Free CompTIA A+ Core 1 practice test, every option explained

A technician has turned on Bluetooth on a user's phone and put a new headset into pairing mode. Which is the NEXT step in the pairing process?

• AScan for devices on the phone and select the headset from the list
  Correct. After Bluetooth is on and the accessory is in pairing mode, the next step is to find the device on the phone and select it.
• BTest connectivity by placing a call and checking the audio quality
  Testing comes last, after the pairing is complete.
• CEnter the headset's PIN code in the phone's Bluetooth settings menu
  A PIN or passkey is entered or confirmed after the device has been selected, not before.
• DTurn on NFC on the phone so the headset can join the phone's network
  NFC is optional for some accessories and is not a standard pairing step.

A technician is assigning a static address to a printer on a SOHO LAN. Which address is in a private IPv4 range and suitable for internal use?

• A192.169.1.1
  192.169 is public; only 192.168 is private.
• B172.32.1.1
  172.32 is just outside the private 172.16 to 172.31 range, so it is public.
• C11.0.0.1
  11.x.x.x is public; only 10.x.x.x is the private Class A range.
• D172.20.5.9
  Correct. 172.20.x.x falls within the private 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255 range.

A customer purchased an Intel Core Ultra 7 265K desktop processor. Which socket must the new motherboard have?

• ALGA 1851
  Correct. Core Ultra 200S desktop processors use LGA 1851.
• BLGA 1700
  LGA 1700 supports 12th through 14th generation Core processors, not Core Ultra 200S.
• CLGA 1200
  LGA 1200 supports 10th and 11th generation Core processors.
• DAM5
  AM5 is AMD's socket and cannot accept any Intel processor.

An IT manager asks why the company's containers start in seconds and use less memory than its VMs. Which explanation is MOST accurate?

• AContainers run directly on the hardware without any operating system
  Containers still need a host OS; it is their shared kernel that makes them light.
• BContainers use a Type 1 hypervisor that is built into the CPU
  Containers do not rely on a hypervisor at all; they are isolated processes on the host OS.
• CContainers keep their memory in cloud storage rather than host RAM
  Running containers use host RAM like any other process; cloud storage is not memory.
• DContainers share the host kernel rather than booting a guest OS
  Correct. Because containers reuse the host kernel, they skip booting a separate OS, which saves time and memory.

A user reports a burning smell coming from the back of a desktop PC, near the power supply. The PC is still running. What should the technician do FIRST?

• AOpen Event Viewer and look for power-related errors
  Logs are useful later, but reading them while something may be burning leaves a fire and shock hazard active.
• BShut down the PC and disconnect it from the outlet
  Correct. A burning smell can mean a component is overheating or arcing. Removing power first protects the user, the equipment, and the building.
• CTest the 24-pin connector with a power supply tester
  A PSU tester is a valid diagnostic step, but only after the system is safely powered off and the hazard is contained.
• DCopy the user's documents to a network share first
  Protecting data matters, but not before a safety hazard. Data can be recovered from the drive once the PC is safe.

A user receives a carrier text saying 90% of the monthly data allowance is used, and it is only the 12th of the month. Which should the technician do FIRST?

• AChange the preferred network type so the phone uses 3G instead of 5G service
  Changing the network generation does not reduce how much data apps send, and 3G is being retired.
• BReview cellular usage per app in Settings to find which apps use the most data
  Correct. Per-app data usage identifies what is using the allowance, so the technician can restrict or move that app to Wi-Fi.
• CFactory reset the phone so all the background data services are cleared
  A factory reset is drastic and does not identify the cause.
• DTurn off cellular data until the next billing cycle starts
  This stops the overage, but it is drastic, cuts off legitimate use away from Wi-Fi, and does not identify which app is responsible.

A VoIP engineer asks a technician why the phone system carries live voice over UDP instead of TCP. Which explanation is BEST?

• AUDP skips acknowledgments and retransmissions, avoiding delay
  Correct. UDP avoids TCP's acknowledgment and retransmission delays, which suits real-time voice.
• BUDP guarantees in-order delivery, so the audio never arrives scrambled
  Ordered, guaranteed delivery is a TCP feature. UDP makes no delivery or ordering guarantees.
• CUDP headers are smaller, so voice packets always arrive sooner than TCP
  UDP's 8-byte header is smaller than TCP's, but that saves little. The real benefit is that UDP never stalls the stream waiting for acknowledgments or retransmissions.
• DUDP sets up each call with a three-way handshake, so connections start faster
  The three-way handshake is how TCP establishes connections. UDP has no handshake at all.

A technician is installing a 2.5-inch SATA SSD in a desktop PC. Which TWO cables must be connected to the drive? (Choose TWO.)

• AA 4-pin Molex power connector
  Molex powers legacy PATA drives and some fans; SATA drives use the 15-pin SATA power connector.
• BA 7-pin SATA data cable
  Correct. The 7-pin cable connects the drive to a SATA port on the motherboard.
• CAn eSATA cable
  eSATA is for external drives; an internal SSD uses a standard internal SATA data cable.
• DA 15-pin SATA power connector
  Correct. The PSU's 15-pin SATA power connector supplies the drive.
• EThe 20+4 pin motherboard power connector
  The 24-pin connector powers the motherboard, not individual drives.

A company uses a SaaS customer relationship management application. Which task remains the company's responsibility rather than the provider's?

• APatching the application's web server software
  The SaaS provider patches the application and its web servers.
• BUpdating the operating system on the servers
  The provider maintains the operating systems running the service.
• CReplacing failed drives in the provider's storage
  Physical hardware is always the provider's responsibility in any cloud service model.
• DManaging user accounts and access to its data
  Correct. In SaaS, customers still control who can sign in and what data they enter and share.

A projector sits on a table and is tilted up toward the screen. The image is wider at the top than at the bottom. What should the technician adjust?

• AThe aspect ratio setting
  Aspect ratio changes the width-to-height proportion of the whole image, not a top-versus-bottom difference.
• BThe focus ring on the lens
  Focus fixes sharpness, not the shape of the image.
• CThe keystone correction
  Correct. Tilting the projector makes one edge wider than the other. Keystone correction compensates for the angle.
• DThe laptop's screen resolution
  Resolution changes image detail, not the trapezoid caused by the tilt.