- A
The laptop's battery is failing
Why wrong: A failing battery would drain even without the dock, but the issue is specifically tied to dock use.
- B
The dock's power delivery is insufficient for the laptop
When the dock provides less power than the laptop needs, the laptop supplements from its battery, leading to gradual discharge.
- C
The USB-C cable is not rated for power delivery
Why wrong: A non-PD cable would prevent charging entirely, not cause slow discharge.
- D
The laptop is running high-performance mode
Why wrong: High-performance mode increases power draw but would not cause battery drain if the power supply met the laptop's needs.
Question 542 of 1,020
USB-C Power Delivery Insufficient for Laptop: Battery Drain Issue
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 user reports that their laptop's battery drains quickly when connected to a USB-C docking station, even when the laptop is plugged into the dock's power delivery port. The dock supports 60W power delivery, but the laptop requires 65W. What is the most likely issue?
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.
Quick Answer
The answer is that the dock’s power delivery is insufficient for the laptop. This occurs because the USB-C docking station provides only 60W of power, while the laptop requires 65W; when the power draw exceeds what the dock can supply, the system compensates by pulling additional energy from the battery, resulting in a slow discharge even while plugged in. On the CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1201 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of power delivery specifications and the importance of matching wattage between chargers and devices—a common trap is to blame a faulty battery or high-performance settings, but the root cause is simply an underpowered source. Remember the 5W rule: if the dock’s wattage is even slightly below the laptop’s requirement, the battery will drain; think “5W short, battery support.”
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 dock's power delivery is insufficient for the laptop
The dock supports 60W power delivery, but the laptop requires 65W. When the power provided is less than the laptop's demand, the laptop will draw power from both the dock and its internal battery to meet the shortfall, causing the battery to drain even while connected. This is a classic case of insufficient power delivery from the dock, not a battery failure or cable issue.
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 laptop's battery is failing
Why it's wrong here
A failing battery would drain even without the dock, but the issue is specifically tied to dock use.
- ✓
The dock's power delivery is insufficient for the laptop
Why this is correct
When the dock provides less power than the laptop needs, the laptop supplements from its battery, leading to gradual discharge.
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 USB-C cable is not rated for power delivery
Why it's wrong here
A non-PD cable would prevent charging entirely, not cause slow discharge.
- ✗
The laptop is running high-performance mode
Why it's wrong here
High-performance mode increases power draw but would not cause battery drain if the power supply met the laptop's needs.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The CompTIA A+ exam often tests the misconception that any USB-C cable or dock will charge a laptop as long as it's connected, ignoring the specific wattage requirements and the USB-PD negotiation process.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
USB-C Power Delivery (USB-PD) negotiates power contracts between source and sink. If the sink (laptop) requests 65W and the source (dock) can only supply 60W, the negotiation may fall back to a lower voltage/current combination (e.g., 20V at 3A = 60W) or fail to establish a contract, causing the laptop to supplement from its battery. In real-world scenarios, this often manifests as the battery percentage slowly decreasing during heavy workloads like video editing or gaming, even when the laptop reports 'plugged in'.
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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Mobile Device Accessories — study guide chapter
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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: The dock's power delivery is insufficient for the laptop — The dock supports 60W power delivery, but the laptop requires 65W. When the power provided is less than the laptop's demand, the laptop will draw power from both the dock and its internal battery to meet the shortfall, causing the battery to drain even while connected. This is a classic case of insufficient power delivery from the dock, not a battery failure or cable issue.
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
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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