Worth 25% of the CompTIA A+ (Core 1) (220-1201) exam. CertClue has 113 questions on this objective.
Memory questions test generation compatibility, whether modules must be installed in matched pairs, and when ECC is required. DDR generations are physically keyed differently and are never interchangeable.
Exam tip. If a system boots but performs far below expectation after a RAM upgrade, suspect single-channel operation caused by populating the wrong slots or mixing module sizes.
Beyond hardware, Core 1 covers installing and configuring printers: connection methods, driver types, and the settings that change what lands on the page.
Exam tip. Garbled print is a driver problem, never a toner or hardware problem. Reinstalling the correct driver is the expected answer.
Printer hardware is heavily tested, and the laser imaging sequence is asked in order. Know which technology suits which workload and what consumable each type uses.
Exam tip. The seven laser steps are asked in sequence. Learn the order with a mnemonic; questions frequently ask which step comes immediately before or after a named one.
You need to match a storage device to a requirement based on speed, capacity per pound, durability and physical interface. The key modern distinction is SATA versus NVMe, which is an interface difference, not a media difference.
Exam tip. Do not treat M.2 as automatically fast. A question can describe an M.2 SSD performing like SATA, and the correct explanation is that the slot or drive is SATA-keyed, not NVMe.
RAID questions give a requirement - speed, redundancy, capacity efficiency - and expect the matching level, plus how many drives it needs and how many failures it survives. RAID is not backup.
Exam tip. Minimum drive counts are asked directly and often. If a scenario stresses that data must survive while a failed disk is being replaced in a large array, RAID 6 is the intended answer.
Board questions cover physical size, expansion slots and what each connector does. Form factor determines what fits in a case; PCIe lane count determines what a slot can do.
Exam tip. An inaccurate system date and time after every power-off is a classic exam symptom with exactly one answer: replace the CMOS battery.
Processor questions focus on the difference between cores and threads, x64 versus ARM, and what happens thermally when cooling is wrong. Sockets are not interchangeable between manufacturers or generations.
Exam tip. Performance that degrades the longer a system runs is the signature of a thermal problem. Cleaning dust, reseating the heatsink and reapplying thermal paste are the standard fixes.
Objective 3.5 asks you to install the appropriate power supply. Get the wattage, the rail voltages, the connector types and the difference between a surge suppressor and a UPS.
Exam tip. If a scenario requires the system to keep running or shut down gracefully during an outage, only a UPS qualifies. A surge suppressor never provides runtime.
Display connection questions test which standard carries audio, which are digital, and which legacy connectors are analogue only. Adapters between analogue and digital are not simple passive cables.
Exam tip. If a question says the picture works but there is no sound over the display cable, the cable is VGA or DVI. The fix is a separate audio connection or a move to HDMI or DisplayPort.
Know what each card type adds and how much bandwidth it needs. Graphics cards demand a x16 slot and supplementary power; most other cards are content with a single lane.
Exam tip. A new graphics card that produces no display, or a system that will not boot after installing one, is usually missing its supplementary PCIe power connector.
Cooling questions are about moving heat out of the case, not just about fans. Positive and negative pressure, fan direction and cable management all appear in scenario questions.
Exam tip. Overheating in a machine that used to run cool is usually dust or a failed fan, not an undersized cooler. Check airflow obstruction before recommending new hardware.
Free, with the answer and the reasoning. No account needed.
1. A technician is wiring a new office and needs network cabling rated for at least 10 Gbps over short distances. Which cable category meets this requirement?
Cat 6a supports 10 Gbps over the full 100-meter distance, making it suitable for modern high-speed wired networks. Cat 5 tops out around 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps depending on conditions, Cat 3 is an older, much slower standard, and RG-6 coax is used for video/cable service, not typical structured Ethernet runs.
2. A desktop PC powers on, fans spin, but there is no display output and the system emits a series of beeps from the motherboard speaker. What is the most likely purpose of those beeps?
Beep codes during startup are generated by POST to signal a detected hardware problem, such as missing or failed RAM or a graphics card issue, before the OS ever loads. Windows updates and successful boots don't typically produce diagnostic beep codes, and a wireless keyboard's low battery wouldn't trigger motherboard POST beeps.
3. A user connects a laptop to an external monitor using a VGA cable and reports that the picture is fine but no sound comes from the monitor's speakers. What explains this?
VGA is an analogue video-only standard with no audio channel, so a separate audio connection is required. HDMI and DisplayPort carry both video and audio in one cable. Firmware, drivers and cable length would affect the picture rather than selectively removing sound.
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