220-1101 Practice Test 34 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that intermittently loses network connectivity for several minutes at a time. During the outage, the link light on the NIC remains on and flickers. The technician has already replaced the Ethernet cable and the NIC. The computer is connected to a managed switch port configured for auto-negotiation. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

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

Accepted Answer

The switch port for a duplex mismatch with the NIC. The link light remaining on and flickering during an outage indicates Layer 1 (physical) and Layer 2 (data link) connectivity are present, but the issue is likely a duplex mismatch. When one side of a link is set to full-duplex and the other to half-duplex (often due to failed auto-negotiation), collisions and frame errors cause intermittent connectivity loss lasting minutes. Since the cable and NIC have already been replaced, the next logical step is to check the switch port's duplex setting against the NIC's negotiated duplex.

Answer

The computer's IP address for a static conflict

Answer

The operating system's firewall settings

Answer

The network driver version for compatibility

Question 2

A technician is building a new desktop computer for a graphic designer who works with large files. The motherboard has an M.2 slot that supports PCIe 3.0 x4. Which of the following storage devices will provide the BEST performance for this user?

Accepted Answer

1 TB M.2 NVMe SSD. The M.2 slot supports PCIe 3.0 x4, which provides up to 4 GB/s bandwidth. An M.2 NVMe SSD uses the NVMe protocol over PCIe lanes, delivering significantly higher sequential read/write speeds (typically 3,500 MB/s) compared to SATA-based drives (max ~550 MB/s). This makes it the best choice for a graphic designer working with large files, as it minimizes load and save times.

Answer

1 TB 7200 RPM SATA hard disk drive

Answer

500 GB M.2 SATA SSD

Answer

2.5-inch 1 TB SATA SSD

Question 3

A user reports that their smartphone will not charge. A technician inspects the charging port and notices debris inside the port. Which of the following tools should the technician use to safely clean the debris?

Accepted Answer

A wooden toothpick. A wooden toothpick is non-conductive and non-abrasive, making it safe to dislodge debris from the charging port without damaging the delicate pins or shorting the connector. Compressed air can push debris deeper, metal objects risk scratching or shorting contacts, and cotton swabs may leave fibers or moisture behind.

Answer

Compressed air

Answer

A metal paperclip

Answer

A cotton swab with alcohol

Question 4

A technician is installing a new CPU on a motherboard. The CPU is properly oriented and seated, but the retention arm will not close. What is the MOST likely issue?

Accepted Answer

Bent pins on the motherboard. If the CPU is properly oriented and seated but the retention arm will not close, the most likely cause is bent pins on the motherboard (LGA socket) or on the CPU (PGA socket). Bent pins prevent the CPU from sitting flush, creating mechanical interference that stops the arm from latching. This is a common issue when handling the CPU or socket carelessly.

Answer

Wrong CPU socket type

Answer

Too much thermal paste

Answer

CPU not aligned with the socket key

Question 5

A company is running multiple virtual machines on a single physical server. The server has 64 GB of RAM and a 4-core CPU with hyper-threading (8 logical processors). The administrator needs to run four VMs, each requiring 2 vCPUs and 16 GB of RAM. The administrator is concerned about resource contention. Which of the following virtualization concepts would BEST allow the administrator to ensure that each VM receives a minimum guaranteed amount of CPU resources?

Accepted Answer

Limits and reservations. Limits and reservations allow the administrator to set a minimum guaranteed amount of CPU resources for each VM. In this scenario, a reservation of 2 vCPUs per VM ensures that each VM will always have access to at least that amount of CPU capacity, preventing resource contention even when the physical host is under load. This is the only option that directly enforces a guaranteed minimum allocation.

Answer

Resource pooling

Answer

Oversubscription

Answer

Affinity

Question 6

A company hosts a web application on a virtual machine in a public cloud. The application requires a storage solution that can be accessed from multiple VMs simultaneously and will persist even if the VM hosting the application is terminated. Which of the following storage types BEST meets these requirements?

Accepted Answer

Network-attached storage (NAS). Network-attached storage (NAS) provides file-level access over a network (typically using NFS or SMB/CIFS protocols), allowing multiple VMs to read and write to the same storage concurrently. Because the storage is independent of any single VM, it persists even after the VM hosting the application is terminated, making it the ideal choice for shared, persistent storage in a cloud environment.

Answer

Object storage

Answer

Block storage

Answer

Direct-attached storage (DAS)

Question 7

A company implements a private cloud where multiple departments share the same physical hardware. The cloud platform ensures that each department's virtual machines are isolated from each other and that resources are dynamically allocated based on demand. Which cloud characteristic BEST describes this arrangement?

Accepted Answer

Resource pooling. Resource pooling is the correct answer because the scenario describes multiple departments sharing the same physical hardware while their virtual machines are isolated from each other. This is the defining characteristic of resource pooling in cloud computing, where computing resources (compute, storage, network) are aggregated to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according to demand. The isolation between departments is achieved through hypervisor-level virtualization (e.g., VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V) which enforces strict separation of virtual machines on shared hardware.

Answer

Rapid elasticity

Answer

Measured service

Answer

On-demand self-service

Question 8

A company uses a Type 1 hypervisor to host multiple virtual machines. One VM runs a legacy application that requires a specific MAC address for licensing. The administrator needs to move the VM from the current host to another physical host without changing the MAC address. Which of the following virtualization features should the administrator use?

Accepted Answer

C. Virtual network interface card (vNIC) MAC address assignment. Setting a static MAC address on the virtual network interface card (vNIC) allows the VM to retain its assigned MAC address regardless of which physical host it runs on. This is essential for the legacy application's licensing, which is tied to that specific MAC address. The administrator can configure this in the hypervisor's VM settings before or during migration.

Answer

A. Migration with hardware resource remapping

Answer

B. MAC address spoofing

Answer

D. Virtual switch port security

Question 9

A technician is troubleshooting a laser printer that produces pages with horizontal black lines across the entire page. The toner cartridge was recently replaced with a new, genuine cartridge. Which of the following components should the technician inspect or replace NEXT?

Accepted Answer

The imaging drum. Horizontal black lines across the entire page typically indicate a defect on the imaging drum, such as a scratch, toner buildup, or a damaged organic photoconductor (OPC) layer. Since the toner cartridge was recently replaced, the drum (often integrated into the cartridge in many laser printers) may have been damaged during installation or is defective, causing it to fail to discharge properly and deposit toner in a continuous line.

Answer

The fuser assembly

Answer

The transfer roller

Answer

The pickup roller

Question 10

A user's smartphone running Android is unable to connect to any Wi-Fi network. The Wi-Fi toggle is grayed out and cannot be turned on. The technician has tried a soft reset and checked that Airplane Mode is off. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Faulty Wi-Fi antenna or module. When the Wi-Fi toggle is grayed out and cannot be enabled, even after a soft reset and confirming Airplane Mode is off, it typically indicates a hardware-level failure. The most common cause is a faulty Wi-Fi antenna or module, as the operating system detects the hardware is not responding and disables the toggle to prevent user attempts. Software issues like corrupted settings or incorrect date/time would not prevent the toggle from being physically movable.

Answer

Corrupted network configuration

Answer

Incorrect date and time

Answer

Disabled Wi-Fi adapter in BIOS

Question 11

A technician is troubleshooting a high-end gaming desktop that randomly restarts under heavy GPU load. The technician has already replaced the power supply with a unit that provides sufficient wattage, verified that CPU and GPU temperatures are within normal limits, and tested the RAM with a memory diagnostic (no errors). The GPU is a high-end model that requires two 8-pin PCIe power connectors. Which of the following is the MOST likely remaining cause of the random restarts?

Accepted Answer

The GPU is connected using a single 8-pin power cable with a daisy-chain pigtail for the second connector.. The random restarts under heavy GPU load are most likely caused by using a single 8-pin PCIe power cable with a daisy-chain pigtail to supply both 8-pin connectors on a high-end GPU. Each 8-pin PCIe connector can deliver up to 150W, and the PCIe slot provides 75W, totaling 375W for a card that may draw 300W or more under load. A single cable with a pigtail forces all current through one connector and wire gauge, causing voltage drop, overheating, or triggering overcurrent protection (OCP) on the power supply, leading to restarts.

Answer

The motherboard BIOS needs to be updated to support the GPU.

Answer

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

Answer

The operating system power plan is set to Power Saver.

Question 12

A user reports that their desktop computer frequently freezes and becomes unresponsive during video editing sessions. The technician runs diagnostic software and notices that the CPU temperature reaches 95°C (203°F) under load. The CPU is an Intel Core i7 with a stock cooler. The case has adequate ventilation. Which of the following should the technician do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Reapply thermal paste between the CPU and heat sink. The CPU temperature of 95°C under load is well above the typical safe operating range (usually 80-85°C max for most Intel Core i7 processors). Since the case has adequate ventilation and the stock cooler is present, the most likely cause is degraded or improperly applied thermal paste, which reduces heat transfer efficiency. Reapplying thermal paste is the simplest, least invasive, and most cost-effective first step to restore proper thermal conductivity between the CPU and heat sink.

Answer

Replace the CPU

Answer

Replace the power supply

Answer

Install additional case fans

Question 13

A user's smartphone has a cracked screen but the display and touch still function. The user wants to transfer all data, including contacts, photos, and app settings, to a new phone of the same brand. Which method would be MOST efficient and complete?

Accepted Answer

Use the manufacturer's migration app on both phones. The manufacturer's migration app (e.g., Samsung Smart Switch, Google Pixel Migrate) is designed to transfer all data—including contacts, photos, app settings, and even home screen layouts—over a direct Wi-Fi or wired connection. This method is the most efficient and complete because it captures app data and system settings that cloud backups or file copies often miss, and it works without needing the cracked screen to be fully usable for complex operations.

Answer

Back up to the cloud and restore on the new phone

Answer

Copy files to a microSD card and insert it into the new phone

Answer

Transfer contacts and photos via Bluetooth

Question 14

A technician is upgrading a desktop computer's storage. The motherboard has one M.2 slot that supports both SATA and NVMe protocols. The user wants the fastest possible boot drive. Which type of M.2 drive should the technician select?

Accepted Answer

NVMe M.2. The NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) protocol is designed to leverage the high-speed PCIe bus, offering significantly lower latency and higher throughput compared to SATA-based SSDs. Since the motherboard's M.2 slot supports both SATA and NVMe, selecting an NVMe M.2 drive provides the fastest possible boot drive performance.

Answer

SATA M.2

Answer

mSATA

Answer

2.5" SSD

Question 15

A small office has 10 computers connected to a single switch. The ISP provides a modem with a built-in router and DHCP server. One user reports they cannot access the internet but can access shared files on the local network. The technician checks the IP configuration on the user's computer and sees an IP address of 169.254.12.5. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The DHCP server is unavailable. The IP address 169.254.12.5 is an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address (169.254.0.0/16 range), which Windows assigns when a DHCP discovery request fails to receive a response. Since the user can access local network shares but not the internet, the DHCP server (built into the ISP modem/router) is unavailable or unreachable, preventing the computer from obtaining a valid IP configuration.

Answer

The DNS server is down

Answer

The default gateway is misconfigured

Answer

The switch port is faulty