PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION EXAM REVIEW
CompTIA A+ (Core 1 & 2) Exam A+
2026/2027 | CompTIA | Complete Review
with Questions & Verified Answers
2026/2027
Official Exam Style Review — Hardware, Networking, Mobile Devices, Virtualization & Cloud, Operating
Systems, Security, Software Troubleshooting, Operational Procedures
A+ QUESTIONS 5 SECTIONS 100%
VERIFIED FULL COVERAGE RATIONALES
CATEGORIES
■ Hardware & Mobile Devices
■ Networking & Virtualization/Cloud
■ Operating Systems
■ Security & Software Troubleshooting
■ Operational Procedures
STUVIAACTUALEXAM
, SECTION 1 — Hardware & Mobile Devices
Q1. A technician is assembling a new workstation for a graphic designer who requires maximum parallel processing for
video rendering. The motherboard has one PCIe x16 slot already occupied by a graphics card. The designer needs
additional compute capacity. Which component should the technician install to best meet this requirement while
maintaining system stability?
A secondary discrete GPU in a PCIe x8 electrical slot configured for multi-GPU rendering
A high-end CPU cooler with additional heat pipes to allow sustained turbo frequencies
An NVMe SSD in a PCIe x4 slot to reduce storage latency during render cache operations
Additional system RAM modules to increase the pagefile size for large video timelines
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Video rendering benefits significantly from parallel GPU compute. Installing a second discrete GPU enables multi-GPU
rendering frameworks. The other options improve cooling, storage speed, or memory capacity but do not provide the parallel processing
power required for the primary workload.
Q2. A laptop user reports that the internal keyboard intermittently registers double keystrokes and the trackpad cursor
jumps across the screen. External USB mouse and keyboard work without issue. The laptop is two years old and has
never been opened. Which diagnostic step should the technician perform first to isolate the most likely hardware cause?
Reseat the keyboard and trackpad ribbon cables on the system board
Replace the entire system board because the embedded controller is failing
Update the BIOS and chipset drivers to the latest manufacturer version
Run a full memory diagnostic to rule out intermittent RAM errors
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Intermittent double keystrokes and trackpad jumping on a laptop that works fine with external devices most commonly
indicate loose or oxidized ribbon cable connections. Reseating the cables is the least invasive and highest-yield first step before
considering board-level replacement or firmware updates.
Q3. During a motherboard upgrade, a technician notices the new board uses a different CPU socket than the previous
model. The existing cooler is a high-end air cooler with a universal mounting kit. What must the technician verify before
installing the cooler on the new motherboard?
That the cooler mounting brackets match the new socket's hole pattern and standoff distances
That the cooler fan RPM is compatible with the new motherboard's fan header voltage range
That the thermal paste on the cooler base is still within its rated shelf life
That the cooler height clearance fits within the new case's maximum CPU cooler specification
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Different CPU sockets have different mounting hole patterns and standoff requirements. Even with a universal kit, the correct
brackets for the new socket must be confirmed. Fan voltage, paste condition, and case clearance are secondary checks after mechanical
compatibility is established.
STUVIAACTUALEXAM | Page 2 of 25
, Q4. A mobile device technician receives a smartphone that will no longer charge when connected to any known-good
cable and wall adapter. The phone still powers on from residual battery and functions normally. The charging port shows
no visible debris or bent pins. Which internal component is the most probable failure point?
The USB-C charging port flex cable or the port itself has failed
The battery has reached end of life and can no longer accept charge current
The power management IC on the main logic board has failed
The wireless charging coil has shorted and is preventing wired charging
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: When a phone powers on and functions but will not charge from any known-good cable, the charging port or its flex cable is
the most common point of failure. Battery end-of-life usually still allows slow charging or shows specific battery health indicators. PMIC
failure typically prevents power-on entirely.
Q5. A technician is configuring a dual-monitor workstation. The primary display is connected via DisplayPort and the
secondary via HDMI. The user reports that the secondary monitor does not support the same high refresh rate as the
primary when both are active. The GPU has multiple DisplayPort outputs available. What is the most effective resolution?
Replace the HDMI cable and secondary monitor connection with a DisplayPort connection
Lower the resolution on the secondary monitor to enable a higher refresh rate over HDMI
Enable GPU scaling and force the secondary monitor to the primary's refresh rate
Install a USB display adapter to bypass the GPU's HDMI bandwidth limitations
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: DisplayPort generally supports higher bandwidth than HDMI at equivalent versions, allowing higher refresh rates at a given
resolution. Switching the secondary monitor to DisplayPort removes the HDMI bandwidth constraint. Lowering resolution is a
workaround, not a proper fix, and USB adapters introduce additional latency and complexity.
Q6. A desktop PC fails to POST and produces a series of long and short beep codes. The technician has already reseated
the RAM and verified the power supply connections. The motherboard manual is unavailable. Which action provides the
fastest path to identifying the specific hardware fault indicated by the beep codes?
Download the motherboard manual using the board model number printed on the PCB and match the beep pattern
Replace the CMOS battery and clear the BIOS settings to eliminate corrupted configuration
Boot the system with minimal hardware (CPU, one stick of RAM, onboard video) to isolate the failing component
Use a POST card diagnostic tool inserted into a PCIe slot to obtain a hexadecimal error code
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Beep codes are motherboard-vendor specific. Obtaining the exact manual for the board model allows precise mapping of the
long/short pattern to the failing subsystem. Minimal hardware boot is useful for isolation but slower than decoding the existing beep
pattern. A POST card is helpful when no beeps occur.
Q7. A user brings in a laptop that overheats and throttles under light load after only a few minutes. The laptop is used
primarily for office applications and web browsing. Dust is visible in the exhaust vents. After cleaning the vents and fans,
the overheating persists. What is the next most appropriate hardware action?
Remove the heatsink, clean old thermal paste, and apply a fresh high-quality thermal compound
Replace the CPU with a lower TDP model that generates less heat under the same workload
Install a third-party cooling pad and increase the fan curve in the embedded controller
Undervolt the CPU via BIOS to reduce power consumption and heat output
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: After external dust removal fails to resolve thermal throttling, degraded thermal interface material between the CPU/GPU and
heatsink is the most common remaining cause. Fresh thermal paste restores efficient heat transfer. Replacing the CPU, adding a cooling
pad, or undervolting are secondary or temporary measures.
STUVIAACTUALEXAM | Page 3 of 25
CompTIA A+ (Core 1 & 2) Exam A+
2026/2027 | CompTIA | Complete Review
with Questions & Verified Answers
2026/2027
Official Exam Style Review — Hardware, Networking, Mobile Devices, Virtualization & Cloud, Operating
Systems, Security, Software Troubleshooting, Operational Procedures
A+ QUESTIONS 5 SECTIONS 100%
VERIFIED FULL COVERAGE RATIONALES
CATEGORIES
■ Hardware & Mobile Devices
■ Networking & Virtualization/Cloud
■ Operating Systems
■ Security & Software Troubleshooting
■ Operational Procedures
STUVIAACTUALEXAM
, SECTION 1 — Hardware & Mobile Devices
Q1. A technician is assembling a new workstation for a graphic designer who requires maximum parallel processing for
video rendering. The motherboard has one PCIe x16 slot already occupied by a graphics card. The designer needs
additional compute capacity. Which component should the technician install to best meet this requirement while
maintaining system stability?
A secondary discrete GPU in a PCIe x8 electrical slot configured for multi-GPU rendering
A high-end CPU cooler with additional heat pipes to allow sustained turbo frequencies
An NVMe SSD in a PCIe x4 slot to reduce storage latency during render cache operations
Additional system RAM modules to increase the pagefile size for large video timelines
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Video rendering benefits significantly from parallel GPU compute. Installing a second discrete GPU enables multi-GPU
rendering frameworks. The other options improve cooling, storage speed, or memory capacity but do not provide the parallel processing
power required for the primary workload.
Q2. A laptop user reports that the internal keyboard intermittently registers double keystrokes and the trackpad cursor
jumps across the screen. External USB mouse and keyboard work without issue. The laptop is two years old and has
never been opened. Which diagnostic step should the technician perform first to isolate the most likely hardware cause?
Reseat the keyboard and trackpad ribbon cables on the system board
Replace the entire system board because the embedded controller is failing
Update the BIOS and chipset drivers to the latest manufacturer version
Run a full memory diagnostic to rule out intermittent RAM errors
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Intermittent double keystrokes and trackpad jumping on a laptop that works fine with external devices most commonly
indicate loose or oxidized ribbon cable connections. Reseating the cables is the least invasive and highest-yield first step before
considering board-level replacement or firmware updates.
Q3. During a motherboard upgrade, a technician notices the new board uses a different CPU socket than the previous
model. The existing cooler is a high-end air cooler with a universal mounting kit. What must the technician verify before
installing the cooler on the new motherboard?
That the cooler mounting brackets match the new socket's hole pattern and standoff distances
That the cooler fan RPM is compatible with the new motherboard's fan header voltage range
That the thermal paste on the cooler base is still within its rated shelf life
That the cooler height clearance fits within the new case's maximum CPU cooler specification
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Different CPU sockets have different mounting hole patterns and standoff requirements. Even with a universal kit, the correct
brackets for the new socket must be confirmed. Fan voltage, paste condition, and case clearance are secondary checks after mechanical
compatibility is established.
STUVIAACTUALEXAM | Page 2 of 25
, Q4. A mobile device technician receives a smartphone that will no longer charge when connected to any known-good
cable and wall adapter. The phone still powers on from residual battery and functions normally. The charging port shows
no visible debris or bent pins. Which internal component is the most probable failure point?
The USB-C charging port flex cable or the port itself has failed
The battery has reached end of life and can no longer accept charge current
The power management IC on the main logic board has failed
The wireless charging coil has shorted and is preventing wired charging
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: When a phone powers on and functions but will not charge from any known-good cable, the charging port or its flex cable is
the most common point of failure. Battery end-of-life usually still allows slow charging or shows specific battery health indicators. PMIC
failure typically prevents power-on entirely.
Q5. A technician is configuring a dual-monitor workstation. The primary display is connected via DisplayPort and the
secondary via HDMI. The user reports that the secondary monitor does not support the same high refresh rate as the
primary when both are active. The GPU has multiple DisplayPort outputs available. What is the most effective resolution?
Replace the HDMI cable and secondary monitor connection with a DisplayPort connection
Lower the resolution on the secondary monitor to enable a higher refresh rate over HDMI
Enable GPU scaling and force the secondary monitor to the primary's refresh rate
Install a USB display adapter to bypass the GPU's HDMI bandwidth limitations
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: DisplayPort generally supports higher bandwidth than HDMI at equivalent versions, allowing higher refresh rates at a given
resolution. Switching the secondary monitor to DisplayPort removes the HDMI bandwidth constraint. Lowering resolution is a
workaround, not a proper fix, and USB adapters introduce additional latency and complexity.
Q6. A desktop PC fails to POST and produces a series of long and short beep codes. The technician has already reseated
the RAM and verified the power supply connections. The motherboard manual is unavailable. Which action provides the
fastest path to identifying the specific hardware fault indicated by the beep codes?
Download the motherboard manual using the board model number printed on the PCB and match the beep pattern
Replace the CMOS battery and clear the BIOS settings to eliminate corrupted configuration
Boot the system with minimal hardware (CPU, one stick of RAM, onboard video) to isolate the failing component
Use a POST card diagnostic tool inserted into a PCIe slot to obtain a hexadecimal error code
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Beep codes are motherboard-vendor specific. Obtaining the exact manual for the board model allows precise mapping of the
long/short pattern to the failing subsystem. Minimal hardware boot is useful for isolation but slower than decoding the existing beep
pattern. A POST card is helpful when no beeps occur.
Q7. A user brings in a laptop that overheats and throttles under light load after only a few minutes. The laptop is used
primarily for office applications and web browsing. Dust is visible in the exhaust vents. After cleaning the vents and fans,
the overheating persists. What is the next most appropriate hardware action?
Remove the heatsink, clean old thermal paste, and apply a fresh high-quality thermal compound
Replace the CPU with a lower TDP model that generates less heat under the same workload
Install a third-party cooling pad and increase the fan curve in the embedded controller
Undervolt the CPU via BIOS to reduce power consumption and heat output
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: After external dust removal fails to resolve thermal throttling, degraded thermal interface material between the CPU/GPU and
heatsink is the most common remaining cause. Fresh thermal paste restores efficient heat transfer. Replacing the CPU, adding a cooling
pad, or undervolting are secondary or temporary measures.
STUVIAACTUALEXAM | Page 3 of 25
