220-1101 Practice Exam 66 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A technician is installing a new CPU on a motherboard that uses an LGA 1151 socket. After carefully placing the CPU into the socket, the technician tries to lower the retention arm but it resists and will not close fully. The technician has not applied any force yet. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The CPU is not oriented correctly in the socket. The LGA 1151 socket uses a land grid array where the CPU has no pins; instead, the pins are in the socket. The CPU has a triangular alignment marker in one corner that must match a corresponding marker on the socket. If the CPU is not oriented correctly, the retention arm will not close because the CPU's substrate will not sit flush against the socket pins, preventing the arm from latching.

Answer

The thermal paste is too thick

Answer

The socket is damaged

Answer

The CPU is incompatible with the socket

Question 2

A technician is troubleshooting a laser printer that produces pages with a vertical black streak that repeats every 2 inches down the page. The technician has already replaced the toner cartridge and the imaging drum with brand-new OEM components. The streak appears in the same location on every page. Which of the following printer components should the technician inspect or replace NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Fuser assembly. The fuser assembly uses heat and pressure to permanently bond toner to the paper. A damaged fuser roller (e.g., a nick, scratch, or melted toner buildup) will cause a repeating defect at a distance equal to the circumference of that roller. Since the streak repeats every 2 inches, this matches the typical circumference of a fuser roller, and replacing the toner cartridge and drum did not resolve the issue, making the fuser the next logical component to inspect or replace.

Answer

Transfer roller

Answer

Pickup rollers

Answer

Laser scanner assembly

Question 3

A technician is building a new PC using an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU and an Asus TUF GAMING B550-PLUS motherboard. After installing all components, the system powers on, the CPU and GPU fans spin, but the monitor remains black and there are no POST beeps. The technician has already reseated the RAM and GPU, and verified that the 8-pin EPS12V power connector is connected. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The motherboard BIOS needs to be updated to support the Ryzen 5 5600X. The Ryzen 5 5600X is based on the Zen 3 architecture, which requires a BIOS version that supports AGESA ComboV2 1.1.0.0 or later. The Asus TUF GAMING B550-PLUS motherboard may ship with an older BIOS that only supports Zen 2 (Ryzen 3000 series) CPUs. Without the updated BIOS, the motherboard cannot initialize the CPU, resulting in a black screen and no POST beeps despite fans spinning.

Answer

The power supply unit wattage is insufficient for the CPU and GPU

Answer

The RAM is installed in the wrong slots for dual-channel mode

Answer

The CPU cooler is not making proper contact with the CPU

Question 4

A technician is building a new desktop computer. After installing the CPU, RAM, and power supply, the system powers on and fans spin, but the monitor displays 'No Signal'. The technician has verified the monitor and cable work with another computer. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Ensure the CPU power connector is plugged in. The CPU power connector (typically a 4+4 pin 12V EPS connector) provides dedicated power to the CPU. Without it, the CPU cannot initialize, so the system may power on and spin fans but fail to POST, resulting in a 'No Signal' display. Since the monitor and cable are verified working, the most logical first check is this power connection.

Answer

Replace the RAM with known good modules

Answer

Reseat the GPU in its slot

Answer

Check the BIOS settings for video output

Question 5

A user reports that their desktop computer shuts down unexpectedly after about 30 minutes of use. The technician reads CPU temperature sensors in BIOS and sees the CPU idles at 45°C but quickly rises to 95°C under load before the system shuts down. The heatsink fan is spinning. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The thermal paste between CPU and heatsink has dried out.. The CPU idles at 45°C but quickly spikes to 95°C under load, triggering a thermal shutdown. Since the heatsink fan is spinning, the most likely cause is degraded thermal paste, which has lost its ability to efficiently transfer heat from the CPU die to the heatsink, leading to rapid overheating even with active cooling.

Answer

The power supply is failing.

Answer

The RAM has a timing error.

Answer

The motherboard VRM is overheating.

Question 6

A user’s desktop computer has 16 GB of physical RAM installed (2 x 8 GB modules), but the operating system and BIOS both report only 8 GB as available. The computer powers on normally and displays video. What is the most likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

One RAM module is not seated properly. The most likely cause is that one of the two 8 GB RAM modules is not seated properly in its slot. When a RAM module is not fully inserted, the system may fail to detect it during POST, resulting in the BIOS and OS reporting only half the installed memory (8 GB instead of 16 GB). The computer still powers on and displays video because the remaining module provides sufficient memory for basic operation.

Answer

The CPU is failing

Answer

The GPU is overheating

Answer

The operating system is corrupted

Question 7

A user reports that their workstation experiences intermittent network drops and slow performance. The technician checks the switch port statistics and observes a high number of late collisions and CRC errors. The workstation's NIC is set to auto-negotiate, and the switch port is manually configured for 100 Mbps full duplex. Which two of the following are the MOST likely causes of this problem? (Select TWO).

Accepted Answer

Duplex mismatch. A duplex mismatch occurs when one side of a link is set to full duplex and the other to half duplex. In this scenario, the switch port is manually configured for 100 Mbps full duplex, but the workstation's NIC is set to auto-negotiate. Auto-negotiation on the NIC will fail to detect the manually configured switch port, causing the NIC to fall back to half duplex. This mismatch leads to late collisions (because the half-duplex side waits for a clear channel while the full-duplex side transmits without listening) and CRC errors (from corrupted frames due to collisions).

Answer

Incorrect IP configuration

Answer

Broadcast storm

Question 8

A user reports that their Android smartphone's screen does not rotate when the phone is turned sideways. The auto-rotate setting is enabled. The technician has already verified that the phone's operating system and apps are up to date. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

The accelerometer is malfunctioning.. The accelerometer is the sensor responsible for detecting the device's orientation and triggering screen rotation. Since auto-rotate is enabled and the OS/apps are up to date, a malfunctioning accelerometer is the most likely cause, as it would fail to send the correct orientation data to the system.

Answer

The gyroscope is malfunctioning.

Answer

The touchscreen digitizer is damaged.

Answer

The proximity sensor is blocked.

Question 9

A technician is upgrading the CPU in a desktop computer from an older generation to a newer one. The motherboard is several years old but the manufacturer's website indicates it supports the new CPU with a BIOS update. The technician installs the new CPU, applies thermal paste, attaches the cooler, and powers on the system. The system fans spin, but the monitor remains black and the motherboard's CPU diagnostic LED glows solid red. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The BIOS has not been updated to support the new CPU. The motherboard's CPU diagnostic LED glowing solid red indicates a CPU initialization failure. Since the manufacturer's website confirms the new CPU is supported only after a BIOS update, the most likely cause is that the technician skipped the required BIOS update. Without the updated firmware, the motherboard's UEFI/BIOS lacks the microcode necessary to recognize and initialize the newer CPU, leaving the system stuck in a pre-POST state.

Answer

The CPU is not seated correctly

Answer

The RAM is incompatible with the new CPU

Answer

The power supply is insufficient

Question 10

A user reports that their smartphone Wi-Fi connection at home frequently drops when they move from one room to another. The home has a single wireless router located in the basement. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the intermittent connection?

Accepted Answer

The phone is configured to use only the 5 GHz band.. The 5 GHz band has shorter range and poorer penetration through walls and floors compared to the 2.4 GHz band. When the user moves between rooms, the signal from the basement router may drop below the threshold required for a stable 5 GHz connection, causing intermittent disconnects. The phone being locked to 5 GHz prevents it from falling back to the more robust 2.4 GHz band.

Answer

The phone's Bluetooth is interfering with Wi-Fi.

Answer

The router's firmware is outdated.

Answer

Too many devices are connected to the router.

Question 11

A user reports that their smartphone's Bluetooth has stopped working entirely—it cannot discover any devices and cannot be discovered by other devices. However, Wi-Fi connectivity remains unaffected. The technician has already performed a full network settings reset and tested the device in safe mode. Which of the following hardware components is MOST likely faulty?

Accepted Answer

Wi-Fi/Bluetooth combo chip. The Wi-Fi/Bluetooth combo chip is the most likely faulty component because both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth share the same integrated circuit in modern smartphones. Since Wi-Fi continues to work normally, the Bluetooth portion of the combo chip has failed internally, while the Wi-Fi path remains functional. A full network settings reset and safe mode test rule out software or driver issues, isolating the fault to the hardware.

Answer

Bluetooth antenna

Answer

Power management IC

Answer

Battery

Question 12

A small office uses a single 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, and DNS server 8.8.8.8. The printer is connected to the same switch as the workstations. Workstations can ping the router 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.. The printer's static IP address 192.168.1.150 falls within the router's DHCP scope (typically 192.168.1.100–192.168.1.199 for a /24 network). When a DHCP server assigns an address to a workstation, it may hand out 192.168.1.150, creating an IP address conflict. This conflict causes intermittent or complete loss of connectivity to the printer because the router and switch see two devices claiming the same IP, and ARP tables become unstable. Workstations can ping the router because their own IPs are valid, but they cannot reach the printer due to the duplicate address.

Answer

The printer's firewall is blocking ICMP.

Answer

The printer's subnet mask is incorrect.

Answer

The printer's default gateway is incorrect.

Question 13

A user reports that their Android smartphone's screen is shattered and the lower half of the touchscreen is unresponsive. The phone is locked with a PIN, and the user urgently needs to retrieve photos from the internal storage. The user does not want to spend money on repairs if possible. Which of the following is the BEST method to retrieve the data?

Accepted Answer

Use a USB OTG adapter to connect a wired mouse. Option B is correct because a USB OTG (On-The-Go) adapter allows you to connect a wired mouse to the Android smartphone. Once connected, the mouse cursor can navigate the locked screen, enter the PIN, and access the internal storage without requiring the broken touchscreen to function. This method is cost-free (assuming the user has or can borrow an OTG adapter and mouse) and does not involve any repair or data loss.

Answer

Connect the phone to a computer via USB cable and access the files using MTP

Answer

Replace the phone's screen digitizer

Answer

Perform a factory reset to restore touch functionality

Question 14

A small office network consists of a router and an unmanaged switch. Every day at 2:00 PM, users report extremely slow network performance and intermittent connectivity that lasts about 30 minutes. A technician checks the switch's interface statistics and notices a high number of CRC errors on the port connected to a VoIP phone. The cable connecting the phone to the wall jack is a known working Cat5e cable. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The VoIP phone is configured for half-duplex while the switch port is using full-duplex.. A is correct because a duplex mismatch between the VoIP phone (half-duplex) and the switch port (full-duplex) causes CRC errors, collisions, and performance degradation. The daily 2:00 PM timing suggests a scheduled task like a phone firmware update or DHCP renewal that triggers heavy traffic, exacerbating the mismatch. CRC errors specifically indicate layer 1/2 frame corruption, which is a classic symptom of duplex mismatch.

Answer

The switch is experiencing a broadcast storm caused by a loop in the network.

Answer

The VoIP phone is running QoS that priority-tags all traffic.

Answer

The Category 5e cable is not capable of handling VoIP traffic.

Question 15

A user reports that their desktop computer shuts down randomly after running for about 30 minutes. The technician suspects overheating. The technician checks the CPU temperature in BIOS and sees 45°C at idle. The computer has a stock CPU cooler, and the case has one intake and one exhaust fan. The technician runs a stress test, and the CPU temperature reaches 95°C within 5 minutes, then the system shuts down. The technician has already cleaned all dust from the heatsink and fans. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Reapply thermal paste between the CPU and cooler.. The CPU temperature spikes to 95°C under load and triggers a thermal shutdown, despite the cooler being clean and fans working. This indicates poor heat transfer from the CPU to the cooler, most likely due to dried-out or improperly applied thermal paste. Reapplying thermal paste restores efficient thermal conductivity, resolving the overheating.

Answer

Replace the power supply.

Answer

Install additional case fans.

Answer

Replace the CPU.

Question 16

A user reports that their smartphone (Android) turns off without warning when the battery indicator shows 15-20% remaining. The phone will not power back on until it is connected to a charger, at which point it shows a much lower battery percentage (e.g., 2%). The user has already performed a battery calibration procedure (draining fully and charging to 100% uninterrupted) but the problem persists. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Defective battery. The battery is defective because it has lost its ability to accurately report its state of charge and maintain voltage under load. When the battery indicator shows 15-20%, the actual voltage has already dropped below the cutoff threshold, causing the phone to shut down. The calibration procedure failed because the battery's internal impedance has increased, preventing it from holding a proper charge.

Answer

Faulty charging port

Answer

Operating system software bug

Answer

Loose connection between the battery and motherboard

Question 17

A company hosts a critical application on a public cloud provider. The solution is designed with a set of pre-configured virtual machines that are kept powered off in a different availability zone. In the event of a failure in the primary zone, the standby VMs are automatically started, and traffic is rerouted. This design primarily addresses which of the following cloud computing characteristics?

Accepted Answer

Disaster recovery. The design described—pre-configured VMs kept powered off in a different availability zone, automatically started on failure, with traffic rerouted—is a classic warm standby disaster recovery (DR) pattern. Disaster recovery focuses on restoring operations after a major failure or disaster, often in a secondary site or zone, which matches this scenario. High availability (HA) typically uses active-active or active-passive configurations with automatic failover, but the VMs here are powered off, not running, so this is DR, not HA.

Answer

High availability

Answer

Fault tolerance

Answer

Scalability

Question 18

A company plans to migrate a customer-facing web application to the cloud. The application must automatically handle sudden traffic spikes by adding virtual servers without any manual intervention. Which cloud computing characteristic is MOST essential for this requirement?

Accepted Answer

Rapid elasticity. Rapid elasticity is the cloud characteristic that enables automatic scaling of resources up or down in response to demand, often without manual intervention. For a web application that must handle sudden traffic spikes by adding virtual servers automatically, rapid elasticity is essential because it allows the cloud infrastructure to provision and de-provision compute resources dynamically, typically using auto-scaling groups or similar mechanisms.

Answer

Resource pooling

Answer

Measured service

Answer

On-demand self-service

Question 19

A technician replaced the cracked glass and LCD assembly on a smartphone. The touch screen now works intermittently and often registers touches in the wrong location or not at all. The display itself is clear and bright. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The digitizer flex cable is loose or not seated correctly. The digitizer (touch layer) is separate from the LCD in most modern smartphones. When the glass and LCD assembly is replaced, the digitizer flex cable must be properly seated. A loose or incorrectly seated flex cable causes intermittent touch registration and ghost touches because the electrical connection for capacitive touch sensing is unreliable, while the display remains unaffected since it uses a separate data path.

Answer

The LCD is not compatible with the smartphone model

Answer

The smartphone battery is swollen and pressing on the digitizer

Answer

The smartphone's software needs to be recalibrated for the new screen

Question 20

A user connects a laptop to a hotel's wired Ethernet port. The laptop obtains an IP address of 169.254.15.32 and cannot access the internet. Other guests' laptops on the same hotel network work without issue. The technician has verified that the laptop's network adapter is enabled, the driver is up to date, and that the Ethernet cable is securely connected. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The switch port is configured with MAC address filtering. The IP address 169.254.15.32 is an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address, assigned when a DHCP server is not reached. Since other guests' laptops work fine, the hotel's DHCP server is operational, ruling out a server-side issue. MAC address filtering on the switch port would block the laptop's DHCP request, causing it to fail to obtain a valid IP and fall back to APIPA, while other devices with allowed MAC addresses work normally.

Answer

The hotel's DHCP server is down

Answer

The DNS server address is unreachable

Answer

The Ethernet cable is faulty