- A
A tempered glass screen protector with an oleophobic coating
Why wrong: Since the issue occurs without the protector, adding one won't fix the stylus accuracy problem.
- B
A Bluetooth keyboard
Why wrong: A keyboard does not assist with stylus-based signature capture.
- C
A fine-tip active stylus
Active styluses communicate with the device's digitizer for greater precision, reducing skipping and edge inaccuracies.
- D
A different passive capacitive stylus with a larger tip
Why wrong: A larger tip may actually reduce precision and does not address the underlying digitizer compatibility issue.
Question 7 of 1,020
Stylus Skipping Near Edges of Tablet Screen: Fix with Active Stylus
This 220-1201 practice question tests your understanding of mobile device accessories. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 marketing team uses tablets to capture customer signatures on glass screen protectors. They report that the capacitive stylus often skips or fails to register strokes near the edges of the screen. After testing, you find the issue persists even without the protector. Which accessory should you recommend to improve stylus precision?
Quick Answer
The answer is a fine-tip active stylus. This is the correct choice because an active stylus contains its own internal circuitry and communicates with the tablet’s digitizer layer, enabling precise tracking even at the screen’s edges, whereas a passive capacitive stylus relies solely on the conductivity of your finger and can lose accuracy near the bezel where the touch sensor’s grid weakens. On the CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1201 exam, this question tests your understanding of input device technologies and the difference between passive and active styluses—a common trap is assuming a different capacitive stylus or a screen protector will fix the issue, but the problem is the stylus type, not the surface. A helpful memory tip: “Active has accuracy; passive is for tapping, not tracing.”
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
✓
A fine-tip active stylus
The issue persists without the screen protector, ruling out the protector as the cause. A fine-tip active stylus (Option C) uses a digitizer and Bluetooth or proprietary protocol to communicate with the tablet, providing precise edge-to-edge tracking. Passive capacitive styluses rely on the finger's electrical field and often fail near edges due to reduced capacitive coupling, making an active stylus the correct solution.
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.
- ✗
A tempered glass screen protector with an oleophobic coating
Why it's wrong here
Since the issue occurs without the protector, adding one won't fix the stylus accuracy problem.
- ✗
A Bluetooth keyboard
Why it's wrong here
A keyboard does not assist with stylus-based signature capture.
- ✓
A fine-tip active stylus
Why this is correct
Active styluses communicate with the device's digitizer for greater precision, reducing skipping and edge inaccuracies.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
A different passive capacitive stylus with a larger tip
Why it's wrong here
A larger tip may actually reduce precision and does not address the underlying digitizer compatibility issue.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA often tests the misconception that a screen protector is the root cause of touch issues, leading candidates to choose a replacement protector (Option A) instead of recognizing the fundamental difference between passive and active stylus technology.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Active styluses use an electromagnetic resonance (EMR) or active capacitive digitizer layer that tracks the stylus independently of finger touch, often with higher sampling rates (e.g., 240 Hz) and pressure sensitivity. In contrast, passive styluses simply mimic a finger's capacitance, which is weaker at screen edges due to the reduced electrode area and signal-to-noise ratio. This is why active styluses are standard in professional signature capture and digital art applications.
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 220-1201 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 220-1201 question test?
Mobile Device Accessories — This question tests Mobile Device Accessories — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: A fine-tip active stylus — The issue persists without the screen protector, ruling out the protector as the cause. A fine-tip active stylus (Option C) uses a digitizer and Bluetooth or proprietary protocol to communicate with the tablet, providing precise edge-to-edge tracking. Passive capacitive styluses rely on the finger's electrical field and often fail near edges due to reduced capacitive coupling, making an active stylus the correct solution.
What should I do if I get this 220-1201 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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