- A
The charging port is loose.
Why wrong: A loose charging port would cause intermittent charging, not rapid battery drain when not in use.
- B
The battery has degraded or is failing.
A failing battery cannot hold a charge and will discharge quickly, even in standby.
- C
The power management IC is faulty.
Why wrong: While possible, a faulty PMIC is less common than battery degradation; battery issues are more typical after a year.
- D
The screen brightness is set too high.
Why wrong: High brightness drains battery during use, but not significantly when the device is idle.
Question 958 of 1,020
220-1201 Mobile Device Hardware Servicing Practice Question
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 user complains that their tablet's battery drains very quickly, even when not in use. The device is one year old and was working normally until last week. Which hardware component is most likely failing?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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
✓
The battery has degraded or is failing.
A battery that drains quickly even when the device is idle typically indicates that the battery's internal chemistry has degraded, leading to increased self-discharge and reduced capacity. After one year of use, lithium-ion batteries naturally lose about 20% of their capacity, and a sudden failure can occur due to a defective cell or internal short. This matches the symptom of normal operation followed by rapid drain, as the battery can no longer hold a charge effectively.
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.
- ✗
The charging port is loose.
Why it's wrong here
A loose charging port would cause intermittent charging, not rapid battery drain when not in use.
- ✓
The battery has degraded or is failing.
Why this is correct
A failing battery cannot hold a charge and will discharge quickly, even in standby.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The power management IC is faulty.
Why it's wrong here
While possible, a faulty PMIC is less common than battery degradation; battery issues are more typical after a year.
- ✗
The screen brightness is set too high.
Why it's wrong here
High brightness drains battery during use, but not significantly when the device is idle.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The 220-1201 exam often tests the distinction between hardware failure and user-configurable settings, so the trap here is that candidates may confuse a high screen brightness setting (a software/user issue) with a hardware battery failure, even though the symptom occurs when the device is not in use.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Lithium-ion batteries degrade through a combination of cycle aging and calendar aging, where the formation of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer consumes lithium ions and increases internal resistance. A sudden increase in self-discharge rate, often caused by micro-shorts or dendrite formation, can lead to the rapid drain symptom described. In real-world diagnostics, a battery's health can be checked via the device's built-in battery report (e.g., `powercfg /batteryreport` on Windows) or by measuring voltage drop over time with a multimeter.
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 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: The battery has degraded or is failing. — A battery that drains quickly even when the device is idle typically indicates that the battery's internal chemistry has degraded, leading to increased self-discharge and reduced capacity. After one year of use, lithium-ion batteries naturally lose about 20% of their capacity, and a sudden failure can occur due to a defective cell or internal short. This matches the symptom of normal operation followed by rapid drain, as the battery can no longer hold a charge effectively.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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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