220-1202 CompTIA A+ Core 2 (2026 Exam Update) Free Practice Exam Questions (2026 Updated)

A “utility failure” means the building’s AC power source has dropped out (blackout) or sagged severely, causing the workstation to lose power instantly and shut down. The best way to prevent an immediate shutdown during these events is an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), which contains a battery and can continue supplying AC power long enough to keep the PC running briefly and allow a graceful shutdown. Mike Meyers’ Lab Manual states that a UPS “continues to supply AC power…during both brownouts and blackouts via a battery,” preventing the computer from instantly losing power when the utility fails. Quentin Docter likewise explains that UPS devices protect against “power sags and even power outages,” using stored battery energy so the administrator (or OS integration) can safely shut down rather than crash off.

A surge suppressor protects from spikes, not outages. A redundant PSU only helps if the PSU fails, and Docter notes it cannot keep a system running during a power outage. A line voltage regulator helps stabilize voltage but doesn’t provide power when utility power is absent.

The correct answer is A. Browser notifications . The clue is that the browser process appears in Task Manager when the ads appear, but the anti-malware scan finds nothing. This points to allowed browser push notifications rather than an installed malware infection. Quentin Docter’s Complete Study Guide explains that browser push notifications can be abused when a user is tricked into allowing notifications from a malicious site. The site can then push notifications to the operating system that look like system messages or advertisements. The guide also recommends periodically reviewing which sites are allowed to send notifications. A browser hijacker usually changes browser behavior such as search engines, home pages, or redirections. Browser cache stores website files but does not normally generate persistent malicious notifications. A remote access Trojan would involve unauthorized remote control, not simply browser-generated ad notifications with no malware scan result.

Once the system is cleaned, the next priority is toeducate the useron safe practices to prevent recurrence.

FromQuentin Docter – CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide:

“Post-malware remediation should include user education to prevent reinfection and identify how the malware was introduced.”

This scenario is phishing delivered through a QR code (scan an image to reach a portal), which is best described as quishing . Quentin Docter defines phishing as a social engineering method where the attacker makes a message look legitimate and convinces the user to click a link to “correct” an account problem; after the click, the victim is taken to a site controlled by the attacker and asked for credentials. A QR code in a message is simply an alternate way to deliver that same malicious “link” without showing the URL clearly.

The Mike Meyers Lab Manual distinguishes related social engineering types: vishing is done by phone calls, and whaling targets high-level executives. Smishing is phishing delivered via SMS text messages, but the prompt specifically centers on scanning an image (QR-style workflow), not a text-message attack vector.

Docter also notes QR codes are commonly used in authentication workflows (for example, adding accounts to authenticator apps), which is why attackers mimic this behavior to make the scam seem normal. Therefore, QR-based phishing is best labeled quishing .

The correct answer is C. SSH (Secure Shell), because SSH is the standard method for secure, command-line-based remote management of network devices, including switches, routers, and firewalls. Network switches typically do not provide graphical interfaces, and administrators interact with them using a command-line interface (CLI).

According to the Quentin Docter – CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide, SSH is widely used to securely access and manage network infrastructure devices. It encrypts all communication between the technician’s system and the remote device, protecting credentials and command output from interception.

The Travis Everett & Andrew Hutz – CompTIA A+ All-in-One Exam Guide explains that SSH allows administrators to execute commands remotely and capture text-based output, which can easily be copied and shared for documentation or escalation. This makes it ideal for fulfilling requests that involve running commands and returning results.

The Mike Meyers / Mark Soper Lab Manual clarifies that RDP and VNC are graphical desktop-sharing tools typically used for managing workstations or servers, not network switches. WinRM is used for Windows system management, not network hardware.

Because the task involves secure CLI access to a network switch, SSH is the correct and expected tool, making C the correct answer.

The correct answer is B. Restarting the print spooler from services, because the problem is isolated to one user and the print job is stuck or failed in the local print queue. This strongly indicates a print spooler service issue on the user’s workstation.

According to the Quentin Docter – CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide, the print spooler manages print jobs sent from applications to printers. If the spooler service hangs or becomes unstable, print jobs may fail even though network connectivity and the printer itself are functioning correctly.

The Travis Everett & Andrew Hutz – All-in-One Exam Guide explains that restarting the print spooler is a standard troubleshooting step when jobs remain in a failed or paused state. This clears the queue and reloads the service without requiring a full system reboot.

The Mike Meyers / Mark Soper Lab Manual reinforces that reinstalling printers should be done only after service-level troubleshooting has failed. Printing from another computer is unnecessary because other users are already printing successfully, confirming the printer and network are operational.

Because the failure is local to the user and visible in the queue, restarting the print spooler service is the most logical and efficient next step, making B the correct answer.

Keychainis the built-in macOS utility that manages and stores credentials, including passwords and certificates.

According toQuentin Docter – CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide:

“Keychain Access in macOS is used for managing and storing passwords securely, similar to credential managers in Windows.”

The symptoms point to malicious or rogue content: frequent “security warning” pop-ups that push “tools” is a classic sign of scam/rogue apps, and the new fast battery drain suggests an unwanted process running in the background. The CompTIA objectives explicitly list mobile security symptoms such as “high number of ads,” “fake security warnings,” and “unexpected application behavior,” which aligns with this scenario. On the browser side, Quentin Docter notes that if you continually receive pop-ups or overlays, “you may be infected with malware,” and recommends scanning with antivirus/antimalware software. He also explains that clearing browsing data/cache is sometimes necessary to resolve browser-related problems and details how to clear cache/browsing data.

Because the user tapped the pop-up and then battery life worsened, the best practical fix is to remove the likely malicious application(s) (uninstall unknown apps) and clear browser cache to eliminate stored site data/scripts fueling the pop-ups. A factory reset is a stronger last resort, but least disruptive remediation is A.

That browser warning with an “Advanced Options” bypass is a classic indicator of a certificate trust problem (expired, self-signed, wrong hostname, or untrusted CA). Quentin Docter explains that when “an untrusted SSL certificate is encountered, the web browser will alert you that the SSL certificate is not valid,” and the address bar may show “Not secure” even if you click through. Since this is an internal application, the correct fix is to ensure the site presents a valid certificate chain trusted by clients—i.e., install a proper SSL/TLS certificate (and ensure it matches the hostname). Docter also describes HTTPS (HTTP over SSL) and notes it uses PKI certificates to validate and encrypt communication.

Mike Meyers’ material reinforces that browsers rely on trusted root CAs and warns users when certificates are “expired” or not trusted. The All-in-One guide similarly states that public keys are delivered as digital certificates signed by a trusted CA, and certificate warnings often mean the site is misconfigured or potentially compromised.

Therefore, the technician should install a proper SSL/TLS certificate for the site (B).

BitLocker To Go is a Microsoft encryption feature specifically designed for removable drives such as USB flash drives and external hard drives. It allows users to protect the data on these devices by requiring a password to decrypt the contents, thereby preventing unauthorized access in the event the device is lost or stolen.

A is correct because BitLocker To Go is directly tied to password-protecting removable media.

B and C are unrelated to BitLocker To Go; Secure Boot and VPN encryption are entirely different security layers.

D applies to BitLocker (not BitLocker To Go) and full disk encryption on internal drives using TPM.

Event Viewer is the best tool to analyze the root cause of service failures in Windows. It provides detailed logs from system processes, including errors, warnings, and crash reports related to services and applications. When a service starts and stops unexpectedly, Event Viewer will often record the cause, such as dependency failures or access violations.

B. Task Manager shows active processes but doesn ' t retain logs or causes of failure.

C. Internet Options is used for configuring browser settings, not troubleshooting services.

D. Process Explorer is powerful but more suited for live monitoring and detailed process trees, not post-failure log analysis.

When an iOS device approaches full storage capacity, performance can be significantly impacted. iOS requires a buffer of free space to perform background processes efficiently.

From theAll-in-One Exam Guide:

“iOS devices need several gigabytes of free space to maintain optimal performance. Near-full storage can cause sluggish operation and failures in updates or background tasks.”

With integrated graphics, “VRAM” is often not dedicated memory on a discrete card—graphics may instead borrow system RAM. Quentin Docter explains this directly: if the video card is built into the motherboard, it “likely won’t have its own memory but will share system memory,” meaning the total system RAM is split between the OS and video usage. Docter then answers the key “where do I change this?” question: “Shared memory is configured in the system BIOS/UEFI,” and some BIOS/UEFI setups allow you to set aside a specific amount (example given: 512 MB) for video memory.

That is exactly why the machine can have plenty of DRAM yet fail a VRAM check: the BIOS/UEFI allocation for integrated graphics may be set too low. Adjusting BIOS/UEFI settings to reserve more memory for the integrated GPU is the most direct way to attempt meeting a VRAM requirement (when supported). Device Manager and System Configuration won’t change reserved video memory allocation, and “Virtual RAM” (paging) is unrelated to VRAM. Therefore, BIOS options is correct.