220-1101 Practice Exam 59 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A technician replaces the thermal paste on a desktop CPU because the computer was overheating. After cleaning the old paste from the CPU and heatsink, the technician applies a new pea-sized amount of paste and reinstalls the cooler. When the computer is powered on, the CPU temperature quickly reaches 95°C under light load. Which of the following did the technician MOST likely forget to do?

Accepted Answer

Remove the protective plastic liner from the heatsink's thermal pad. The technician most likely forgot to remove the protective plastic liner from the heatsink's thermal pad. Many aftermarket or stock coolers come with a pre-applied thermal pad covered by a clear plastic film. If this liner is left in place, it acts as an insulator, preventing proper heat transfer from the CPU to the heatsink, causing the CPU to rapidly reach high temperatures even under light load.

Answer

Apply the thermal paste in a line instead of a dot

Answer

Use a conductive thermal paste that shorted the CPU

Answer

Reapply the paste to the heatsink instead of the CPU

Question 2

A user reports that the camera on their smartphone takes pictures but all images are completely black, even in well-lit conditions. The camera app does not show any error messages. The flash works, and the front camera functions normally. Which component is MOST likely faulty?

Accepted Answer

Camera sensor. The camera sensor is the component that converts light into an electronic signal to form an image. If the sensor is faulty, it will not capture any light data, resulting in completely black images regardless of lighting conditions. The fact that the flash works and the front camera functions normally isolates the issue to the rear camera sensor itself, not the software or other hardware.

Answer

Camera app software

Answer

Flash LED

Answer

Proximity sensor

Question 3

A technician replaced the toner cartridge in a laser printer. Now the printer produces pages with vertical black streaks down the entire page. The toner cartridge is confirmed to be a genuine, new cartridge. Which component should the technician inspect or replace NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Inspect and replace the imaging drum. Vertical black streaks down the entire page indicate a defect on the imaging drum, such as a scratch or toner buildup. Since the toner cartridge is confirmed genuine and new, the issue is not with the toner itself but with the drum unit, which transfers the image to the paper. Replacing the imaging drum will resolve the streaks.

Answer

Inspect and replace the fuser assembly

Answer

Inspect and clean the transfer roller

Answer

Inspect and replace the pickup roller

Question 4

A user reports that their Android smartphone can send and receive SMS messages and browse the internet using mobile data, but cannot send or receive MMS (picture messages). The technician has confirmed that mobile data is enabled and the signal is strong. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

The APN settings for MMS proxy and port. MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) requires specific APN (Access Point Name) settings, including an MMS proxy and port, to route multimedia content through the carrier's MMS gateway. Since SMS and mobile data work, the issue is isolated to MMS configuration, making APN settings the logical first check. The technician should verify the MMS proxy, port, MMSC URL, and MMS protocol fields in the device's APN configuration.

Answer

The SMS center number

Answer

The phone's storage space

Answer

The messaging app's permissions

Question 5

A user drops a tablet onto a hard floor. The display still shows images and colors correctly, but the touchscreen is completely unresponsive in all areas. The technician has rebooted the device and cleaned the screen with a soft cloth. Which of the following components is MOST likely damaged?

Accepted Answer

Digitizer. The digitizer is the component responsible for converting touch input into electrical signals. Since the display still shows images correctly (LCD panel is intact) but the touchscreen is completely unresponsive, the digitizer layer has most likely been damaged by the impact.

Answer

LCD panel

Answer

Battery

Answer

System board

Question 6

A user reports that their Android smartphone charges very slowly when connected to a laptop's USB-C port that supports Power Delivery. The same cable and charger charge the phone quickly when plugged into a wall outlet. The cable is known to be in good condition. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the slow charging?

Accepted Answer

The laptop is in battery saving mode, limiting USB power output. When a laptop is in battery saving mode, it often restricts the power output from its USB ports to conserve energy, even if the port supports Power Delivery (PD). This limitation reduces the current available to the smartphone, resulting in slow charging despite the cable and charger being capable of fast charging when connected to a wall outlet.

Answer

The smartphone's USB-C port is damaged

Answer

The cable is not rated for Power Delivery

Answer

The laptop's USB drivers are outdated

Question 7

A user reports that their Android smartphone can make and receive phone calls, but cannot send or receive text messages (SMS/MMS) after a recent operating system update. The user has verified that the mobile data connection is working, and the messaging app is not blocked. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

The SMS center number settings are incorrect.. The SMS center number (SMSC) is a critical parameter stored on the SIM card that routes outgoing text messages through the carrier's SMSC server. After an OS update, this setting can be reset or corrupted, preventing SMS/MMS transmission while voice calls and mobile data remain functional because those services use separate network paths. Correcting the SMSC number restores SMS functionality without affecting other services.

Answer

The SIM card is not properly inserted.

Answer

The phone is not connected to a Wi-Fi network.

Answer

The messaging app is corrupted.

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?

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 9

A user reports that the touchscreen on their smartphone is unresponsive in a vertical strip approximately one inch wide, running from the top to the bottom of the screen. All other areas of the screen respond correctly to touch. The user has cleaned the screen and removed the screen protector. The phone has not been dropped or exposed to liquid. Which of the following components is MOST likely causing this issue?

Accepted Answer

Digitizer failure. The digitizer is the layer responsible for detecting touch input. A vertical strip of unresponsiveness, without any impact or liquid damage, indicates a localized failure of the digitizer's grid of electrodes, often caused by a manufacturing defect or internal crack in the digitizer layer itself. The LCD panel remains functional because the display still shows images correctly in that area.

Answer

LCD panel failure

Answer

Software glitch

Answer

Battery swelling

Question 10

A technician upgrades the RAM in a desktop computer from 4 GB to 8 GB by installing a new 8 GB stick. After installation, the system boots normally, but the operating system reports only 4 GB of RAM. The technician has reseated the RAM stick multiple times and verified it is fully inserted. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

The operating system is 32-bit. A 32-bit operating system has a 4 GB memory address space limit due to the 32-bit address bus, which can only address 2^32 bytes (approximately 4 GB). Even if 8 GB of physical RAM is installed, the OS cannot map or use more than 4 GB, so it reports only 4 GB. This is a known limitation of 32-bit Windows editions, such as Windows 10 32-bit.

Answer

The new RAM stick is faulty

Answer

The motherboard BIOS has a setting limiting memory to 4 GB

Answer

The new RAM stick is not compatible with the motherboard

Question 11

A user reports that their Android smartphone's battery drains significantly faster than usual. The technician checks the battery usage statistics and finds that the screen is consuming 60% of the battery. The screen brightness is manually set to maximum. Which of the following is the MOST effective step to reduce battery consumption?

Accepted Answer

Reduce screen brightness. The screen is the primary battery consumer, and manual maximum brightness forces the display to use full backlight power. Reducing screen brightness directly lowers the power draw of the display, which is the most effective immediate step to extend battery life. This addresses the root cause identified in the battery usage statistics.

Answer

Disable mobile data

Answer

Remove the battery and reinsert it

Answer

Perform a factory reset

Question 12

A user reports that their Android smartphone's battery drains very quickly even when the phone is not being used. The technician checks the battery usage statistics and sees that the screen is consuming a high percentage of power, but the screen is off during most of the idle time. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

A rogue app preventing the phone from sleeping. When the screen is off but still consuming high power in battery statistics, it indicates the device is not entering a proper deep sleep state. A rogue app can hold a partial wake lock (e.g., via Android's PowerManager.WakeLock API) preventing the CPU from suspending, causing the screen subsystem to remain active or the display to be falsely reported as the power consumer. This is the most likely cause because the battery drain occurs during idle periods with the screen physically off.

Answer

A faulty battery

Answer

The screen brightness set too high

Answer

Malware infected the phone

Question 13

A user reports that their Android smartphone will not connect to a Bluetooth headset that was previously paired. The user has tried turning Bluetooth off and on, and restarting the phone. The headset works with other devices. Which of the following should the technician advise the user to try NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Forget the headset in Bluetooth settings and re-pair. The most likely issue is a corrupted Bluetooth pairing profile on the phone. Forgetting the headset removes the stored encryption keys and connection parameters, forcing a fresh pairing handshake (using SSP or legacy pairing) that re-establishes a valid link. Since the headset works with other devices, the problem is isolated to the phone's Bluetooth stack, not the headset.

Answer

Reset the network settings on the phone

Answer

Update the phone's operating system

Answer

Replace the Bluetooth antenna

Question 14

A user reports that their Android smartphone's battery drains very quickly. The technician checks the battery stats and sees that the screen brightness is set to maximum and the battery health is reported as 'Good'. Which of the following settings should the technician suggest to MOST improve battery life?

Accepted Answer

Reduce the screen brightness.. The screen is the largest power consumer on a smartphone, and maximum brightness significantly increases battery drain. Since the battery health is already 'Good', reducing screen brightness directly addresses the primary cause of rapid discharge without disabling necessary functions.

Answer

Enable airplane mode.

Answer

Disable all background processes.

Answer

Remove the phone's case.

Question 15

A user reports that their desktop computer will not boot after a power surge. When the power button is pressed, the case power LED lights up, fans spin for about two seconds, and then everything stops. There are no beep codes and no display. The technician has tested the power supply with a multimeter and confirmed that all voltages are within specification. The motherboard shows no signs of physical damage or bulging capacitors. Which component should the technician test or replace NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Motherboard. The correct answer is C. Since the power supply voltages are confirmed good and the motherboard shows no visible damage, the next most likely culprit is the motherboard itself. The symptom of fans spinning briefly and then stopping without beep codes or display indicates a failure in the motherboard's power sequencing or POST logic, often due to a damaged voltage regulator module (VRM) or chipset from the power surge, even without visible bulging capacitors.

Answer

CPU

Answer

RAM

Answer

Graphics card

Question 16

A user reports that their Android smartphone's GPS location often jumps around and shows incorrect positions, especially when indoors. The user has already calibrated the compass and enabled high-accuracy mode. The technician notices the phone has a rugged case with a magnetic kickstand. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the GPS inaccuracy?

Accepted Answer

The magnetic kickstand interferes with the magnetometer.. The magnetic kickstand in the rugged case creates a local magnetic field that interferes with the phone's magnetometer. The magnetometer is used to determine the device's orientation relative to Earth's magnetic field, and when it is disrupted, the GPS system cannot accurately correct for heading changes, causing the location to jump or drift, especially indoors where GPS signals are weaker.

Answer

The GPS antenna is damaged.

Answer

The phone's software needs an update.

Answer

The battery is failing and causing voltage fluctuations.

Question 17

A user reports that their iPhone 13 will not connect to the office Wi-Fi network. The user can see the network in the Wi-Fi list, but after entering the correct password, the phone displays 'Unable to join the network.' Other devices can connect to the same Wi-Fi network without issues. The technician has already restarted the iPhone and performed a 'Forget This Network' and rejoined. Which of the following should the technician try NEXT?

Accepted Answer

A. Option A is correct because the iPhone 13, like many modern mobile devices, may fail to connect to a Wi-Fi network due to a private MAC address conflict. When 'Private Wi-Fi Address' is enabled, the iPhone generates a randomized MAC address for each network. If the office Wi-Fi uses MAC address filtering or a captive portal that expects a consistent MAC, the randomized address will be rejected. The next best step is to disable this feature for that specific network, which forces the iPhone to use its actual hardware MAC address, matching what the network expects.

Answer

B

Answer

C

Answer

D

Question 18

A user reports that their iPhone 12 is stuck in a continuous boot loop—it shows the Apple logo, then turns off, and repeats. The user has already performed a force restart (Volume Up, Volume Down, hold Side button) multiple times without success. The iPhone is still running the original iOS version. Which of the following should the user try next to resolve this issue?

Accepted Answer

Connect the iPhone to a computer and put it into recovery mode, then restore via Finder or iTunes. A continuous boot loop on an iPhone that persists after a force restart typically indicates a corrupted operating system or failed firmware update. Since the iPhone is still on its original iOS version, the most effective next step is to connect it to a computer, put it into recovery mode (by pressing and releasing Volume Up, then Volume Down, then holding the Side button until the recovery mode screen appears), and restore the device via Finder (macOS Catalina or later) or iTunes (Windows or older macOS). This process reloads the iOS firmware and resolves software-level boot failures without requiring hardware replacement.

Answer

Replace the battery

Answer

Disconnect and reconnect the internal battery

Answer

Perform a factory reset from the Settings app

Question 19

A user reports that their iPhone will not connect to a Bluetooth speaker that is in pairing mode. The speaker is visible to other smartphones in the area. The technician has already restarted the iPhone and ensured Bluetooth is enabled. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Forget the device on the iPhone and re-pair. The speaker is visible to other smartphones, which confirms the speaker's Bluetooth radio and pairing mode are functional. The iPhone can see the speaker (since it's visible to other devices), but fails to connect, indicating a corrupted or stale pairing profile on the iPhone. Forgetting the device removes the stored link key and Bluetooth cache, forcing a fresh pairing handshake (SDP and LMP procedures) that typically resolves such connection failures.

Answer

Reset network settings on the iPhone

Answer

Replace the Bluetooth antenna in the iPhone

Answer

Update the firmware on the Bluetooth speaker

Question 20

A user reports that their smartphone's battery drains very quickly even when the phone is idle. The technician checks battery health in settings and it shows 'Normal.' No single app reports excessive power consumption. The phone also feels warm to the touch while not in use. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The phone is infected with malware. The phone feels warm while idle and drains battery quickly despite no single app showing high usage, which strongly suggests background activity from malware. Malware can run hidden processes, keep the CPU active, and maintain network connections, generating heat and draining power without appearing in standard battery usage lists. The battery health being 'Normal' rules out a faulty battery as the primary cause.

Answer

The battery is faulty and needs replacement

Answer

The operating system requires an update

Answer

The phone's charging port is damaged