Try 12 free CompTIA A+ Core 1 practice questions
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Question 1. A technician picks up a laptop for service and notices the bottom cover is slightly bowed outward along one edge. When the technician opens the chassis, the battery is visibly swollen and pressing against the cover. Which is the correct FIRST action?
- A. Discharge the battery fully by running the laptop on battery power before removing it.
- B. Power off the device, isolate it from combustibles, and replace the battery before any other repair proceeds.
- C. Recharge the battery to 100% to recondition the cells, then replace it at the next scheduled service window.
- D. Leave the battery in place and proceed with the originally requested repair, noting the swelling in the service log.
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Answer: B. A swollen lithium battery is an active safety event. Gas buildup inside the cell indicates a failing or overcharged battery with rupture potential. Power the device off (if running), stop charging it, isolate the device from flammable materials, and replace the battery before returning the device to service. No other repair work should proceed while a swollen battery is installed.
- A: Fully discharging a swollen lithium cell prolongs the time the cell is under stress and increases the risk of thermal runaway. This is not a safe reconditioning method for a failing battery.
Question 2. A graphic designer asks IT for an input device that provides sub-millimeter precision and pressure sensitivity for illustration work on her laptop. Which accessory combination BEST meets this requirement?
- A. Trackpad with multi-touch gestures enabled
- B. Track point embedded in the laptop keyboard
- C. Active stylus paired with a compatible drawing pad
- D. Passive stylus used on the laptop's built-in touchscreen
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Answer: C. An active stylus contains electronics, a digitizer coil or Bluetooth chip, that communicates with a dedicated digitizer surface in the drawing pad. This combination provides pressure sensitivity, tilt recognition, and sub-millimeter accuracy required for professional illustration. A passive stylus only mimics a finger tap and offers low precision without pressure sensitivity. A drawing pad with an active stylus is the purpose-built solution for fine illustration work.
- A: A trackpad, even with multi-touch, does not support pen-pressure input or the level of precision required for illustration. It is a cursor-navigation device, not a drawing input device.
Question 3. A developer connects a new USB-C cable from their laptop to a 4K external monitor. The monitor shows no signal. The developer tries a second USB-C cable with the same result. The monitor works correctly when connected to a colleague's laptop via the same cable. Which is the MOST likely explanation?
- A. The monitor requires a Thunderbolt-rated cable, and both cables are USB 2.0 speed-rated.
- B. The developer's USB-C port does not support DisplayPort Alternate Mode, so it cannot carry video regardless of cable or monitor capability.
- C. The monitor's resolution exceeds what USB-C can carry; HDMI or DisplayPort must be used instead.
- D. USB-C video output requires a driver update on the laptop before it will activate the port's video capability.
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Answer: B. USB-C is a connector shape, not a uniform capability standard. A USB-C port may implement any combination of USB data, Power Delivery, DisplayPort Alternate Mode, and Thunderbolt, or none of the optional features. If the developer's specific USB-C port was not implemented with DisplayPort Alt Mode, the port will never output video regardless of cable quality, monitor capability, or driver state. The colleague's laptop working confirms the cable and monitor are functional; the fault is the developer's port's feature set.
- A: A Thunderbolt-rated cable is not required for DisplayPort Alt Mode video output; a standard USB-C cable that supports the required bandwidth is sufficient. The colleague's success with the same cable rules out a cable-specification problem.
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