XK0-006 Troubleshooting Practice Question
A Linux server is experiencing high CPU usage. Which TWO commands can be used to identify which processes are consuming the most CPU? (Choose two.)
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
✓
ps aux --sort=-%cpu
Option A, `ps aux --sort=-%cpu`, is correct because it lists all processes with their CPU utilization and sorts them in descending order by the %CPU column, immediately revealing the top CPU consumers. Option B, `top`, is correct because it provides a real-time, dynamically refreshing view of running processes ranked by CPU usage, allowing an administrator to identify which processes are consuming the most CPU. Option C, `iostat`, is incorrect because it reports CPU and I/O statistics per device rather than per-process CPU consumption. Option D, `vmstat`, is incorrect because it reports system-wide memory, paging, and CPU summary statistics, not individual process CPU usage. Option E, `free`, is incorrect because it only displays memory and swap usage, providing no per-process CPU information.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
ps aux --sort=-%cpu
Why this is correct
`ps aux --sort=-%cpu` lists every process with its CPU percentage, sorted descending by that column, so the heaviest consumers appear first. This directly satisfies the stem's requirement to identify which processes are consuming the most CPU on the Linux server, giving an immediate ranked snapshot without interactive monitoring.
- ✓
top
Why this is correct
`top` provides a live, continuously refreshing view of per-process CPU consumption, sorted by usage by default, so the busiest processes surface immediately. This directly satisfies the stem's requirement to identify which processes are consuming the most CPU on the Linux server.
- ✗
iostat
Why it's wrong here
iostat reports CPU utilisation alongside per-device I/O statistics, giving aggregate percentages rather than a per-process breakdown. Identifying which processes consume the most CPU requires per-process views. iostat would be the right choice when diagnosing disk throughput or I/O wait on block devices.
- ✗
vmstat
Why it's wrong here
vmstat summarises system-wide CPU, memory, and paging counters at intervals, but it does not attribute usage to individual processes. The question asks which processes are consuming CPU. vmstat would be the correct choice when monitoring overall system load or detecting swapping over time.
- ✗
free
Why it's wrong here
free reports physical and swap memory usage, not CPU consumption by process. It cannot identify which processes are consuming CPU. free would be the correct choice when diagnosing memory exhaustion, cache pressure, or swap activity on a Linux host.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Installing Linux and Package Management
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.
Key term
Linux
Linux is an open-source operating system that manages computer hardware and software, widely used in servers, desktops, and embedded systems.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every XK0-006 question from scratch — 781 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.