This XK0-005 practice question tests your understanding of system management. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 system is experiencing high CPU load. The administrator runs 'top' and sees that the 'kworker' processes are consuming significant CPU time. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
A kernel module memory leak
Why wrong: Memory leak would show high memory usage, not necessarily kworker CPU.
A hardware interrupt storm caused by a failing disk controller
kworker handles workqueues; hardware issues cause interrupts.
A user process stuck in an infinite loop
Why wrong: User processes appear as user names, not kworker.
Insufficient memory causing swapping
Why wrong: Swapping would show high I/O wait, not kworker CPU.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
A hardware interrupt storm caused by a failing disk controller
The 'kworker' processes in the 'top' output indicate kernel workqueue threads that handle deferred work. High CPU usage by kworker is typically caused by a hardware interrupt storm, often from a failing disk controller or other faulty hardware generating excessive interrupts that the kernel must service. This forces the workqueue to constantly process interrupt-related tasks, consuming significant CPU time.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
A kernel module memory leak
Why it's wrong here
Memory leak would show high memory usage, not necessarily kworker CPU.
A hardware interrupt storm caused by a failing disk controller
Why this is correct
kworker handles workqueues; hardware issues cause interrupts.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
A user process stuck in an infinite loop
Why it's wrong here
User processes appear as user names, not kworker.
Insufficient memory causing swapping
Why it's wrong here
Swapping would show high I/O wait, not kworker CPU.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse 'kworker' with a user-space process or attribute high CPU to a memory leak or swapping, but the key is recognizing that kworker is a kernel thread tied to hardware interrupt handling, making a hardware fault the most likely cause.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Memory leak would show high memory usage, not necessarily kworker CPU.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, kworker threads are part of the kernel's workqueue mechanism, which handles deferred work like interrupt bottom halves, I/O completions, and driver tasks. A hardware interrupt storm, often from a failing disk controller or NIC, floods the system with IRQs, causing the kernel to schedule kworker threads repeatedly to process the associated softirqs and tasklets. This can be diagnosed using 'cat /proc/interrupts' to check for excessive interrupt counts on a specific device, or 'irqtop' for real-time monitoring.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the XK0-005 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
System Management — This question tests System Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: A hardware interrupt storm caused by a failing disk controller — The 'kworker' processes in the 'top' output indicate kernel workqueue threads that handle deferred work. High CPU usage by kworker is typically caused by a hardware interrupt storm, often from a failing disk controller or other faulty hardware generating excessive interrupts that the kernel must service. This forces the workqueue to constantly process interrupt-related tasks, consuming significant CPU time.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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