- A
Use a degausser to erase the drive and then recycle it.
Why wrong: This is incorrect because degaussing damages the drive's electronics, making recycling more difficult and potentially leaving hazardous materials.
- B
Drill holes through the platters and then dispose of the drive in e-waste.
Why wrong: This is incorrect because drilling may not fully destroy all data, and the drive still contains materials that need recycling.
- C
Shred the hard drive using an industrial shredder and then recycle the metal fragments.
This is correct because shredding ensures complete data destruction and the metal can be recycled, minimizing environmental impact.
- D
Overwrite the drive with zeros multiple times and then donate it.
Why wrong: This is incorrect because the policy requires physical destruction; overwriting does not meet that requirement and donation may not be acceptable.
220-1202 Environmental Awareness and Impact Practice Question
This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of environmental awareness and impact. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company's IT policy requires that all disposed hard drives be physically destroyed to prevent data breaches. Which method has the least environmental impact while ensuring data destruction?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"least"Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Shred the hard drive using an industrial shredder and then recycle the metal fragments.
Option C is correct because industrial shredding physically destroys the platters into small fragments, making data recovery impossible, and the resulting metal fragments can be recycled, minimizing environmental impact. Unlike degaussing or drilling, shredding ensures complete destruction without leaving large e-waste components, and the recycling of ferrous and non-ferrous metals reduces raw material extraction.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use a degausser to erase the drive and then recycle it.
Why it's wrong here
This is incorrect because degaussing damages the drive's electronics, making recycling more difficult and potentially leaving hazardous materials.
- ✗
Drill holes through the platters and then dispose of the drive in e-waste.
Why it's wrong here
This is incorrect because drilling may not fully destroy all data, and the drive still contains materials that need recycling.
- ✓
Shred the hard drive using an industrial shredder and then recycle the metal fragments.
Why this is correct
This is correct because shredding ensures complete data destruction and the metal can be recycled, minimizing environmental impact.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Overwrite the drive with zeros multiple times and then donate it.
Why it's wrong here
This is incorrect because the policy requires physical destruction; overwriting does not meet that requirement and donation may not be acceptable.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA often tests the misconception that degaussing or overwriting is sufficient for physical destruction policies, but the key distinction is that physical destruction requires the drive to be rendered physically unusable and unrecoverable, not just magnetically or logically erased.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Industrial hard drive shredders use high-torque rotary cutters to reduce drives to fragments typically less than 2 inches in size, ensuring that platters are broken into pieces too small to reconstruct. The shredded material is then separated into ferrous metals (steel), non-ferrous metals (aluminum, copper), and circuit boards, which are sent to specialized recyclers; this process recovers up to 95% of the materials by weight, significantly lowering the carbon footprint compared to landfilling or incineration. In practice, many certified data destruction vendors provide a certificate of destruction and a recycling chain-of-custody report, which is critical for compliance with regulations like HIPAA or GDPR.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Environmental Awareness and Impact — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Environmental Awareness and Impact practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All 220-1202 questions
750 questions across all exam domains
- →
CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
220-1202 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related 220-1202 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Windows OS Features and Tools practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Windows OS Features and Tools.
Windows Settings and Control Panel practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Windows Settings and Control Panel.
Windows Command-Line Tools practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Windows Command-Line Tools.
Windows Administrative Tools practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Windows Administrative Tools.
macOS Features and Tools practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to macOS Features and Tools.
Linux Commands and File Permissions practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Linux Commands and File Permissions.
Mobile OS Features and Tools practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Mobile OS Features and Tools.
Virtualization and Cloud Technologies practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Virtualization and Cloud Technologies.
Physical Security Controls practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Physical Security Controls.
Logical Security Concepts practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Logical Security Concepts.
Wireless Security Protocols practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Wireless Security Protocols.
Malware Types and Removal practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Malware Types and Removal.
Practice this exam
Start a free 220-1202 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 220-1202 question test?
Environmental Awareness and Impact — This question tests Environmental Awareness and Impact — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Shred the hard drive using an industrial shredder and then recycle the metal fragments. — Option C is correct because industrial shredding physically destroys the platters into small fragments, making data recovery impossible, and the resulting metal fragments can be recycled, minimizing environmental impact. Unlike degaussing or drilling, shredding ensures complete destruction without leaving large e-waste components, and the recycling of ferrous and non-ferrous metals reduces raw material extraction.
What should I do if I get this 220-1202 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "least". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More 220-1202 practice questions
- During a Windows 10 deployment, you need to ensure that a specific Group Policy setting is applied to a computer before…
- After installing a new printer driver, a user's Windows 11 computer crashes with a blue screen error every time they try…
- A user reports that their Windows 10 computer is infected with a virus that keeps reinstalling itself after removal. Wha…
- During a routine check, a technician finds that a user's Windows 10 computer has an outdated antivirus that hasn't updat…
- A company's security policy requires that all USB storage devices be blocked on company workstations to prevent data exf…
- A customer reports that their Windows 10 laptop is displaying pop-up ads even when no browser is open. They suspect a ma…
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
This 220-1202 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1202 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.