Problem solving
Identify what is actually wrong, gather evidence, isolate causes, and choose an appropriate response.
CompTIA A+ • Mission 01
Your First Shift
Role: Junior IT Support Specialist. You are three minutes into your first shift when the first ticket arrives. Your job is not to randomly try fixes. Ask, observe, test, verify, and document.
A+ quick navigation
Mission briefing
What does an IT specialist do?
The job changes from ticket to ticket, but strong technicians rely on the same core habits.
Communication
Listen carefully, ask useful questions, explain clearly, and document information so others can understand it.
Organization
Keep tools, parts, notes, and work areas organized so support work can be performed safely and efficiently.
Technical knowledge
Build broad knowledge across hardware, software, operating systems, networking, cloud technologies, security, and troubleshooting.
Technician method
Use a consistent troubleshooting process.
The instructor-provided CompTIA Module 1 material teaches a repeatable best-practice methodology for approaching unfamiliar problems.
1
Identify
Identify
2
Theory
Theory
3
Test
Test
4
Plan & Fix
Plan & Fix
5
Verify
Verify
6
Document
Document
Identify the problem
Gather exact symptoms and error messages. Ask who is affected, when it began, and what changed recently. Protect important data before risky repair work.
Establish a theory
Inspect the system, reproduce the issue when appropriate, consult documentation, and consider likely causes—including obvious ones.
Test the theory
Test one theory at a time so the evidence can confirm or reject your cause. If needed, create a new theory or escalate.
Plan and implement
Choose an authorized repair, replacement, or workaround. Consider policy, warranty, cost, risk, and the effect on the user.
Verify functionality
Confirm the original issue is resolved and the system is fully functional. Apply sensible preventive measures when appropriate.
Document
Record findings, actions, outcomes, tools or parts used, and lessons learned so the work can be understood later.
Support queue
Choose the BEST next action.
After each choice, explain your reasoning on the Technician Case File.
Ticket score: 0 / 0
Ticket 001 — “The monitor is dead!”
MEDIUMA teacher reports a completely black monitor. The desktop tower appears to be running.
Start with evidence and simple physical checks before replacing hardware.
Ticket 002 — “The internet is down!”
HIGHOne employee cannot reach a website. Nearby employees are working normally.
Because other users are working, isolate the problem to the affected client before assuming a network-wide outage.
Ticket 003 — “It became slow this morning.”
LOWThe PC was fine yesterday. The user installed a new application before leaving.
Recent changes are useful evidence. Test the most relevant theory before making unrelated changes.
Ticket 004 — “Nothing prints.”
MEDIUMA user clicks Print, but no page appears. Other applications work normally.
Isolate whether the issue is the printer, connection, queue/service, or configuration before replacing anything.
Ticket 005 — Authorization Required
HIGHYou identify a failed component in a device that is under vendor warranty. Company policy says only the vendor may open it.
A professional technician respects authorization, company policy, warranty, and escalation boundaries.
Queue complete.
Your score: . Now finish the Technician Case File by explaining why each action belonged at that point in the troubleshooting process.
Open the Case FileSources, alignment & credit
Primary source used for this lesson: instructor-provided CompTIA A+ 220-1201 Module 1 materials, including “What Does an IT Specialist Do?” and “The Troubleshooting Methodology,” © CompTIA, Inc.
Certification alignment: CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) V15 Exam Objectives and Core 2 (220-1202) V15 Exam Objectives.
This page uses independently written FamilyPD explanations, scenarios, interface design, and practice questions. It does not reproduce CompTIA exam questions or the supplied presentation slides.
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