Question 162 of 510

Scripting, Containers and Automation →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

XK0-005 Scripting, Containers and Automation Practice Question

This XK0-005 practice question tests your understanding of scripting, containers and automation. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.

A Linux administrator is writing a script that must wait for a background process to finish before continuing. The process ID is stored in a variable. Which command should be used to wait for this process?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "which command"
Why it matters: Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.

Question 1hardmultiple choice

Full question →

A
sleep 10
Why wrong: Only pauses, doesn't wait for process.
B
wait
Why wrong: Waits for all background jobs.
C
wait $PID
Waits for specific process.
D
kill -0 $PID
Why wrong: Checks if process exists.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

wait $PID

Option C is correct because the `wait` command in Bash, when given a specific process ID (PID), suspends execution of the calling shell script until that background process terminates. This directly fulfills the requirement to wait for a specific background process whose PID is stored in a variable.

Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✗
sleep 10
Why it's wrong here
Only pauses, doesn't wait for process.
✗
wait
Why it's wrong here
Waits for all background jobs.
✓
wait $PID
Why this is correct
Waits for specific process.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "which command" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
kill -0 $PID
Why it's wrong here
Checks if process exists.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

CompTIA often tests the distinction between `wait` (which waits for process completion) and `kill -0` (which only checks process existence), leading candidates to mistakenly choose `kill -0` as a waiting mechanism.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

The `wait` command is a shell built-in that monitors child processes; when called with a PID, it blocks until that specific child exits, returning its exit status. This is essential in scripting to ensure sequential execution after parallel background tasks, such as when processing multiple files concurrently and needing results before proceeding. A subtle behavior is that `wait` can only wait for child processes of the current shell, not arbitrary processes.

KKey Concepts to Remember

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.

TExam Day Tips

Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.

Key takeaway

Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this XK0-005 question test?

Scripting, Containers and Automation — This question tests Scripting, Containers and Automation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: wait $PID — Option C is correct because the `wait` command in Bash, when given a specific process ID (PID), suspends execution of the calling shell script until that background process terminates. This directly fulfills the requirement to wait for a specific background process whose PID is stored in a variable.

What should I do if I get this XK0-005 question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "which command". Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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This XK0-005 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 XK0-005 exam.