220-1101 Hardware Practice Test 6 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A technician builds a high-end gaming PC. The motherboard supports PCIe 4.0, the CPU supports it, and the graphics card is PCIe 4.0. The technician installs a new NVMe SSD in the M.2 slot. The system boots, but the SSD is not detected in the BIOS or Windows. The technician has tried reseating the SSD and checking the motherboard manual. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The SSD is installed in a SATA-only M.2 slot, but the SSD is NVMe.. Option D is correct because many motherboards have M.2 slots that support only SATA or only NVMe (PCIe) protocols. If an NVMe SSD is inserted into a SATA-only M.2 slot, the SSD will not be detected by the BIOS or Windows. The motherboard manual would typically specify which M.2 slots support which protocols, and the technician should verify that the slot used supports PCIe/NVMe.

Answer

The SSD is incompatible with the motherboard chipset.

Answer

The M.2 slot is disabled in the BIOS.

Answer

The CPU is not seated correctly causing PCIe lanes to not work.

Question 2

A technician is building a new desktop computer. After installing the CPU, heatsink, and attaching the CPU fan to the motherboard header, the technician connects all power cables. When the system is powered on, the case fans spin and the motherboard LEDs light up, but no display appears and no beep codes are heard. The technician has already verified the monitor works and the video cable is connected to the dedicated GPU. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

A. Ensure the 8-pin CPU power connector is connected to the motherboard. The system powers on (case fans spin, motherboard LEDs light) but has no display and no beep codes, which indicates the CPU is not receiving power or is not initialized. The 8-pin CPU power connector (EPS12V) supplies dedicated 12V power to the CPU voltage regulator; without it, the CPU cannot execute POST, so no beep codes occur and the system appears dead despite other components receiving power. This is the most likely cause given the technician just installed the CPU and heatsink but may have overlooked this separate power cable.

Answer

B. Reseat the graphics card in its PCIe slot

Answer

C. Check that the RAM modules are installed in the correct slots

Answer

D. Verify the monitor's input source is set correctly

Question 3

A technician is building a new desktop PC. After installing the CPU, RAM, motherboard, and power supply, the technician connects the monitor to the motherboard's video output. When the PC is powered on, the fans spin, but no display appears and no beep codes are heard. The technician has verified that the monitor works with another computer. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

A. The correct answer is A because the system has no integrated graphics (or the CPU lacks an iGPU), so the motherboard's video output is non-functional. The fans spinning and no beep codes indicate power is present but no display signal is generated, which is typical when a discrete GPU is required. The next step is to install a dedicated graphics card and connect the monitor to it.

Answer

B

Answer

C

Answer

D

Question 4

A technician upgrades a desktop computer by installing two new 16GB DDR4 memory modules into the available slots. When the computer is powered on, it emits a series of long beeps and no video is displayed. The technician has verified that the memory is an approved type for the motherboard and that it is installed in the correct slots according to the manual. Which of the following should the technician try NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Test each memory module individually.. The series of long beeps typically indicates a memory error. Since the technician has already verified compatibility and correct slot installation, the next logical step is to isolate the fault by testing each module individually. This will determine if one module is defective or if there is a slot issue, without introducing unnecessary variables like BIOS updates or CPU reseating.

Answer

Update the BIOS to the latest version.

Answer

Reseat the CPU.

Answer

Replace the power supply.

Question 5

A technician is assembling a new desktop PC. The motherboard is an LGA1700 socket type, and the technician installs the CPU, heatsink, and RAM. When powering on, the system turns on for a few seconds then shuts off and restarts repeatedly. The technician has verified that the power supply is functional and all power cables are connected. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The CPU cooler is not making proper contact. The LGA1700 socket requires the CPU cooler to apply even and sufficient pressure to prevent thermal runaway. If the cooler is not making proper contact, the CPU rapidly overheats, triggering thermal protection that shuts down the system within seconds, followed by a restart loop. This matches the symptom of powering on briefly then repeatedly cycling.

Answer

The CPU is not compatible with the motherboard

Answer

The RAM is installed in the wrong slots

Answer

The motherboard is shorting against the case

Question 6

A technician is assembling a new desktop PC with an AMD Ryzen processor on a B550 motherboard. After installing the CPU, cooler, RAM, graphics card, and connecting all power cables, the technician powers on the system. The case fans spin, the motherboard LEDs light up, but there is no video output and no beep codes. The technician has verified that the monitor works with another PC, the graphics card is properly seated and has its power cables connected, and the RAM is installed in the correct slots. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

CPU power connector (8-pin EPS) on the motherboard. The correct answer is A because the 8-pin EPS12V CPU power connector supplies dedicated power to the processor. If this connector is not plugged in, the CPU will not initialize, resulting in no video output and no beep codes, even though case fans and motherboard LEDs receive power from the 24-pin ATX connector. The B550 motherboard requires this connection for the Ryzen CPU to operate.

Answer

BIOS version compatibility with the CPU

Answer

Power supply unit wattage rating

Answer

CMOS battery voltage

Question 7

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 8

A technician is assembling a new desktop computer with an AMD Ryzen 5 CPU on a B550 motherboard. After installing the CPU, heatsink, RAM, and graphics card, and connecting all power cables, the technician powers on the system. The case fans spin, the motherboard LEDs light up, but there is no display output and no beep codes. The motherboard has a set of diagnostic LEDs; the LED labeled 'CPU' remains lit. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Verify that the 8-pin CPU power cable is connected to the motherboard. The CPU diagnostic LED remaining lit indicates a problem with the CPU or its power delivery. The most common cause is the 8-pin EPS12V CPU power cable not being connected, which supplies dedicated 12V power to the processor. Without this cable, the CPU cannot initialize, even though case fans and motherboard LEDs receive power from the 24-pin ATX connector.

Answer

Reseat the RAM modules and try different slots

Answer

Reinstall the dedicated graphics card

Answer

Update the motherboard BIOS to support the CPU

Question 9

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 10

A technician is building a new gaming PC. After installing the CPU, cooler, RAM, and graphics card, the system powers on but immediately powers off after about 5 seconds. The technician has verified that the CPU cooler fan is spinning, the power supply is sufficient, and all cables are connected. The motherboard has diagnostic LEDs; none light up before the system shuts down. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

A loose motherboard standoff is causing a short circuit. A loose motherboard standoff can create an unintended electrical connection between the motherboard's solder points and the metal case, causing a short circuit. This short typically triggers the power supply's overcurrent protection (OCP) or short-circuit protection (SCP), which immediately shuts down the system after a brief power-on to prevent damage. The fact that the system powers on for about 5 seconds and then shuts off, with no diagnostic LEDs lighting up, strongly indicates a hardware short rather than a component failure.

Answer

The CPU is overheating

Answer

The power button is stuck

Answer

Insufficient RAM

Question 11

A technician is upgrading the CPU in a desktop computer. The new CPU is listed as compatible with the motherboard on the manufacturer's website. After installing the CPU, heatsink, and connecting the CPU power cable, the system powers on (fans spin, LEDs light) but there is no display and no POST beeps. The motherboard has a set of diagnostic LEDs; the CPU LED is stuck on. The technician has verified that the CPU is installed correctly in the socket with no bent pins. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Update the motherboard's BIOS/UEFI firmware. The CPU is listed as compatible, but the motherboard may require a BIOS/UEFI firmware update to support the new CPU's microcode. The stuck CPU diagnostic LED indicates the motherboard cannot initialize the CPU, which is a classic symptom of a firmware compatibility issue rather than a hardware defect.

Answer

Replace the CPU with a known-good one

Answer

Reseat the RAM modules

Answer

Test the power supply under load

Question 12

A desktop computer will not boot after a thunderstorm. When powered on, the fans spin and LEDs light, but there is no POST, no beep codes, and no display. The technician has already tested the power supply with a multimeter (all voltages within specification), reseated all RAM and expansion cards, and tried a different monitor. On close inspection of the motherboard, the technician notices several electrolytic capacitors near the CPU voltage regulator module are bulging at the top with a brownish substance around their bases. Which of the following should the technician replace to resolve the issue?

Accepted Answer

Replace the motherboard.. The bulging electrolytic capacitors with brownish residue near the CPU voltage regulator module indicate physical failure, likely due to a power surge from the thunderstorm. Damaged capacitors prevent the motherboard from delivering stable voltage to the CPU, causing no POST, no beep codes, and no display even though fans and LEDs receive power. Since the power supply tested within specification and other components have been reseated, the motherboard itself is the faulty component and must be replaced.

Answer

Replace the power supply with a higher-wattage unit.

Answer

Replace the CPU with an identical or compatible model.

Answer

Replace the RAM modules with known-good units.

Question 13

A technician replaced the thermal paste on a desktop computer's CPU. After reassembling the system and powering it on, the computer runs for about 10 seconds and then shuts off. The technician touches the CPU heatsink and finds it is cool to the touch. The CPU fan is spinning. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the shutdown?

Accepted Answer

The heatsink is not making proper contact with the CPU.. The CPU thermal protection mechanism triggers a shutdown when the CPU temperature exceeds its safe operating threshold. Since the heatsink is cool to the touch, it indicates that heat is not being transferred from the CPU to the heatsink, which is a classic symptom of poor contact between the CPU and heatsink. Even though the CPU fan is spinning, without proper thermal transfer, the CPU rapidly overheats and shuts down to prevent damage.

Answer

The CPU fan is not spinning fast enough.

Answer

The power supply unit is failing.

Answer

The motherboard is shorted against the case.

Question 14

A technician is installing a new CPU on a compatible motherboard. After placing the CPU in the socket, the technician installs the heatsink and fan, connects the fan header to the motherboard, and powers on the system. The system powers on (fans spin, LEDs light) but immediately shuts down after about 3 seconds. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Check if the CPU power connector (4/8-pin) is connected to the motherboard. The immediate shutdown after power-on indicates a power delivery issue, most commonly the CPU power connector (4/8-pin EPS12V) not being connected. Without this connector, the CPU receives no power, causing the system to start and then shut down as the motherboard detects the fault. This is the first thing to check because it is a simple, common oversight during CPU installation.

Answer

Check the PSU voltage output with a multimeter

Answer

Check if thermal paste was applied to the CPU

Answer

Check if the RAM is properly seated

Question 15

A technician installs a new SATA SSD into a desktop computer. After connecting the data and power cables, the computer powers on and boots into the operating system from the existing hard drive. However, the new SSD is not detected in File Explorer or Disk Management. The technician has verified that the SATA cable is securely connected and that the power supply is providing power (the SSD does not spin, but it is an SSD). Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Enable the SATA port in the BIOS/UEFI settings. The new SSD is not detected in Disk Management or File Explorer, which indicates the system is not recognizing the drive at the hardware level. Since the technician has already verified cable connections and power, the next logical step is to check whether the SATA port is enabled in the BIOS/UEFI settings. If the port is disabled, the operating system cannot enumerate the drive, and it will not appear in Disk Management or File Explorer.

Answer

Initialize the drive using Disk Management

Answer

Update the SSD firmware using a USB bootable tool

Answer

Replace the SATA cable with a known-good cable