CompTIA A+ Core 1 Exam Syllabus

A+ Core 1 PDF, 220-1201 Dumps, 220-1201 PDF, A+ Core 1 VCE, 220-1201 Questions PDF, CompTIA 220-1201 VCE, CompTIA A Plus (Core 1) Dumps, CompTIA A Plus (Core 1) PDFUse this quick start guide to collect all the information about CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) Certification exam. This study guide provides a list of objectives and resources that will help you prepare for items on the 220-1201 CompTIA A+ (Core 1) exam. The Sample Questions will help you identify the type and difficulty level of the questions and the Practice Exams will make you familiar with the format and environment of an exam. You should refer this guide carefully before attempting your actual CompTIA A Plus (Core 1) certification exam.

The CompTIA A+ Core 1 certification is mainly targeted to those candidates who want to build their career in Tech Support domain. The CompTIA A+ exam verifies that the candidate possesses the fundamental knowledge and proven skills in the area of CompTIA A Plus (Core 1).

CompTIA A+ Core 1 Exam Summary:

Exam Name CompTIA A+
Exam Code 220-1201
Exam Price $265 (USD)
Duration 90 mins
Number of Questions 90
Passing Score 675 / 900
Books / Training CompTIA CertMaster Learn
Schedule Exam Pearson VUE
Sample Questions CompTIA A+ Core 1 Sample Questions
Practice Exam CompTIA 220-1201 Certification Practice Exam

CompTIA 220-1201 Exam Syllabus Topics:

Topic Details

Mobile Devices - 13%

Given a scenario, monitor mobile device hardware and use appropriate replacement techniques. - Battery
- Keyboard/keys
- Random-access memory (RAM)
- Hard disk drive (HDD)/solid-state drive (SSD)
- Wireless cards
- Physical privacy and security components
  • Biometrics
  • Near-field scanner features

- Wi-Fi antenna connector/placement
- Camera/webcam
- Microphone

Compare and contrast accessories and connectivity options for mobile devices. - Connection methods
  • Universal Serial Bus (USB)/USB-C/microUSB/miniUSB
  • Lightning
  • Near-field communication (NFC)
  • Bluetooth
  • Tethering/hotspot

- Accessories

  • Stylus
  • Headsets
  • Speakers
  • Webcam

- Docking station
- Port replicator
- Trackpad/drawing pad/track points

Given a scenario, configure basic mobile device network connectivity and provide application support. - Wireless/cellular data network (enable/disable)
  • 3G/4G/5G
  • Hotspot
  • Wi-Fi
  • Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)/eSIM

- Bluetooth

  • Enable Bluetooth
  • Enable pairing
  • Find a device for pairing
  • Enter the appropriate personal identification number (PIN) code
  • Test connectivity

- Location services

  • Global Positioning System (GPS) services
  • Cellular location services

- Mobile device management (MDM)

  • Device configurations
    - Corporate
    - Bring your own device (BYOD)
  • Policy enforcement
  • Corporate applications

- Mobile device synchronization

  • Recognizing data caps
  • Calendar
  • Contacts
  • Business applications
    - Mail
    - Cloud storage

Networking - 23%

Compare and contrast Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP) ports, protocols, and their purposes. - Ports and protocols
  • 20-21 – File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
  • 22 – Secure Shell (SSH)
  • 23 – Telnet
  • 25 – Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
  • 53 – Domain Name System (DNS)
  • 67/68 – Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
  • 80 – Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
  • 110 – Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3)
  • 143 – Internet Mail Access Protocol (IMAP)
  • 137-139 Network Basic Input/ Output System (NetBIOS)/ NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT)
  • 389 – Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)
  • 443 – Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS)
  • 445 – Server Message Block (SMB)/ Common Internet File System (CIFS)
  • 3389 – Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)

- TCP vs. UDP

Explain wireless networking technologies. - Frequencies
  • 2.4GHz
  • 5GHz
  • 6GHz

- Channels

  • Regulations
  • Channel selection
    - Widths
    - Frequencies
    - Bands

- Bluetooth
- 802.11 standards
- NFC
- Radio-frequency identification (RFID)

Summarize services provided by networked hosts. - Server roles
  • DNS
  • DHCP
  • Fileshare
  • Print servers
  • Mail servers
  • Syslog
  • Web servers
  • Authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA)
  • Database servers
  • Network Time Protocol (NTP)

- Internet appliances

  • Spam gateways
  • Unified threat management (UTM)
  • Load balancers
  • Proxy servers

- Legacy/embedded systems

  • Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)

- Internet of Things (IoT) devices

Explain common network configuration concepts. - DNS
  • A
  • AAAA
  • Canonical Name (CNAME)
  • Mail exchanger (MX)
  • Text (TXT)
    - Spam management
    (i) DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM)
    (ii) Sender Policy Framework (SPF)
    (iii) Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC)

- DHCP

  • Leases
  • Reservations
  • Scope
  • Exclusions

- Virtual LAN [local area network] (VLAN)
- Virtual private network (VPN)

Compare and contrast common networking hardware devices. - Routers
- Switches
  • Managed
  • Unmanaged

- Access points
- Patch panel
- Firewall
- Power over Ethernet (PoE)

  • Injectors
  • Switch
  • PoE standards

- Cable modem
- Digital subscriber line (DSL)
- Optical network terminal (ONT)
- Network interface card (NIC)

  • Physical media access control (MAC) address
Given a scenario, configure basic wired/wireless small office/home office (SOHO) networks. - Internet Protocol (IP) addressing
  • IPv4
    - Private addresses
    - Public addresses
  • IPv6
  • Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA)
  • Static
  • Dynamic
  • Subnet mask
  • Gateway
Compare and contrast internet connection types, network types, and their characteristics. - Internet connection types
  • Satellite
  • Fiber
  • Cable
  • DSL
  • Cellular
  • Wireless internet service provider (WISP)

- Network types

  • LAN
  • Wide area network (WAN)
  • Personal area network (PAN)
  • Metropolitan area network (MAN)
  • Storage area network (SAN)
  • Wireless local area network (WLAN)
Explain networking tools and their purposes. - Crimper
- Cable stripper
- Wi-Fi analyzer
- Toner probe
- Punchdown tool
- Cable tester
- Loopback plug
- Network tap

Hardware - 25%

Compare and contrast display components and attributes. - Types
  • Liquid crystal display (LCD)
    - In-plane switching (IPS)
    - Twisted nematic (TN)
    - Vertical alignment (VA)
  • Organic light-emitting diode (OLED)
  • Mini light-emitting diode (Mini-LED)

- Touch screen/digitizer
- Inverter
- Attributes

  • Pixel density
  • Refresh rates
  • Screen resolution
  • Color gamut
Summarize basic cable types and their connectors, features, and purposes. - Network cables
  • Copper
    - Categories
    1. T568A/T568B standards
    - Coaxial
    - Shielded twisted pair
    1. Direct burial
    - Unshielded twisted pair
  • Plenum-rated
  • Optical
    - Single-mode
    - Multimode

- Peripheral cables

  • USB 2.0
  • USB 3.0
  • Serial
  • Thunderbolt

- Video cables

  • High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)
  • DisplayPort
  • Digital Visual Interface (DVI)
  • Video Graphics Array (VGA)
  • USB-C

- Hard drive cables

  • Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA)
  • External SATA (eSATA)

- Adapters
- Connector types

  • RJ11
  • RJ45
  • F-type
  • Straight tip (ST)
  • Subscriber connector (SC)
  • Lucent connector (LC)
  • Punchdown block
  • microUSB
  • miniUSB
  • USB-C
  • Molex
  • Lightning
  • DB9
Compare and contrast RAM characteristics. - Form factors
  • Small Outline Dual In-line Memory Module (SODIMM)
  • Dual In-line Memory Module (DIMM)

- Double Data Rate (DDR) iterations
- Error-correcting code (ECC) vs. non-ECC RAM
- Channel configurations

Compare and contrast storage devices. - Hard drives
  • Spindle Speeds
  • Form factors
    - 2.5-inch
    - 3.5-inch

- Solid-state drives

  • Communications interfaces
    - Non-volatile Memory Express (NVMe)
    - SATA
    - Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe)
    - Serial Attached SCSI [Small Computer System Interface] (SAS)
  • Form factors
    - M.2
    - Mini-serial Advanced Technology Attachment (mSATA)

- Drive configurations

  • Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) 0, 1, 5, 6, 10

- Removable storage

  • Flash drives
  • Memory cards

- Optical drives

Given a scenario, install and configure motherboards, central processing units (CPUs), and add-on cards. - Motherboard form factor
  • Advanced Technology eXtended (ATX)
  • microATX
  • Information Technology eXtended (ITX)

- Motherboard connector types

  • Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)
  • PCIe
  • Power connectors
  • SATA
  • eSATA
  • Headers
  • M.2

- Motherboard compatibility

  • CPU socket types
    - Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD)
    - Intel
  • Multisocket

- BIOS/Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) settings

  • Boot options
  • USB permissions
  • Trusted Platform Module (TPM) security features
  • Fan considerations
  • Secure Boot
  • Boot password
  • BIOS password
  • Temperature monitoring

- Virtualization support
- Encryption

  • TPM
  • Hardware security module (HSM)

- CPU architecture

  • x86/x64
  • Advanced RISC [Reduced Instruction Set Computer] Machine (ARM)
  • Core configurations

- Expansion cards

  • Sound card
  • Video card
  • Capture card
  • Network interface card

- Cooling

  • Fans
  • Heat sink
  • Thermal paste/pads
  • Liquid
Given a scenario, install the appropriate power supply. - Input 110–120 VAC vs. 220–240 VAC
- Output 3.3V vs. 5V vs. 12V
- 20+4 pin motherboard connector
- Redundant power supply
- Modular power supply
- Wattage rating
- Energy efficiency
Given a scenario, deploy and configure multifunction devices/printers and settings. - Properly unbox device and consider set-up location
- Use appropriate drivers for a given operating system
  • Printer Control Language (PCL) vs. PostScript

- Firmware
- Device connectivity

  • USB
  • Ethernet
  • Wireless

- Public/shared devices

  • Printer share
  • Print server

- Configuration settings

  • Duplex
  • Orientation
  • Tray settings
  • Quality

- Security

  • User authentication
  • Badging
  • Audit logs
  • Secured prints

- Network scan services

  • Email
  • SMB
  • Cloud services

- Automatic document feeder (ADF)/flatbed scanner

Given a scenario, perform appropriate printer maintenance. - Laser
  • Maintenance: Replace toner, apply maintenance kit, calibrate, and clean

- Inkjet

  • Ink cartridge, printhead, roller, and feeder
  • Maintenance: Clean printheads, replace cartridges, calibrate, and clear jams

- Thermal

  • Feed assembly
  • Special thermal paper
  • Maintenance: Replace paper, clean heating element, and remove debris

- Impact

  • Multipart paper
  • Maintenance: Replace ribbon, printhead, and paper

Virtualization and Cloud Computing - 11%

Explain virtualization concepts. - Purpose of virtual machines
  • Sandbox
  • Test development
  • Application virtualization
    - Legacy software/OS
    - Cross-platform virtualization

- Requirements

  • Security
  • Network
  • Storage

- Desktop virtualization

  • Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

- Containers
- Hypervisors

  • Type 1
  • Type 2
Summarize cloud computing concepts. - Common cloud models
  • Private cloud
  • Public cloud
  • Hybrid cloud
  • Community cloud
  • Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
  • Software as a service (SaaS)
  • Platform as a service (PaaS)

- Cloud characteristics

  • Shared resources vs. dedicated resources
  • Metered utilization
    - Ingress/egress
  • Elasticity
  • Availability
  • File synchronization
  • Multitenancy

Hardware and Network Troubleshooting - 28%

Given a scenario, troubleshoot motherboards, RAM, CPUs, and power. - Common symptoms
  • Power-on self-test (POST) beeps
  • Proprietary crash screens
  • Blank screen
  • No power
  • Sluggish performance
  • Overheating
  • Burning smell
  • Random shutdown
  • Application crashes
  • Unusual noise
  • Capacitor swelling
  • Inaccurate system date/time
Given a scenario, troubleshoot drive and RAID issues. - Common symptoms
  • Light-emitting diode (LED) status indicators
  • Grinding noises
  • Clicking sounds
  • Bootable device not found
  • Data loss/corruption
  • RAID failure
  • Self-monitoring and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) failure
  • Extended read/write times
  • Low performance input/output operations per second (IOPS)
  • Missing drives in OS
  • Array missing
  • Audible alarms
Given a scenario, troubleshoot video, projector, and display issues. - Common symptoms
  • Incorrect input source
  • Physical cabling issues
  • Burnt-out bulb
  • Fuzzy image
  • Display burn-in
  • Dead pixels
  • Flashing screen
  • Incorrect color display
  • Audio issues
  • Dim image
  • Intermittent projector shutdown
  • Sizing issues
  • Distorted image
Given a scenario, troubleshoot common mobile device issues. - Common symptoms
  • Poor battery health
  • Swollen battery
  • Broken screen
  • Improper charging
  • Poor/no connectivity
  • Liquid damage
  • Overheating
  • Digitizer issues
  • Physically damaged ports
  • Malware
  • Cursor drift/touch calibration
  • Unable to install new applications
  • Stylus does not work
  • Degraded performance
Given a scenario, troubleshoot network issues.
- Common symptoms
  • Intermittent wireless connectivity
  • Slow network speeds
  • Limited connectivity
  • Jitter
  • Poor Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) quality
  • Port flapping
  • High latency
  • External interference
  • Authentication failures
  • Intermittent internet connectivity
Given a scenario, troubleshoot printer issues. - Common symptoms
  • Lines down the printed pages
  • Garbled print
  • Paper jams
  • Faded prints
  • Paper not feeding
  • Multipage misfeed
  • Multiple prints pending in queue
  • Speckling on printed pages
  • Double/echo images on the print
  • Grinding noise
  • Finishing issues
    - Staple jams
    - Hole punch
  • Incorrect page orientation
  • Tray not recognized
  • Connectivity issues
  • Frozen print queue

To ensure success in CompTIA A Plus (Core 1) certification exam, we recommend authorized training course, practice test and hands-on experience to prepare for CompTIA A+ (Core 1) (220-1201) exam.

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