Study Modules — CompTIA A+ 220-1201

Domain 1.0

Mobile Devices

Batteries, keyboards, RAM (SODIMM), storage (HDD/SSD/M.2), wireless cards, biometrics, NFC, camera, power troubleshooting

1.2

Accessories & Connectivity

USB-C, Lightning, TRRS, NFC, Bluetooth, hotspot vs tethering, stylus, headsets, docking stations, port replicators, IP rating

1.3

Network Connectivity & App Support

Cellular generations, Wi-Fi, SIM/eSIM, Bluetooth, GPS · Email ports, MDM, BYOD/COPE/CYOD, cloud sync

Part 1 — Mobile Device Networks Part 2 — Mobile Device Management

Domain 2.0

Networking

2.1

TCP/UDP Ports & Protocols

TCP vs UDP, encapsulation, three-way handshake · FTP, SSH, SMTP, DNS, DHCP, HTTP/S, RDP, SMB, LDAP port reference

Part 1 — Introduction to IP Part 2 — Common Ports

2.2

Wireless Network Technologies

802.11 standards (a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be), Wi-Fi 4–7, 2.4/5/6 GHz bands, channels, bonding, Bluetooth, RFID, NFC, WISPs

2.3

Networked Hosts

DNS, DHCP, file/print/mail/web servers, AAA, NTP, syslog/SIEM, UTM, proxy, load balancer, SCADA, IoT, embedded & legacy systems

2.4

Network Configuration Concepts

DHCP & DORA · DNS records, hierarchy, SPF/DKIM/DMARC · VLANs, VPNs, concentrators

Part 1 — DHCP Part 2 — DNS Configuration Part 3 — VLANs & VPNs

2.5

Network Devices

Routers, managed/unmanaged switches, WAPs, patch panels, firewalls (NGFW), PoE, cable modem, DSL, ONT, NIC

2.6

SOHO Network Configuration

IPv4 format, RFC 1918 private ranges, NAT, IPv6, subnet masks · Static vs DHCP, reservations, APIPA

Part 1 — IPv4 & IPv6 Part 2 — Assigning IP Addresses

2.7

Internet & Network Types

LAN, WAN, MAN, PAN, SAN, WLAN · Satellite, fiber, cable, DSL, cellular, WISP

Part 1 — Network Types Part 2 — Internet Connection Types

2.8

Networking Tools

Crimper, punch-down tool, cable tester, tone generator, loopback plug, Wi-Fi analyzer, spectrum analyzer, network tap, port mirror

Domain 3.0

Hardware

3.1

Display Components

LCD (TN/IPS/VA), OLED, mini-LED, digitizer, backlight/inverter · PPI, Hz, resolution, aspect ratio, color gamut

Part 1 — Display Types Part 2 — Display Attributes

3.2

Cables & Connectors

Network cables (Cat5e/6/6A), T568A/B, RJ45/RJ11, fiber (ST/SC/LC), HDMI/DP/DVI/VGA, USB, Thunderbolt, SATA, eSATA, adapters

3.3

RAM

DIMM vs SODIMM, DDR3/4/5 (240/288 pins), ECC vs parity vs non-ECC, dual/quad-channel, installation

3.4

Storage Devices

HDD (RPM, form factors), SSD interfaces (SATA/NVMe/SAS/M.2), RAID 0/1/5/6/10, flash storage, optical drives

3.5

Motherboards, CPUs & Add-on Cards

Motherboard form factors (ATX/microATX/Mini-ITX), CPU sockets, BIOS/UEFI, PCIe slots, cooling, expansion cards, TPM & HSM

3.6

Power Supplies

AC to DC conversion, voltage rails, PSU connectors (24-pin/8-pin/PCIe/SATA), wattage sizing, 80 Plus efficiency ratings, modular PSUs, UPS & surge protectors

3.7

Printers & Multifunction Devices

Laser printing process (7 steps), inkjet, thermal (direct & transfer), impact/MICR, MFD features, scanner types, network printing, print servers

3.8

Printer Maintenance

Laser (toner, fuser, drum, rollers), inkjet (nozzle cleaning, calibration), thermal (IPA print head cleaning, paper orientation), impact (ribbon, platen gap), troubleshooting, print spooler

Domain 4.0 · 9% of exam

Virtualization & Cloud Computing

4.1

Virtualization

VMs, Type 1 & Type 2 hypervisors (ESXi, VirtualBox), Intel VT / AMD-V, NAT/bridged/private networking, VM escape, VDI, DaaS, Docker containers

4.2

Cloud Computing

Public, private, hybrid & community cloud; IaaS/PaaS/SaaS (HaaS); elasticity, high availability, multi-tenancy; metered/non-metered billing; ingress/egress; shared responsibility model

Domain 5.0 · 29% of exam

Hardware & Network Troubleshooting

5.1

Troubleshooting Hardware

6-step methodology, POST & boot failures, BSODs, power problems, overheating, physical failures, slow performance

5.2

Troubleshooting Storage

HDD/SSD failure symptoms, S.M.A.R.T., click of death, RAID recovery by level, boot errors, chkdsk

5.3

Troubleshooting Display

No signal, projector issues, native resolution, burn-in vs. sticking, dead pixels, flickering, color distortion, monitor audio

5.4

Troubleshooting Mobile Devices

Battery drain & swollen battery, liquid damage (LCI), charging port, connectivity, overheating, resets, malware

5.5

Troubleshooting Networks

Ping sequence, APIPA (169.254.x.x), DNS vs. IP issues, ipconfig /flushdns, 2.4 GHz channels 1/6/11, tracert, nslookup

5.6

Troubleshooting Printers

Hardware vs. driver test pages, laser defects (fuser/drum), inkjet streaks, paper feed issues, Print Spooler, network printer IP