easyMultiple Choice
CV0-004 Practice Question: A cloud administrator notices that a cloud-based…
A cloud administrator notices that a cloud-based application is running slowly. The administrator checks the cloud monitoring dashboard and sees that CPU utilization is at 95% for the application server. Which of the following should the administrator do first?
⚠ Common exam trap
CV0-004 often tests the reflex to reboot or add memory when CPU is high — candidates must match the resource bottleneck (CPU) to the correct scaling action (scale out), not a different resource.
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
✓
Scale out by adding another instance.
With CPU utilization at 95% on the application server, the bottleneck is compute capacity, so the first remediation step is to scale out by adding another instance to distribute the load. Horizontal scaling directly addresses sustained high CPU by adding parallel processing capacity. This is the least disruptive and most appropriate first action before considering vertical scaling or restarts.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Add an additional network interface.
Why it's wrong here
Adding a network interface increases network paths, not CPU capacity, so the 95% utilisation persists. It is tempting because extra interfaces help network-bound workloads, but this bottleneck is compute; the administrator should scale out or resize the instance instead.
- ✓
Scale out by adding another instance.
Why this is correct
Scaling out adds another instance to distribute the application load, directly relieving the sustained 95% CPU utilisation on the existing server. Horizontal scaling suits this stateless cloud application, spreading demand across multiple instances rather than resizing a single host. It addresses the immediate bottleneck identified on the monitoring dashboard.
- ✗
Reboot the server.
Why it's wrong here
Rebooting restarts the workload without addressing sustained 95% CPU demand, causing brief downtime and likely recurrence. It is tempting as a quick fix for a sluggish server, but rebooting suits a hung process; the first step here is scaling out or resizing the instance.
- ✗
Increase the memory allocation.
Why it's wrong here
Memory allocation does not relieve CPU saturation; adding RAM leaves the 95% processor load untouched, so the bottleneck persists. It is tempting because memory pressure can degrade performance, and increasing allocation would be right when monitoring shows paging, swapping or sustained high memory consumption rather than processor-bound demand.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This CV0-004 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CV0-004 exam.