CompTIA A+ Core 1 Part E: 30 PBQs

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CompTIA A+ Core 1 Part E: 30 PBQs

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Question 1 of 10

1. Question
A desktop won’t power on after a brief outage. The user reports a faint burning smell and says the system was “making a subtle clicking” last week. You must triage safely, protect data, and determine whether the fault is the PSU or motherboard (e.g., capacitor swelling), then recover service.

Steps (Shuffled):
1. Remove AC power, disconnect peripherals, and perform a safety inspection: look for capacitor swelling, scorching, or debris; sniff near PSU exhaust.
2. Test the wall outlet and surge protector; then bench-test the PSU with a paperclip/PSU tester and a known-good cable; replace PSU if it fails.
3. If the PSU tests good, build a minimal boot outside the case (board, CPU + cooler, one RAM stick, onboard video) and attempt POST.
4. If the board fails POST or emits POST beeps, reseat RAM and check the front-panel header; try alternate RAM slots; swap in known-good RAM.
5. If still failing, inspect the board under bright light for bulged/leaking capacitors; if found, replace the motherboard (document part/serial).
6. After replacement (PSU and/or board), reassemble fully, run a burn-in test (power cycling, CPU/memory stress), verify SMART health, and return to service.
- Test the wall outlet and surge protector; then bench-test the PSU with a paperclip/PSU tester and a known-good cable; replace PSU if it fails.
- Remove AC power, disconnect peripherals, and perform a safety inspection: look for capacitor swelling, scorching, or debris; sniff near PSU exhaust.
- If still failing, inspect the board under bright light for bulged/leaking capacitors; if found, replace the motherboard (document part/serial).
- After replacement (PSU and/or board), reassemble fully, run a burn-in test (power cycling, CPU/memory stress), verify SMART health, and return to service.
- If the board fails POST or emits POST beeps, reseat RAM and check the front-panel header; try alternate RAM slots; swap in known-good RAM.
- If the PSU tests good, build a minimal boot outside the case (board, CPU + cooler, one RAM stick, onboard video) and attempt POST.
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Question 2 of 10

2. Question
A workstation intermittently shuts down, shows proprietary crash screens, and feels sluggish under load. The system date/time sometimes resets. Fans sound louder than usual. You must stabilize, identify root causes (cooling vs. RAM/CPU vs. power/CMOS), and prevent recurrence.

Steps (Shuffled):
1. Record symptoms and capture crash codes; check Windows/Linux logs, dump files, and OEM telemetry for thermal or memory errors.
2. Clean and reseat: power down, unplug, blow dust from heatsinks/VRMs, reseat RAM and PCIe devices, and verify the CPU cooler mount and thermal paste contact.
3. Boot to UEFI/BIOS and monitor temperatures/voltages; run a short memory test (e.g., built-in/diagnostic USB) to catch early RAM faults.
4. If time/date drift reoccurs, replace the CMOS/RTC battery, then set accurate time and confirm NTP sync; retest cold boots.
5. Update BIOS/UEFI and chipset/storage/GPU drivers; apply OS updates; ensure power plan isn’t throttling the CPU; then run CPU/GPU stress tests to validate stability.
6. If random shutdowns persist, swap PSU with a known-good unit or load-test the existing one; check for undervoltage events and replace if out of spec.
- Clean and reseat: power down, unplug, blow dust from heatsinks/VRMs, reseat RAM and PCIe devices, and verify the CPU cooler mount and thermal paste contact.
- If time/date drift reoccurs, replace the CMOS/RTC battery, then set accurate time and confirm NTP sync; retest cold boots.
- Record symptoms and capture crash codes; check Windows/Linux logs, dump files, and OEM telemetry for thermal or memory errors.
- Boot to UEFI/BIOS and monitor temperatures/voltages; run a short memory test (e.g., built-in/diagnostic USB) to catch early RAM faults.
- Update BIOS/UEFI and chipset/storage/GPU drivers; apply OS updates; ensure power plan isn’t throttling the CPU; then run CPU/GPU stress tests to validate stability.
- If random shutdowns persist, swap PSU with a known-good unit or load-test the existing one; check for undervoltage events and replace if out of spec.
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Question 3 of 10

3. Question

A desktop intermittently fails to boot and sometimes shows “Bootable device not found.” The case LED behavior is inconsistent, and the user reports clicking one day and a rough grinding noise the next. Match each item to the best definition so you triage safely, protect data, and restore a reliable boot.

Sort elements

Interpreting the front-panel/storage LED: off with power on can indicate no device link; solid at POST can suggest bus negotiation/lock; regular blinking reflects I/O; erratic or no light during access attempts hints at cabling/power issues.
Repetitive clicking (head parking/seek failure) points to imminent HDD failure; continuous grinding suggests spindle/bearing or platter contact—both demand immediate backup and replacement.
First verify UEFI/BIOS boot order and controller mode; then check the drive is detected. If the device isn’t enumerated or emits mechanical noises, treat it as a drive failure and stop repeated boots.
Use SMART to check reallocated/pending sectors, CRC errors, and temperature; rising counts or failing status indicate a drive nearing end-of-life—plan a clone/replacement.
Logical file system errors (dirty bit, orphaned entries) can be repaired with chkdsk/fsck; bad sectors are physical media faults causing repeated read retries and slowdowns—often a precursor to failure.
A loose SATA/data or power connector causes random disconnects, CRC errors, and “device not found” on warm reboots; reseating or replacing cables often stabilizes detection.

Drive activity LED patterns (off/solid/blink)

“Click of death” vs. grinding (mechanical failure signatures)

“Bootable device not found” triage (order vs. device failure)

SMART predictive failure and reallocated sectors
File system corruption vs. bad sectors (near-miss)
Loose/SATA cable or power lead causing intermittent I/O

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Question 4 of 10

4. Question
A small file server shows amber drive LEDs, users report slow shares, and the array utility lists “Degraded”. After a reboot, it briefly said “Boot device not found.” Match the RAID-focused terms to the best definitions to restore redundancy without causing data loss/corruption.
Sort elements
- Green solid/blink indicates normal/active I/O; amber/steady often marks a failed member; amber blink may indicate rebuilding/locate—interpret with the controller’s legend.
- Degraded means the array lost one member but can still serve data (RAID 1/5/6/10 tolerance); failed means redundancy is gone or exceeded (e.g., two disks lost in RAID 5).
- Rebuild repopulates a missing member from parity/mirror; initialize (or “clear”) wipes parity/metadata—running initialize on the wrong set destroys data.
- A hot spare is an idle, pre-qualified drive the controller can auto-assign to a failed slot and start an immediate rebuild, reducing risk window.
- Foreign import reads the prior array metadata on disks after a controller swap or move; used to reassemble arrays without destroying data. Creating a new array overwrites metadata.
- With a good BBU, write-back cache accelerates writes safely; if the BBU is bad or disabled, controllers switch to write-through, causing sudden slowness.
- RAID drive LED/status codes (green/amber/blink patterns)
- Degraded array vs. failed array (near-miss)
- Rebuild vs. initialize (dangerous near-miss)
- Hot spare behavior and automatic rebuild
- Foreign configuration import vs. new array creation
- Write cache/BBU (battery backup unit) impact on performance
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Question 5 of 10

5. Question
In a meeting room, the projector shows “No Signal” or a black screen. When it does show an image, it’s dim and fuzzy. You must restore a clear picture by verifying the input source, checking cabling, ruling out a burnt-out bulb, and dialing in focus/keystone without introducing new problems.

Steps (Shuffled):
1. Inspect and reseat the video cable at both ends (laptop ↔ wall plate ↔ projector), try a known-good cable, and remove adapters/extenders to simplify the path.
2. On the projector OSD and laptop, select the correct input source (e.g., HDMI-1 vs HDMI-2/DP/VGA) and toggle the laptop’s external display mode (Duplicate/Extend).
3. Check the projector lamp/laser status and lamp hours; if the indicator shows end-of-life or the unit won’t brighten past Eco, replace the bulb/module per safety procedures.
4. Set the computer to the projector’s native resolution/refresh (e.g., 1920×1080 @ 60 Hz) and disable overscan; on the projector, reset picture mode to Standard.
5. Use the projector’s manual focus/zoom and keystone controls: focus first at the screen center, then apply only minimal keystone to square the image.
6. Document the fix: label the correct input on the wall plate, note cable replacements, and record lamp hours/next replacement date.
- Set the computer to the projector’s native resolution/refresh (e.g., 1920×1080 @ 60 Hz) and disable overscan; on the projector, reset picture mode to Standard.
- On the projector OSD and laptop, select the correct input source (e.g., HDMI-1 vs HDMI-2/DP/VGA) and toggle the laptop’s external display mode (Duplicate/Extend).
- Check the projector lamp/laser status and lamp hours; if the indicator shows end-of-life or the unit won’t brighten past Eco, replace the bulb/module per safety procedures.
- Inspect and reseat the video cable at both ends (laptop ↔ wall plate ↔ projector), try a known-good cable, and remove adapters/extenders to simplify the path.
- Document the fix: label the correct input on the wall plate, note cable replacements, and record lamp hours/next replacement date.
- Use the projector’s manual focus/zoom and keystone controls: focus first at the screen center, then apply only minimal keystone to square the image.
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Question 6 of 10

6. Question
A designer’s 27″ monitor sometimes shows fuzzy text, occasional ghost images from the UI (burn-in/persistence), and a few suspected dead pixels. At times they also get “No Signal” after switching KVM inputs. Restore sharpness, mitigate persistence, and handle pixel defects per policy.

Steps (Shuffled):
1. Select the correct input on the monitor (e.g., HDMI-1 vs DP) and verify the source (PC/KVM) is active on that port; bypass the KVM to test direct.
2. Reseat/replace the display cable (prefer DP or certified HDMI), avoid passive adapters if possible, and ensure the cable length/spec matches the resolution.
3. Configure native resolution and refresh rate in the OS/GPU panel (e.g., 2560×1440 @ 60/75 Hz) and set 100% (or platform-native) scaling with ClearType/font smoothing calibration.
4. Run the monitor’s pixel-refresh/screen-shift (for OLED/IPS with compensation cycles), enable a moving screensaver, and display a full-screen color wash to reduce image persistence.
5. Use a dead-pixel test (RGB/black/white screens) to locate stuck vs. dead pixels; gently attempt approved “pixel massage” for stuck sub-pixels only (if allowed by vendor).
6. Compare the results to the warranty tolerance; if defects exceed policy or persist after refresh attempts, initiate RMA and document the findings.
- Reseat/replace the display cable (prefer DP or certified HDMI), avoid passive adapters if possible, and ensure the cable length/spec matches the resolution.
- Use a dead-pixel test (RGB/black/white screens) to locate stuck vs. dead pixels; gently attempt approved “pixel massage” for stuck sub-pixels only (if allowed by vendor).
- Run the monitor’s pixel-refresh/screen-shift (for OLED/IPS with compensation cycles), enable a moving screensaver, and display a full-screen color wash to reduce image persistence.
- Configure native resolution and refresh rate in the OS/GPU panel (e.g., 2560×1440 @ 60/75 Hz) and set 100% (or platform-native) scaling with ClearType/font smoothing calibration.
- Select the correct input on the monitor (e.g., HDMI-1 vs DP) and verify the source (PC/KVM) is active on that port; bypass the KVM to test direct.
- Compare the results to the warranty tolerance; if defects exceed policy or persist after refresh attempts, initiate RMA and document the findings.
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Question 7 of 10

7. Question
You’re the first-line tech for a mobile repair bench. Devices arrive with complaints about poor battery life, swollen batteries, and improper charging after third-party cable use or liquid exposure. Classify each scenario so you choose the correct action path without creating additional hazards or data loss.
Sort elements
- Battery exhibits high cycle count and reduced full-charge capacity; phone drains quickly despite normal use. Action: confirm with OS battery health metrics and replace the pack when capacity or peak performance is degraded.
- Lifting display/back cover or spongy feel around mid-frame; device may rock on a flat surface. Immediate power-down, isolate from heat, do not compress or puncture; schedule battery replacement in a fire-safe workflow.
- Device charges slowly/intermittently using off-spec cables/adapters or dirty port; resolves with OEM-rated charger/cable, lint removal, and checking negotiated power profile.
- Moisture detected/visible corrosion in the port; charging disabled by OS or triggers warnings. Procedure: power down, do not charge, dry with time/air (no heat), then inspect/clean or replace the flex/port as needed.
- When the gauge drifts but hardware is OK, a full charge–discharge–recharge cycle can resync the meter; if capacity and peak current remain low after calibration, replace.
- Wireless charging fails but cable charging works (coil/ferrite/connector pad issue) or USB-C data/charge fails while Qi works (port/pin fault). Isolate by cross-testing both paths to identify the failing subsystem before parts ordering.
- Poor battery health (chemistry wear)
- Swollen battery (physical expansion)
- Improper charging (cable/brick/port mismatch)
- Liquid-exposed charging port
- Battery calibration vs. replacement (near-miss)
- MagSafe/Qi coil damage vs. USB-C port fault (near-miss)
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Question 8 of 10

8. Question

Users report poor/no connectivity, a broken screen after a drop, and intermittent shutdowns following liquid damage. Some devices show “No Service,” others have good LTE but no Wi-Fi, and one phone’s display has a spider crack with touch dead zones. Match each situation to the correct definition to choose the right fix path.

Sort elements

Intermittent/no bars, “No SIM” or “Emergency Calls Only”; actions: reseat/clean SIM, test in another device, reset network settings, and check bands/APNs. If persisting, suspect baseband RF/front-end or antenna cable damage.
Device can make calls but can’t scan/join Wi-Fi and BT accessories; indicates combo RF chip, antenna feed, or coax connector fault on the board.
After a drop, picture is visible but touch is dead (digitizer failure) or backlight/image is off/washed out (panel/backlight failure). Replace the appropriate assembly; test external display when possible.
A few fixed dots or lines that don’t change (dead/stuck pixels) vs. ghost UI that fades with motion (image persistence). Pixel defects may fall under warranty thresholds; persistence can be mitigated with screen-refresh routines.
Any suspected liquid event: power off immediately, remove accessories, do not charge; open for inspection, look for corrosion on connectors/boards, clean per policy, and test after drying.
After a liquid warning or tripped liquid contact indicator (LCI), OS blocks charging; do not override. Confirm dryness, inspect port/LCI, and only then reattempt charging with OEM gear; replace port if corrosion persists.

No service / poor cellular connectivity (baseband/SIM path)

Wi-Fi/Bluetooth fails but cellular OK (combo chip/antenna issue)

Broken screen: display vs. digitizer diagnosis
Dead pixels vs. image retention after drop (near-miss)
Liquid damage triage: power-down and corrosion check

Improper charging after liquid: LCI triggered (near-miss to generic charging)

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Question 9 of 10

9. Question
A sales floor complains that Wi-Fi drops during video calls and VoIP sounds choppy in the afternoons. Speed tests vary wildly and jitter spikes at peak times. Your job is to collect facts, reduce interference/load, and tune QoS so calls stay intelligible.

Steps (Shuffled):
1. Enable/verify WMM/802.11e and apply QoS to prioritize VoIP (DSCP EF) on the WLAN and upstream switches; confirm queueing is active end-to-end.
2. Survey the RF: use the controller/app to check channel utilization, co-channel/adjacent interference, and client RSSI/SNR; note peak-time patterns.
3. Reduce contention: separate SSIDs for staff/guests, band-steer capable clients to 5/6 GHz, and set minimum basic rates to discourage sticky 2.4 GHz associations.
4. Rechannel APs to non-overlapping channels and correct transmit power imbalances; disable legacy data rates that bloat airtime.
5. Validate the LAN/WAN path: run iperf and jitter/packet-loss tests wired from the AP’s switch port toward the VoIP server or SBC; check for oversubscription.
6. Firmware/driver updates for APs and client NICs; clear known bugs that affect roaming or power-save behavior; document versions.
- Enable/verify WMM/802.11e and apply QoS to prioritize VoIP (DSCP EF) on the WLAN and upstream switches; confirm queueing is active end-to-end.
- Validate the LAN/WAN path: run iperf and jitter/packet-loss tests wired from the AP’s switch port toward the VoIP server or SBC; check for oversubscription.
- Survey the RF: use the controller/app to check channel utilization, co-channel/adjacent interference, and client RSSI/SNR; note peak-time patterns.
- Rechannel APs to non-overlapping channels and correct transmit power imbalances; disable legacy data rates that bloat airtime.
- Reduce contention: separate SSIDs for staff/guests, band-steer capable clients to 5/6 GHz, and set minimum basic rates to discourage sticky 2.4 GHz associations.
- Firmware/driver updates for APs and client NICs; clear known bugs that affect roaming or power-save behavior; document versions.
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Question 10 of 10

10. Question
Several cubicles report “Limited” network status and brief drops. The switch shows port flapping on those interfaces, and large file copies crawl even when links stay up. Bring the wired network back to stable operation without masking an underlying cabling or duplex fault.

Steps (Shuffled):
1. Check the switch logs for port-up/down events, err-disable reasons, and interface counters (FCS/CRC errors, late collisions); identify affected ports/VLANs.
2. Replace patch cords and reseat ends; test with a certified cable tester from jack to patch panel; repair any failing runs; ensure correct pinout and no kinks.
3. Standardize speed/duplex: set both ends to auto-negotiation (or hard-set both sides if required by an old device) and disable “green ethernet”/EEE if it causes renegotiation.
4. Verify PoE budget and per-port power if phones/APs brown-out; move high-draw devices to sufficient PoE ports or midspans; update LLDP-MED where used.
5. If loops are suspected (multiple wall jacks to one switch), validate STP state and disable unmanaged mini-switches under desks; remove rogue links.
6. After fixes, run throughput and latency tests (iperf/ping), monitor over time, and document changes and remaining error counters for trend analysis.
- Standardize speed/duplex: set both ends to auto-negotiation (or hard-set both sides if required by an old device) and disable “green ethernet”/EEE if it causes renegotiation.
- If loops are suspected (multiple wall jacks to one switch), validate STP state and disable unmanaged mini-switches under desks; remove rogue links.
- After fixes, run throughput and latency tests (iperf/ping), monitor over time, and document changes and remaining error counters for trend analysis.
- Replace patch cords and reseat ends; test with a certified cable tester from jack to patch panel; repair any failing runs; ensure correct pinout and no kinks.
- Check the switch logs for port-up/down events, err-disable reasons, and interface counters (FCS/CRC errors, late collisions); identify affected ports/VLANs.
- Verify PoE budget and per-port power if phones/APs brown-out; move high-draw devices to sufficient PoE ports or midspans; update LLDP-MED where used.
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