XK0-006 Troubleshooting Practice Question
A Linux administrator is troubleshooting a server that has become unresponsive. They suspect a process is consuming excessive CPU. Which command should they use to display a real-time, interactive view of processes sorted by CPU usage?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse static snapshot tools like ps with interactive, real-time monitors like top, which are needed for live CPU troubleshooting.
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
✓
top
The top command is designed for real-time process monitoring, showing a continuously updated list of processes sorted by CPU usage. It allows an administrator to quickly spot which process is consuming the most CPU and take action, such as renice or kill. Other tools like ps provide only a snapshot, while vmstat and iostat give system-wide statistics without per-process breakdown.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
iostat -c
Why it's wrong here
iostat -c displays CPU utilization statistics, but it focuses on I/O and system-wide CPU metrics, not per-process details. It is useful for diagnosing I/O bottlenecks and overall CPU load, but it does not list individual processes or their CPU usage, so it cannot help identify a specific runaway process.
- ✗
vmstat 1
Why it's wrong here
vmstat 1 reports virtual memory statistics, including CPU activity, every second. It provides system-wide CPU usage but does not show per-process CPU consumption. Therefore, it cannot identify which specific process is causing high CPU usage, making it less suitable for pinpointing the culprit in this scenario.
- ✓
top
Why this is correct
The top command provides a dynamic, real-time view of running processes, typically sorted by CPU usage by default. It allows the administrator to identify processes with high CPU consumption, and it supports interactive commands to change sorting, kill processes, and more. This makes it ideal for live troubleshooting of CPU-bound issues on a server.
- ✗
ps aux
Why it's wrong here
The ps aux command gives a static snapshot of all running processes at the moment it is executed. It does not update in real time, so it cannot show continuously changing CPU usage. While it lists CPU and memory usage, it lacks the interactive, live-updating capability needed to monitor a process that is currently spiking CPU.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
System Troubleshooting and Performance Tuning
Key term
Linux
Linux is an open-source operating system that manages computer hardware and software, widely used in servers, desktops, and embedded systems.
Key term
Process
In IT service management, a process is a structured set of activities designed to accomplish a specific objective, such as managing incidents or changes, by transforming inputs into defined outputs.
About these practice questions
This XK0-006 question is part of Courseiva's 781-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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 XK0-006 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 XK0-006 exam.