Reinforce SK0-005 concepts with active-recall study cards covering all 4 blueprint domains. Each card shows the question on the front and the correct answer with a full explanation on the back.
Flashcards work through active recall — the process of retrieving information from memory rather than passively re-reading it. Research consistently shows that active recall produces stronger, longer-lasting memory than re-reading study guides. For SK0-005 preparation, this means flashcards are one of the highest-return study tools available.
Attempt recall first
Read the SK0-005 question on each card, pause, and attempt to formulate the answer in your own words before revealing. This retrieval attempt — even if wrong — dramatically strengthens memory compared to immediately reading the answer.
Review wrong cards again
When you get a card wrong, note it and add it back to your review pile. Spaced repetition — seeing difficult cards more frequently — is the mechanism that makes flashcard study far more efficient than linear reading.
Study by domain
Group your SK0-005 flashcard sessions by domain for the first 3–4 weeks. Master one domain before moving to the next. In the final week, shuffle all cards together to test cross-domain recall — which is what the real SK0-005 exam requires.
Short sessions beat marathon reviews
20–30 flashcard cards per session, done daily, produces better retention than a single 200-card marathon session. Five short daily sessions per week over 4 weeks gives you over 400 total card reviews — enough to reliably pass SK0-005.
Sample cards from the SK0-005 flashcard bank. Read the question, think of the answer, then read the explanation below.
A technician is installing a new server in a data center. To prevent electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage, which of the following should the technician do FIRST?
Attach an ESD wrist strap to a grounded surface
Option C is correct because using an ESD wrist strap connected to a grounded surface is the primary method to prevent ESD damage. Option A is wrong because wearing rubber-soled shoes alone does not provide a path to ground. Option B is wrong because an anti-static mat must be used with a ground connection. Option D is wrong because spraying anti-static spray on the floor is not a standard ESD prevention method and may create a slip hazard.
A server administrator is tasked with ensuring that a critical database server remains available in the event of a hardware failure. The solution must provide automatic failover with minimal administrative overhead. Which of the following should be implemented?
Server clustering
Server clustering provides automatic failover between nodes, ensuring high availability with minimal administrative overhead. RAID 1 offers disk redundancy but not server-level failover. Load balancing distributes traffic but does not automatically redirect if a server fails. Scheduled backups restore data after a failure but do not prevent downtime.
A server administrator is restoring a file server from a full backup taken 7 days ago and incremental backups taken daily. The restoration fails with an error about missing catalog files. What is the most likely cause?
The incremental backup chain is broken
Restoring from incremental backups requires a complete chain from the last full backup. If any incremental backup in the chain is missing or corrupted, the restore will fail. Corrupted full backup media would cause a different error. OS compatibility issues would likely appear earlier. Hard drive failure would be a hardware error.
A RAID 5 array is degraded due to a failed disk. What is the best practice for recovery?
Replace the failed disk and allow the array to rebuild automatically
Option C is correct because replacing the failed disk and allowing automatic rebuild utilizes the array's redundancy and minimizes downtime. Option A destroys the existing configuration. Option B and D are unnecessary if the array can rebuild.
A server fails to boot after installing new memory. The POST beep code indicates a memory error. What is the most likely cause?
The new memory is incompatible with the server
The POST memory error most commonly indicates an incompatible or improperly seated memory module. Incompatible memory (e.g., wrong type, speed, or rank) is a frequent issue when adding memory to servers. Option B is less common because most servers auto-detect slots. Option C is not required for basic memory compatibility. Option D would cause system instability, not a specific memory error.
A server with dual redundant power supplies shuts down unexpectedly. One power supply has a solid amber LED. What is the most likely cause?
The power supply has failed
A solid amber LED on a redundant power supply typically indicates a power supply failure. Overheating would cause both to fail or trigger thermal shutdown. A power cord unplugged would show no LED. Server overload would not cause a single amber LED.
Refer to the exhibit. During boot, the server displays this error and shuts down. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
The CPU fan is not connected to the CPU_FAN header.
The log explicitly states 'No fan detected', which directly points to a missing connection on the CPU_FAN header. The shutdown is a protective response.
A technician installs additional RAM in a server. After powering on, the server emits a continuous beep code and does not POST. The server documentation indicates this beep code signifies a memory error. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?
The new RAM is not fully seated in the memory slot.
Memory errors after installation commonly result from improper seating. A beep code indicating memory detection failure points to a physical connection issue.
Several users report sluggish performance from a database server. The server administrator notices that the CPU fans are running at maximum speed and the baseboard management controller (BMC) reports CPU temperatures of 85°C even at idle. The administrator already cleaned dust from the chassis and verified all fans are operational. Which of the following should the administrator do NEXT?
Reapply thermal paste on the CPU heat sinks.
High temperatures persist after cleaning and fan checks suggest poor heat conduction between the CPU and heatsink, typically caused by dried or inadequate thermal paste.
Refer to the exhibit. A Linux server is reporting slow I/O on the root filesystem. Which of the following actions should the administrator take to resolve the immediate storage bottleneck?
Move non-essential data from / to /backup.
Option B is correct because moving non-essential data from the nearly full root filesystem to /backup (which has ample space) quickly alleviates the space shortage and I/O pressure. Option A is wrong because resizing /dev/sda1 may require downtime and complex partitioning operations; it is not an immediate fix. Option C is wrong because deleting log files may free some space but might also delete valuable diagnostic data and may not be sufficient. Option D is wrong because changing the RAID level of /dev/sda is a fundamental hardware change that does not address the immediate space issue and could be destructive.
A MySQL database server on Linux is experiencing high CPU utilization during peak business hours. Upon investigation, the administrator finds that the query cache hit ratio is below 20%, and the query_cache_size is set to 0. The server has 64 GB of RAM and the database workload is primarily read-heavy. Which of the following actions should the administrator take FIRST to improve performance?
Set query_cache_size to an appropriate value, such as 256M, and monitor.
Option D is correct because the query cache is disabled (size 0). Enabling it and setting an appropriate size will increase cache hits and reduce CPU load. Option A adds RAM but does not address the misconfigured cache. Option B identifies queries but does not directly fix the cache. Option C rebuilds indexes, which may not impact query caching.
A server administrator is troubleshooting an issue where a database server's performance degrades every night at 2 AM. Resource monitor shows high disk I/O and CPU usage during that time. There are no scheduled tasks on the server. Which of the following should the administrator investigate FIRST?
Scheduled antivirus scans on the server
Option A is correct because centrally managed antivirus software may perform scans at a default time, causing high resource usage. Option B would result in network utilization, not local disk I/O. Option C is possible but typically scheduled and would appear in the task scheduler. Option D contradicts the statement that no scheduled tasks exist.
A database server with 64 GB of RAM and RAID 5 storage is experiencing intermittent performance degradation. System monitoring shows constant 95% memory utilization, high disk queue length, and frequent page faults. The server is running a critical application that cannot be restarted during business hours. Which action will provide the BEST permanent resolution?
Add more physical RAM
High memory utilization combined with frequent page faults indicates a memory bottleneck. Adding physical RAM eliminates the need for paging, permanently resolving the root cause. Increasing or moving the page file only mitigates the symptoms, while replacing RAID 5 with RAID 10 improves disk performance but does not address the underlying memory shortage.
A database server running on a Linux VM has started experiencing periodic crashes. The VM is hosted on an ESXi hypervisor. The system logs show entries: 'kernel: Out of memory: Kill process 12345 (mysqld) score 700 or sacrifice child'. The VM has 16GB RAM allocated and no memory overcommitment on the host. The DBA reports that the database workload hasn't increased. Which of the following actions should be taken FIRST to diagnose the issue?
Check the host's memory utilization for ballooning or swapping.
Option C is correct because the OOM killer being invoked in a VM with stable workload suggests possible host-level memory constraints (e.g., ballooning, swapping) affecting the VM. Checking the host's memory utilization helps confirm whether the hypervisor is under memory pressure and causing the VM to think it's out of memory. Options A and D are configuration changes that might alleviate symptoms but don't diagnose root cause. B addresses database tuning, which is not indicated when the system reports OOM.
A server configured with RAID 5 has two failed drives. The array is offline and critical data is inaccessible. The administrator has replacement drives available. What should the administrator do to restore the data and array with minimal data loss?
Replace both failed drives and restore from backup.
Option A is correct. RAID 5 can survive a single drive failure, but with two failed drives, the array is completely broken and cannot be rebuilt. Restoring from backup is the only reliable method to recover the data. Options B and C incorrectly assume the array can still rebuild, and option D would worsen data integrity.
A server configured with dual redundant power supplies unexpectedly shuts down when one power supply fails. Both power supplies are rated for the server's total load and were functioning before the failure. What is the MOST likely reason for the shutdown?
Redundant mode was not configured in the server management settings
If redundant mode is not enabled (Option B), the power supplies may operate in combined/load‑sharing mode, and failure of one can overload the other. Hot‑swap capability (A) allows replacement without shutdown but does not prevent an outage if the remaining PSU cannot handle the load. Wattage mismatch (C) is unlikely if both were working, and different vendors (D) do not normally cause shutdown if the PSUs are compatible.
Refer to the exhibit. A web server is running on port 80, but users are unable to connect. The administrator has confirmed the web server service is running. The output of iptables -L is shown. What is the most likely reason for the connectivity issue?
The firewall is blocking incoming traffic on port 80
The iptables rules accept only related/established traffic and drop SSH. The catch-all REJECT rule blocks all other incoming connections, including HTTP on port 80, because no explicit ACCEPT rule exists for it.
A server administrator notices that a database server is responding slowly to queries. The CPU utilization is at 30%, memory at 40%, and disk latency is normal. Which of the following should the administrator check NEXT?
Network bandwidth utilization
Network bandwidth utilization should be checked next because high network usage can cause slow responses even when CPU, memory, and disk are fine.
A server administrator is restoring a file server from a full backup taken 7 days ago and incremental backups taken daily. The restoration fails with an error about missing catalog files. What is the most likely cause?
The incremental backup chain is broken
Restoring from incremental backups requires a complete chain from the last full backup. If any incremental backup in the chain is missing or corrupted, the restore will fail. Corrupted full backup media would cause a different error. OS compatibility issues would likely appear earlier. Hard drive failure would be a hardware error.
A server administrator is troubleshooting a performance issue on a VMware vSphere host. The host has multiple VMs, and one VM is experiencing high latency on its virtual disk. The administrator checks the datastore and sees it is a RAID 5 array of 4 SAS drives with 50% utilization. Latency for the VM's virtual disk is reported as 200ms. Which action would most likely improve performance?
Migrate the VM to a different datastore with SSD storage.
High latency on a heavily utilized RAID 5 array of spinning disks suggests an I/O bottleneck. Migrating to SSD storage would significantly reduce latency. Option A addresses memory, not disk; B might help with allocation but not latency; C might increase capacity but not improve latency (RAID 6 has more overhead).
A server administrator is tasked with ensuring that a critical database server remains available in the event of a hardware failure. The solution must provide automatic failover with minimal administrative overhead. Which of the following should be implemented?
Server clustering
Server clustering provides automatic failover between nodes, ensuring high availability with minimal administrative overhead. RAID 1 offers disk redundancy but not server-level failover. Load balancing distributes traffic but does not automatically redirect if a server fails. Scheduled backups restore data after a failure but do not prevent downtime.
A server with a RAID 5 array of four disks reports a degraded logical drive. The technician replaces the failed disk and rebuilds the array. After the rebuild completes, the array is still degraded. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
The replacement disk has a different rotational speed than the other disks
Option B is correct because if the replacement disk is of a different speed (e.g., 10k vs 15k), the RAID controller may not accept it or the rebuild may fail, leaving the array degraded. Option A is wrong because missing a partition would not cause the array to remain degraded after rebuild; the array is at a lower level. Option C is wrong because if the firmware were outdated, the controller would likely not recognize the drive at all. Option D is wrong because the disk name in Windows would not affect the RAID status.
The SK0-005 flashcard bank covers all 4 official blueprint domains published by CompTIA. Cards are distributed proportionally, so domains with higher exam weight have more cards.
Domain Coverage
server-hardware-installation-management
server-administration
security-disaster-recovery
troubleshooting
Both flashcards and practice questions are evidence-based study tools. The difference is in what they train:
Flashcards — concept retention
Best for memorising definitions, acronyms, protocol behaviours, command syntax, and conceptual distinctions. Use flashcards to build the foundational vocabulary that SK0-005 questions assume you know.
Best in: weeks 1–3
Practice tests — application
Best for applying concepts to realistic scenarios, eliminating distractors, and building exam stamina.SK0-005 questions test scenario reasoning — not just recall — so practice tests are essential.
Best in: weeks 3–6
The most effective SK0-005 study plan combines both: use flashcards for the first 2–3 weeks to build conceptual foundations, then shift to practice tests and mock exams in the final 2–3 weeks to apply and benchmark that knowledge. Most candidates who pass on their first attempt use both tools.
Yes. Courseiva provides free SK0-005 flashcards across all official exam domains. Every card includes the correct answer and a full explanation of why it is right and why the distractors are wrong. The platform also includes topic-based practice, mock exams, and readiness tracking — no account required.
Courseiva has 185+ original SK0-005 flashcards across all 4 exam blueprint domains. New cards are added regularly as the question bank grows. All cards are written by certified engineers against the official CompTIA exam objectives.
Courseiva flashcards are purpose-built for IT certification exams. Unlike generic flashcard platforms where content quality varies, every Courseiva card is mapped to the official SK0-005 exam blueprint, written by engineers who hold the certification, and includes a full explanation of the correct answer and why the distractors are wrong. This explanation quality is what separates genuine learning from rote memorisation.
Courseiva is a web platform — an internet connection is required. For offline study, we recommend creating free Courseiva account, using the platform in your browser, and using your device's offline capabilities if your browser supports offline web apps.
Save your results, see which domains need more work, and get spaced repetition recommendations — all free.
Sign Up FreeFree forever · Every certification included