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220-1102 Practice Question: A graphic designer needs to create a bootable…

A graphic designer needs to create a bootable macOS installer on an external SSD to deploy macOS Sonoma to multiple iMacs in the office. They have the 'Install macOS Sonoma.app' file. Which built-in macOS tool should they use to create the bootable drive?

⚠ Common exam trap

A common mix-up: candidates think Disk Utility can create a bootable installer by simply restoring the .app file, but Disk Utility cannot interpret an application bundle as a bootable source; only the 'createinstallmedia' command properly writes the installer's bootable structure.

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

✓

Terminal with the 'createinstallmedia' command.

The correct tool is Terminal with the 'createinstallmedia' command because it is the built-in macOS utility specifically designed to create a bootable installer from the 'Install macOS Sonoma.app' file. This command writes the necessary boot files and installer data to the target volume, ensuring the external SSD can boot and install macOS on multiple iMacs.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • ✗

    Disk Utility to restore the .app file to the SSD.

    Why it's wrong here

    Disk Utility is a powerful macOS application primarily designed for managing disk partitions, formatting volumes, repairing file system errors, and restoring disk images (.dmg files). While it can manipulate storage devices, it lacks the specific functionality to extract the necessary boot files and configure a volume to be bootable directly from a macOS installer application (.app bundle). Its purpose is disk management and imaging, not the specialized task of creating a bootable installer from an application file.

  • ✗

    System Information to verify the SSD is bootable.

    Why it's wrong here

    System Information is a diagnostic utility built into macOS that provides comprehensive details about a Mac's hardware, software, network configuration, and connected peripherals. It serves as an informational reporting tool, displaying specifications and status, but it offers no interactive capabilities to create, modify, or manage bootable media. Therefore, it cannot be used to generate a bootable installer or verify a drive's bootability in the context of an installation process, as it is purely an informational utility.

  • ✓

    Terminal with the 'createinstallmedia' command.

    Why this is correct

    The Terminal, combined with Apple's `createinstallmedia` command, is the official and most reliable method for creating a bootable macOS installer. This command-line utility, located within the macOS installer application bundle, automates the complex process of extracting the necessary boot files, copying the installation packages, and properly configuring a target USB drive or external volume to be bootable. It ensures the resulting media can be used to install macOS on compatible systems, making it the correct tool for this specific task.

  • ✗

    Migration Assistant to copy the app to the SSD.

    Why it's wrong here

    Migration Assistant is specifically engineered to transfer user accounts, applications, and system settings from one Mac to another, or from a Time Machine backup. Its primary function is data migration and system setup, not the creation of bootable installation media. Simply copying the macOS installer application file via Migration Assistant would not render the destination drive bootable, as the application itself needs to be processed by a dedicated utility to configure the boot sectors and necessary system files for a successful bootable installer.

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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security

Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva

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.