easyMultiple Choice
220-1202 Practice Question: A user calls the help desk frustrated because…
A user calls the help desk frustrated because their laptop will not connect to the company Wi-Fi. They say they have tried restarting the laptop but it still does not work. The technician suspects the wireless adapter driver may be corrupt. What is the best first step for the technician to take?
⚠ Common exam trap
220-1202 often tests the order of troubleshooting steps, causing candidates to jump to a fix (reinstall driver) instead of first gathering information, which is the correct first step in the CompTIA methodology.
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
✓
Ask the user if they see any error messages or if other devices connect to the Wi-Fi.
The best first step is to ask the user if they see any error messages or if other devices can connect to the Wi-Fi, because this gathers critical diagnostic information before taking any action. It helps determine whether the issue is isolated to the laptop or affects the entire network, and whether there are specific error codes that point to driver, authentication, or hardware problems. This aligns with the troubleshooting methodology of identifying the problem and establishing a theory before implementing a solution.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Remotely reinstall the wireless adapter driver.
Why it's wrong here
Remotely reinstalling the wireless adapter driver is a premature and potentially unnecessary action. Without initial diagnostic steps, the technician has not confirmed that the driver is the root cause of the connectivity issue. This approach bypasses fundamental troubleshooting, such as checking physical connections, adapter status, or network availability, and could introduce new problems if the driver was not the actual culprit.
- ✓
Ask the user if they see any error messages or if other devices connect to the Wi-Fi.
Why this is correct
Asking the user about error messages and the connectivity of other devices is a critical first step in effective troubleshooting. Error messages provide specific diagnostic clues, while checking other devices helps to quickly determine if the problem is isolated to the user's laptop (client-side issue) or if it's a broader network problem affecting multiple clients or the access point. This information gathering allows for proper problem isolation and guides subsequent troubleshooting steps efficiently.
- ✗
Tell the user to bring the laptop to the IT office for a physical inspection.
Why it's wrong here
Instructing the user to bring the laptop to the IT office for a physical inspection is an inefficient and potentially inconvenient solution at this early stage. Many common Wi-Fi issues can be diagnosed and resolved remotely through initial questioning and basic software checks. Requesting a physical inspection without attempting remote troubleshooting first wastes both the user's time and IT resources, bypassing the capabilities of a modern help desk.
- ✗
Escalate the ticket to the network team immediately.
Why it's wrong here
Escalating the ticket to the network team immediately is an inappropriate action without performing initial troubleshooting steps. The network team typically handles infrastructure-level issues, and a single user's Wi-Fi problem might stem from a simple client-side misconfiguration, a disabled adapter, or an incorrect password. Premature escalation burdens higher-tier support with issues that a Tier 1 technician should be able to diagnose and potentially resolve, disrupting the established support hierarchy.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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.