220-1202 · Original practice content · Last reviewed October 3, 2026
Operating Systems A+ Core 2 Practice Questions
Choose appropriate installation, configuration, and support procedures for Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile operating systems.
Core 2: up to 90 questions in 90 minutes. Passing score: 700 on a 100–900 scale. Both Core 1 and Core 2 are required for CompTIA A+.
These short multiple-choice samples report practice accuracy, not official scaled scores, and do not simulate interactive performance-based questions.
This domain accounts for 28% of Core 2. Topics: Windows editions and tools, installation, command lines, filesystems, macOS, Linux, and mobile operating systems.
Which filesystem is the default for the system volume on current versions of macOS?
APFS
ReFS
ext4
NTFS
Show correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. APFS
A is correct because the Apple File System replaced HFS+ as the macOS default and is optimized for SSDs, with snapshots and native encryption. B is a Microsoft filesystem designed for data volumes on Windows, not a macOS filesystem. C is a default filesystem for many Linux distributions, not for macOS. D is the default Windows filesystem, and macOS can only read it natively without third-party software.
Operating Systems
Sample question 2
What is the maximum size of a single file that can be stored on a FAT32 volume?
2 GB
32 GB
16 TB
4 GB
Show correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. 4 GB
D is correct because FAT32 uses a 32-bit file size field, which limits any one file to just under 4 GB. A is the file size limit of the older FAT16 filesystem, not FAT32. B is the volume size limit long imposed by the Windows FAT32 formatting tools, not the per-file limit. C is far larger than FAT32 can address for a single file.
Operating Systems
Sample question 3
Which operating system is built primarily around the Chrome browser and web applications and is commonly used on low-cost laptops in schools?
ChromeOS
macOS
Android
iPadOS
Show correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. ChromeOS
A is correct because ChromeOS is a lightweight Linux-based OS centered on the Chrome browser, Google accounts and cloud apps. B runs only on Apple Mac computers and is not designed around a single web browser. C is a mobile OS for phones and tablets rather than a browser-centered laptop OS. D runs only on Apple iPad tablets and is not sold on low-cost third-party laptops.
Operating Systems
Sample question 4
A photographer needs to copy 12 GB video files to a 256 GB USB flash drive and then open them on both a Windows PC and a Mac. Which filesystem should the drive use?
APFS
FAT32
NTFS
exFAT
Show correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. exFAT
D is correct because exFAT supports files far larger than 4 GB and is read and written natively by both Windows and macOS. A is not readable by Windows without third-party software. B cannot store any single file larger than 4 GB, so the 12 GB files would fail to copy. C is read-only on macOS without third-party drivers, so the Mac could not write to the drive.
Operating Systems
Sample question 5
A systems administrator is building a Red Hat Enterprise Linux server and accepts the installer's default filesystem for the data volumes. Which filesystem will be used?
ReFS
APFS
XFS
ext4
Show correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. XFS
C is correct because XFS is the default filesystem in Red Hat Enterprise Linux and is designed for large files and high-throughput workloads. A is a Microsoft Windows filesystem and is not offered by Linux installers. B is the Apple filesystem for macOS and iOS devices and is not used by Linux installers. D is the default on many other distributions such as Ubuntu and Debian, but not on current RHEL releases.
Operating Systems
Sample question 6
A small business is still running a desktop OS that the vendor has declared end-of-life. What is the MOST significant risk of continuing to use it?
The OS no longer receives security patches
The installed applications are uninstalled
The OS can no longer join a network
The OS license is automatically deactivated
Show correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. The OS no longer receives security patches
A is correct because after end-of-life the vendor stops releasing security updates, so newly discovered vulnerabilities remain unpatched. B does not occur, because existing applications remain installed after end-of-life. C is incorrect, because end-of-life does not remove networking features. D does not happen at end-of-life; the installed OS keeps running and stays activated.
Operating Systems
Sample question 7
A user formatted an external hard drive as NTFS on a Windows PC. When the drive is connected to a Mac, the user can open files but cannot save anything to it. What explains this behavior?
The drive needs to be reformatted as ext4
NTFS is limited to 4 GB files on macOS
The Mac requires a FAT32 partition for USB
macOS supports NTFS as read-only by default
Show correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. macOS supports NTFS as read-only by default
D is correct because macOS can read NTFS volumes natively but cannot write to them without third-party drivers. A would make the drive unusable natively on both Windows and macOS. B is incorrect, because the 4 GB file limit belongs to FAT32, not NTFS. C is incorrect, because macOS supports several filesystems on USB drives, including exFAT and APFS.
Operating Systems
Sample question 8
A user wants to install an app purchased for their Android phone on a new iPhone. What should the technician explain?
Apps are platform-specific and must be obtained from the App Store
The app will transfer automatically with the Google account
The Android app will install once the phone is jailbroken
The app can be copied over using a USB-C cable
Show correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Apps are platform-specific and must be obtained from the App Store
A is correct because Android and iOS apps are compiled for different operating systems, so the iOS version must come from Apple's App Store, often as a separate purchase. B is incorrect, because Google Play purchases do not carry over to the iOS App Store. C is incorrect, because jailbreaking does not let iOS run Android application packages and weakens the device's security. D would not work, because an Android package cannot run on iOS regardless of how it is transferred.
Operating Systems
Sample question 9
An organization's line-of-business applications are Windows desktop programs. The CEO wants a tablet that runs these programs natively, without remote desktop or virtualization. Which tablet should the technician recommend?
An Android tablet
An iPad running iPadOS
A Windows tablet
A Chromebook tablet
Show correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. A Windows tablet
C is correct because Windows desktop programs run natively only on Windows, so a tablet running Windows meets the requirement. A runs Android apps and cannot run Windows desktop programs natively. B cannot run Windows executables natively; it runs only iPadOS apps. D runs ChromeOS with web, Android and Linux apps, not Windows desktop programs.
Operating Systems
Sample question 10
A file server administrator wants a Windows Server data volume that uses checksums to detect and automatically repair corruption when paired with Storage Spaces mirroring. The volume will not be used to boot the OS. Which filesystem BEST fits?
NTFS
ReFS
exFAT
FAT32
Show correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. ReFS
B is correct because the Resilient File System uses integrity streams and, with Storage Spaces mirrors, can automatically repair corrupted data on large data volumes. A is the general-purpose Windows filesystem, but it does not checksum file data or self-heal corruption like ReFS. C is designed for removable flash media and has no journaling or integrity checking. D has a 4 GB file size limit and no journaling, permissions or integrity features.