- A
Perform a single overwrite on the RAID logical volume.
Why wrong: Overwriting the logical volume may not reach all physical sectors due to RAID controller caching or spare sectors.
- B
Remove each drive and wipe them individually using a secure erase tool.
Wiping each drive individually ensures all physical sectors are overwritten, regardless of RAID configuration.
- C
Degauss the entire server chassis.
Why wrong: Degaussing a chassis is impractical and may not affect all drives uniformly; also, degaussing damages drives.
- D
Reformat the RAID array and reinstall the OS.
Why wrong: Reformatting only clears file system metadata; data remains recoverable and does not meet certified destruction requirements.
Question 202 of 750
Secure Erase RAID Array
This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of data destruction and disposal. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 decommissioning a server that contained highly sensitive financial data. The server has multiple HDDs in a RAID array. The company policy requires data destruction to be certified. Which approach is most efficient and secure?
Quick Answer
The answer is to remove each drive and wipe them individually using a secure erase tool. This is correct because RAID arrays use striping, which distributes data across all physical drives; wiping only the logical volume leaves data remnants on individual sectors that are not overwritten by a single volume-level wipe. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this question tests your understanding of data destruction methods for RAID configurations, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly choose to wipe the array as a single volume. A common memory tip is “striped data needs stripped drives”—since data is spread across every disk, each physical drive must be erased separately to ensure certified destruction.
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
✓
Remove each drive and wipe them individually using a secure erase tool.
Option B is correct because secure erase tools (e.g., ATA Secure Erase) perform a cryptographic or full overwrite at the drive firmware level, ensuring each HDD is individually sanitized and can be certified. In a RAID array, the controller may cache or stripe data, so wiping the logical volume (Option A) or reformatting (Option D) does not guarantee all physical sectors on every drive are overwritten, leaving residual data recoverable. Degaussing (Option C) destroys the drives' magnetic media but is impractical for a full chassis and may not provide certified destruction for mixed media.
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.
- ✗
Perform a single overwrite on the RAID logical volume.
Why it's wrong here
Overwriting the logical volume may not reach all physical sectors due to RAID controller caching or spare sectors.
- ✓
Remove each drive and wipe them individually using a secure erase tool.
Why this is correct
Wiping each drive individually ensures all physical sectors are overwritten, regardless of RAID configuration.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Degauss the entire server chassis.
Why it's wrong here
Degaussing a chassis is impractical and may not affect all drives uniformly; also, degaussing damages drives.
- ✗
Reformat the RAID array and reinstall the OS.
Why it's wrong here
Reformatting only clears file system metadata; data remains recoverable and does not meet certified destruction requirements.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA often tests the misconception that wiping a RAID logical volume is equivalent to wiping each physical drive, but the trap is that RAID controllers abstract the physical layout, so logical operations may miss hidden or spare sectors on individual HDDs.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ATA Secure Erase (as defined in the ATA/ATAPI-8 specification) issues a SECURITY ERASE UNIT command that triggers the drive's internal firmware to overwrite all user-accessible sectors, including reallocated and spare sectors, with a cryptographic erase or a full write pattern. In a RAID environment, the controller's write-back cache and stripe alignment mean that a logical volume wipe may not reach every physical sector on each drive, especially if the array uses parity or mirroring. Real-world compliance standards (e.g., NIST SP 800-88) require media-specific sanitization, and for HDDs, a single overwrite is often insufficient without verification; secure erase provides a hardware-level, verifiable wipe.
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.
Quick reference
RAID Level Comparison
| RAID Level | Min Disks | Fault Tolerance | Read | Write | Usable Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAID 0 | 2 | None | Excellent | Excellent | 100% |
| RAID 1 | 2 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 50% |
| RAID 5 | 3 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 67–94% |
| RAID 6 | 4 | 2 disks | Good | Lower | 50–88% |
| RAID 10 | 4 | 1 disk per mirror | Excellent | Good | 50% |
RAID is not a backup strategy — it protects against disk failure but not against accidental deletion, ransomware, or site-level events.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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Data Destruction and Disposal — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 220-1202 question test?
Data Destruction and Disposal — This question tests Data Destruction and Disposal — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Remove each drive and wipe them individually using a secure erase tool. — Option B is correct because secure erase tools (e.g., ATA Secure Erase) perform a cryptographic or full overwrite at the drive firmware level, ensuring each HDD is individually sanitized and can be certified. In a RAID array, the controller may cache or stripe data, so wiping the logical volume (Option A) or reformatting (Option D) does not guarantee all physical sectors on every drive are overwritten, leaving residual data recoverable. Degaussing (Option C) destroys the drives' magnetic media but is impractical for a full chassis and may not provide certified destruction for mixed media.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on 220-1202
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A technician is decommissioning a server that uses a hardware RAID controller. The company policy requires that all data be destroyed, but the drives must be returned to the leasing company. Which method ensures data is unrecoverable while preserving the drives?
hard- A.Remove the drives and use a degausser on each one.
- B.Perform a secure erase using a bootable utility like DBAN.
- ✓ C.Use the RAID controller's built-in 'secure erase' or 'low-level format' command.
- D.Physically drill through the drive enclosures.
Why C: Option C is correct because the RAID controller's built-in 'secure erase' or 'low-level format' command issues the ATA Secure Erase command (or SCSI equivalent) directly to each drive, which overwrites all user-accessible data areas and often the hidden RAID metadata, making data unrecoverable. This method preserves the physical drives for return to the leasing company, as required by policy, and is the only option that both destroys data and leaves the drives functional.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This 220-1202 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 220-1202 exam.
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