CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) Practice Exam

What the CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) exam covers

• Mobile Devices88 questions
• Networking157 questions
• Hardware173 questions
• Virtualization and Cloud Computing78 questions
• Hardware and Network Troubleshooting194 questions

Free CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) sample questions

A sample of 10 questions with answers and explanations. Sign up free to practice all 690.

1. Question 1Mobile Devices

   A laptop uses which memory form factor (smaller than a desktop DIMM)?

   • AFull-size DIMM
   • BATX
   • CSODIMMCorrect
   • DPCIe x16
   ✓ Correct answer: C

   SODIMM (Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module) is the compact RAM form factor used in laptops, mini-PCs, and small-form-factor systems. A DDR4 SODIMM is about 69.6 mm long with 260 pins, roughly half the length of a 288-pin desktop DIMM, letting laptop makers build thin chassis while still offering upgradeable memory.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • AFull-size DIMM is the standard desktop module that is nearly twice as long as a SODIMM and physically will not fit a laptop's shorter memory slot.
   • BATX is a motherboard and power-supply form-factor standard describing layout and mounting, not a memory module type.
   • DPCIe x16 is an expansion bus slot used mainly for graphics cards and has no relationship to RAM form factors.
2. Question 2Networking

   Which protocol lets a monitoring platform poll devices for status (interface counters, CPU, errors) and receive alerts?

   • ASNMPCorrect
   • BARP
   • CDNS
   • DDHCP
   ✓ Correct answer: A

   SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is the standard for network management: a manager sends GET requests to a device's agent to read OID values from its MIB - interface counters, CPU, errors, memory - and the agent can proactively send unsolicited TRAP or INFORM alerts when a value crosses a threshold. This combination of polling plus alerting is exactly what the monitoring platform needs.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • BARP resolves IPv4 addresses to MAC addresses on a local segment and offers no monitoring or alerting.
   • CDNS resolves hostnames to IP addresses and is not a device-management protocol for polling metrics.
   • DDHCP assigns IP configuration to clients and cannot poll performance data or send operational alerts.
3. Question 3Hardware

   A technician needs to attach an internal optical drive in an older desktop using a flat 7-pin data connector. Which interface is this?

   • ASATACorrect
   • BPCIe x16
   • CDisplayPort
   • DRJ45 Ethernet
   ✓ Correct answer: A

   SATA data connectors use a slim L-shaped 7-pin plug to carry data to internal drives, including hard disks, SSDs, and optical drives. A separate 15-pin SATA power connector supplies power to the same device.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • BPCIe x16 is a long expansion slot for graphics cards, not a drive data connector.
   • CDisplayPort is a video output interface, not an internal drive connector.
   • DRJ45 is the Ethernet networking jack, not a drive data interface.
4. Question 4Virtualization and Cloud Computing

   To control cloud spend, a team wants alerts before monthly charges exceed a set amount. Which feature should they configure?

   • AA stronger firewall rule
   • BA longer password policy
   • CFull-disk encryption on the laptops
   • DBilling budgets with cost alerts/thresholdsCorrect
   ✓ Correct answer: D

   Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) provide billing alert systems where administrators define budget thresholds (e.g., $500 per month) and configure automated notifications (email, SMS, webhook) when actual or forecasted spending reaches defined percentages of that threshold. This allows teams to detect unexpected resource consumption or runaway autoscaling events before they generate large unexpected bills, enabling proactive intervention such as stopping unused instances or investigating billing anomalies. Budget alerts are a cloud financial management (FinOps) tool specifically designed for cost governance.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • AA stronger firewall rule is incorrect because firewall rules filter network traffic based on source/destination IP addresses, ports, and protocols for security purposes; firewall configuration does not monitor cloud resource consumption, track spending against budgets, or generate cost-based notifications.
   • BA longer password policy is incorrect because password policies define authentication requirements such as minimum length, complexity, and rotation frequency; they are identity and access management controls that have no relationship to cloud billing monitoring or spending alerts.
   • CFull-disk encryption on the laptops is incorrect because full-disk encryption such as BitLocker protects data stored on endpoints from physical theft; it is a data protection security control applied to local storage and has no mechanism for monitoring or alerting on cloud infrastructure spending.
5. Question 5Hardware and Network Troubleshooting

   After connecting a new unmanaged switch with a spare patch cable, the entire VLAN goes down with massive broadcast traffic. What most likely happened?

   • AThe perimeter firewall's rules were cleared, allowing traffic to flood in
   • BA switching loop was created by plugging the cable into two ports without loop protectionCorrect
   • CThe DNS server's records were deleted, breaking all name resolution
   • DThe DHCP scope was exhausted, so no clients could get an IP lease
   ✓ Correct answer: B

   When an unmanaged switch without Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is connected to the network and a patch cable inadvertently connects two of its ports, or forms a redundant path back to the existing infrastructure, a Layer 2 switching loop is created. Frames are forwarded endlessly between the looped ports, generating a broadcast storm that rapidly consumes all available bandwidth and overwhelms every device on the VLAN. Unmanaged switches lack STP to detect and block redundant paths, making them particularly vulnerable to this configuration error.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • AThe perimeter firewall's rules were cleared, allowing traffic to flood in is incorrect because firewall rules operate at Layer 3 and above to filter routed traffic; clearing them would not produce the Layer 2 broadcast storm that a physical switching loop creates.
   • CThe DNS server's records were deleted, breaking all name resolution is incorrect because deleting DNS records only prevents name-to-IP resolution; it generates no broadcast traffic and would not bring down an entire VLAN segment.
   • DThe DHCP scope was exhausted, so no clients could get an IP lease is incorrect because an exhausted scope only stops new clients from obtaining addresses; it does not cause broadcast storms or disrupt existing data-link-layer connectivity.
6. Question 6Hardware

   Why does an NVMe SSD outperform a SATA SSD of the same capacity?

   • AIt uses PCIe lanes rather than the SATA busCorrect
   • BIt stores more bits in each memory cell
   • CIt has a larger onboard DRAM cache
   • DIt spins at a higher rotational speed
   ✓ Correct answer: A

   SATA was designed around mechanical drives and caps at roughly 600 MB per second, which flash memory saturates easily, so a SATA SSD is limited by the road rather than the engine. NVMe runs over PCIe lanes with a protocol built for flash, offering several times the bandwidth and, just as importantly, far deeper command queues and lower latency. Storing more bits per cell actually reduces speed and endurance, cache size is a secondary factor, and neither drive has anything that spins.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • BMore bits per cell reduces speed and endurance.
   • CCache helps at the margin; the interface is the limit.
   • DNeither drive has rotating platters.
7. Question 7Mobile DevicesSelect all that apply

   A laptop is being opened for a component replacement. Which TWO practices apply? (Select two.)

   • ADisconnect the internal battery before workingCorrect
   • BKeep screws organised by where they came fromCorrect
   • CForce any connector that does not lift easily
   • DWork on a thick carpet to cushion the parts
   • ERefit the shortest screws in the deepest holes
   ✓ Correct answer: A, B

   Modern laptops keep the board live from the internal battery even when the mains adapter is out, so disconnecting it is what prevents a short while components are being moved. Screw organisation matters more than it sounds: laptop screws vary by a millimetre or two between locations, and a longer screw in the wrong hole can pierce the board or the battery. The rejected options invite damage: forcing connectors tears them, carpet generates static, and mismatched screws cause exactly the puncture described.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • CForcing a connector tears the socket or the ribbon.
   • DCarpet is one of the worst surfaces for static.
   • EA wrong-length screw can pierce the board or battery.
8. Question 8Hardware and Network Troubleshooting

   One application crashes on one workstation and runs correctly on every other. Where should the technician look?

   • AThat machine's configuration, profile and dataCorrect
   • BThe application vendor's release notes
   • CThe network switch serving the floor
   • DThe licence count on the software server
   ✓ Correct answer: A

   Working on every other workstation eliminates the software itself, its version and any shared infrastructure, which is a great deal of ground covered for free. What remains is what is unique here: the user's profile and settings, a corrupted data file this machine opens and others do not, a conflicting application, an outdated driver, or local corruption. Testing with a different profile on the same machine, and the same profile on another, narrows it further in two steps.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • BA version-wide problem would affect the other machines.
   • CThe switch serves the machines that are working.
   • DA licence problem would refuse to run rather than crash.
9. Question 9HardwareSelect all that apply

   A bench is being set up for component work. Which TWO practices apply? (Select two.)

   • AUse an anti-static mat bonded to a common pointCorrect
   • BKeep components in anti-static bags until fittedCorrect
   • CKeep a carpet underfoot for comfort while working
   • DStore loose boards stacked on top of one another
   • EWork beside a running heater to keep hands warm
   ✓ Correct answer: A, B

   A mat bonded to the same point as the wrist strap means the bench, the technician and the equipment all sit at one potential, so there is no difference for a discharge to cross, which is the whole mechanism of static damage. Anti-static bags do the same for parts in transit and storage by conducting charge around the contents rather than through them. The rejected practices generate static, risk mechanical damage from stacking, or dry the air and make static worse.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • CCarpet is one of the worst generators of static.
   • DStacked boards damage each other mechanically.
   • EDry warm air makes static discharge more likely.
10. Question 10NetworkingSelect all that apply

    Wireless is being planned for a warehouse with high metal racking. Which TWO factors apply? (Select two.)

    • AMetal racking reflects and blocks the signalCorrect
    • BCoverage changes as stock levels changeCorrect
    • CThe building's ceiling colour affects range
    • DWarehouses need no channel planning at all
    • EOne access point is enough for any warehouse
    ✓ Correct answer: A, B

    Racking reflects and absorbs signal, creating dead spots and multipath problems that a survey of an empty building will not reveal. The second factor follows from it: an aisle that is clear when the site is surveyed may be full of stacked pallets a month later, so coverage designed against an empty warehouse degrades in use. Surveying with representative stock in place, and allowing margin, is the practical response. Ceiling colour is irrelevant, and both channel planning and multiple access points are needed.

    Why the other options are wrong

    • CColour has no effect on radio propagation.
    • DChannel planning matters more in a difficult building.
    • EOne access point cannot cover a warehouse.

Who this CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) practice exam is for

This practice set is for anyone preparing for the CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) exam - from first-time candidates building a foundation to experienced IT Support practitioners doing a final review before test day. If you learn best by working through realistic questions and reading why each answer is right or wrong, it is built for you.

How to use this CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) practice exam

1. Start with the free sample questions above to gauge your current baseline.
2. Read the full explanation on every question, including why each wrong option is wrong.
3. Track your weak domains and focus your study where you are losing the most marks.
4. Once you are scoring consistently well, take a timed, full-length mock exam.
5. Use your readiness score to decide when you are ready to book the real CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) exam.

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