Question 44 of 750

Communication and Professionalism →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is to ask the user to describe exactly what they installed and from where, without sounding accusatory. This is the correct first step because professional incident response prioritizes information gathering over immediate technical action; understanding the attack vector—such as a fake pop-up ad for a “free system cleaner”—allows the technician to assess the scope of the infection and choose the right remediation tools, while maintaining user trust encourages future reporting. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this scenario tests your grasp of proper escalation procedures and soft skills, often appearing as a trap where impulsive choices like running a scan or disconnecting the network seem logical but skip the crucial initial interview. A common memory tip is “Ask before you act”—always collect the user’s story first to avoid misdiagnosis and to reinforce security awareness.

220-1102 Communication and Professionalism Practice Question

This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of communication and professionalism. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.

A user reports that their computer is running slowly after they installed a 'free system cleaner' from a pop-up ad. The technician suspects malware. What is the most appropriate first step in handling this situation professionally?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.

Question 1mediummultiple choice

Full question →

A
Immediately run a full antivirus scan and quarantine any threats found.
Why wrong: While technically correct, this skips the communication step; the technician should first explain the situation and ask for consent.
B
Ask the user to describe exactly what they installed and from where, without sounding accusatory.
This gathers necessary information while maintaining a non-judgmental tone, which encourages the user to cooperate.
C
Tell the user that installing software from pop-ups is dangerous and they should know better.
Why wrong: This is blameful and unprofessional; it can make the user defensive and less likely to report future issues.
D
Remotely uninstall the program without informing the user.
Why wrong: This violates user consent and trust; professional conduct requires communication before taking action.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Ask the user to describe exactly what they installed and from where, without sounding accusatory.

Option B is correct because the first step in handling a potential malware infection professionally is to gather information from the user without judgment. Asking the user to describe what they installed and from where helps the technician understand the attack vector (e.g., a fake pop-up ad), which is critical for selecting the appropriate remediation steps and for any future security awareness training. This approach maintains trust and encourages the user to report issues promptly, which is essential for effective incident response.

Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

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

✗
Immediately run a full antivirus scan and quarantine any threats found.
Why it's wrong here
While technically correct, this skips the communication step; the technician should first explain the situation and ask for consent.
✓
Ask the user to describe exactly what they installed and from where, without sounding accusatory.
Why this is correct
This gathers necessary information while maintaining a non-judgmental tone, which encourages the user to cooperate.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Tell the user that installing software from pop-ups is dangerous and they should know better.
Why it's wrong here
This is blameful and unprofessional; it can make the user defensive and less likely to report future issues.
✗
Remotely uninstall the program without informing the user.
Why it's wrong here
This violates user consent and trust; professional conduct requires communication before taking action.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

CompTIA often tests the distinction between technical urgency and professional communication, where candidates mistakenly choose a technically correct action (like running a scan) over the professionally required first step of gathering information without blame.

Trap categories for this question

Scenario analysis trap
While technically correct, this skips the communication step; the technician should first explain the situation and ask for consent.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

In real-world incident response, the initial triage step often involves collecting user-reported details about the installation source (e.g., exact URL, pop-up domain) to correlate with threat intelligence feeds or sandbox analysis. This information can reveal whether the malware is a known PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program) or a more sophisticated trojan that may have established persistence via registry run keys or scheduled tasks. Skipping this step can lead to incomplete remediation, as some malware variants reinstall themselves from remnants left by the original installer.

KKey Concepts to Remember

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.

TExam Day Tips

Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.

Key takeaway

Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A practitioner preparing for the 220-1202 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this 220-1202 question test?

Communication and Professionalism — This question tests Communication and Professionalism — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Ask the user to describe exactly what they installed and from where, without sounding accusatory. — Option B is correct because the first step in handling a potential malware infection professionally is to gather information from the user without judgment. Asking the user to describe what they installed and from where helps the technician understand the attack vector (e.g., a fake pop-up ad), which is critical for selecting the appropriate remediation steps and for any future security awareness training. This approach maintains trust and encourages the user to report issues promptly, which is essential for effective incident response.

What should I do if I get this 220-1202 question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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