removing the battery or using the jumper. Clearing the CMOS is the correct next step because the compressed air may have dislodged dust or created a static discharge that corrupted the BIOS/UEFI configuration, causing the system to fail POST without beeps. Reseating components already addressed loose connections, so the issue likely lies in the stored firmware settings, which a CMOS reset will restore to defaults.

Answer

Check the power supply voltages with a multimeter

Answer

Replace the motherboard

Answer

Replace the CPU 4+4 pin power cable

Question 17

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that will not power on. The motherboard's standby power LED is lit, indicating that the power supply is receiving AC power. When the technician presses the front panel power button, nothing happens. The technician has already tested the power supply by jumping the green wire to a black wire on the 24-pin connector, and the power supply fan spins. Which of the following is the MOST likely faulty component?

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

Accepted Answer

Install a ferrite choke on the Ethernet cable.. The symptom—network drops coinciding with elevator motor startup—indicates electromagnetic interference (EMI) from the motor's inductive load. Replacing the cable, NIC, and testing the switch port rules out physical layer faults. A ferrite choke suppresses high-frequency noise on the Ethernet cable by acting as a low-pass filter, preventing EMI from corrupting the differential signal pairs (per IEEE 802.3).

Answer

Replace the power supply unit.

Answer

Configure a static IP address on the workstation.

Answer

Disable the NIC's power-saving features.

Question 18

A company develops a custom web application that requires a specific runtime environment and middleware. The company wants to avoid managing the underlying servers, operating system patches, and runtime scaling. They choose a cloud service where they can upload their application code and the provider automatically handles the OS, runtime, and scaling based on demand. Which cloud service model does this describe?

Accepted Answer

Platform as a Service (PaaS). This scenario describes Platform as a Service (PaaS), where the cloud provider manages the underlying infrastructure, operating system, runtime environment, and middleware. The customer only needs to upload their application code, and the provider automatically handles scaling, patching, and runtime dependencies. This contrasts with IaaS, where the customer manages the OS and runtime, and SaaS, where the provider delivers a fully functional application.

Answer

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Answer

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Answer

Desktop as a Service (DaaS)

Question 19

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that will not power on. The motherboard's standby power LED is lit, indicating that the power supply is receiving AC power. When the technician presses the front panel power button, nothing happens. The technician has already tested the power supply by jumping the green wire to a black wire on the 24-pin connector, and the power supply fan spins. Which of the following is the MOST likely faulty component?

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

Accepted Answer

Apply new thermal paste between the CPU and heatsink.. The critical thermal event indicates the CPU is overheating despite the heatsink being securely attached and fans spinning. Over time, thermal paste can dry out or become less effective, reducing heat transfer between the CPU and heatsink. Applying new thermal paste restores proper thermal conductivity, which is the most likely fix given the symptoms and the technician's initial checks.

Answer

Replace the power supply.

Answer

Reinstall the operating system.

Answer

Run a memory diagnostic.

Question 20

A user's smartphone has a cracked screen that is still partially functional, but the touch input does not work in the cracked area. The user wants to back up all data before taking it for repair. Which method would be MOST reliable to back up the data if the screen is unresponsive?

Accepted Answer

Use a cloud backup service that was previously enabled.. If a cloud backup service (e.g., iCloud, Google Drive, Samsung Cloud) was previously enabled and configured to back up automatically, the user can restore the data after the repair without needing any screen interaction. This method does not require the touchscreen to be functional, as backups occur in the background over Wi-Fi. It is the most reliable approach when the screen is unresponsive and no prior wired connection was established.

Answer

Connect the phone to a computer via USB and use file explorer.

Answer

Use an OTG cable to connect a mouse.

Answer

Use the phone's recovery mode to perform a full backup.