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220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is replacing a cracked screen on a…
A technician is replacing a cracked screen on a tablet. After removing the digitizer and LCD assembly, they notice the home button flex cable is torn. The tablet still has a physical home button. What should the technician do to ensure the repair is complete and the home button functions?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA A+ often tests the misconception that a torn flex cable can be repaired with simple tools like solder or tape, when in fact the only proper solution is to replace the entire flex cable assembly.
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
✓
Replace the home button flex cable with a new one.
A torn flex cable cannot be reliably repaired by soldering or taping due to the fine pitch and multilayer construction of modern tablet flex cables. Replacing the entire home button flex cable assembly is the only method that restores the electrical continuity and mechanical integrity required for the physical home button to function properly.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Solder the torn ends of the flex cable together.
Why it's wrong here
Flex cables contain extremely fine, often multi-layered, conductive traces that are not designed for the heat and precision required for typical soldering techniques. Attempting to solder such delicate components risks bridging connections, creating shorts, or causing further damage to the fragile substrate due to localized heat, leading to intermittent functionality or complete and irreversible failure of the home button circuit.
- ✗
Use electrical tape to hold the torn cable together.
Why it's wrong here
Electrical tape provides insulation and some mechanical support but lacks any conductive properties necessary to restore a broken electrical circuit. A torn flex cable has physically severed conductive pathways, breaking the essential electrical continuity required for the home button to transmit signals. Taping the torn ends together will not re-establish the necessary electrical connection, rendering the home button completely inoperable.
- ✓
Replace the home button flex cable with a new one.
Why this is correct
The most reliable and professional repair involves replacing the damaged home button flex cable with an identical, new component. This ensures that all necessary electrical pathways are fully restored and that the mechanical integrity of the connection is sound, allowing the home button to regain its intended functionality without risk of intermittent issues, further damage, or compromised performance.
- ✗
Ignore the tear and reassemble the tablet.
Why it's wrong here
Reassembling the tablet with a known torn home button flex cable means the home button will remain completely non-functional upon completion of the repair. This constitutes an incomplete and unsatisfactory repair, as a core user interface component will not work, inevitably leading to customer dissatisfaction, a potential warranty claim, and the need for a subsequent, proper repair.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Tablet Types and Use Cases
Key term
Digitizer
A digitizer is the part of a touchscreen that converts your finger or stylus touches into digital signals the device can understand.
Key term
Tablet
A tablet is a portable computing device with a touchscreen interface, typically larger than a smartphone but smaller than a laptop, used for browsing, media consumption, and light productivity tasks.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
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