SK0-005 server-administration Practice Question

Exhibit

C:\> nslookup server1.contoso.com 192.168.1.10
Server:  dc1.contoso.com
Address:  192.168.1.10

*** dc1.contoso.com can't find server1.contoso.com: Non-existent domain

Refer to the exhibit. A server administrator is troubleshooting a DNS resolution issue on a Windows Server 2019. The exhibit shows the output of the command `nslookup` queried against the server's own IP. Based on the output, what is the most likely cause of the resolution failure?

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 DNS server does not have an A record for server1.contoso.com.

Option D is correct because the NXDOMAIN response indicates the queried name does not exist in the DNS zone. Option A is wrong because forwarding is irrelevant for an authoritative zone. Option B is wrong because reverse lookup zones are for IP-to-name resolution, not name-to-IP. Option C is wrong because root hints are used for recursion, not for authoritative responses.

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 DNS server does not have an A record for server1.contoso.com.
Why this is correct
The 'Non-existent domain' error directly indicates that the queried A record is missing from the contoso.com zone.
✗
The DNS server's root hints are misconfigured.
Why it's wrong here
Root hints are used when the server needs to forward queries for external domains; for its own zone it answers authoritatively.
✗
The DNS server is not configured to forward queries to an external DNS server.
Why it's wrong here
The server is authoritative for contoso.com, so forwarding is not needed for records within its own zone.
✗
The DNS server has an incorrect reverse lookup zone configuration.
Why it's wrong here
Reverse lookup zones map IP addresses to names; this query is for a name to IP, so reverse zone configuration is not involved.

Visual reference

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 →

How Courseiva writes practice questions · Editorial policy

Last reviewed: Jul 26, 2026

Question Discussion

Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.

Loading comments…

This SK0-005 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 SK0-005 exam.