220-1101 Hardware Practice Test 2 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A technician is assembling a new desktop computer. After connecting all components, the system powers on and the CPU fan spins, but none of the case fans spin. The technician has verified that the case fans are connected to the motherboard's 4-pin fan headers. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the case fans not spinning?

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

Accepted Answer

The case fans are defective and need to be replaced.. The case fans are not spinning while the CPU fan operates, indicating power is present. If the case fans are 3-pin DC fans on 4-pin headers and the header is set to PWM mode, they would receive constant 12V and run at full speed. A mismatch where a PWM fan is connected to a DC header can prevent spinning, but the option describes the opposite. Therefore, the most likely cause from the given choices is that the case fans are defective.

Answer

The power supply unit is not providing enough voltage for the fans.

Answer

The motherboard's fan headers are set to a PWM mode that is incompatible with the fans.

Answer

The motherboard BIOS needs to be updated to support the fans.

Question 2

A technician installs a new M.2 NVMe SSD into an M.2 slot on a desktop motherboard. The drive is detected in the BIOS and appears in Windows Disk Management as 'Unknown' and 'Not Initialized'. Which of the following is the MOST likely first step to make the drive usable?

Accepted Answer

Initialize the disk in Disk Management. When a new M.2 NVMe SSD is detected in the BIOS, Windows will typically show it in Disk Management as an uninitialized disk labeled 'Unknown' and 'Not Initialized'. The first step is to initialize the disk by right-clicking it and choosing 'Initialize Disk', which writes a GPT or MBR partition table. Only after initialization can you create a partition and format it. If the disk truly does not appear in Disk Management at all, the issue would likely be a missing driver, but since the drive is detected in BIOS, the most common cause is the uninitialized state.

Answer

Enable RAID in the BIOS

Answer

Format the drive with NTFS in Disk Management

Answer

Update the NVMe driver from the manufacturer's website

Question 3

A technician installs two 8GB DDR4 RAM modules into a desktop motherboard. The system powers on, but the monitor remains black and there are no beep codes from the speaker. The technician has verified that the RAM modules are securely seated and that both the CPU and GPU fans are spinning. The motherboard is known to work with the same RAM model. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Test each RAM module individually in a known-working slot.. The system powers on with fans spinning but no POST and no beep codes, which indicates a hardware fault that prevents the motherboard from completing the Power-On Self-Test. Since the RAM model is known to be compatible with this motherboard, the issue is likely a defective RAM module or an issue with the dual-channel configuration. Testing each module individually in a known-working slot isolates whether one module is defective or if the dual-channel configuration is causing a fault.

Answer

Replace the power supply unit.

Answer

Update the motherboard BIOS using a USB flash drive.

Answer

Check the CPU power connector on the motherboard.

Question 4

A technician installs two 16GB DDR4 RAM modules into a desktop motherboard. The motherboard manual specifies to use slots A2 and B2 for dual-channel. The technician installs the modules in slots A2 and B2. The system boots, but the BIOS reports only 16GB of total memory. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The RAM modules are not fully seated in the slots.. The system boots but detects only one of two 16 GB modules. Since the modules are in the correct slots (A2 and B2), the most likely cause is that one module is not fully seated. This is a common installation error, especially on a fresh build, and it is more likely than a faulty module. Reseating the modules should be the first troubleshooting step.

Answer

The modules are installed in the wrong slots for dual-channel.

Answer

One of the RAM modules is faulty.

Answer

The motherboard chipset does not support more than 16GB.

Question 5

A technician is building a PC for a user who needs to run multiple virtual machines. The motherboard supports a maximum of 32GB of RAM across 4 DIMM slots. Currently, two 8GB modules are installed. The user requires at least 32GB of RAM total, and the technician wants to reuse the existing modules. Which of the following is the MOST cost-effective upgrade?

Accepted Answer

Add one 16GB module. The motherboard supports up to 32GB across 4 DIMM slots. With two 8GB modules already installed, the user needs 16GB more. Option C adds a single 16GB module, reaching 32GB total while reusing existing modules and typically costing less than two 8GB modules. Option A costs more and fills all slots unnecessarily. Options B and D discard existing modules and are more expensive. Although Option C may not run in dual-channel mode, the question asks for the most cost-effective solution, not the best-performance one.

Answer

Add two additional 8GB modules

Answer

Replace the two 8GB modules with two 16GB modules

Answer

Replace all modules with four 8GB modules

Question 6

A technician builds a workstation with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU and a B550 chipset motherboard. The technician installs a compatible NVMe M.2 SSD into the first M.2 slot (M.2_1). After powering on, the system boots from the NVMe drive, but two SATA ports (SATA 5 and SATA 6) are not detecting any drives. The technician confirms the SATA drives are powered and the cables are connected securely. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The M.2 slot shares bandwidth with SATA ports, causing some SATA ports to be disabled. On B550 motherboards, certain M.2 slots share bandwidth with specific SATA ports. Installing an NVMe SSD in a shared M.2 slot automatically disables the affected SATA ports (often SATA 5 and 6) to allocate PCIe lanes, which explains why the drives are not detected despite proper power and cabling.

Answer

The NVMe SSD is faulty and interfering with SATA controllers

Answer

The SATA cables are loose or damaged

Answer

The motherboard requires a BIOS update to support NVMe drives

Question 7

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 8

A technician is building a workstation and installs two 16 GB DDR4-3200 memory modules into a motherboard with four DIMM slots: A1, A2, B1, B2. The modules are installed in slots A1 and B2. After powering on, the system detects only 16 GB of RAM. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

One of the memory modules is faulty. When a system detects only one of two installed memory modules, the usual cause is that one module is faulty, not seated properly, or the motherboard slot is bad. Dual-channel configuration affects memory bandwidth, not total capacity. Even if modules are placed in non-paired slots, both should still be detected and the system will run in single-channel mode. Therefore, the most likely cause is a faulty memory module (option B).

Answer

The modules are not installed in the correct slots for dual-channel operation

Answer

The BIOS needs to be updated

Answer

The memory voltage is set incorrectly

Question 9

A technician is installing two 8 GB DDR4-3200 memory modules into a desktop motherboard that has four DIMM slots: A1, A2, B1, B2. The technician installs the modules in slots A1 and A2. When the system boots, it only detects 8 GB of RAM. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

One of the RAM modules is defective. When two memory modules are installed in the same channel (e.g., A1 and A2), the system runs in single-channel mode but both modules are recognized by the BIOS, yielding the full combined capacity (16 GB). A system reporting only 8 GB suggests that one module is not being detected, which is most likely due to a defective memory module or poor seating, not due to the slot arrangement. Therefore, option A (one RAM module is defective) is the most likely cause.

Answer

The modules are installed in the wrong slots for dual-channel support

Answer

The memory modules are not compatible with the motherboard

Answer

The memory speed is set too high in the BIOS

Question 10

A technician is building a desktop PC and installs two 8GB DDR4-3200 memory modules into a motherboard with four DIMM slots. The motherboard manual states that for dual-channel configuration, modules should be installed in slots A2 and B2 (or A1 and B1). The technician installs both modules in slots A1 and A2. When the system boots, it only detects 8GB of RAM. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The modules are not seated properly.. Installing both modules in slots A1 and A2 populates only one memory channel, which results in single-channel memory operation but does not reduce total memory capacity. The system would still detect both 8GB modules and report 16GB. If only 8GB is detected, the most likely cause is that one module is not seated properly, preventing it from being recognized.

Answer

The RAM modules are not compatible with the motherboard.

Answer

The modules are installed in the wrong slots for the memory architecture.

Answer

The CPU does not support the RAM speed.

Question 11

A technician has assembled a new desktop computer. When the power button on the case is pressed, the system does not power on at all—no fans spin and no LEDs light up. The technician has verified that the power supply unit (PSU) is connected to the motherboard and that the PSU switch is in the ON position. Using a multimeter, the technician tests the PSU and confirms that it outputs the correct voltages on the 24-pin and CPU power connectors when the power button is pressed. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

The CPU is seated correctly.. Since the PSU outputs correct voltages when the power button is pressed, the power switch circuit and PSU are functional. The motherboard is receiving power, but no fans or LEDs turn on, indicating the motherboard is not starting up. A mis-seated CPU can prevent the motherboard from powering on, so checking CPU seating is the next logical step.

Answer

The power button header is connected to the correct pins on the motherboard.

Answer

The RAM is seated in the correct slots.

Answer

The graphics card is properly installed.

Question 12

A technician is assembling a new desktop computer. After connecting all components, the system powers on and the CPU fan spins, but none of the case fans spin. The technician has verified that the case fans are connected to the motherboard's 4-pin fan headers. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the case fans not spinning?

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

Accepted Answer

Reseat the RAM modules. The correct first step is to reseat the RAM modules. A new build with fans spinning and power LED on but no POST beeps often has a memory seating issue. Checking the CPU power connector is also a valid early step, but reseating RAM is the more common first action in A+ troubleshooting. The discrete graphics card is not the first suspect because the system is not initializing POST.

Answer

Connect the monitor to the integrated graphics port on the motherboard

Answer

Replace the discrete graphics card with a known-good unit

Answer

Check the CPU power connector

Question 13

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 14

A technician is assembling a new desktop computer. After connecting all components, the system powers on and the CPU fan spins, but none of the case fans spin. The technician has verified that the case fans are connected to the motherboard's 4-pin fan headers. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the case fans not spinning?

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

Accepted Answer

The heatsink fan is not connected to the CPU fan header.. The system shuts down after about 10 seconds because the CPU is overheating. Although other fans may spin, the CPU heatsink fan is not connected to the dedicated CPU fan header, so it remains stationary or does not spin at the correct speed. The CPU quickly reaches its thermal threshold, triggering an automatic shutdown to prevent damage. This is a common safety feature in modern motherboards.

Answer

The CPU is not compatible with the motherboard.

Answer

The power supply is insufficient wattage.

Answer

The RAM is not seated properly.

Question 15

A technician is assembling a new desktop computer. After connecting all components, the system powers on and the CPU fan spins, but none of the case fans spin. The technician has verified that the case fans are connected to the motherboard's 4-pin fan headers. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the case fans not spinning?

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

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