This is the free Comptia 220-1201 practice question bank —
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Question 1
Which of the following describes a virtualization concept that improves resource utilization by allowing multiple operating systems to run on a single physical server?
A. Containerization
B. Virtual machine
C. Hypervisor
D. Microservices architecture
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The virtualization concept that enables multiple operating systems to run on a single physical server is the hypervisor. A virtual machine is the individual guest instance created and managed by the hypervisor. While VMs are what run the operating systems, the enabling virtualization technology that improves resource utilization is the hypervisor.
Sources:
https://www.coursera.org/articles/what-is-hypervisor
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-r2-and-2012/jj134174(v=ws.11)
Question 2
A company network is spread across multiple office branches that are located within the same postal code and connected using leased lines. Which of the following best describes this network type?
A. Campus area network
B. Metropolitan area network
C. Local area network
D. Wide area network
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: A metropolitan area network (MAN) connects multiple LANs across a city or localized metropolitan area, often using leased lines or carrier-provided fiber. Multiple office branches within the same postal code connected by leased lines fit a MAN better than a single-site LAN, a campus network (typically one organization's contiguous campus), or a WAN (much larger geographic scope).
Question 3
Faded images from previous jobs appear on each page of output from an office printer. Which of the following should a technician do first to resolve this issue?
A. Reload the paper tray.
B. Adjust the fuser temperature.
C. Inspect the transfer roller.
D. Clean the corona wire.
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Faded images from previous jobs are characteristic of ghosting or residual toner transfer issues. Among the options, inspecting the transfer roller is the appropriate first troubleshooting step because a faulty or contaminated transfer roller can fail to properly transfer or clear toner, leading to faint residual images. Reloading paper is unrelated, adjusting fuser temperature is not the first step and more often relates to toner adhesion, and cleaning the corona wire is associated with charging issues that typically cause streaks or light prints rather than repeated previous images.
Question 4
A user’s smartphone frequently disconnects from Wi-Fi networks, particularly in crowded areas like airports and coffee shops. The user also notices that their device shows a lower Wi-Fi signal strength compared to other devices in the same location.
Which of the following is likely contributing to the smartphone’s Wi-Fi connectivity issues?
A. The smartphone’s antenna may be malfunctioning.
B. The smartphone may have an outdated Wi-Fi standard.
C. The smartphone may be experiencing interference from nearby devices.
D. The smartphone’s power settings may be affecting performance.
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: A consistently lower reported Wi-Fi signal strength than other devices at the same location points to a device-specific RF reception problem. Frequent disconnects in crowded environments can be worsened by congestion, but congestion alone would not usually cause only this phone to show significantly weaker signal than nearby devices. A malfunctioning Wi-Fi antenna or antenna connection best explains both the reduced signal strength and unstable connectivity.
Question 5
Which of the following options offers the best connectivity performance with limited necessary accessories?
A. Hotspot
B. Lightning cable
C. NFC
D. Bluetooth
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: A mobile hotspot provides broad network connectivity for multiple devices without requiring special paired accessories beyond a hotspot-capable device. Lightning is only a cable/connector for certain Apple devices, NFC is very short-range and limited, and Bluetooth is short-range with lower networking capability.
Question 6
A user’s workstation occasionally turns off and smells burnt. The workstation is located in a manufacturing area where users are required to wear respirators.
Which of the following will most likely repair the workstation?
A. Inspecting and repairing the swollen motherboard capacitors
B. Replacing the intake air filter
C. Resetting the BIOS configuration to default
D. Switching the power outlets
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: A burnt smell and occasional shutdowns in a manufacturing area where respirators are required strongly suggest heavy airborne dust or particulates restricting airflow. A clogged intake air filter can cause overheating and burnt odors, and replacing it is the most likely repair. BIOS settings or power outlets would not cause a burnt smell, and swollen motherboard capacitors are less specifically indicated by the environmental clue.
Question 7
A user reports that the Wi-Fi signal is intermittent in an open office area. Other users are not experiencing this issue. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
A. There are other Wi-Fi signals that could be causing interference.
B. All wireless devices are on the same frequency.
C. The laptop's wireless card is malfunctioning.
D. The antenna was installed near a device that generates electromagnetic interference.
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Because only one user is experiencing intermittent Wi-Fi while other users in the same open office area are not, the problem is most likely isolated to that user's device. Environmental interference or frequency issues would typically affect multiple users in the area. A malfunctioning wireless card best fits the symptoms.
Question 8
An IT specialist is setting up a new shared network printer. The printer will receive a pre-allocated IP address via DHCP. Attempting to connect to the printer's web interface produces a Page not found message. The specialist runs diagnostics and finds that the IP is different than expected. Which of the following should the specialist check next?
A. The MAC address used in the reservation
B. The printer driver on the print server
C. The subnet mask that the printer is using
D. The default gateway in the address pool
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: A DHCP reservation assigns an IP address based on the client's MAC address. If the printer received a different IP than the pre-allocated reservation, the most likely issue is that the reservation was created with the wrong MAC address or the printer is using a different interface/MAC. Printer drivers, the subnet mask, and the default gateway would not cause DHCP to assign an unexpected IP address.
Question 9
An administrator selects a new platform that provides the following benefits:
• Shares a host OS
• Shares kernel resources
• Rapid start and deployment
• Limited isolation
Which of the following virtualization options did the administrator select?
A. Type 1 hypervisor
B. Containers
C. Virtual desktop
D. Virtual machine
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Containers share the host operating system and kernel, start and deploy rapidly, and provide process-level isolation that is more limited than full virtual machines. Type 1 hypervisors and virtual machines have separate guest operating systems with stronger isolation, while virtual desktop is an end-user computing model rather than this virtualization technology.
Question 10
Users in a 200-person call center report that phone calls experience severe performance degradation on busy days. The technician confirms:
• Upload and download speeds are 50Mbps during a speed test.
• VoIP call prioritization settings are properly configured for the VLAN that the call center uses.
Which of the following is most likely the cause of this issue?
A. The QoS is not configured correctly on the router.
B. The switchports dedicated to the call center are flapping.
C. The call center’s VLAN is not configured to allow voice traffic.
D. The bandwidth dedicated to the call center is insufficient.
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D
Explanation: A speed test showing 50 Mbps up/down does not mean that capacity is adequate for a 200-person call center during peak usage. VoIP prioritization is already confirmed to be configured for the call center VLAN, making QoS misconfiguration and VLAN voice configuration less likely. Switchport flapping would typically cause intermittent link failures rather than consistent degradation on busy days. The most likely cause is that the available bandwidth is insufficient for the volume of simultaneous voice and other traffic during peak periods.
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