220-1101 Practice Exam 52 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A user's Android phone connects to the office Wi-Fi network and shows 'Connected' with full signal strength, but the user cannot load any websites. Other devices on the same network can access the internet without issues. The technician checks the phone's network settings and sees an IP address of 192.168.1.115 and a gateway of 192.168.1.1. The phone can successfully ping the gateway. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

The phone's DNS server settings. The phone can ping the gateway (192.168.1.1), confirming Layer 3 connectivity and that the gateway is reachable. Since other devices on the same network can access the internet, the issue is isolated to the phone's DNS resolution. Incorrect or missing DNS server settings would prevent domain name resolution while allowing IP-level communication, which matches the symptom of being unable to load websites despite full connectivity.

Answer

The phone's mobile data is enabled

Answer

The Wi-Fi network's security type

Answer

The phone's MAC address filtering

Question 2

A user's smartphone battery is bulging and the back cover is popping off. Which of the following should the user do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

C. Power off the phone and remove the battery if possible, then dispose of it properly. A bulging battery indicates a critical failure in the lithium-ion cell, often caused by internal short circuits or overcharging that generate gas from electrolyte decomposition. The immediate priority is to power off the device to stop current flow and remove the battery (if possible) to prevent thermal runaway, fire, or rupture. Proper disposal is required because the damaged cell is hazardous and cannot be safely recharged or reused.

Answer

A. Place the phone in a freezer to reduce swelling

Answer

B. Continue using the phone but avoid charging it

Answer

D. Puncture the battery to release the gas

Question 3

A user's smartphone (Android) will not charge via the USB-C port. The technician tries a different cable and charger, and also tries cleaning the port with compressed air. The phone still does not charge. However, the phone can be recognized by a computer when connected via USB. Which of the following should the technician try next?

Accepted Answer

Inspect the port for bent pins.. The correct answer is C because the phone can still communicate data over USB (recognized by a computer), which proves the power and data lines are partially functional, but a bent pin in the USB-C connector can break the power delivery (PD) negotiation or the VBUS connection required for charging. Cleaning with compressed air only removes debris, not physical damage like bent pins, so a visual inspection is the logical next step.

Answer

Replace the battery.

Answer

Perform a factory reset.

Answer

Update the phone's firmware.

Question 4

An ISP provides a cable modem with a single Ethernet port. A technician needs to set up a small office network with 25 workstations that require internet access and must be on the same subnet. The technician has a 24-port unmanaged switch and a 48-port unmanaged switch. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate method to connect the devices?

Accepted Answer

Connect both switches to a router, and connect the modem to the router.. Option B is correct because a router is required to perform Network Address Translation (NAT) and routing between the ISP's public IP and the private subnet. The cable modem provides only a single Ethernet port and does not route traffic between multiple devices; connecting both switches to a router allows all 25 workstations to share the internet connection while remaining on the same subnet. The router acts as the default gateway and DHCP server, enabling proper IP address assignment and traffic forwarding.

Answer

Connect the modem directly to the 48-port switch and then daisy-chain the 24-port switch from the 48-port switch.

Answer

Connect the modem to the 24-port switch, then connect the 48-port switch to the 24-port switch.

Answer

Connect the modem directly to the 48-port switch and connect the 24-port switch to the 48-port switch.

Question 5

A user's smartphone has a cracked screen that is still displaying images, but the touch input is completely unresponsive. The user needs to back up all data (contacts, photos, app data) before sending the phone for repair. Which method is the MOST reliable and complete way to back up the data in this situation?

Accepted Answer

Connect a USB mouse via an OTG cable to control the phone and perform a backup. With a cracked screen that is unresponsive to touch but still displays images, the only way to interact with the phone is through an external input device. Connecting a USB mouse via an On-The-Go (OTG) cable allows the user to navigate the phone's interface and manually initiate a full backup (e.g., to a computer or cloud service) without relying on the broken touchscreen. This method provides complete control over the backup process, ensuring all data types (contacts, photos, app data) can be selected and transferred.

Answer

Use a computer and connect the phone via USB, then use file explorer to copy data

Answer

Press the volume and power buttons to enter recovery mode and perform a backup

Answer

Rely on cloud backup if the phone is configured to auto-backup

Question 6

An organization plans to consolidate its physical servers by running multiple virtual machines on a single host. The administrator needs to choose a hypervisor that offers the best performance and direct access to hardware resources for the VMs. The host server will only run the hypervisor and its VMs. Which of the following hypervisor types is the BEST choice for this scenario?

Accepted Answer

Type 1 hypervisor. A Type 1 hypervisor (bare-metal) runs directly on the host hardware without an underlying operating system, providing near-native performance and direct access to CPU, memory, and I/O resources. This is ideal for the scenario where the host server is dedicated solely to running the hypervisor and its VMs, as it minimizes overhead and maximizes resource efficiency.

Answer

Type 2 hypervisor

Answer

Container-based virtualization

Answer

Cloud-based hypervisor as a service

Question 7

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 8

A user's smartphone has become intermittent: the screen flickers and sometimes goes completely black for a few seconds before returning to normal. The phone has not been dropped recently and there is no visible damage. The technician has already performed a soft reset and the issue persists. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Loose internal display cable. The intermittent screen flickering and blackouts, without physical damage or drop history, strongly point to a loose internal display cable. A soft reset did not resolve the issue, ruling out temporary software glitches. The display cable connects the screen to the motherboard; if it becomes slightly unseated due to thermal expansion or vibration, it can cause intermittent signal loss, leading to the described symptoms.

Answer

Failing battery

Answer

Corrupted operating system

Answer

Faulty digitizer

Question 9

An IT department runs several virtualized database servers on a single physical host using a Type 2 hypervisor. They plan to replace the Type 2 hypervisor with a Type 1 hypervisor to improve performance. Which of the following is a primary advantage of a Type 1 hypervisor in this scenario?

Accepted Answer

B. A Type 1 hypervisor (bare-metal) runs directly on the physical hardware without a host OS, eliminating the overhead of an intermediate operating system layer. This reduces latency and CPU/memory consumption, directly improving performance for virtualized database servers compared to a Type 2 hypervisor that relies on a host OS for resource management.

Answer

A

Answer

C

Answer

D

Question 10

A user's smartphone will not charge when plugged into a cable. The technician inspects the charging port and finds it is clean and the cable appears undamaged. The phone was working normally earlier and was not dropped. The technician tests the cable with another device and it charges normally. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT to diagnose the issue?

Accepted Answer

Test the phone with a different, known-good charger and cable. Since the cable works with another device and the charging port is clean, the issue is isolated to the phone's charging circuit or battery management system. Testing with a known-good charger and cable eliminates variables and confirms whether the phone itself is rejecting power, which is the standard next step in CompTIA A+ troubleshooting methodology.

Answer

Replace the battery with a new one

Answer

Perform a factory reset of the smartphone

Answer

Replace the charging port assembly

Question 11

An organization runs a critical database server on a VM in a public cloud. The VM uses an attached persistent block storage volume. The database must be migrated to a new VM with more resources in a different availability zone within the same cloud provider, with minimal downtime. The cloud provider does not offer a live migration feature across availability zones. Which of the following strategies BEST achieves minimal downtime?

Accepted Answer

Set up database replication to a new VM in the target zone, then cut over traffic once replication is caught up.. Option D is correct because database replication (e.g., using native MySQL replication or PostgreSQL streaming replication) allows you to keep the new VM in the target zone synchronized with the source with minimal downtime. Once replication is caught up, you perform a brief cutover (seconds to minutes) by stopping writes on the source, applying any final changes, and redirecting traffic to the new VM. This avoids the hours of downtime required by snapshot-based or export/import methods.

Answer

Take a snapshot of the current volume, create a new volume from the snapshot in the target zone, and attach it to the new VM.

Answer

Use the cloud provider's live migration feature to move the VM to the target availability zone.

Answer

Export the VM as an OVA file, copy it to the target zone, and import it as a new VM.

Question 12

A user's iPhone will not charge even though the screen is cracked but still displays properly and responds to touch. The technician has cleaned the Lightning port and verified the charging cable and power adapter work with another device. Which component most likely needs replacement?

Accepted Answer

Replace the charging port flex cable. The iPhone charges through the Lightning port, which is connected to the logic board via the charging port flex cable. Since the screen is cracked but still displays and responds to touch, the LCD and digitizer are functional. The technician has already ruled out the cable and power adapter, so the most likely failure is the charging port flex cable, which can be damaged by debris, corrosion, or physical stress from the cracked screen.

Answer

Replace the LCD assembly

Answer

Replace the digitizer

Answer

Replace the battery

Question 13

An iPhone 12 charges slowly when connected to a laptop's USB 3.0 port, but charges normally when using the original wall adapter and cable. The technician has already tested the cable with the wall adapter and it works correctly. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the slow charging?

Accepted Answer

The laptop's USB port provides lower amperage than the wall adapter. USB 3.0 ports on laptops typically provide a maximum of 0.9A (900mA) of current, while the iPhone 12's original wall adapter can deliver up to 2.4A or more via USB-A to Lightning, or 20W via USB-C Power Delivery. Since the cable works correctly with the wall adapter, the bottleneck is the laptop's USB port's lower amperage, which directly limits charging speed.

Answer

The Lightning cable is damaged

Answer

iOS battery optimization feature is limiting charging speed

Answer

The charging port on the iPhone is damaged

Question 14

An IT administrator is configuring a virtualized server to support a legacy application that requires exclusive access to a physical USB dongle license key. The dongle is plugged into a USB port on the physical host server. The administrator needs the virtual machine to directly interface with the USB device as if it were connected directly to the VM, bypassing the host OS. Which virtualization feature should the administrator enable?

Accepted Answer

Hardware pass-through. Hardware pass-through (also known as PCI passthrough or device assignment) allows a virtual machine to directly access a physical hardware device, such as a USB controller, bypassing the host operating system. This gives the VM exclusive, direct control over the USB dongle, making it appear as if the device is physically connected to the VM itself. This is essential for legacy applications that require a physical USB license key and cannot function through host-mediated USB redirection.

Answer

Virtual USB controller

Answer

Resource pooling

Answer

Live migration

Question 15

A user's workstation is connected to a network switch. The workstation can access the internet and other network resources, but network transfers are extremely slow. The technician runs a speed test and gets 10 Mbps download, but the internet plan is 500 Mbps. The technician checks the switch port and sees the link light is green but blinking slowly. The technician connects a laptop to the same cable and gets 500 Mbps. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The workstation's network adapter is configured for half duplex. A is correct because a half-duplex configuration on the workstation's network adapter forces it to use only one wire pair for transmission and one for reception, and it must wait for the line to be clear before sending data. This collision-avoidance mechanism drastically reduces throughput, often capping speeds at 10 Mbps even when the switch and cable support 500 Mbps. The green but slowly blinking link light indicates normal link detection but possible duplex mismatch, and the laptop achieving full speed on the same cable confirms the issue is with the workstation's adapter settings.

Answer

The Ethernet cable is damaged

Answer

The switch port is faulty

Answer

The workstation has a virus consuming bandwidth

Question 16

A user's smartphone screen is cracked and the touch is unresponsive in the cracked area. The technician replaces the screen assembly. After reassembly, the phone powers on, displays correctly, but the touch still does not work in the same area. What should the technician check first?

Accepted Answer

Digitizer cable connection. The correct answer is A because the digitizer is the component responsible for touch input, and it connects to the mainboard via a separate cable from the LCD. If the touch remains unresponsive in the same area after replacing the screen assembly, the most likely cause is a loose, damaged, or improperly seated digitizer cable connection. The display works correctly, which confirms the LCD cable is fine, isolating the issue to the digitizer.

Answer

LCD cable connection

Answer

Battery connection

Answer

Proximity sensor

Question 17

A company runs a critical database application on a virtual machine (VM) hosted on a Type 1 hypervisor. During peak business hours, other VMs on the same host consume large amounts of CPU and memory, causing the database VM to experience performance degradation. The administrator wants to ensure the database VM always receives at least 4 GB of RAM and 2 vCPUs of processing power, even when other VMs are competing for resources. Which virtualization feature should the administrator configure?

Accepted Answer

Resource reservation. Resource reservation guarantees that a specific VM always receives a minimum amount of CPU and memory resources, even when other VMs on the same host compete for those resources. In this scenario, setting a reservation of 4 GB RAM and 2 vCPUs ensures the database VM never falls below that threshold, preventing performance degradation during peak usage.

Answer

Resource pooling

Answer

High availability

Answer

Elasticity

Question 18

A technician is assembling a new desktop computer. After installing the CPU, heatsink, RAM, and inserting the motherboard into the case, the technician connects all power cables and presses the power button. The system powers on for about five seconds, then shuts down, then immediately attempts to power on again, repeating this cycle. The technician has verified that the CPU cooler is properly mounted and thermal paste is correctly applied. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

The case's front panel power button for a possible short circuit. The symptom of powering on for a few seconds, then shutting down and immediately rebooting in a continuous loop is classic for a short circuit or improper front panel wiring. Option D is correct because a shorted or miswired front panel power button can cause the motherboard to receive a constant or intermittent 'power on' signal, leading to the observed power cycling. The technician has already verified the CPU cooler and thermal paste, so the next logical step is to inspect the front panel header connections and the power button itself.

Answer

The power supply unit for insufficient wattage

Answer

The RAM modules for compatibility with the motherboard

Answer

The motherboard for bent CPU socket pins

Question 19

A technician is assembling a new desktop computer. After installing the CPU, heat sink, and RAM, the technician powers on the system. The fans spin for a moment, then the system shuts down. The CPU fan does not spin at all. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The CPU fan connector is not plugged into the CPU_FAN header.. The CPU fan connector must be plugged into the motherboard's CPU_FAN header for the fan to receive power and for the system to detect fan operation. Many motherboards have a safety feature that shuts down the system within seconds if no fan signal is detected on the CPU_FAN header, preventing CPU overheating. Since the CPU fan does not spin at all, the most likely cause is that the connector is not attached to the correct header.

Answer

The CPU is not compatible with the motherboard.

Answer

The RAM is not seated properly.

Answer

The power supply is insufficient.

Question 20

A technician installs a new M.2 NVMe SSD into a desktop computer. The drive is detected in the system BIOS, but it does not appear in Windows Disk Management. The technician checks Device Manager and sees the drive listed under 'Other devices' with a yellow exclamation mark. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Install the correct driver for the NVMe controller. The yellow exclamation mark in Device Manager under 'Other devices' indicates that Windows lacks the correct driver for the NVMe controller, not that the disk is uninitialized or unformatted. Since the drive is detected in BIOS, the M.2 slot is enabled and functional; the OS simply cannot communicate with the drive without the proper NVMe driver. Installing the correct driver will allow Windows to recognize the drive normally, after which it can be initialized and formatted.

Answer

Initialize the disk in Disk Management

Answer

Format the partition

Answer

Enable the M.2 slot in BIOS