A+ Core Exam


Below is a summary of questions that appeared on the A+ Core Exam dated
September 28th 1999 (92% pass). It should be stressed that these are not in
order and are not the exact wording on the exam, but hopefully will give you
an idea of the types of questions that may appear.
I have not placed in any of the answers, as I cannot remember all of the
possibilities, as my brain is now dead.

1) What port do you attach an external modem to?
2) What does a PC Card need to work?
3) What part of a laser printer is most sensitive to light?
4) If a device is using IRQ2 what other IRQ can you not use?
5) Before servicing any computer, what is the first thing that you should
do?
6) You see a DB9 pin connector, what type of port is it?
7) You see a 34-pin IDE connector, what is it?
8) On a flat data cable, a colored stripe represents?
9) After switching on a computer you notice the monitor screen is blank. You
also notice that the monitor light is on. What is your next course of
action?
10) On boot up no beep is present. What may be the problem?
11) A static jolt of as little as ____ volts can fry an IC chip.
12) ESD thrives in what environment?
13) What gets hot in a dot matrix printer?
14) What types of cache does a Pentium Pro CPU have?
15) What type of CPU fits into a Slot 1?
16) How do you disable a PC Card in a laptop?
17) What type of CPU fits into a Socket 7?
18) Give another name for a CRT?
19) The power supply of a computer converts what?
20) Resistance is measured in?
21) The POST routine is stored in?
22) What add on card usually uses a DMA channel?
23) You get the error message "Invalid Media Type". What should you do next?
24) ISA, EISA, PCI, VL Bus. Which is fastest?
25) Describe the writing phase for a laser printer.
26) Type III cards for laptops are used for?
27) A parallel port is what type of connection?
28) What is the best method for grounding?
29) What must you be careful of when replacing the fuser assembly in a laser
printer?
30) You want to check the condition of a fuse. What setting should your
multi-meter be set to?
31) What is the standard size for a sector?
32) What does DRAM need to do?
33) What tool should you use when handling a motherboard?
34) What is the hang up command for a modem?
35) What is the reset command for a modem?
36) How do you dial a certain number such as 134 6872?
37) What is most likely wrong when after changing floppy disks it still
shows the same folders?
38) What deflects the ink on an inkjet printer?

Apart from the above questions there were others that covered the following
areas, but I cannot remember the exact wording.

39) Definition on Firmware.
40) 2 questions regarding measuring a good fuse.
41) 2 questions about UPS and battery back ups.
42) 3 questions regarding IRQ's and 2 regarding I/O addresses.
43) Given a list of supplies and components and asked to know which is
recyclable.
44) 1 question talking about a thermal fuse.
45) 1 question regarding Full Duplex.
46) 3 BAD diagram questions.
47) Know your ATAPI specifications.
48) Given a list of numbers and asked to choose a valid SCISI id number.
49) You have a non-PNP NIC. What do the jumpers on the card configure?
50) 1 question talking about Handshaking and RTS.
51) LAN, WAN, NAN, MAN. Which is not a network?
52) A computer stops working after 5 mins. Given a list of possible reasons.
Asked to choose one.
53)  1 question regarding Hex Trace? in printers.


I hope that all the above will give you an understanding on what may appear
on the Core Exam.

Good Luck.
Iain Williams