A+ performance-based questions: what they are and how to practise them
A+ opens both Core 1 and Core 2 with PBQs before the multiple-choice section. They simulate a task rather than ask about it: configuring a device, ordering a troubleshooting sequence, or matching hardware to a symptom. Many candidates lose time here because they treat them like ordinary questions.
The A+ PBQs test whether you can apply the troubleshooting methodology rather than recall a definition. A question that asks which step comes first in diagnosing a failed boot is testing sequence and judgement, not vocabulary.
On the real exam these appear as performance-based questions (PBQs). Multiple-choice (single and multiple response) plus performance-based questions (PBQs) that simulate real troubleshooting tasks
Flag and skip. PBQs appear first and can absorb twenty minutes each. Move past them, clear the multiple choice, then return with the remaining time budgeted deliberately.
Read the deliverable before the scenario. Knowing what you must produce tells you which details in the scenario matter.
Partial credit generally applies, so a partly completed PBQ beats a blank one. Never leave one untouched because you ran out of confidence.
Try three questions. Understand every answer.
Original English practice examples, with answers and explanations available here. No account required. These are independent teaching examples, not official exam questions or exam dumps.
Question 1 of 3 · Mobile devices and computer hardware
Answer and explanation
Best answer: Use a supported dock or power arrangement with sufficient delivered wattage
The measured power shortfall explains discharge under load even though data and video work. Use a supported arrangement that meets the laptop power requirement.
Why the other choices fit less well
Battery replacement is premature when the measured charging input is insufficient. Stable video does not indicate a graphics-driver fault; reducing refresh rate without checking the required and delivered wattage does not establish a supported charging arrangement.
Best answer: Back up the required files and verify that the backup can be read
Preserve the required data and verify the backup before a destructive operation. Confirm the destination and that the files open; an unverified backup is an assumption.
Why the other choices fit less well
A reset can remove data before recovery is possible. A renamed folder remains on the same drive. Cloud sync must be checked rather than presumed to cover local files.
Best answer: Inspect the workstation DNS-server configuration and test that resolver
The successful IP connection narrows the investigation. Check which resolver this workstation uses and query it directly before making a wider change.
Why the other choices fit less well
Display cabling does not resolve hostnames. A working service for other users does not justify reinstalling it. Successful IP communication contradicts the claim that all connectivity has failed.
Paid question-bank access is a one-time purchase, with no recurring subscription. Official exam registration, vouchers and provider labs are separate from CertSprint practice.
What you get here
How we practise them
Our A+ bank contains 30 PBQ-style exercises in two formats: matching tasks, where you pair each requirement to the capability that satisfies it, and ordering tasks, where you sequence the steps of a procedure. Each one carries the same full explanation as the multiple-choice questions, covering why the correct arrangement is right and why the plausible alternative is not.
These train the reasoning the exam tests — sequence, placement, and matching — rather than reproducing a vendor's simulation interface. Nothing here recreates the exam environment itself, and no practice product legitimately can.
See where you stand on A+
20 free questions, no card required. Your domain scores show which areas need work before you book the exam.
Work through the scenario, identify the evidence that matters, then compare your reasoning with the explanation. Use domain scores to choose your next study session. A practice percentage is a learning signal, not a prediction or an official exam score.
The newest practice set is available in eight languages. Earlier exercises may appear in English. These are original independent practice scenarios, not official exam questions.
