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CompTIA A+Free Entry Level Computer Technician practice test
10 real CompTIA A+ practice questions with instant answers and explanations — no account, no credit card, no email. Score yourself, then unlock the full bank of 1,099questions whenever you’re ready. The CompTIA A+ passing score is Core 1: 675/900 · Core 2: 700/900.
An automotive startup is engineering a self-driving car platform that depends on 5G to operate reliably and respond instantly to road conditions. Which 5G service category is the BEST match for this scenario?
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All 10 CompTIA A+ questions & answers
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Q1. An automotive startup is engineering a self-driving car platform that depends on 5G to operate reliably and respond instantly to road conditions. Which 5G service category is the BEST match for this scenario?
Correct answer: A. URLLC
Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC) targets time-sensitive workloads where delays cannot be tolerated, such as remote surgery and self-driving vehicles. It uses prioritized scheduling along with short, overlapping transmissions to keep latency minimal. eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broadband) is geared toward high-throughput consumer use like streaming and mobile phone traffic. mMTC (massive Machine-Type Communications) supports very large numbers of low-power IoT sensors rather than latency-critical control loops. LTE is the predominant 4G standard, defining its radio interface and throughput improvements over 3G, but it is not a 5G classification.
Q2. A firm wants to onboard staff phones onto the corporate network so it can apply policies and tighten security. What kind of platform should it adopt to oversee these handsets?
Correct answer: A. MDM
Mobile Device Management (MDM) platforms inventory user-owned and corporate handsets, push security policies, and provide remote actions such as locking, unlocking, encrypting, tracking, or wiping the device. Enterprise Management System (EMS) is a generic umbrella term for business-management software and is not specifically about handheld devices. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) hardens sign-ins by requiring a second factor; it does not configure or control devices. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnels traffic securely back to a corporate network but offers no policy or fleet-management capability.
Q3. An enterprise needs to make sure that mail traffic flowing to and from its employees' phones is encrypted in transit. Which technology delivers that encryption for mobile email?
Correct answer: A. SSL
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) wraps the link between a mail client and the mail server in encryption, protecting credentials and message bodies. It is layered on top of SMTP, IMAP, and POP, each of which uses a separate encrypted port number distinct from its plaintext counterpart. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) only strengthens the sign-in step. Mobile Device Management (MDM) administers handsets remotely but does not itself encrypt email. A Service Set IDentifier (SSID) is just the broadcast name of a wireless network.
Q4. An organization needs a way to administer and protect the smartphones its workforce carries. Which solution would let them push security configurations, tweak device options, and erase a handset remotely if it is lost?
Correct answer: B. MDM
Mobile Device Management (MDM) is purpose-built for fleet administration: it pushes security baselines, adjusts device settings centrally, and can issue a remote wipe if a phone is misplaced or stolen. An embedded SIM (eSIM) is a programmable digital SIM soldered into the device that lets it join a carrier without a physical card. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is a workplace policy permitting personal hardware to be used for work tasks, not a management tool. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite constellation that delivers location fixes to receivers.
Q5. Notebooks ship with a number of built-in components that you do not normally find inside a desktop tower. Each of the following is part of the typical laptop's built-in hardware EXCEPT which item?
Correct answer: A. Mouse
Laptops do not normally arrive with a mouse in the box. If a user prefers one, an external mouse (and often an external keyboard) has to be purchased on its own. Every current notebook ships with at least an LCD panel; higher-end models use LED-backlit panels for better battery efficiency. Laptops also come with multiple USB ports, usually three or more.
Q6. A traveling consultant uses a tablet for handwritten notes, presenting on an external monitor, and moving the occasional file. They want one cable at their desk that handles power, video, and data. Which connector would BEST fit that workflow?
Correct answer: B. USB-C
USB-C is a single port that can deliver power, push video out (DisplayPort or HDMI through adapters), and move data at high rates. That makes it the natural pick for docks and multipurpose accessories on a compatible tablet. microUSB carries data and charging current but cannot drive an external display. Lightning handles charge and data on Apple gear, yet has limited cross-vendor support and no native video output. Bluetooth is wireless and fine for input peripherals, but it does not move video and is too slow for bulk file transfer.
Q7. A cellular technician is digging into reports of SIM cloning and rogue device sign-ins. To pin down which SIM and which physical handset are involved, the tech is collecting a few identifiers. Which pairing correctly lines up a SIM-side identifier with a hardware-side identifier?
Correct answer: D. IMSI and IMEI
The International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) lives on the SIM and identifies the subscriber on the carrier network. The International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is burned into the handset itself. Together they answer two different questions: who is on the network and which physical device they are using. ICCID is the SIM's printed serial number, while SEID points at a Secure Element used for contactless payments, not the device as a whole. MNC is just the carrier-code portion of the IMSI; MEID is a CDMA-era hardware ID. Pairing those two does not give a clean SIM/device split. MSIN is also a sub-field within the IMSI rather than a stand-alone SIM identifier, and "Control ID" is not a real mobile identifier. Quick reference for the terms used here: IMSI – subscriber on the cellular network, stored on the SIM. IMEI – the physical handset. ICCID – the SIM card's own serial number. SEID – identifier for a Secure Element such as a contactless payment chip. MNC and MSIN – pieces inside the IMSI, not full identifiers. MEID – a CDMA device ID similar in spirit to IMEI; valid for the device, but pairing it with MNC is mismatched. "Control ID" is invented for this question.
Q8. A field worker is given a corporate phone already locked down by an MDM profile. They report that email attachments will not download over LTE and cloud sync stays idle until they are on Wi-Fi. They are tethering a laptop through the phone's hotspot, GPS works, and Bluetooth is fine. What is the MOST likely explanation?
Correct answer: A. The MDM profile is forcing sync to occur only over Wi-Fi to control cellular data spend
It is common for MDM rules to limit big transfers to Wi-Fi networks. That keeps the company under its cellular data caps and routinely prevents attachment downloads or background cloud sync until the device is on Wi-Fi. Bluetooth does not gate cellular sync or email. Toggling it has no effect on attachment downloads. If the SIM were truly inactive, the personal hotspot would not work and GPS-tied carrier features would also fail. Location services power navigation; they do not interfere with mail or sync.
Q9. A small-town shopkeeper is shopping for a new phone and is eyeing a 5G model. The phone is mainly used for tap-to-pay, customer texts, email, and running an online storefront. Which factor should they weigh MOST heavily before buying the 5G handset?
Correct answer: C. Whether 5G coverage is genuinely available and stable where they live and work
Before buying a 5G phone, the most important question in a small market is whether 5G is actually deployed and reliable in the area, since rollout often lags in less populated regions. Without solid 5G in their footprint, the user gets none of the speed or latency upside, which makes the upgrade hard to justify. Whether the handset talks to a receipt printer over Bluetooth is purely a Bluetooth question and has nothing to do with 5G. Product-photo load times on visitors' devices depend on those visitors' networks, not the shop owner's phone connection. 5G on the owner's phone is largely irrelevant here. Search engine ranking is governed by content and SEO signals, not by which mobile generation the merchant uses.
Q10. After a phone is reported stolen, which identifier can the carrier use to bar that handset from connecting to its network?
Correct answer: B. IMEI
Carriers blacklist a stolen handset by its International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI). The IMEI is a 15-digit serial number unique to each device, and adding it to a blocklist prevents the phone from being re-activated on another plan. T-Mobile and AT&T were among the early adopters of IMEI blocklisting. The International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) tags the subscriber, not the hardware—blocking it would just disable the account. The Integrated Circuit Card IDentifier (ICCID) belongs to the SIM, not to the phone itself. The Mobile Subscription Identification Number (MSIN) is a piece of the IMSI and identifies the subscription, not the device.
Exam facts and objectives sourced from the official CompTIA certification page. Last reviewed June 2026.
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