COMPTIA A+ CORE 1 (220-1101) AND CORE 2 (220-
1102) STUDY GUIDE | LATEST UPDATE 2026/2027 |
ACTUAL EXAM | PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS | EXAM REVIEW | 100% CORRECT
ANSWERS | VERIFIED SOLUTIONS
This comprehensive practice examination has been meticulously developed for
candidates preparing for the CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1101) and Core 2 (220-
1102) certification examinations, the industry standard for launching IT careers in
technical support and operational roles. This 100-question assessment mirrors the
depth and rigor of the actual certification, covering the latest 2026/2027 exam
objectives including hardware troubleshooting, networking configuration, mobile
device management, operating system installation, virtualization, cloud computing,
and security best practices. Each question has been crafted by subject matter
experts to challenge your diagnostic reasoning, reinforce practical hands-on skills,
and test your ability to resolve complex technical scenarios encountered in
enterprise and small business environments. This study resource serves as an
essential tool for candidates seeking to validate their foundational IT knowledge,
identify weak areas, and build confidence before sitting for the official CompTIA
A+ licensing examination.
Table of Contents:
1.0 Mobile Devices
2.0 Networking
3.0 Hardware
4.0 Virtualization and Cloud Computing
5.0 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
6.0 Operating Systems
7.0 Security
8.0 Software Troubleshooting
9.0 Operational Procedures
,Question 1: A technician is replacing a touchscreen digitizer assembly on a
smartphone. After the repair, the technician notices the screen displays colors
correctly, but touch input is completely unresponsive even after multiple resets.
The digitizer flex cable is securely seated. Which of the following is the MOST
likely cause?
A) The replacement digitizer is incompatible with the phone model's firmware
version
B) The technician forgot to transfer the ambient light sensor from the old assembly
C) The lithium-ion battery has swollen and is pressing against the back of the
display
D) The display's resolution setting was reset to a lower value during the repair
Correct Answer: A
Smartphone digitizers have firmware-level pairing requirements; if the
replacement part is from a different revision or manufacturer, the touch controller
may not initialize despite a physical connection. A swollen battery (C) would cause
physical distortion visible on the display, and the ambient light sensor (B) only
affects auto-brightness, not touch functionality.
Question 2: A corporate user reports that their laptop battery drains from 100% to
5% within 30 minutes, but the Windows battery report shows the battery's design
capacity is 56,000 mWh and the full charge capacity is 55,800 mWh. Which
diagnostic step should the technician perform FIRST?
A) Replace the DC-in power jack on the motherboard
B) Calibrate the battery by fully draining and recharging it
C) Run a synthetic CPU stress test while monitoring discharge rate in milliwatts to
check for an excessive power draw from components
D) Update the BIOS to the latest version
Correct Answer: C
Since the full charge capacity is nearly identical to the design capacity, the battery
cells themselves are healthy. Rapid discharge indicates an abnormally high power
consumption rate likely caused by a runaway process, malware, or a failing
component like a fan that forces the CPU to overheat and throttle inefficiently.
Calibration (B) addresses inaccurate reporting, not actual rapid drain.
Question 3: A user wants to upgrade the RAM in their laptop. The existing
module is labeled PC4-25600. When the technician opens the bottom panel, they
,find the RAM is soldered directly to the motherboard with no available SO-DIMM
slots. What should the technician explain to the user?
A) The technician can desolder the chips and replace them with higher-capacity
BGA chips
B) The system uses LPDDR4X memory, which is permanently attached; the
memory cannot be upgraded post-purchase
C) The user needs to buy a specific proprietary SO-DIMM module from the
manufacturer only
D) The RAM slot is located under the keyboard deck, not the bottom panel
Correct Answer: B
LPDDR (Low Power Double Data Rate) memory variants, including LPDDR4X,
are almost exclusively implemented as soldered-down BGA packages to save space
and power. PC4-25600 corresponds to DDR4-3200, but the label only indicates
the speed grade of the soldered chips, not upgrade capability. This is a
fundamental design choice.
Question 4: A technician is configuring a SOHO router and discovers that several
IoT devices only support the 2.4 GHz band. However, the 2.4 GHz spectrum is
severely congested with neighboring networks on channels 1, 6, and 11. Which 2.4
GHz channel should the technician manually select to minimize co-channel
interference while maintaining regulatory compliance in North America?
A) Channel 9
B) Channel 11
C) Channel 3
D) Channel 14
Correct Answer: B
In the 2.4 GHz band, only channels 1, 6, and 11 are non-overlapping. Since 1 and
6 are congested, channel 11 remains the only valid non-overlapping option.
Channels 3 and 9 (A, C) partially overlap with adjacent channels causing worse
interference, and channel 14 (D) is not authorized in North America.
Question 5: A Windows workstation is assigned an IP address of 169.254.45.200
with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0. The user cannot reach any network resources or
the internet. The technician verifies the Ethernet cable is plugged in and the link
lights are active. What is the NEXT logical troubleshooting step?
A) Release and renew the IP address using ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew
B) Flush the DNS resolver cache with ipconfig /flushdns
, C) Check the DHCP server service status on the domain controller
D) Manually assign a static IP address in the correct subnet
Correct Answer: A
The 169.254.x.x address is an APIPA (Automatic Private IP Addressing)
assignment, meaning the client failed to reach a DHCP server. The first step is to
attempt a renewal to re-establish DORA negotiation. If that fails, the technician
should then check DHCP server availability (C) or physical connectivity upstream.
Question 6: A laser printer produces pages with vertical black streaks running
from top to bottom on every printed page. The streaks appear in the same position
on each page, whether printing a blank test page or a document with graphics.
Which component should the technician replace?
A) The fuser assembly
B) The transfer belt or roller
C) The photoconductor drum
D) The pickup rollers
Correct Answer: C
Consistent vertical black streaks in the same position on every page indicate a
scratch or wear groove on the photoconductor drum. Since the drum rotates, any
defect transfers toner to the paper in a continuous vertical line. The fuser (A)
typically causes smudging or ghosting, and pickup rollers (D) cause paper jams,
not print defects.
Question 7: A field technician needs to terminate a Cat6a cable run for a
10GBASE-T connection in a commercial building. The TIA/EIA-568 standard
requires performance up to 500 MHz. When terminating the RJ-45 connector, what
is the maximum allowed untwist of the wire pairs at the termination point to
prevent NEXT (Near-End Crosstalk) failure?
A) 13 mm (0.5 inches)
B) 6 mm (0.25 inches)
C) 25 mm (1 inch)
D) The pairs must remain twisted all the way to the point of termination with zero
untwisting
Correct Answer: A
For Cat6a installations, the ANSI/TIA-568 standard specifies that the pair untwist
at the termination point must not exceed 13 mm (0.5 inches). While minimizing
1102) STUDY GUIDE | LATEST UPDATE 2026/2027 |
ACTUAL EXAM | PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS | EXAM REVIEW | 100% CORRECT
ANSWERS | VERIFIED SOLUTIONS
This comprehensive practice examination has been meticulously developed for
candidates preparing for the CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1101) and Core 2 (220-
1102) certification examinations, the industry standard for launching IT careers in
technical support and operational roles. This 100-question assessment mirrors the
depth and rigor of the actual certification, covering the latest 2026/2027 exam
objectives including hardware troubleshooting, networking configuration, mobile
device management, operating system installation, virtualization, cloud computing,
and security best practices. Each question has been crafted by subject matter
experts to challenge your diagnostic reasoning, reinforce practical hands-on skills,
and test your ability to resolve complex technical scenarios encountered in
enterprise and small business environments. This study resource serves as an
essential tool for candidates seeking to validate their foundational IT knowledge,
identify weak areas, and build confidence before sitting for the official CompTIA
A+ licensing examination.
Table of Contents:
1.0 Mobile Devices
2.0 Networking
3.0 Hardware
4.0 Virtualization and Cloud Computing
5.0 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
6.0 Operating Systems
7.0 Security
8.0 Software Troubleshooting
9.0 Operational Procedures
,Question 1: A technician is replacing a touchscreen digitizer assembly on a
smartphone. After the repair, the technician notices the screen displays colors
correctly, but touch input is completely unresponsive even after multiple resets.
The digitizer flex cable is securely seated. Which of the following is the MOST
likely cause?
A) The replacement digitizer is incompatible with the phone model's firmware
version
B) The technician forgot to transfer the ambient light sensor from the old assembly
C) The lithium-ion battery has swollen and is pressing against the back of the
display
D) The display's resolution setting was reset to a lower value during the repair
Correct Answer: A
Smartphone digitizers have firmware-level pairing requirements; if the
replacement part is from a different revision or manufacturer, the touch controller
may not initialize despite a physical connection. A swollen battery (C) would cause
physical distortion visible on the display, and the ambient light sensor (B) only
affects auto-brightness, not touch functionality.
Question 2: A corporate user reports that their laptop battery drains from 100% to
5% within 30 minutes, but the Windows battery report shows the battery's design
capacity is 56,000 mWh and the full charge capacity is 55,800 mWh. Which
diagnostic step should the technician perform FIRST?
A) Replace the DC-in power jack on the motherboard
B) Calibrate the battery by fully draining and recharging it
C) Run a synthetic CPU stress test while monitoring discharge rate in milliwatts to
check for an excessive power draw from components
D) Update the BIOS to the latest version
Correct Answer: C
Since the full charge capacity is nearly identical to the design capacity, the battery
cells themselves are healthy. Rapid discharge indicates an abnormally high power
consumption rate likely caused by a runaway process, malware, or a failing
component like a fan that forces the CPU to overheat and throttle inefficiently.
Calibration (B) addresses inaccurate reporting, not actual rapid drain.
Question 3: A user wants to upgrade the RAM in their laptop. The existing
module is labeled PC4-25600. When the technician opens the bottom panel, they
,find the RAM is soldered directly to the motherboard with no available SO-DIMM
slots. What should the technician explain to the user?
A) The technician can desolder the chips and replace them with higher-capacity
BGA chips
B) The system uses LPDDR4X memory, which is permanently attached; the
memory cannot be upgraded post-purchase
C) The user needs to buy a specific proprietary SO-DIMM module from the
manufacturer only
D) The RAM slot is located under the keyboard deck, not the bottom panel
Correct Answer: B
LPDDR (Low Power Double Data Rate) memory variants, including LPDDR4X,
are almost exclusively implemented as soldered-down BGA packages to save space
and power. PC4-25600 corresponds to DDR4-3200, but the label only indicates
the speed grade of the soldered chips, not upgrade capability. This is a
fundamental design choice.
Question 4: A technician is configuring a SOHO router and discovers that several
IoT devices only support the 2.4 GHz band. However, the 2.4 GHz spectrum is
severely congested with neighboring networks on channels 1, 6, and 11. Which 2.4
GHz channel should the technician manually select to minimize co-channel
interference while maintaining regulatory compliance in North America?
A) Channel 9
B) Channel 11
C) Channel 3
D) Channel 14
Correct Answer: B
In the 2.4 GHz band, only channels 1, 6, and 11 are non-overlapping. Since 1 and
6 are congested, channel 11 remains the only valid non-overlapping option.
Channels 3 and 9 (A, C) partially overlap with adjacent channels causing worse
interference, and channel 14 (D) is not authorized in North America.
Question 5: A Windows workstation is assigned an IP address of 169.254.45.200
with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0. The user cannot reach any network resources or
the internet. The technician verifies the Ethernet cable is plugged in and the link
lights are active. What is the NEXT logical troubleshooting step?
A) Release and renew the IP address using ipconfig /release and ipconfig /renew
B) Flush the DNS resolver cache with ipconfig /flushdns
, C) Check the DHCP server service status on the domain controller
D) Manually assign a static IP address in the correct subnet
Correct Answer: A
The 169.254.x.x address is an APIPA (Automatic Private IP Addressing)
assignment, meaning the client failed to reach a DHCP server. The first step is to
attempt a renewal to re-establish DORA negotiation. If that fails, the technician
should then check DHCP server availability (C) or physical connectivity upstream.
Question 6: A laser printer produces pages with vertical black streaks running
from top to bottom on every printed page. The streaks appear in the same position
on each page, whether printing a blank test page or a document with graphics.
Which component should the technician replace?
A) The fuser assembly
B) The transfer belt or roller
C) The photoconductor drum
D) The pickup rollers
Correct Answer: C
Consistent vertical black streaks in the same position on every page indicate a
scratch or wear groove on the photoconductor drum. Since the drum rotates, any
defect transfers toner to the paper in a continuous vertical line. The fuser (A)
typically causes smudging or ghosting, and pickup rollers (D) cause paper jams,
not print defects.
Question 7: A field technician needs to terminate a Cat6a cable run for a
10GBASE-T connection in a commercial building. The TIA/EIA-568 standard
requires performance up to 500 MHz. When terminating the RJ-45 connector, what
is the maximum allowed untwist of the wire pairs at the termination point to
prevent NEXT (Near-End Crosstalk) failure?
A) 13 mm (0.5 inches)
B) 6 mm (0.25 inches)
C) 25 mm (1 inch)
D) The pairs must remain twisted all the way to the point of termination with zero
untwisting
Correct Answer: A
For Cat6a installations, the ANSI/TIA-568 standard specifies that the pair untwist
at the termination point must not exceed 13 mm (0.5 inches). While minimizing
