220-1101 Hard Questions — 25 Difficult Questions

Question 1

A business uses a cloud service that automatically increases the number of virtual servers during peak traffic hours and decreases them during low usage, all without manual intervention. The policy is predefined in the cloud management console. This scenario best exemplifies which characteristic of cloud computing?

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

Accepted Answer

Rapid elasticity. Rapid elasticity is the correct characteristic because the cloud service automatically scales virtual server resources up and down based on predefined policies, matching demand without manual intervention. This dynamic scaling—adding instances during peak traffic and removing them during low usage—is the core definition of rapid elasticity in cloud computing, as it allows resources to expand and contract elastically to meet workload changes.

Answer

On-demand self-service

Answer

Resource pooling

Answer

Measured service

Question 2

A technician notices a constant high-pitched whine coming from the power supply area of a desktop computer. The computer boots and operates normally under all workloads. The technician has already checked that all fans are free of obstructions and that no cables are touching the fan blades. Which of the following components is most likely causing the noise?

Accepted Answer

Power supply coil whine due to electrical resonance. A constant high-pitched whine from the power supply area, especially when the system operates normally under all workloads, is characteristic of coil whine. This occurs when electrical current passes through an inductor (coil) in the power supply, causing the coil's windings to vibrate at a frequency within the audible range due to electrical resonance. Since the noise is not mechanical (fans are clear) and the system functions correctly, coil whine is the most likely cause.

Answer

Faulty CPU fan bearing

Answer

Defective power supply capacitor

Answer

Loose mounting screw vibrating

Question 3

A technician is upgrading a desktop PC with a new high-end graphics card. The card requires two 8-pin PCIe power connectors. The power supply unit (PSU) has two 6+2 pin PCIe cables. After installing the card and connecting both cables, the system powers on, all fans spin, but there is no display output from the graphics card. The technician has verified the card is fully seated in the PCIe slot, the monitor is connected to the card's output, and the monitor works with another computer. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The 6+2 pin PCIe connectors are not fully inserted into the graphics card.. The 6+2 pin PCIe connectors are designed to be used as 8-pin connectors by clipping the 2-pin section alongside the 6-pin section. If the 2-pin portion is not fully latched or the combined connector is not pushed in completely, the graphics card will not receive proper power delivery on all pins. This can cause the card to power its fans but fail to initialize the GPU core, resulting in no display output despite the system appearing to power on normally.

Answer

The PSU wattage is insufficient to power the new graphics card.

Answer

The motherboard's PCIe slot is configured for Gen 3, but the card requires Gen 4.

Answer

The graphics card drivers have not been installed yet.

Question 4

A company uses a private cloud with 10 virtual servers running on a single hypervisor host. The VMs are configured with dynamic memory allocation. Recently, performance has degraded, and the hypervisor shows 90% memory utilization. The IT team wants to add two more VMs without purchasing additional hardware. Which of the following is the most likely limiting factor?

Accepted Answer

The total physical RAM installed in the host. The hypervisor shows 90% memory utilization, and dynamic memory allocation allows VMs to share physical RAM. Adding two more VMs without increasing physical memory will likely exhaust the host's RAM, causing excessive swapping or out-of-memory conditions. This makes total physical RAM the most likely limiting factor.

Answer

The hypervisor's CPU core count

Answer

The storage I/O bandwidth

Answer

The network interface card speed

Question 5

A system administrator is configuring a virtual machine (VM) on a VMware ESXi host. The VM runs a critical database application that requires a guaranteed minimum amount of memory to perform well. The host has memory overcommitment enabled. Which setting should the administrator configure to ensure the VM always has at least 4 GB of physical memory available?

Accepted Answer

Memory reservation. A memory reservation guarantees that the ESXi host will allocate at least the specified amount of physical memory to the VM, even when memory overcommitment is enabled. This ensures the critical database application always has a minimum of 4 GB of physical RAM available, preventing performance degradation due to contention.

Answer

Memory limit

Answer

Memory ballooning

Answer

Swap file size

Question 6

A network administrator is setting up a wired network for a small office that has 25 workstations, 2 file servers, and a router with 4 LAN ports. The office uses IP-based printers and VoIP phones. The administrator wants to minimize broadcast traffic and improve network performance by separating the workstations from the servers and printers. Which of the following is the BEST solution?

Accepted Answer

Use a single managed switch and configure port-based VLANs. A managed switch with port-based VLANs allows the network administrator to logically segment the workstations from the servers and printers on the same physical switch, reducing broadcast domain size and improving performance. VLANs isolate broadcast traffic to only the ports within the same VLAN, so workstations do not see broadcasts from servers or printers, and vice versa. This solution uses a single switch, which is cost-effective and simple to manage, while meeting the requirement to minimize broadcast traffic without needing multiple routers.

Answer

Connect all devices to a single unmanaged switch

Answer

Connect all devices to a hub instead of a switch

Answer

Use multiple routers to separate networks

Question 7

After a RAM upgrade, a PC fails to boot and emits memory beep codes. The technician confirms the modules are the correct generation. What is the best next step?

Accepted Answer

Reseat the RAM and test one module at a time in the recommended slot. Memory beep codes indicate a RAM-related issue, and the most common cause after an upgrade is improper seating or a faulty module. Reseating the RAM and testing one module at a time in the recommended slot (usually slot A2 or DIMM2 per motherboard manual) isolates the problem, ensuring each stick is properly installed and functional before adding more.

Answer

Replace the power button

Answer

Clear all browser cache

Answer

Disable DHCP

Question 8

A user reports that their workstation experiences intermittent network disconnections, often during peak office hours. The technician tests the Cat6 Ethernet cable with a continuity tester; the cable passes all four pairs. The network adapter is set to auto-negotiate and reports a link speed of 1 Gbps when connected. However, after observing the switch port, the technician notices a high number of CRC errors and late collisions. The cable runs through a dropped ceiling and is routed near fluorescent light ballasts. Which of the following should the technician do FIRST to resolve the issue?

Accepted Answer

Replace the network cable with a shielded (STP) cable. The high CRC errors and late collisions are classic symptoms of electromagnetic interference (EMI) corrupting the signal, which is consistent with the cable being routed near fluorescent light ballasts. Since the Cat6 cable passes continuity but the errors persist, the issue is noise, not a broken wire. Replacing the unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable with a shielded (STP) cable will protect the signal from EMI, directly addressing the root cause.

Answer

Configure jumbo frames on the workstation and switch

Answer

Replace the network interface card (NIC) in the workstation

Answer

Replace the switch with one that supports auto-MDI/X

Question 9

A company runs a latency-sensitive application on a local server. To handle occasional traffic spikes, the company needs to expand compute resources temporarily without moving the entire application to the cloud. The application runs on a single operating system instance and cannot be easily containerized. Which of the following cloud deployment models BEST allows the company to meet this requirement?

Accepted Answer

Hybrid cloud. A hybrid cloud model allows the company to keep the latency-sensitive application on a local private cloud or on-premises server while temporarily bursting compute resources to a public cloud during traffic spikes. This is achieved through cloud bursting, where additional virtual machines or instances are provisioned in the public cloud and connected to the on-premises environment, without requiring the entire application to be migrated or containerized. The application runs on a single OS instance, so extending resources via hybrid cloud avoids the need for re-architecture while handling peak loads.

Answer

Community cloud

Answer

Public cloud

Answer

Private cloud

Question 10

A user reports that their smartphone's touch screen stopped working after the phone was briefly submerged in water. The technician dried the device thoroughly, then replaced the screen assembly (including the digitizer) with a known-good part. After reassembly, the touch screen is still completely unresponsive. The display works correctly, and the phone powers on and charges normally. Which of the following components should the technician check next?

Accepted Answer

The motherboard's touch screen controller IC. Water damage can short or corrode the touch screen controller IC on the motherboard, which processes signals from the digitizer. Since the display and other functions work, the issue is isolated to the touch input path, and replacing the screen assembly (including the digitizer) did not resolve it, pointing to a damaged controller IC rather than the peripheral components.

Answer

The battery

Answer

The charging port

Answer

The SIM card slot

Question 11

A technician is troubleshooting a laser printer that produces pages with a faint, blurry image on one side of the page (right edge). The problem occurs on every print job and the print quality is otherwise normal. The technician has already replaced the toner cartridge and the imaging drum, but the issue persists. Which of the following printer components is the MOST likely cause of this problem?

Accepted Answer

Transfer roller. The transfer roller applies a positive charge to the paper to attract the negatively charged toner from the imaging drum. If the transfer roller is damaged, worn, or has uneven pressure on one side, it will fail to transfer toner uniformly across the page, causing a faint, blurry image on the affected edge. Since the toner cartridge and imaging drum have already been replaced, the transfer roller is the next most likely cause of this localized print defect.

Answer

Fuser assembly

Answer

Laser scanner

Answer

Pickup rollers

Question 12

A technician is upgrading a workstation's CPU from an Intel Core i5-6500 (Skylake) to an Intel Core i7-7700 (Kaby Lake) on an LGA 1151 motherboard. The motherboard manufacturer's website lists the i7-7700 as compatible with BIOS version P2.10 or later. After installing the new CPU, the system powers on (fans spin, LEDs light) but displays a black screen with no POST beeps. The technician has already cleared the CMOS. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The motherboard's BIOS version is too old to support the new CPU.. The Intel Core i7-7700 (Kaby Lake) requires a BIOS version P2.10 or later on this LGA 1151 motherboard. Since the system powers on but fails to POST with a black screen and no beeps, the most likely cause is that the current BIOS version predates P2.10, lacking the microcode needed to initialize the Kaby Lake CPU. Clearing CMOS does not update the BIOS, so the motherboard remains unable to communicate with the new processor.

Answer

The power supply unit is not providing enough wattage for the new CPU.

Answer

The new CPU is defective or was installed incorrectly.

Answer

The RAM modules are incompatible with the new CPU's memory controller.

Question 13

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 14

A network technician is troubleshooting intermittent connectivity issues on a small office network. The issue only occurs for a few minutes at a time, and users lose access to both internal servers and the internet. During the issue, the technician can ping the default gateway from the core switch but not from the router. The router logs show multiple 'Duplicate IP address' errors for the router's LAN interface. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

A rogue DHCP server on the network. The 'Duplicate IP address' error on the router's LAN interface indicates that another device on the network is using the same IP address as the router. A rogue DHCP server can assign the router's IP address to another client, causing intermittent connectivity loss. During the conflict, the router cannot respond to traffic, which explains why pinging the default gateway fails from the router but succeeds from the core switch (which may have a cached ARP entry or be on a different VLAN).

Answer

A misconfigured DHCP server on the network

Answer

A spanning tree protocol convergence loop

Answer

A faulty network cable causing CRC errors

Question 15

A technician is building a high-performance workstation for 3D rendering. The motherboard supports PCIe 4.0 and has three PCIe x16 slots. The technician installs two identical graphics cards for SLI. After installing the cards and connecting the SLI bridge, the system boots but only one card is detected. Both cards have power connected. The technician checks BIOS settings and confirms the slots are set to x16 mode. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The PSU does not provide enough wattage.. The most likely cause is insufficient power from the PSU. Both GPUs require adequate wattage and proper power connections; if the PSU cannot supply enough power, one card may fail to initialize and appear undetected. Chipset SLI support affects the ability to combine GPUs, not the OS detection of each GPU individually.

Answer

The SLI bridge is faulty.

Answer

The motherboard chipset does not support SLI.

Answer

The drivers are not installed correctly.

Question 16

A user's laptop was accidentally knocked off a desk. The laptop powers on and boots to Windows, but the built-in LCD display shows a distorted image with vertical lines and flickering colors. The technician connects an external monitor via HDMI, and the image displays correctly without any distortion. Which of the following components is MOST likely damaged?

Accepted Answer

The LVDS or eDP cable. The LVDS/eDP cable connects the motherboard to the LCD panel. A physical shock can loosen or damage this cable, causing display corruption. The external monitor displaying correctly proves the GPU and motherboard are generating a proper signal, isolating the problem to the internal display assembly (either the cable or the panel). The cable is more susceptible to impact than the panel, making it the most likely cause.

Answer

The LCD panel

Answer

The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)

Answer

The motherboard

Question 17

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer in a machine shop. The computer experiences intermittent network connectivity loss, specifically when a large electric motor on a nearby lathe is started. The link light on the network interface card (NIC) turns off during these events. The technician has already replaced the Ethernet cable with a shielded Cat6a cable and moved the computer to a different electrical circuit on a different breaker panel. The problem persists. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Use a fiber optic Ethernet cable and media converters. The large electric motor generates strong electromagnetic interference (EMI) when started. Shielded Cat6a cable reduces but does not eliminate EMI, and moving to a different circuit does not address radiated interference. Fiber optic cable is completely immune to EMI because it uses light pulses instead of electrical signals, making it the definitive solution for this environment.

Answer

Replace the network interface card with one that supports a higher level of error correction

Answer

Install a ferrite core on the Ethernet cable near the computer

Answer

Replace the power supply unit (PSU) of the computer with a model that has better electrical noise filtering

Question 18

A user reports that their smartphone emits no sound from the bottom speaker (used for speakerphone and media playback). The earpiece works during phone calls, and audio through wired headphones is normal. The volume is turned up and the phone is not in silent mode. The technician has verified that the software audio settings are correct. Which of the following components is MOST likely faulty?

Accepted Answer

Bottom speaker. The bottom speaker is the dedicated transducer for speakerphone and media playback audio. Since the earpiece (top speaker) and wired headphone output both work correctly, the audio codec and signal path are intact up to the bottom speaker's amplifier or voice coil. A failure of the bottom speaker itself—such as an open voice coil, torn diaphragm, or corroded contacts—would selectively silence only that output while leaving all other audio paths functional.

Answer

Audio codec chip

Answer

Battery

Answer

Proximity sensor

Question 19

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 20

A technician is troubleshooting a server that unexpectedly shut down. The server has redundant power supplies, and the building power is stable. The technician checks the BIOS event log and finds a thermal warning before shutdown. The server is in a rack with other servers, all within temperature range. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Loose CPU heatsink. A loose CPU heatsink causes poor thermal transfer between the CPU and the heatsink, leading to localized overheating even when ambient temperatures are normal. The BIOS thermal warning followed by shutdown indicates the CPU exceeded its critical temperature threshold, triggering an automatic protection mechanism. Redundant power supplies and stable building power rule out power issues, and the other servers in the rack are within range, isolating the problem to the specific server's cooling hardware.

Answer

A failed power supply unit

Answer

Incompatible RAM

Answer

Hard drive failure