220-1101 Practice Test 30 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A technician is installing a new graphics card that requires an 8-pin PCIe power connector. The existing power supply unit (PSU) only has a 6-pin PCIe power cable available. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate way to provide power to the graphics card?

Accepted Answer

Use a 6-pin to 8-pin PCIe power adapter. The graphics card requires an 8-pin PCIe power connector, but the PSU only provides a 6-pin PCIe cable. A 6-pin to 8-pin PCIe power adapter is the most appropriate solution because it converts the existing 6-pin connector to the required 8-pin form factor, adding two additional ground wires to meet the higher power delivery specification (75W for 6-pin vs. 150W for 8-pin).

Answer

Use a Molex to 6-pin PCIe adapter

Answer

Use a SATA power to 8-pin PCIe adapter

Answer

Use a 4-pin CPU/ATX12V to 8-pin PCIe adapter

Question 2

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that cannot connect to the internet. The computer has a static IP address of 192.168.1.100 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 and a default gateway of 192.168.1.1. The technician can ping 127.0.0.1 successfully but cannot ping 192.168.1.1. The link lights on the NIC and the switch port are solid. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Check the subnet mask configuration. The technician can ping 127.0.0.1 (loopback) successfully, confirming the TCP/IP stack is working on the host. However, they cannot ping the default gateway 192.168.1.1, and the link lights are solid, indicating Layer 1 (physical) connectivity is good. The most likely cause is an incorrect subnet mask; a mask of 255.255.255.0 is correct for a /24 network, but if the actual network uses a different mask (e.g., /16 or /23), the host may believe the gateway is on a different subnet and will not send ARP requests for it, causing the ping to fail. Checking the subnet mask configuration is the logical next step before replacing cables or disabling firewalls.

Answer

Replace the network cable

Answer

Run the Windows network troubleshooter

Answer

Disable the Windows firewall

Question 3

A technician is building a workstation using an Intel LGA1151 motherboard that supports 9th generation processors. The technician installs a new M.2 NVMe SSD into the M.2 slot labeled 'M2A_SATA'. After installation, the SSD is detected in the BIOS but the system fails to boot from it. The SSD is confirmed to be functional in another system. Which of the following is the MOST likely reason for the boot failure?

Accepted Answer

The M.2 slot is only compatible with SATA SSDs, not NVMe. The M.2 slot labeled 'M2A_SATA' is physically and electrically wired for SATA SSDs only, not NVMe. NVMe drives use the PCIe bus, while SATA M.2 slots lack the necessary PCIe lanes to communicate with the drive. Even though the drive is detected in BIOS (because the slot can identify the device), the system cannot boot from it because the slot cannot establish the PCIe link required for NVMe protocol transfers.

Answer

The motherboard requires a BIOS update to support NVMe boot

Answer

The CPU does not support NVMe devices

Answer

The M.2 slot disables two SATA ports, causing a conflict

Question 4

A systems administrator is configuring virtual machines on a Type 1 hypervisor. The physical host has one CPU with 4 physical cores and Hyper-Threading enabled, providing 8 logical processors. The administrator creates a virtual machine for a database application that is known to be CPU-intensive. The administrator assigns 6 virtual CPUs to this VM. After deployment, users report the database VM is performing very poorly, even though the host's overall CPU utilization is only 40%. What is the most likely cause of the poor performance?

Accepted Answer

B. The correct answer is B. The physical host has only 8 logical processors (4 cores × 2 threads each). Assigning 6 virtual CPUs to a single VM means that VM will compete for CPU scheduler time across those 8 logical processors. However, because the VM has more vCPUs than physical cores (6 vCPUs vs 4 cores), the hypervisor must time-slice heavily, causing CPU scheduling overhead and cache thrashing. Even at 40% host utilization, the VM's performance suffers because the hypervisor cannot efficiently schedule 6 vCPUs across only 4 physical cores without significant context-switching and resource contention.

Answer

A

Answer

C

Answer

D

Question 5

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that boots normally and runs for approximately five minutes before the screen goes blank and the system becomes unresponsive. The technician has replaced the power supply, RAM, and graphics card, but the issue persists. The CPU fan is spinning, and the CPU temperature reads 45°C in the BIOS. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

Failing capacitors on the motherboard. The symptom of a system that boots and runs for a few minutes before becoming unresponsive, with a stable CPU temperature of 45°C, strongly points to a motherboard hardware failure. Failing capacitors on the motherboard can cause voltage ripple or droop that degrades over time as the system warms up, leading to instability and a blank screen. Since the power supply, RAM, and graphics card have already been replaced without resolution, the motherboard is the most likely remaining component to cause this intermittent failure.

Answer

Faulty CPU

Answer

Defective hard drive

Answer

Weak CMOS battery

Question 6

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that will not boot. The CPU cooler fan spins, but the graphics card (GPU) fan is not spinning, and there is no display on the monitor. The power supply was tested in another system and works. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The graphics card is faulty or not receiving power. The CPU cooler fan spinning indicates the motherboard is receiving power and the PSU is functional, but the GPU fan not spinning and no display output point to the graphics card as the most likely culprit. The GPU may be faulty, improperly seated in its PCIe slot, or missing its required auxiliary power connectors (6/8-pin PCIe power cables), preventing it from initializing and producing a video signal.

Answer

The motherboard has a short circuit

Answer

The RAM modules are not seated properly

Answer

The power button is stuck

Question 7

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that consistently shuts down after approximately 30 minutes of normal operation. The technician has already replaced the power supply unit and cleaned the CPU heatsink of dust. The CPU temperatures in the BIOS are normal (35°C idle). After the shutdown, the event log shows a 'Kernel-Power 41' critical error. The technician reseated all power cables and checked for loose connections. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

The motherboard's capacitors for signs of bulging or leaking.. The Kernel-Power 41 error indicates an unexpected loss of power or system instability, not a software crash. Since the PSU has been replaced and the CPU temperatures are normal, the most likely hardware cause is failing motherboard capacitors, which can cause intermittent shutdowns under load as they lose their ability to filter voltage ripple. Bulging or leaking capacitors are a common failure point on aging motherboards and should be visually inspected next.

Answer

The RAM modules for errors using a diagnostic tool.

Answer

The hard drive for bad sectors.

Answer

The power button for sticking.

Question 8

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that experiences intermittent freezing, especially when running graphics-intensive applications or games. The technician has updated all drivers, run full antivirus scans, and replaced the RAM. The CPU and GPU temperatures stay below 70°C under load. The event logs show no critical errors. However, the freezing always occurs under high load, and sometimes the system restarts without a blue screen. Which component is MOST likely failing?

Accepted Answer

Power supply unit (PSU). The power supply unit (PSU) is the most likely failing component because intermittent freezing and restarts under high load, without blue screens or critical errors, are classic symptoms of an unstable or insufficient power supply. When the GPU and CPU draw maximum current during graphics-intensive tasks, a failing PSU may drop below required voltage rails (e.g., +12V), causing the system to lock up or reboot. The fact that temperatures are normal and RAM has been replaced eliminates thermal and memory issues, pointing directly to power delivery.

Answer

CPU

Answer

GPU

Answer

Motherboard

Question 9

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that fails to boot and displays the error message 'Boot device not found'. The technician has verified that the hard drive is detected in the BIOS and that the boot order is set correctly. The hard drive is spinning and appears to be receiving power. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

A. Corrupted MBR/GPT. Since the hard drive is detected in BIOS, spinning, and receiving power, the issue is not a hardware connection or power failure. The 'Boot device not found' error with correct boot order indicates that the bootloader (MBR or GPT) is corrupted or missing, preventing the system from reading the boot sector to load the operating system.

Answer

B. Bad SATA cable

Answer

C. Failing power supply

Answer

D. Loose RAM module

Question 10

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that powers on for about two seconds and then immediately shuts down. The case fans spin briefly, the CPU fan starts, then everything stops. The technician has tested the power supply with a multimeter and all voltages are within specification. The technician has also removed all add-on cards, disconnected all drives, and reseated the RAM and CPU power cables. The problem persists. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Short circuit in the case or motherboard. The symptom of powering on for about two seconds and then immediately shutting down is classic for a short circuit protection mechanism. When the power supply detects a short (e.g., from a standoff in the wrong hole, a loose screw, or a damaged motherboard trace), it triggers overcurrent protection (OCP) or short-circuit protection (SCP) and cuts power to prevent damage. Since the technician verified the power supply voltages are good and reseated all connections, the most likely remaining cause is a short circuit in the case or motherboard.

Answer

Faulty power button

Answer

Failing CPU

Answer

Incompatible RAM

Question 11

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that randomly reboots under heavy CPU load. The technician has verified the CPU cooler is properly seated with thermal paste, run memory diagnostics (no errors), replaced the power supply, and updated all drivers. Running a CPU stress test causes the system to reboot after approximately 10 minutes. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Check the CPU voltage settings in BIOS. The technician has already ruled out overheating (cooler seated with paste), memory errors, power supply issues, and driver conflicts. Under heavy CPU load, the system reboots after a consistent 10 minutes, which strongly suggests the CPU is not receiving stable voltage under load. Checking and adjusting the CPU voltage settings in BIOS is the next logical step because incorrect or insufficient vCore can cause the CPU to crash or trigger a thermal/voltage protection reboot when the CPU draws high current during a stress test.

Answer

Replace the CPU

Answer

Update the motherboard BIOS

Answer

Replace the motherboard

Question 12

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that does not power on. The computer was working earlier that day. The technician verifies that the power cord is firmly connected to both the computer and the wall outlet. The power outlet is functional. When the power button is pressed, no fans spin and no LEDs light up. The technician opens the case and sees that the power supply unit's fan is not spinning. Using a multimeter, the technician measures the voltage on the 24-pin motherboard connector and finds that the +5V and +12V rails are within normal range. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Test the power button by shorting the two pins on the motherboard.. The power supply is outputting correct voltages on the +5V and +12V rails, so it is likely functional. The fact that no fans spin and no LEDs light up when the power button is pressed suggests the power-on signal from the front panel switch is not reaching the motherboard. Shorting the two power button pins on the motherboard header bypasses the physical switch, confirming whether the switch itself is faulty or the motherboard's power-on circuit is intact.

Answer

Replace the power supply.

Answer

Replace the motherboard.

Answer

Reseat the RAM modules.

Question 13

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that loses network connectivity for a few seconds every time the building's elevator motor starts. The technician has already replaced the Ethernet cable, the NIC, and tested the switch port with another device (which works fine). The computer is connected to a surge protector. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

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 14

A user reports intermittent network connectivity on a desktop computer. The technician observes that the Ethernet link light on the NIC turns off for a few seconds and then turns back on. The cable passes a wiremap test, the switch port is verified good with another device, and the NIC driver is updated. The issue occurs more frequently when the computer's case fan runs at high speed. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Electromagnetic interference from the case fan. The intermittent link light behavior, combined with the correlation to the case fan running at high speed, points to electromagnetic interference (EMI) from the fan motor. EMI can disrupt the electrical signals in the unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cable, causing the NIC to lose link momentarily. Since the cable passes a wiremap test and the switch port works with another device, the issue is environmental, not a hardware fault.

Answer

Faulty NIC (Network Interface Card)

Answer

Incorrect pinout of the Ethernet cable

Answer

Driver conflict with the fan controller

Question 15

A workstation is unable to connect to the internet. The technician runs the 'ipconfig' command and sees the IPv4 address is 169.254.15.200 with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0. The workstation can ping other devices on the local subnet but cannot ping the default gateway or any external addresses. Which TWO actions should the technician take to resolve this issue? (Select two.)

Accepted Answer

Run 'ipconfig /release' followed by 'ipconfig /renew'. The IP address 169.254.15.200 with a 255.255.0.0 subnet mask is an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address, which Windows assigns when a DHCP server is unreachable. Since the workstation can communicate with local subnet devices but not the default gateway, the DHCP server is either down or not responding. Running 'ipconfig /release' followed by 'ipconfig /renew' forces the workstation to release the APIPA address and attempt to obtain a valid DHCP lease, which will resolve the issue if the DHCP server becomes available.

Answer

Disable the Windows Firewall

Answer

Replace the network interface card (NIC)