220-1101 Practice Exam 56 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A user dropped their smartphone and the touchscreen is now completely unresponsive. The display shows the home screen normally, the device powers on, and physical buttons (power, volume) work. The user has already performed a forced restart (holding power and volume down) but the touchscreen remains unresponsive. The device is not backed up, and the user needs to recover data before sending it for repair. Which of the following is the NEXT best step?

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

Accepted Answer

Use an external mouse via USB-OTG. Using an external mouse via USB-OTG (On-The-Go) bypasses the broken digitizer by sending touch input through the USB host controller, allowing the user to navigate the phone and initiate data transfer. Since the display and system are functional, this method enables data recovery without repair or data loss.

Answer

Connect the phone to a computer and use file management software to extract data

Answer

Replace the digitizer assembly

Answer

Perform a factory reset from recovery mode

Question 2

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 3

A small office network uses a router with DHCP enabled (192.168.1.0/24). A technician configures a network printer with a static IP address of 192.168.1.150, subnet mask 255.255.255.0, default gateway 192.168.1.1. Workstations on the same subnet can ping the router (192.168.1.1) and other workstations, but cannot ping the printer. The printer can ping its own IP and the router. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The printer's static IP address is within the DHCP scope and conflicts with a lease assigned to another device.. The printer's static IP address 192.168.1.150 falls within the DHCP scope (192.168.1.0/24). If the DHCP server has already leased that address to another device, a conflict occurs. The printer can ping its own IP and the router because its local stack and gateway are configured correctly, but workstations cannot reach it because the router's ARP table or the switch may map the IP to the wrong MAC address, or the conflicting device actively responds to ARP requests, causing communication failures.

Answer

The printer's default gateway is set incorrectly.

Answer

The printer's subnet mask is incorrect.

Answer

The switch port the printer is connected to is malfunctioning.

Question 4

A small office network consists of a router (with built-in DHCP server) and an unmanaged switch. All 12 workstations are connected to the switch, and they have internet access. However, users cannot see each other's shared folders over the network. The technician has verified that all workstations are on the same IP subnet (192.168.1.0/24) and can ping each other successfully. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

The workstations are configured with different workgroup names. File and printer sharing over a Windows network requires all workstations to belong to the same workgroup (or domain) for NetBIOS-based discovery. Since the workstations can ping each other and are on the same subnet, Layer 3 connectivity is fine, but the inability to see shared folders indicates a Layer 2/application-layer name resolution issue, typically caused by mismatched workgroup names.

Answer

The unmanaged switch is experiencing broadcast storms due to a loop

Answer

The router's DHCP lease time is set too short

Answer

The network cables are not properly crimped to T568B standards

Question 5

A small business is migrating its on-premises file server to a cloud service. The company wants full control over the operating system, file-sharing permissions, and security settings, but does not want to manage the physical server hardware, storage arrays, or network infrastructure. Which of the following cloud service models BEST meets these requirements?

Accepted Answer

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Corresponds to Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), which provides virtualized computing resources over the internet. With IaaS, the customer manages the operating system, applications, and security settings, while the cloud provider handles the underlying physical hardware, storage, and network infrastructure. This matches the requirement for full control over the OS and permissions without managing physical hardware.

Answer

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Answer

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Answer

Private Cloud

Question 6

A small office uses a single unmanaged switch to connect 20 computers. Users report that file transfers between computers are very slow, and the network feels sluggish. The technician notices that the switch's collision LED is blinking frequently. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

A duplex mismatch between the switch and one or more connected devices. A duplex mismatch occurs when one device is set to full-duplex and the other to half-duplex, causing the half-duplex device to detect collisions when the full-duplex device transmits without checking for a clear channel. The frequent collision LED on an unmanaged switch indicates that collisions are occurring, which is a classic symptom of duplex mismatch, as the switch and workstation negotiate incorrectly or are manually misconfigured.

Answer

An excessive number of broadcast packets flooding the network

Answer

A malfunctioning NIC on one of the workstations

Answer

An incorrect VLAN configuration on the switch

Question 7

A company decides to migrate its on-premises customer relationship management (CRM) software to the cloud. They want to avoid managing the underlying servers, operating systems, and runtime environments. They also want to focus only on configuring the CRM application to meet their business needs. Which cloud service model should they choose?

Accepted Answer

Software as a Service (SaaS). (SaaS) is correct because the company wants to avoid managing servers, operating systems, and runtime environments, and only configure the CRM application. SaaS delivers a fully managed application over the internet, where the provider handles all underlying infrastructure, platform, and software maintenance, aligning perfectly with the requirement to focus solely on business configuration.

Answer

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Answer

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Answer

Desktop as a Service (DaaS)

Question 8

A technician is configuring a small office network with a managed switch and a router that supports inter-VLAN routing. A workstation on VLAN 10 (192.168.10.0/24) can ping other workstations on VLAN 10 but cannot ping a server on VLAN 20 (192.168.20.0/24). The switch has a trunk port connecting to the router, and the trunk is configured to allow VLANs 10 and 20. The workstation's default gateway is set to 192.168.10.1. The server's default gateway is set to 192.168.20.1. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the problem?

Accepted Answer

A. The router's subinterface for VLAN 20 is not configured or is incorrectly configured.. The workstation can communicate within VLAN 10 but cannot reach VLAN 20, indicating that inter-VLAN routing is failing. Since the trunk is correctly allowing VLANs 10 and 20, the most likely cause is that the router's subinterface for VLAN 20 (e.g., GigabitEthernet0/0.20) is missing, has an incorrect encapsulation dot1Q 20 command, or lacks an IP address in the 192.168.20.0/24 subnet. Without a properly configured subinterface, the router cannot route traffic to or from VLAN 20.

Answer

B. The workstation's firewall is blocking ICMP echo requests.

Answer

C. The switch port connecting the router is configured as an access port on VLAN 1.

Answer

D. The server's default gateway is set to 192.168.20.254.

Question 9

A cloud provider houses multiple customers' virtual machines on the same physical server hardware. Each customer's data and applications are logically isolated, and customers have no knowledge or control over exactly which physical resources they are using. This scenario best describes which essential characteristic of cloud computing?

Accepted Answer

Resource pooling. Resource pooling is the correct characteristic because it describes the cloud provider's ability to serve multiple customers (tenants) from the same physical hardware while maintaining logical isolation. The hypervisor (e.g., VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V) abstracts the underlying physical resources—CPU, RAM, storage—and dynamically allocates them to virtual machines as needed, without the customer knowing or controlling the exact physical hardware. This multi-tenant model is the essence of resource pooling, as defined by NIST SP 800-145.

Answer

On-demand self-service

Answer

Broad network access

Answer

Measured service

Question 10

A user reports that they can access internal company servers by IP address and hostname, but cannot browse the internet. The user can ping the default gateway (192.168.1.1) successfully. Other users on the same subnet have full internet access. The technician checks the user's IP configuration and sees that the IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS server (192.168.1.10) are all correct. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Check the browser's proxy settings. Since the user can access internal resources by hostname (indicating DNS resolution works for internal names) and can ping the default gateway, the issue is isolated to internet-bound traffic. The most likely cause is that the browser is configured to use a proxy server that is unreachable or misconfigured, which would prevent internet access while leaving local network connectivity intact. Checking the browser's proxy settings is the logical next step because the user's IP configuration is correct and other users on the same subnet have full internet access.

Answer

Check the default gateway

Answer

Check the DHCP lease status

Answer

Check the switch port security settings

Question 11

A network administrator is configuring a DHCP scope on a Windows Server for a new subnet. The administrator wants to ensure that a specific printer always receives the same IP address without manually configuring the printer. Which of the following should be used?

Accepted Answer

DHCP reservation. A DHCP reservation ensures a device always receives the same IP by mapping its MAC address to a specific address. This meets the requirement of no manual configuration on the printer while providing consistency. Static IP, exclusion range, and longer leases do not achieve the same centralized, automatic guarantee.

Answer

Exclusion range

Answer

Static IP configuration on the printer

Answer

Longer lease duration

Question 12

A technician is setting up a wireless network for a small business using a consumer-grade wireless router. The business needs to support both older laptops that only support 2.4 GHz and newer devices that support 5 GHz. The technician wants to ensure that both frequency bands are available and that the network is secure. Which of the following should the technician configure? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Enable both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios on the router.. To support both older 2.4 GHz-only laptops and newer 5 GHz devices, the technician must enable both radios. For security, WPA2-Personal with AES is compatible with the widest range of devices while providing robust encryption. These two configurations ensure that all devices can connect securely without compatibility issues.

Answer

Disable SSID broadcast to hide the network.

Answer

Set the same SSID and security settings on both bands.

Answer

Configure WPA3 security on the 5 GHz band and WPA2 on the 2.4 GHz band.

Question 13

A technician is configuring a new Android smartphone for a user who travels internationally. The user needs to make calls and use mobile data in Europe. The phone supports GSM and LTE bands but does not support CDMA. Which of the following should the technician verify to ensure the phone will work in Europe?

Accepted Answer

The phone is carrier-unlocked and supports European LTE bands.. For international travel, a phone must be carrier-unlocked to accept a local SIM and must support the cellular bands used in the destination country. Europe uses GSM and LTE bands that may differ from those in the US. Verifying unlock status and band compatibility ensures the phone will work. CDMA is irrelevant, IMEI registration is not standard, and Wi-Fi calling is not a substitute for cellular service.

Answer

The phone's IMEI is registered with the European carrier.

Answer

The phone has a CDMA radio enabled for international roaming.

Answer

The phone's Wi-Fi calling feature is enabled and configured.

Question 14

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that fails to POST. The system powers on, fans spin, but no video is output and no beep codes are heard. The technician has already reseated the RAM, GPU, and all power cables. The motherboard has a built-in speaker. The technician then removes all RAM sticks and powers on the system; this time, the system emits a series of long beeps. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Install one RAM stick at a time and test each in slot 1. The system's behavior—no POST, no beeps with RAM installed, but long beeps when RAM is removed—indicates the motherboard's BIOS is successfully detecting the absence of memory and reporting it via the speaker. This confirms the CPU, motherboard, and power delivery are likely functional, and the issue is isolated to the RAM or its configuration. The next logical step is to test each RAM stick individually in slot 1 to identify a faulty module or slot, following standard memory troubleshooting procedures.

Answer

Replace the power supply unit

Answer

Reinstall the CPU and heatsink

Answer

Clear the CMOS by removing the battery

Question 15

A technician is troubleshooting a projector that displays a 'No Signal' message even though a laptop is connected via HDMI and the laptop's display is working. The technician confirms the HDMI cable is securely connected to both the laptop and projector. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Press the appropriate input/source button on the projector.. The 'No Signal' message indicates the projector is not receiving a signal from the selected input. Since the cable is connected, the most likely cause is that the projector is set to a different input source. Checking and selecting the correct input on the projector is the next logical step.

Answer

Replace the projector's lamp.

Answer

Replace the HDMI cable with a VGA cable.

Answer

Adjust the laptop's screen resolution to match the projector's native resolution.

Question 16

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that powers on, but the monitor displays no signal. The motherboard has a discrete PCIe x16 graphics card installed, and the CPU also has integrated graphics. The technician confirms the monitor works and is connected to the discrete card's HDMI port. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The BIOS is configured to use the integrated graphics as the primary display adapter.. The most likely cause is a BIOS setting that prioritizes integrated graphics over the discrete card. When a discrete GPU is added, the motherboard may not automatically switch to it if the primary display adapter is set to integrated or auto. The monitor connected to the discrete card receives no signal. Adjusting the BIOS to use PCIe/PEG as primary resolves the issue.

Answer

The CPU does not support integrated graphics, so the motherboard cannot output video from either adapter.

Answer

The monitor cable is defective.

Answer

The PCIe x16 slot is not supplying enough power to the graphics card.

Question 17

A company is deploying a virtual desktop infrastructure for 200 call center agents. Agents use thin clients and need a consistent desktop with only a browser and a softphone. The IT team wants to minimize storage consumption while keeping a single master image that is easy to update. Which approach best fits these requirements?

Accepted Answer

Non-persistent linked-clone desktops provisioned from a master image. Call center agents need standardized, task-focused desktops, and the IT team wants low storage use with one image to maintain. Non-persistent linked clones share a master image, store only deltas, and reset at logoff, which fits this profile precisely. Full clones waste storage, persistent desktops drift and consume more space, and session host publishing delivers shared sessions rather than individual virtual desktops.

Answer

Remote Desktop Services session host with published applications

Answer

Full cloned virtual desktops with a dedicated virtual disk per agent

Answer

Persistent virtual desktops with roaming profiles and folder redirection

Question 18

A technician is troubleshooting a laptop that has a black screen but the power LED is on and the fans are spinning. An external monitor connected via HDMI also shows no signal. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The motherboard or GPU has failed.. When a laptop powers on (fans spinning, power LED on) but produces no video on either the internal display or an external monitor, the failure lies in the video generation path. This is typically a motherboard or GPU issue. Display-specific problems like a faulty inverter or cable would not affect both outputs simultaneously.

Answer

The video cable connecting the laptop to the external monitor is faulty.

Answer

The laptop's display inverter has failed.

Answer

The laptop's battery is not charging and is completely drained.

Question 19

A user reports that a laptop's built-in keyboard and touchpad stop responding after the laptop has been running for about ten minutes, but an external USB keyboard and mouse work normally. The laptop is not overheating and the battery is healthy. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The ribbon cable connecting the keyboard and touchpad to the motherboard is loose or damaged.. The built-in keyboard and touchpad commonly share a ribbon cable or connector to the motherboard. When the laptop warms up, expansion can cause a marginal connection to lose contact, disabling both devices at once. External USB peripherals use a different path and continue working. Re-seating or replacing the ribbon cable is the appropriate fix.

Answer

The laptop's battery is failing and needs replacement.

Answer

The operating system needs to be reinstalled.

Answer

The USB controller driver is corrupted.

Question 20

A user's Android phone was dropped and now the screen displays a network of fine cracks that spread across the display, but the touchscreen still responds and the image is visible. The user wants the phone usable again as quickly as possible while preserving the existing data and avoiding a full device replacement. Which of the following should the technician perform?

Accepted Answer

Replace the digitizer and LCD assembly with a compatible screen module.. Because the glass, digitizer, and LCD are laminated together on most modern Android handsets, the correct repair is to replace the complete screen module. This restores full usability and preserves the user's data since storage and mainboard components are not disturbed. Cosmetic coatings, software resets, and accessibility toggles cannot repair fractured glass or the display stack beneath it.

Answer

Enable a screen-protector mode in the accessibility settings to mask the cracks.

Answer

Apply a liquid screen protector to fill the cracks and seal the glass.

Answer

Perform a factory reset to recalibrate the touchscreen after the impact.