Question 467 of 750

Safety Procedures and Compliance →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The correct answer is that the CPU contacts may become contaminated with oils from the skin, which is the primary concern. When you touch the gold-plated contact pads with bare fingers, natural skin oils and contaminants transfer onto the surface, creating an insulating layer that can impede electrical conductivity or cause corrosion over time, leading to intermittent failures or permanent damage. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of physical contamination risks versus common distractors like ESD or overheating—many candidates mistakenly choose electrostatic discharge, but the exam emphasizes that oils are the real threat here. A useful memory tip is to think "Oils, not volts": the danger isn't a zap, it's the greasy fingerprint that breaks the connection.

220-1202 Safety Procedures and Compliance Practice Question

This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of safety procedures and compliance. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 technician is replacing the thermal paste on a CPU. After cleaning the old paste, the technician accidentally touches the CPU contacts with bare fingers. What is the primary concern?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.

Question 1mediummultiple choice

Full question →

A
The CPU may be damaged by electrostatic discharge (ESD).
Why wrong: While ESD is a concern, touching the contacts with bare fingers primarily introduces contaminants. ESD is more of a risk from handling without proper grounding.
B
The CPU may overheat due to improper thermal paste application.
Why wrong: Overheating is related to thermal paste application, not touching contacts. The concern here is contamination of the contacts.
C
The CPU contacts may become contaminated with oils from the skin.
This is correct. Skin oils can cause poor contact and corrosion, leading to system instability or failure.
D
The CPU may be physically damaged by the pressure of the touch.
Why wrong: A light touch is unlikely to cause physical damage. The primary concern is contamination.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

The CPU contacts may become contaminated with oils from the skin.

Touching the CPU contacts with bare fingers transfers natural oils and contaminants from the skin onto the gold-plated contact pads. These oils can cause corrosion over time or create an insulating layer that impedes proper electrical connectivity, leading to intermittent failures or permanent damage. The primary concern is contamination, not ESD, overheating, or physical pressure.

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.

✗
The CPU may be damaged by electrostatic discharge (ESD).
Why it's wrong here
While ESD is a concern, touching the contacts with bare fingers primarily introduces contaminants. ESD is more of a risk from handling without proper grounding.
✗
The CPU may overheat due to improper thermal paste application.
Why it's wrong here
Overheating is related to thermal paste application, not touching contacts. The concern here is contamination of the contacts.
✓
The CPU contacts may become contaminated with oils from the skin.
Why this is correct
This is correct. Skin oils can cause poor contact and corrosion, leading to system instability or failure.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The CPU may be physically damaged by the pressure of the touch.
Why it's wrong here
A light touch is unlikely to cause physical damage. The primary concern is contamination.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

CompTIA often tests the distinction between immediate ESD damage and long-term contamination risks, trapping candidates who assume any physical contact with components must be an ESD concern rather than recognizing the specific hazard of skin oils on electrical contacts.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Gold-plated CPU contacts are designed to be highly conductive and corrosion-resistant, but skin oils contain salts and fatty acids that can chemically react with the gold or underlying metals over time, especially in humid environments. Even a microscopic layer of oil can increase contact resistance by several milliohms, which in high-speed digital circuits can cause signal integrity issues or voltage drops. In real-world scenarios, this contamination may not cause immediate failure but can lead to intermittent crashes weeks later as oxidation progresses.

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.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this 220-1202 question test?

Safety Procedures and Compliance — This question tests Safety Procedures and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The CPU contacts may become contaminated with oils from the skin. — Touching the CPU contacts with bare fingers transfers natural oils and contaminants from the skin onto the gold-plated contact pads. These oils can cause corrosion over time or create an insulating layer that impedes proper electrical connectivity, leading to intermittent failures or permanent damage. The primary concern is contamination, not ESD, overheating, or physical pressure.

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: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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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.