easyMultiple Choice
220-1202 Practice Question: A user complains that their MacBook Air running…
A user complains that their MacBook Air running macOS Monterey frequently runs out of memory and slows down when they have multiple browser tabs and apps open. They want to see which processes are consuming the most memory without installing third-party software. Which macOS tool should you instruct them to use?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the distinction between a diagnostic tool (Activity Monitor) and a troubleshooting shortcut (Force Quit), leading candidates to mistakenly choose the Force Quit window because it is a common keyboard shortcut for dealing with unresponsive apps, even though it lacks memory monitoring capabilities.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Activity Monitor from the Utilities folder.
Activity Monitor (option D) is the built-in macOS utility that provides real-time monitoring of CPU, memory, energy, disk, and network usage. It allows users to view memory pressure, list processes sorted by memory consumption, and identify resource hogs without any third-party software. This directly addresses the user's need to see which processes are consuming the most memory.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Force Quit Applications window (Cmd+Option+Esc).
Why it's wrong here
Force Quit lists only running applications, showing no per-process memory figures, so it cannot reveal which processes consume the most RAM. It is tempting because it terminates hung apps, which is its actual purpose, and would be the right tool when an app is unresponsive rather than when memory usage must be analysed.
- ✗
System Preferences > Memory.
Why it's wrong here
System Preferences contains no Memory pane on macOS Monterey; memory information is not exposed there at all, so the user cannot view process consumption. It is tempting because System Preferences is the familiar graphical location for system settings, and would be correct for adjusting settings such as startup disks or energy options.
- ✗
Terminal with the 'top' command.
Why it's wrong here
Terminal's top command does display per-process memory usage, but it requires command-line familiarity and the question expects the built-in graphical utility. It is tempting because top genuinely reports memory statistics, and would be the right choice for a headless server or when scripting process monitoring remotely.
- ✓
Activity Monitor from the Utilities folder.
Why this is correct
Activity Monitor's Memory tab lists every process with its memory footprint, letting the user sort by usage to identify the heaviest consumers. It ships preinstalled in /Applications/Utilities, satisfying the no-third-party-software constraint, and runs natively on macOS Monterey without additional configuration.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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