- A
Solder the torn ends of the flex cable together.
Why wrong: Flex cables are delicate and not designed for soldering; attempting to solder them often causes further damage or unreliable connections.
- B
Use electrical tape to hold the torn cable together.
Why wrong: Taping a torn cable does not restore electrical continuity. The home button will remain non-functional.
- C
Replace the home button flex cable with a new one.
Replacing the torn flex cable with a new one restores the electrical connection, allowing the home button to function properly.
- D
Ignore the tear and reassemble the tablet.
Why wrong: Ignoring the tear will leave the home button non-functional, which is an incomplete repair and will likely result in a customer complaint.
Question 727 of 1,020
Replacing a Torn Home Button Flex Cable on a Tablet
This 220-1201 practice question tests your understanding of mobile device hardware servicing. 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 technician is replacing a cracked screen on a tablet. After removing the digitizer and LCD assembly, they notice the home button flex cable is torn. The tablet still has a physical home button. What should the technician do to ensure the repair is complete and the home button functions?
Quick Answer
The correct action is to replace the torn home button flex cable with a new one. This is necessary because the flex cable is the physical circuit that carries electrical signals from the home button to the tablet’s motherboard; a tear breaks that connection, and simply pressing the torn ends together will not restore reliable conductivity or function. On the CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1201 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of component-level repair and the importance of replacing damaged ribbon cables rather than attempting temporary fixes—a common trap is assuming you can just tape or reconnect a torn flex cable. Remember the memory tip: “If the trace is torn, it must be reborn” — any break in a flex cable’s conductive traces means the entire cable must be swapped out for the device to work properly.
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
✓
Replace the home button flex cable with a new one.
Option C is correct because a torn flex cable cannot be reliably repaired by soldering or taping due to the fine pitch and multilayer construction of modern tablet flex cables. Replacing the entire home button flex cable assembly is the only method that restores the electrical continuity and mechanical integrity required for the physical home button to function properly.
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.
- ✗
Solder the torn ends of the flex cable together.
Why it's wrong here
Flex cables are delicate and not designed for soldering; attempting to solder them often causes further damage or unreliable connections.
- ✗
Use electrical tape to hold the torn cable together.
Why it's wrong here
Taping a torn cable does not restore electrical continuity. The home button will remain non-functional.
- ✓
Replace the home button flex cable with a new one.
Why this is correct
Replacing the torn flex cable with a new one restores the electrical connection, allowing the home button to function properly.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Ignore the tear and reassemble the tablet.
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring the tear will leave the home button non-functional, which is an incomplete repair and will likely result in a customer complaint.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA A+ often tests the misconception that a torn flex cable can be repaired with simple tools like solder or tape, when in fact the only proper solution is to replace the entire flex cable assembly.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Flex cables in tablets use copper traces on a polyimide substrate with a typical pitch of 0.3–0.5 mm, making manual soldering nearly impossible without specialized equipment and micro-soldering skills. In real-world scenarios, technicians often attempt to jumper the broken traces with fine wire, but this is time-consuming and unreliable; the industry-standard approach is to order a replacement flex cable specific to the tablet model, which ensures correct alignment and signal integrity.
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
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 220-1201 question test?
Mobile Device Hardware Servicing — This question tests Mobile Device Hardware Servicing — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Replace the home button flex cable with a new one. — Option C is correct because a torn flex cable cannot be reliably repaired by soldering or taping due to the fine pitch and multilayer construction of modern tablet flex cables. Replacing the entire home button flex cable assembly is the only method that restores the electrical continuity and mechanical integrity required for the physical home button to function properly.
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
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