hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1102 Practice Question: A technician is troubleshooting an iPhone that…
A technician is troubleshooting an iPhone that repeatedly prompts for the Apple ID password even after entering it correctly. The device is not connected to any corporate MDM. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the misconception that repeated password prompts are always due to a password change or incorrect entry, when in fact iCloud Keychain sync issues are a common cause that requires a sign-out/sign-in cycle to resolve.
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
✓
iCloud Keychain is out of sync and needs to be reset by signing out of iCloud and back in.
Repeated Apple ID password prompts, even after correct entry, are typically caused by an iCloud Keychain sync conflict. When iCloud Keychain becomes out of sync—often after a password change or device restore—the authentication token chain breaks, forcing the device to re-request the password. Signing out of iCloud and back in resets the local Keychain state and re-establishes a trusted sync relationship with Apple's servers.
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 device is jailbroken and has a tweak interfering with authentication.
Why it's wrong here
While a jailbroken device with a misbehaving tweak *could* theoretically interfere with authentication processes, leading to unexpected prompts, this is a less common root cause for persistent password requests compared to a system-level synchronization issue. Jailbreaking introduces many variables, but a specific token mismatch or keychain corruption is a more direct explanation for repeated prompts that don't resolve with correct input.
- ✗
The Apple ID password was changed recently and not synced to all services.
Why it's wrong here
If the Apple ID password was merely changed, the device would typically accept the newly entered password and update its stored credentials. Repeated prompts, even after entering the correct, updated password, indicate that the system is failing to properly store, validate, or synchronize the authentication token, pointing away from a simple password mismatch and towards a deeper keychain or service sync problem.
- ✓
iCloud Keychain is out of sync and needs to be reset by signing out of iCloud and back in.
Why this is correct
iCloud Keychain securely stores and synchronizes various credentials, including app passwords, Wi-Fi passwords, and authentication tokens across Apple devices. When this keychain becomes desynchronized or corrupted, the device may repeatedly fail to validate authentication requests for iCloud services, leading to persistent password prompts. Signing out and then back into iCloud forces a complete re-authentication and re-establishment of these secure tokens and keychain data, effectively resolving the synchronization issue.
- ✗
The device has a hardware fault in the secure enclave.
Why it's wrong here
The Secure Enclave is a critical hardware security component responsible for protecting sensitive data like biometric information and cryptographic keys, ensuring device integrity. A hardware fault within the Secure Enclave would likely manifest as severe system instability, inability to use Touch ID/Face ID, or even prevent the device from booting entirely, rather than just causing repeated software-level password prompts that can often be resolved through software troubleshooting steps.
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Related to this question
Learn chapter
Change Management Procedures
Key term
MDM
MDM stands for Mobile Device Management, a technology that allows IT administrators to securely manage, monitor, and enforce policies on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets from a central console.
Key term
Authentication
Authentication is the process of verifying that someone or something is who or what it claims to be before granting access to a system or resource.
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JA
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.