CompTIA A+ Core 2 Practice Test A

One of your technicians is on a service call and is dealing with a furious customer who has been shouting loudly. The technician tries but cannot calm down the customer. Which of the following statements best describes the next step the technician should take?

• He should let the customer continue to shout; sooner or later the customer will get tired and calm down

• He should call the supervisor and complain

• He should leave the customer site and document the incident

• He should shout back at the customer in an attempt to regain control of the situation

Answer explanation

Explanation:

The technician should leave the customer site and document the incident. In rare cases, there is no way to calm down the customer, and you might have to leave the site if there is no other alternative.

Incorrect Answers: If the customer has been shouting for a while and the technician cannot calm down the customer, it’s pointless to stay and wait. You don’t want to call your supervisor and complain about the situation while you’re at the customer’s location; that would probably infuriate the customer further. Wait until you have left the customer’s premises. Never shout back at the customer; this is not a battle for power, and you should never take a customer’s anger personally. Be sure to document the incident in depth after leaving the customer’s location. Definitely let your supervisor know what has happened – without complaining.

Which type of software helps protect against viruses that are attached to email?

• Firewall software

• Antivirus software

• Edge

• Hardware firewall

Answer explanation

Explanation:

Antivirus software (from vendors such as McAfee or Norton) updates automatically to protect you against the latest viruses, whether they are attached to emails or are lying in wait on removable media. You might also choose to use the built-in Microsoft Defender or Windows Security on newer versions of Windows.

Incorrect Answers: Firewalls protect against intrusion but not viruses. They could be hardware based, such as the ones found in most SOHO multifunction network devices, or software based, such as Windows Defender Firewall. Edge and Chrome (as well as other web browsers) can be configured to make your system more secure (especially when dealing with web-based emails), but that is not the best answer listed.

You create an answer file to aid in installing Windows. Which type of installation are you performing?

• Drive image installation

• USB installation

• Multiboot installation

• Unattended installation

Answer explanation

Explanation:

An unattended installation of Windows requires an answer file. This file is normally named unattend.xml. Unattended installations can be done locally or as part of a network installation, using Windows Deployment Services (WDS) in Windows Server.

Incorrect Answers: Drive image installations use third-party programs such as Ghost or work with a System Restore image created within Windows. Local installation from USB is possible if you copy the Windows .iso file to the USB flash drive (if the drive is big enough) and obtain the USB/DVD download tool from the Microsoft website. A multiboot installation means that more than one operating system is being installed to the same drive. One or both of these could possibly be unattended installations. Remember that with multiboot installations, each OS should inhabit its own primary partition.

You need to locate a mobile device that was stolen. Which technology can aid in this?

• GPS

• Screen orientation

• Passcode lock

• Gmail

Answer explanation

Explanation:

The Global Positioning System (GPS) technology (or location services) can be instrumental in locating lost or stolen mobile devices. Many devices have GPS technology installed; others rely on geotracking or Wi-Fi hotspot location techniques. (You are being watched!)

Incorrect Answers: Screen orientation is the direction of screen display – vertical or horizontal (or upside down) – which typically depends on how you hold the device. It can be calibrated on Android devices with the G-Sensor calibration tool. A passcode lock is a set of numbers that must be entered to open a mobile device or take it out of sleep mode. Gmail is Google’s web-based email service and is incorporated into the Android operating system.

When a person takes control of a session between a server and a client, it is known as which type of attack?

• DDoS

• Brute force

• Session hijacking

• Malicious software

Answer explanation

Explanation:

Session hijacking occurs when an unwanted mediator takes control of the session between a client and a server (for example, an FTP or HTTP session). An example of this would be an on-path attack – also known as a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack.

Incorrect Answers: DDoS stands for distributed denial-of-service attack, an attack perpetuated by hundreds or thousands of computers in an effort to take down a single server; the computers involved in this type of attack, individually known as zombies, are often unknowingly part of a botnet. A brute-force attack is an attempt to crack an encryption code or password. Malicious software is any compromising code or software that can damage a computer’s files; examples include viruses, spyware, worms, rootkits, ransomware, and Trojans.

Which of the following settings must be established when you want to make a secure wireless connection? (Choose Two.)

• The brand of access point

• The wireless standard used

• The encryption standard used

• The SSID of the access point

Answer explanation

Explanation:

To make a secure connection, you need to know the service set identifier (SSID) of the AP and the encryption being used (for example, WPA2 or WPA3). The SSID takes care of the “connection” portion, and the encryption takes care of the “secure” portion. After all computers are connected, consider disabling the SSID for increased security.

Incorrect Answers: Knowing the wireless standard being used can help you verify whether your computer is compatible (802.11ax, ac, n, or g), but the brand of access point isn’t really helpful.

Which log file contains information about Windows setup errors?

• setupact.log

• setuperr.log

• unattend.xml

• diskmgmt.msc

Answer explanation

Explanation:

setuperr.log contains information about setup errors during the installation of Windows. Start with this log file when troubleshooting. A file size of 0 bytes indicates no errors during installation.

Incorrect Answers: setupact.log contains the events that occurred during the installation. unattend.xml is the answer file used by Windows during unattended installations. diskmgmt.msc is a command that can be run from the Run prompt or the command line to open the Disk Management utility.

You are working on a very old printer, and it begins to smoke. Which of the following statements best describes the first step you should take?

• Turn off the printer

• Call 911

• Unplug the printer

• Call maintenance

• Tell the printer it is bad to smoke

Answer explanation

Explanation:

Turning off the printer might not be enough. It might be seriously malfunctioning, and you need to pull the plug. Depending on your organization’s policy, you might need to call the facilities department or a building supervisor and document the situation.

Incorrect Answers: Dialing 911 is not necessary unless a fire has started. Wait at least 15 minutes before opening the printer to see what caused the smoke. Printer power supplies can fail just like PC power supplies can. In fact, a laser printer power supply does more work because it needs to convert for high voltages in the 600 V range. If you have a maintenance contract with a printer company, and the printer is under warranty or contained in the service contract, you could call the maintenance company to fix the problem. Be ready to give a detailed account of exactly what happened. You could tell the printer that it is bad to smoke, but that would be belligerent and would probably show that you have been working too hard. All kidding aside, be ready to disconnect power at a moment’s notice.

You want to perform a network installation of Windows. Which of the following must be supported by the client computer?

• PCIe

• PXE

• BitLocker

• Multiboot

Answer explanation

Explanation:

To perform a network installation, a network adapter in the target computer must be PXE compliant. Also, there must be some type of server acting as a repository for the Windows installation files.

Incorrect Answers: PCIe is an expansion bus. The network adapter makes use of this expansion bus if it is an actual network interface card (NIC) or if it is embedded in the motherboard. BitLocker is a full drive encryption feature included with select editions of Windows. Multiboot technology means that the computer can boot to two or more operating systems.

Which of the following statements best describes how to apply spray cleaner to a monitor?

• Spray the cleaner directly on the monitor screen

• Spray the cleaner on the top of the monitor and wipe it down

• Spray the cleaner evenly on the monitor

• Spray the cleaner on a clean, lint-free cloth first

Answer explanation

Explanation:

Spray cleaner on a lint-free cloth first and then wipe the display gently. A lot of companies sell products that are half isopropyl alcohol and half water. You could also make this cleaner yourself. Again, remember to put the solution on a lint-free cloth first.

Incorrect Answers: Never spray any cleaner directly on a display. Try not to get any liquid in the cracks at the edge of the screen because it could get behind the display and possibly cause damage to circuitry (especially over time).