CertBlaster A+ Practice Test and the CompTIA Exam Question Types

Updated 02/19-2021

The CompTIA A+ Question Types:

The CompTIA A+ exam includes six different question types:

1) Multiple choice – single answer
2) Multiple choice – multiple answers
3) Fill in the Blank
4) Drag and Drop
5) Exhibit based questions
6) Performance Based Questions (PBQs)

We will go through these below in the order presented above. Each will come with a “CertBlaster A+ Practice Test Advice” on how to best handle these specific question types. The one obvious but always important piece of advice is to pay real careful attention to the wording and details of each question in order to form the correct answer. Look out for power words, more on that below.

Multiple Choice – Single Answer & Multiple Answers

You know these from the good old school days. We have all answered endless quizzes based on this question type so we won’t waste your time explaining these here and skip directly to the CertBlaster A+ Practice Test Advice: Read them carefully!
OK so we are not blowing your socks off with that one! But you’d be surprised by how many times a candidate is tripped up by the main words you should be looking for. The first few that you want to pay special attention to is MOST and BEST. What best describes… A question like that will be tricky because as the opening indicates there is more than one good answer so don’t rush. The first good answer you see, although correct, may not be the BEST answer…
Here is a more elaborate description and explanation of a multiple choice:

A user wants games from their child’s Windows 7 computer removed. Which of the following is the BEST way to accomplish this task?

A) Control Panel > Game Controller > Select controller > click Remove
B) Control Panel > Add/Remove programs > Add/Remove Windows Components > select Accessories and Utilities > uncheck Games
C) Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management
D) Programs menu > Right click Games > select Properties > select the Hidden check box

So the power words here are “remove” and “BEST”. Because we have BEST in the mix, answer B) “Control Panel > Add/Remove programs > Add/Remove Windows Components > select Accessories and Utilities > uncheck Games” will be the best answer. It is the best way to accomplish this task. The user wants the games removed and since we are expected to take the question literally it is the only choice that will actually remove the games. So from the top, a) game controllers will only impact the devices used for gaming, not the games themselves, c) Computer Management has no capabilities in this area. The last choice is the most tempting in terms of practicality it will hide the Games from the menus not remove them. Although it will take the game away from junior, a crafty child will still be able to find them since they haven’t been removed.

Here is an example of a multiple choice – multiple answers question from the CertBlaster A+ practice test:

Fill in the Blank Questions

These are self-explanatory. You have to know your stuff as it’s all coming from your brain. No guessing no ptcking the “laest bad choice” – there are no choices, The only CertBlaster A+ Practice Test Advice: Whatch out for capitalization or absolutely exact syntax if it matters to the content. A case in point here are commands, these are unfogiving, a syntax that won’t work in the CLI won’t work oin the question.

Here is an example of a fill-in the blank question from the CertBlaster A+ practice test, this question requires precise syntax as it requires you to enter a Linux command:

Drag and Drop Questions

The objective of drag and drop question is to enable you to associate two or more elements and to make logical connections in a visual way. These are fairly straight forward. You drag the check mark to the point representing the answer to the question. It can be a schema where you have to check where a device would live or pictures of connectors where you have to visually recognize the one the question is asking about.

These are not too complex so we won’t give you a ton of advice but still here is the CertBlaster A+ Practice Test Advice: Read them carefully! Yes, again! But not for the same things. What you want to be extra careful with here is the word “NOT” which of the following is NOT… Easy to overlook when you have exam anxiety and none of the prior questions was set up that way. One twist on these questions is that some of them will be drag and drop several labels under different pieces of equipment. You can for example have three different computers in the top row, nine labels to the left and be asked to drag each label under the computer it belongs to. This shows your ability to recognize which equipment specification belong to each computer type.

Here are a couple of examples of drag and drop questions from the CertBlaster A+ practice test:

Exhibit Based Questions

The exhibit-based question tests your knowledge by letting you figure out the answer to a question by looking at an image. These are quite similar in their concept to the drag and drop questions and so fairly straight forward too. You read the question and looking at the image you figure out the answer to the question. It can be a schematic of some connections or a command output where by observing the output you deduce what the command was that generated the output you are looking at. As opposed to the drag and drop in the exhibit-based question you are expected to launch the exhibit by clicking the button.

Here is an example of an exhibit-based question from the CertBlaster A+ practice test. This one shows a command-line interface output and asks you which command resulted in this screen:

Performance Based Questions – PBQs

In the performance-based questions, you are required to perform a task or solve a problem in simulated IT environments. For each performance-based question, the exam prompts you to perform a specific task, solve a specific problem, or find a specific bit of information. You then launch a simulated environment in which you complete the steps required to get you to the required information or outcome. Examples of those environments can be a Windows simulation where you have to figure out which steps will lead to the desired outcome. Another example can be a command-line interface (CLI) where by using the correct sequence of commands you would find the information the question asks about.

Each question is designed around a real-world computer support scenario that will test your skills and knowledge. Depending on the nature of the exam and the exam question, the simulated environments can include different aspects of an IT infrastructure, such as command prompts, Windows OS, or networking environments.
Once you feel you have completed the exercise in the simulated environment you click a “Done” button to submit your answer. In addition to figuring out the proper task, sequence of clicks or commands these questions can feel a bit awkward as they:

1) Hide the timer. When you are in these questions the timer is hidden so be very careful with your time management, don’t let time slip away on you.
2) These simulations are mostly closed path which means that when you click outside the path designed by CompTIA nothing will happen.
3) Because this is an exam there is no “Well done!” when you succeed. This means that the exercise is “completed” when you click “Done” and you decide when that is. This can leave you feeling a bit insecure as there is no way to know if you completed the exercise or not.

Below is an example of performance-based questions in the CertBlaster A+ Practice Test software. This one shows a simulation of the Windows 7 OS:

Here is a link to a video showing a CertBlaster performance based question of a task you are supposed to perform using the correct commands in a simulated command-line interface.