easyMultiple Choice
220-1201 Practice Question: A user complains that when they scan a…
A user complains that when they scan a double-sided document using the automatic document feeder (ADF) on their multifunction printer, the back sides of the pages are blank. The printer supports duplex scanning. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
220-1201 often tests the tendency to blame hardware (rollers, thickness) for a symptom that is actually a configuration setting (simplex vs. duplex); candidates overlook the scan mode toggle.
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 scan mode is set to simplex instead of duplex
If only the front sides are captured when scanning double-sided documents through the ADF, the scanner is operating in simplex mode, which scans only one side. The printer supports duplex scanning, so the fix is to enable duplex (two-sided) scanning in the scan settings. Worn rollers, low resolution, or thick documents would cause jams, skew, or poor quality — not consistently blank back sides.
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 ADF rollers are worn out
Why it's wrong here
Worn ADF rollers primarily impact the physical transport of paper through the scanner, leading to issues such as paper jams, misfeeds where pages are skipped, or documents feeding askew. These mechanical failures prevent the document from being correctly positioned for scanning or from passing through at all. However, worn rollers do not inherently cause the scanner's optical sensor to ignore one side of a document if it successfully feeds.
- ✗
The scan resolution is set too low
Why it's wrong here
Scan resolution, measured in dots per inch (DPI), dictates the level of detail captured in the digital image. Setting the resolution too low would result in a scanned image that appears pixelated, blurry, or lacks fine detail, but it would still be a discernible image of the document's content. It would not cause an entire side of a document to appear completely blank, as the scanner's optical array would still capture available light data from the page.
- ✓
The scan mode is set to simplex instead of duplex
Why this is correct
When a scanner is configured for simplex mode, it is specifically instructed by the software or driver to only capture and process images from one side of the document, typically the front-facing side. This setting intentionally disables or ignores the imaging capabilities for the reverse side, even if the scanner hardware is physically capable of duplex scanning. Consequently, any content on the back of a double-sided document will be omitted from the digital output, appearing as a blank page.
- ✗
The document is too thick for the ADF
Why it's wrong here
An Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) is designed to handle documents within a specific range of paper weights and thicknesses. If a document exceeds this specified thickness, it is highly probable that the ADF mechanism will fail to feed the paper correctly, resulting in a paper jam, a misfeed, or the document simply not entering the scanner path. Such an issue would prevent the document from being scanned at all, rather than allowing it to pass through with only one side captured.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Troubleshoot: Laser Printer Quality Issues
Key term
Automatic Document Feeder
An Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) is a hardware component in scanners, printers, and copiers that automatically feeds multiple pages of a document for scanning or copying without manual intervention.
Key term
Scanner
A scanner is a device that captures physical documents or images and converts them into digital data for computer storage, editing, or transmission.
About these practice questions
One of 871 original 220-1201 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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 220-1201 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 220-1201 exam.