220-1101 Hardware Practice Test 3 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A technician is building a workstation using an Intel LGA1151 motherboard that supports 9th generation processors. The technician installs a new M.2 NVMe SSD into the M.2 slot labeled 'M2A_SATA'. After installation, the SSD is detected in the BIOS but the system fails to boot from it. The SSD is confirmed to be functional in another system. Which of the following is the MOST likely reason for the boot failure?

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

Accepted Answer

The M.2 slot is only compatible with SATA SSDs, not NVMe. The M.2 slot labeled 'M2A_SATA' is physically and electrically wired for SATA SSDs only, not NVMe. NVMe drives use the PCIe bus, while SATA M.2 slots lack the necessary PCIe lanes to communicate with the drive. Even though the drive is detected in BIOS (because the slot can identify the device), the system cannot boot from it because the slot cannot establish the PCIe link required for NVMe protocol transfers.

Answer

The motherboard requires a BIOS update to support NVMe boot

Answer

The CPU does not support NVMe devices

Answer

The M.2 slot disables two SATA ports, causing a conflict

Question 2

A technician is building a PC for a stock trader who needs to connect four external monitors. The motherboard has one HDMI port and one DisplayPort. Which of the following components should the technician add to support all four monitors?

Accepted Answer

Install a second graphics card in a PCIe x16 slot. The motherboard has only one HDMI and one DisplayPort, which supports only two monitors. Adding a second graphics card in a PCIe x16 slot provides additional video outputs (e.g., two more HDMI/DisplayPort ports), enabling a total of four monitors. This is the most straightforward and reliable method for multi-monitor support without relying on adapters or shared bandwidth.

Answer

Connect all monitors via a USB-C adapter

Answer

Use a KVM switch to connect the monitors

Answer

Enable onboard and dedicated graphics simultaneously

Question 3

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 4

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 5

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 6

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 7

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 8

A technician installs a new SATA SSD into a desktop computer. The drive is not detected in the BIOS or the operating system. The technician has confirmed that the SATA data cable and power cable are securely connected to both the drive and the motherboard/PSU. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Ensure the SATA controller mode is set to AHCI or RAID in BIOS.. The SATA controller mode in the BIOS must be set to AHCI or RAID for modern SATA SSDs to be recognized. If the mode is set to IDE (or Legacy), the SSD may not be detected because IDE mode does not support the native command queuing and hot-plug features that AHCI provides. Since the technician has already verified physical connections, the next logical step is to check this BIOS setting.

Answer

Update the motherboard chipset drivers.

Answer

Replace the SATA data cable with a different one.

Answer

Verify that the drive jumper is set to Master.

Question 9

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 10

A technician is assembling a new desktop PC. The motherboard has integrated graphics and a discrete PCIe graphics card is installed. The monitor is connected to the discrete graphics card. When powered on, the system fans spin and the power LED lights, but there is no video output and no POST beep codes. Which of the following should the technician do FIRST?

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 11

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 12

A technician is assembling a new desktop computer. After installing the CPU, thermal paste, and heatsink, the technician connects all power cables and turns on the system. The fans spin, but the system shuts down after about 10 seconds. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The heatsink fan is not connected to the CPU fan header.. The heatsink fan is not connected to the CPU fan header. Many motherboards perform a POST check that detects no tachometer/RPM signal on the CPU_FAN header and will halt the boot or power off within seconds to prevent the CPU from overheating, which matches the symptom of fans spinning briefly then shutting down after about 10 seconds. An incompatible CPU (A) typically prevents the system from starting at all or produces a beep code rather than a delayed shutdown, and it would not be affected by the fan header. Insufficient PSU wattage (C) usually causes shutdowns under load or instability rather than a consistent 10-second cutoff at idle, and improperly seated RAM (D) normally results in no POST, beep codes, or a blank screen rather than a timed power-off.

Answer

The CPU is not compatible with the motherboard.

Answer

The power supply is insufficient wattage.

Answer

The RAM is not seated properly.

Question 13

A technician is assembling a new desktop computer. After installing the CPU, heatsink, RAM, and inserting the motherboard into the case, the technician connects all power cables and presses the power button. The system powers on for about five seconds, then shuts down, then immediately attempts to power on again, repeating this cycle. The technician has verified that the CPU cooler is properly mounted and thermal paste is correctly applied. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

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

Question 14

A technician is building a new gaming PC. The motherboard supports dual-channel memory and has four DIMM slots (A1, A2, B1, B2). The technician installs two 8GB DDR4-3200 memory modules into slots A1 and A2 (both on the same channel). The system boots and the BIOS reports 16GB of RAM, but the memory speed shows 2133 MHz instead of the rated 3200 MHz. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The XMP profile needs to be enabled. The motherboard supports dual-channel memory and the RAM is rated for DDR4-3200, but the system defaults to the JEDEC standard speed of 2133 MHz (or 2400 MHz) for stability. To achieve the rated 3200 MHz, the XMP (Extreme Memory Profile) must be enabled in the BIOS, which applies the manufacturer's overclocking timings and voltage. Since the technician installed the modules in slots A1 and A2 (same channel), dual-channel mode is not active, but this does not affect the speed; the speed issue is solely due to the lack of XMP activation.

Answer

The RAM is not compatible with the motherboard

Answer

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

Answer

The CPU does not support 3200 MHz memory

Question 15

A technician installs a new M.2 NVMe SSD into a desktop computer. The drive is detected in the system BIOS, but it does not appear in Windows Disk Management. The technician has verified that the correct driver is installed and the SATA controller mode is set to AHCI. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT to make the drive available in Windows?

Accepted Answer

Initialize the disk in Disk Management.. The M.2 NVMe SSD is detected in BIOS but not in Windows Disk Management, which indicates the drive is recognized at the hardware level but lacks a partition structure or volume. The correct next step is to initialize the disk in Disk Management, which writes a master boot record (MBR) or GUID partition table (GPT) to the drive, making it visible and ready for partitioning and formatting.

Answer

Update the motherboard chipset drivers.

Answer

Enable the M.2 slot in the Device Manager.

Answer

Change the SATA mode to RAID in the BIOS.