IT Support Fundamentals and Procedures
The troubleshooting model
Every support question in this exam bends toward one repeatable method: identify the problem (gather information, question the user, back up before changes), establish a theory of probable cause, test the theory, establish a plan of action and implement it, verify full functionality with the user, then document. A common trap is an answer that jumps to 'replace the part' or 'reimage the machine' before diagnosis. Unless the evidence already confirms the cause, the correct next step gathers data or confirms the fix.
Service desk mechanics
Know an incident (something broke) from a service request (a want, such as new software). Priority comes from impact multiplied by urgency, not from who complains loudest. An SLA is a customer commitment; an OLA is an internal agreement between teams. Escalation can be functional (needs a specialist) or hierarchical (needs authority); neither is a punishment or a way to pass off a difficult user.
Professionalism and documentation
A ticket must stand alone: symptom, environment, steps taken, outcome. Close only after the user confirms resolution. Communicate in plain language, set realistic expectations, and never promise a fix time you do not control.
Rule of thumb
When a question asks what to do next and one option is destructive or expensive while another gathers information or confirms scope, choose information gathering unless a diagnostic result has already confirmed the cause.
Worked example: a user reports that email is down. Before escalating to the messaging team, verify scope - one user, one device, or the whole floor - because scope decides whether this is a single-device incident or a major incident.