CompTIA A+ Core 1 — Practice Exam
5.0 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting: practice questions
Our CompTIA A+ Core 1 bank has 75 questions on this topic. Here are 5 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.
Question 1
A laser printer prints faint, faded pages. What is the most likely cause?
- A full print queue
- Low toner
- Wrong paper size
- A bad fuser
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B. Low toner — Replace the toner cartridge.
Question 2
What do S.M.A.R.T. errors indicate?
- The drive's self-monitoring has detected signs of failure
- The drive is encrypted and requires a password before Windows can boot
- The drive is full
- The OS needs updating
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A. The drive's self-monitoring has detected signs of failure — Plan to replace the drive.
Question 3
Which tool tests whether a power supply outputs correct voltages?
- A toner probe
- A loopback plug connected to the PSU's 24-pin output
- A crimper
- A power supply tester or multimeter
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D. A power supply tester or multimeter — Check the 3.3 V, 5 V and 12 V rails.
Question 4
A computer displays 'Operating system not found' at boot. What should you check first?
- The Wi-Fi password
- The printer driver
- The boot order and whether the boot drive is detected in UEFI/BIOS
- The monitor cable
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C. The boot order and whether the boot drive is detected in UEFI/BIOS — A USB stick left in can also cause this.
Question 5
A phone was dropped in water. What should you do first?
- Keep using it
- Power it off immediately and dry it; don't charge it
- Charge it to test it
- Use a hair dryer on high heat, then plug it in to check that it still charges
Show the answer
B. Power it off immediately and dry it; don't charge it — Liquid damage can cause shorts.