220-1102 Operational Procedures Practice Question
A change to replace a network switch has been approved by the Change Advisory Board (CAB). During the replacement, the technician discovers that the new switch requires a different type of power cable than was expected. The old switch is already disconnected. According to change management best practices, what should the technician do FIRST?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers think finding a quick workaround (Option A) is acceptable to minimize downtime, but change management best practices require escalation to the CAB for any unplanned deviation from the approved plan.
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
✓
Stop the change and escalate the issue to the CAB for guidance
According to change management best practices, when an unexpected issue arises during an approved change—such as the new switch requiring a different power cable—the technician must stop the change and escalate to the CAB. This ensures that any deviation from the approved plan is reviewed for risk, impact, and resource requirements before proceeding. Continuing without authorization could lead to extended downtime, safety hazards, or configuration errors that violate the original change approval.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Find a compatible power cable in the server room and complete the replacement
Why it's wrong here
Locating a substitute power cable from the server room bypasses the approved change plan and may violate safety or compatibility requirements. Even if the cable appears to work, its electrical ratings or connector type could differ, creating a fire or equipment hazard. Proceeding without documented approval also breaks the audit trail required for change management and invalidates the risk assessment.
- ✓
Stop the change and escalate the issue to the CAB for guidance
Why this is correct
Halting the implementation and contacting the CAB ensures the change stays within approved scope and that any deviation is formally assessed. The CAB can authorize a workaround, approve a backout, or reschedule the change, while preserving the change record and risk documentation. This is the only compliant action because it maintains the approval chain and prevents an unauthorized alteration.
- ✗
Reconnect the old switch and document the issue
Why it's wrong here
Reconnecting the old switch is effectively executing a backout plan, but doing so without CAB notification is itself an unauthorized change. The correct sequence is to inform the CAB first so they can authorize the rollback, update the change record, and initiate a problem investigation if needed. Acting unilaterally, even to restore service, violates the change management process and may obscure the root cause.
- ✗
Continue with the change after noting the issue in the change record
Why it's wrong here
Continuing the change while merely noting the issue in the change record does not grant approval for the deviation from the approved plan. The original approval was based on the specific hardware and configuration; substituting or proceeding without CAB sign-off invalidates the risk assessment and any prior testing. Unilateral continuation exposes the organization to unmanaged downtime or security risks and is a direct violation of change management policy.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Windows Disk Management
Key term
Change management
Change management is the structured process of planning, approving, implementing, and reviewing changes to IT systems to minimize risk and disruption.
Key term
Authorization
Authorization determines what an authenticated user is allowed to do within a system, such as accessing files, running programs, or changing settings.
About these practice questions
One of 925 original 220-1102 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 →
Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 220-1102
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A technician has received approval from the Change Advisory Board (CAB) to update the firmware on a critical database server. The change window is scheduled for 1:00 AM. At 12:45 AM, the technician begins the update, but mid-process the server loses power due to an electrical fault. Upon power restoration, the server fails to boot. The technician has a verified full backup. According to change management and incident response procedures, what should the technician do FIRST?
hard- A.Restore the server from the verified backup immediately
- ✓ B.Inform the change manager of the situation
- C.Call the server vendor's technical support
- D.Attempt to repair the boot loader using recovery media
Why B: According to change management and incident response procedures, the technician must first inform the change manager of the situation because the change window has not yet officially started (12:45 AM vs. 1:00 AM), and the server failure constitutes an unplanned incident. The change manager can then decide whether to authorize a rollback, extend the window, or escalate, ensuring proper documentation and accountability. Restoring from backup without notification violates the change management process and could lead to further issues if the root cause (e.g., electrical fault) is not addressed first.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1102 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 220-1102 exam.